Nvidia DualTV User manual

User’s Guide

NVIDIA DualTV MCE

For Microsoft Windows XP

Media Center Edition (MCE)

March 2006

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Table of Contents

Introduction ...................................................................................................................1

About This Guide..............................................................................................................1

Overview.........................................................................................................................1

Features and Benefits.......................................................................................................3

Product Specifications.......................................................................................................3

Functions.....................................................................................................................3

Connectors on Bracket ..................................................................................................4

Minimum System Requirements .....................................................................................4

Compliance and Certifications ........................................................................................ 5

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) Environment...........................................5

Unpacking Your NVIDIA DualTV Tuner Card..................................................................7

Unpacking........................................................................................................................7

Hardware Installation and Connections......................................................................11

Safety Instructions ......................................................................................................... 11

Before You Begin............................................................................................................ 11

Installing the Hardware................................................................................................... 12

Connecting a Set-Top Box or Other Video Equipment ........................................................ 14

A/V Cable Connections................................................................................................ 14

MCE Remote Control and Receiver ............................................................................... 15

Connection Diagrams...................................................................................................... 16

Connecting Analog TV Cable or Off-Air Antenna............................................................. 16

Connecting One Set-Top Box via Direct A/V Input.......................................................... 17

Connecting Two Set-Top Boxes via Direct A/V Inputs..................................................... 18

Software Installation ...................................................................................................19

Installing Software and Registering Your NVIDIA DualTV Card............................................ 19

Abnormal Termination................................................................................................. 36

Installing an MCE Remote Control and Receiver .........................................................37

Setting Up the MCE Remote Control and Receiver ............................................................. 37

Connection Diagrams with MCE Remote ........................................................................... 39

Connecting Analog TV Cable or Off-Air Antenna............................................................. 39

Connecting One Set-Top Box via Direct A/V Input.......................................................... 40

NVIDIA DualTV MCE Dual-Tuner Card User’s Guide

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Connecting Two Set-Top Boxes via Direct A/V Inputs..................................................... 41

Configuring NVIDIA DualTV in Windows XP Media Center Edition..............................43

Configuring MCE to Work with NVIDIA DualTV.................................................................. 43

Configuring MCE Automatically for Antenna or Analog Cable TV...................................... 44

Configuring MCE Manually for Antenna or Analog Cable TV............................................. 50

Configuring MCE for Use with Set-Top Box.................................................................... 56

Setting Up the Radio....................................................................................................... 68

Optimizing the Audio and Video Experience ................................................................71

Overview....................................................................................................................... 71

Antenna/Cable TV Signal Strength ................................................................................... 74

Low Signal Level......................................................................................................... 74

High Signal Level........................................................................................................ 74

Adjusting LCD Panels...................................................................................................... 75

Adjusting Your Monitor or TV........................................................................................... 75

Centering the Picture on Your Screen ........................................................................... 78

Adjusting the Aspect Ratio........................................................................................... 79

Adjusting the Brightness: Picture Too Dark ................................................................... 80

Adjusting the Contrast: Picture Too Light...................................................................... 82

Adjusting the Color Balance......................................................................................... 84

Adjusting Display Settings............................................................................................... 86

Gamma...................................................................................................................... 87

Position...................................................................................................................... 88

Digital Vibrance .......................................................................................................... 88

Adjusting TV Capture Settings ......................................................................................... 88

Picture Mode.............................................................................................................. 90

Color Separation......................................................................................................... 90

Noise Reduction.......................................................................................................... 91

VCR Input Timing ....................................................................................................... 91

Adjusting A/V Playback Settings....................................................................................... 92

Color and Brightness Control........................................................................................ 94

De-Interlacing Control................................................................................................. 94

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).............................................................................95

Getting Driver Updates.................................................................................................... 95

General Questions.......................................................................................................... 95

FAQs Specific to Microsoft Windows XP MCE....................................................................103

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Registration, Support, and Warranty.........................................................................107

Registering Your NVIDIA DualTV.....................................................................................107

Warranty and Support....................................................................................................107

Index ..........................................................................................................................109

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List of Figures

Figure 1. NVIDIA DualTV Tuner Card, NTSC Version..........................................................8

Figure 2. NVIDIA DualTV Tuner Card, PAL Version............................................................9

Figure 3. NTSC and PAL Card Connections ...................................................................... 13

Figure 4. A/V Connections with a Set-Top Box................................................................. 15

Figure 5. Connecting Analog TV Cable or Off-Air Antenna................................................. 16

Figure 6. Connecting One Set-Top Box via Direct A/V Input.............................................. 17

Figure 7. Connecting Two Set-Top Boxes with Direct A/V Inputs....................................... 18

Figure 8. Connection Analog TV Cable or Off-Air Antenna, with Remote............................. 39

Figure 9. Connecting One Set-Top Box via Direct A/V Input, with Remote.......................... 40

Figure 10. Connecting Two Set-Top Boxes with Direct A/V Inputs, with Remote................... 41

Figure 11. Low Signal Level ............................................................................................. 74

Figure 12. High Signal Level............................................................................................. 74

List of Tables

Table 1. Tools for Optimizing Your Audio and Video Experience ...................................... 73

Table 2. Application Support for MediaSqueeze.............................................................102

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Introduction

Control your TV experience—watch what you want, when you want, from wherever

you want! The NVIDIA

®

DualTV tuner card allows you to enjoy dual-channel

analog TV on a Microsoft

®

Windows

®

XP Media Center Edition® (MCE) PC.

About This Guide

This User’s Guide provides setup and operation instructions for the NVIDIA

DualTV on a PC equipped with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition

(MCE). For more information about Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition,

please visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx

Overview

Watch Your Favorite TV Programs When and Where You Want

The NVIDIA DualTV analog tuner card lets you schedule recordings of your

favorite TV shows and watch them when you want. You are no longer limited to

watching the same program you are recording; with NVIDIA DualTV you can

watch one channel and record another, or record two channels simultaneously. And

with time shift capabilities you can easily pause and rewind your favorite shows to

watch at your leisure.

Best of all, you can watch your programs in your home or on the go. With NVIDIA

DualTV you can easily record your favorite programs and then transfer, stream, or

copy them to different devices to watch in various locations. NVIDIA

MediaSqueeze

™ technology allows you to record and save your favorite programs

using less disk space than other solutions. In addition, you can watch your NVIDIA

DualTV from anywhere in the world over the Internet by utilizing software from

Orb Networks.

Watch your favorite shows anywhere with:

 An Apple iPod with video

 A Sony PSP™ (PlayStation

®

Portable)

 A Microsoft XBOX 360™ or Media Center Extender

 A DVD player

 A notebook computer

 Orb Networks software

NVIDIA DualTV MCE User’s Guide

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Refer to the NVIDIA DualTV Web site for additional information on these usage

scenarios.

Enjoy Unmatched Television Picture Quality

With the power of NVIDIA PureVideo™ technology, NVIDIA DualTV delivers a

home-theater experience through your PC, ensuring that the picture is clear and that

the colors are vibrant and lifelike. Experience crisp and vivid TV with PureVideo’s

advanced 3D noise reduction and 3D comb filter technology. Multistream hardware

MPEG-2 encoding lets you record a sharp TV picture while freeing the CPU for

other applications. The included NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder provides unmatched

picture fidelity and rich surround-sound audio when you’re watching DVDs, videos,

or TV shows. And Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) certification guarantees the

highest level of picture quality.

Install and Use Within Minutes

Installing NVIDIA DualTV is simple. The easy-to-install, rock-solid NVIDIA

ForceWare® drivers will have you watching and recording your favorite TV

programs in no time. The “Designed for Windows Media Center Edition”

certification ensures that NVIDIA DualTV meets the standards for Window’s

compatibility.

Capture, Edit, and Archive Your Home Movies with Ease

NVIDIA DualTV lets you easily connect your camcorder to instantly capture your

home movies. Combine NVIDIA DualTV with Microsoft Windows Movie Maker

to edit your movies and share with friends and family.

Turns Any Media Center PC into a Home-Entertainment Center

NVIDIA DualTV MCE delivers a superior TV experience on Media Center Edition

(MCE) PCs, giving you flexibility in your TV viewing and recording options.

Quickly start watching high-quality TV by clicking the “MyTV” button from the

MCE display menu. NVIDIA DualTV MCE lets you take full advantage of MCE’s

dual tuner and personal video recording capabilities, including recording two

channels at once or watching one channel while recording another. You can even

distribute two separate programs throughout your home with Media Center

Extenders, so others can watch their favorite shows on their own TV.

The NVIDIA DualTV tuner card is available in two versions—NTSC (for North

America and Korea) and PAL (for Europe and part of Asia). The PAL version also

supports SECAM.

Introduction

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Features and Benefits

 Simultaneous Watch and Record. Record two TV channels, or watch one TV

channel while recording another—the perfect solution for Windows MCE.

 Helpful Wizards and Simple Quick Start Guide. NVIDIA DualTV’s easy-install

features mean you’ll be watching and recording your favorite programs in no time.

 NVIDIA PureVideo™ Technology. NVIDIA PureVideo delivers a crystal-clear

television picture with 3D noise reduction, advanced 3D comb filtering, and signal

amplification.

 NVIDIA MediaSqueeze™ Technology. NVIDIA MediaSqueeze lets you store more

of your favorite TV programs or home video on your hard disk or a DVD.

 NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder. The NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder combines the

industry’s highest quality DVD and MPEG-2 playback with rich surround-sound audio,

and provides the best movie experience with Microsoft Windows Media Player and

Windows XP Media Center Edition.

 Multistream Hardware MPEG-2 MP@ML Encode. Record a sharp, crisp TV

picture while freeing the CPU for other applications.

 Multiple Inputs. Accepts TV and audio input from cable, set-top boxes, and off-the-

air antennas. An internal splitter allows a single cable or antenna connection to supply

two different channels simultaneously.

 NVIDIA ForceWare

®

Drivers. Use the rock-solid NVIDIA ForceWare drivers to

unleash the full power and features of NVIDIA’s DualTV experience. The added

benefits powered by the Media Center extensions deliver an unmatched Media Center

experience.

 FM Tuner. FM tuner allows you to pause, rewind, and record your favorite FM radio

programs.

Product Specifications

Functions

 Dual-channel TV reception and A/V capture

¾ Source type: Analog terrestrial broadcast, analog cable broadcast, and analog

A/V signal from set-top boxes or other A/V equipment

¾ Signal type: Radio frequency (RF from antenna, cable TV, output of set-top

boxes) or baseband (S-video or composite video)

¾ TV standards:

¾ NTSC board: NTSC M/N

¾ PAL/SECAM board: PAL I, B/G, D/K, SECAM D/K, L/L’

 Dual-stream MPEG-2 A/V encode with MediaSqueeze technology

¾ Video: MPEG-2 MP@ML, 720 × 480 (standard definition)

¾ Audio: MPEG1L2

NVIDIA DualTV MCE User’s Guide

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 Uncompressed A/V capture

¾ Video: 720 × 480 (standard definition)

¾ Audio: PCM (16-24 bit per sample, up to 48 KHz)

 FM radio tuner

 Internal splitter for RF with in-line signal amplifier; only a single RF input is needed for

the two internal tuners

 3D comb filter and 3D noise reduction with PureVideo technology

Connectors on Bracket

 RF (radio frequency) TV antenna or cable TV: F-connector (NTSC) or IEC-connector

(PAL/SECAM)

 RF FM radio antenna: F-connector (NTSC) or IEC-connector (PAL)

 Direct A/V inputs (2 sets) **

¾ S-video (or composite video via included adapter): 4-pin DIN

¾ Line-level stereo audio: stereo minijack

** 2-sets of onboard A/V inputs (1x5 for video and 1x4 for audio) are also available for front-panel (drive bay)

or back-panel connection; requires wafer connector cables and connector mounts (not included).

Minimum System Requirements

 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (including Update Roll-up 2)

 1.6 GHz Intel

®

Pentium

®

4, Celeron

®

, or equivalent AMD

®

Athlon™ or Sempron™

CPU (2.4 GHz CPU recommended)

 256 MB system memory (512MB highly recommended)

 Available PCI slot

 Graphics with 64 MB DDR, DXVA (motion-compensation), and Microsoft

®

DirectX

®

9.0 support (128 MB DDR recommended)

 20 GB free space on Ultra DMA (ATA/66) hard disk (40 GB or more recommended)

 DirectSound-compatible sound card or integrated audio

 CD-ROM drive (DVD-ROM or DVD recorder drive recommended)

 Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or later. If this is not already installed on your MCE system,

download from the Microsoft Web site at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en&categoryid=2



Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 or later with latest service pack

Note: For MCE-specific system requirements such as CPU speed, graphics

requirements, or Internet access, refer to the MCE documentation on

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx

Introduction

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Compliance and Certifications

 Designed for Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition, 2005 (including

Update Roll-up 2)

 Imaging Science Research Labs/Imaging Science Foundation

 FCC, CE, UL/CUL, CTICK, MIC, VCCI, BSMI

Microsoft Windows XP Media

Center Edition (MCE)

Environment

When you are using a Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 PC

system, the NVIDIA DualTV tuner card provides direct connections with the

following for reception of TV broadcast:

 An antenna or cable TV feed or RF feed from a set-top box

 Up to two set-top boxes (receiver/decoder units for reception of digital cable, satellite,

or terrestrial broadcast TV) using direct A/V input ports

 An FM antenna connection

The MCE application gives you access to an onscreen program guide. With this you

can program TV recordings days or even weeks in advance. You can use an MCE-

compatible remote control to navigate within the MCE application.

The NVIDIA DualTV CD provides the following software to support your MCE

environment:

 NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder (MCE-certified MPEG-2 decoder)

 NVIDIA MCE Extensions

 NVIDIA DualTV Windows Driver Model (WDM) Driver

The NVIDIA DualTV tuner card is compliant with the following logo program to

provide you the best MCE experience:

 Designed for Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs)

 Designed for Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition

 Imaging Science Foundation (ISRL/ISF)

NVIDIA DualTV MCE User’s Guide

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Note: If you intend to use your set-top box with the NVIDIA DualTV, you need to have

an MCE-compatible IR remote control/receiver with IR blaster(s). The IR receiver

unit controls up to two set-top boxes to change channels. An MCE-compatible IR

remote control/receiver with IR blasters is available as part of an NVIDIA DualTV

and MCE remote control bundle from the NVIDIA online store. You may also buy

an MCE remote control kit from several popular online retailers.

Note: At the time of publication of this document, the MCE application itself does not

support video capture from a non-broadcast source. For example, MCE allows

you to receive TV programming from a terrestrial, satellite, or digital cable set-

top box, but does not directly support video capture and archiving from a

camcorder or a VCR. For video capture and archiving, you can use Microsoft

Movie Maker (included in the MCE build) in conjunction with DualTV’s A/V input

capabilities.

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Unpacking Your

NVIDIA DualTV Tuner Card

Unpacking

The NVIDIA DualTV MCE is available in NTSC and PAL versions. Figures 1 and

2 show the NTSC and PAL NVIDIA DualTV tuner cards, respectively. The

following is a list of the product package contents. Note that certain items are

included in retail packages only.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10 11

1. NVIDIA DualTV tuner card. Available in NTSC and PAL/SECAM versions.

2. NVIDIA DualTV Installation CD with NVIDIA PureVideo decoder, NVIDIA Driver,

and User’s Guide (a PDF of this document).

3. FM antenna cable. Connects to FM antenna input on the NVIDIA DualTV tuner card.

4. S-video cable*. Connects to set-top box or other video equipment.

5. Composite video (RCA to 4-pin DIN) adapter. Allows composite video cable to

connect to the NVIDIA DualTV tuner card.

6. Composite video and stereo audio RCA cable*. Connects to set-top box or other

video equipment.

7. Minijack to dual RCA audio cable. Allows stereo RCA cable to connect to the

NVIDIA DualTV tuner card.

8. Coaxial cable*. Connects to cable TV service.

9. Coaxial cable splitter*. Connects to cable TV service coaxial cable, CATV input on

the NVIDIA DualTV card, and to another device utilizing the cable signal.

10. NVIDIA DualTV Quick Start Guide

11. NVIDIA DualTV Registration Reminder Card

* Included in retail packages only

NVIDIA DualTV MCE User’s Guide

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Figure 1. NVIDIA DualTV Tuner Card, NTSC Version

Tuner In

(TV cable or

antenna feed)

FM Antenna In

Video 1 In

Video 2 In

Audio 1 In

Audio 2 In

Unpacking the NVTV Dual-Tuner Card

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Figure 2. NVIDIA DualTV Tuner Card, PAL Version

Tuner In

(TV cable or

antenna feed)

FM Antenna In

Video 1 In

Audio 1 In

Video 2 In

Audio 2 In

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Hardware Installation and

Connections

Installing the NVIDIA DualTV tuner card hardware requires opening your

computer. Please follow all of the safety instructions provided here to ensure that

there is no damage to you, your computer, or the tuner card.

Safety Instructions

To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, and injury, always follow basic safety

precautions.

Remember to remove power from your computer by disconnecting the AC main

source before installing any equipment into the computer chassis.

Before You Begin

IMPORTANT: Any previous analog tuner card drivers must be

completely

removed to avoid

conflicts. NVIDIA recommends that you uninstall these drivers prior to removing

the old hardware and installing the NVIDIA DualTV tuner card. If you have any

existing DVD decoders other than NVIDIA PureVideo decoders, it is highly

recommended that these software programs be completely removed.

Your computer may already have an analog tuner card installed. If so, you

need to uninstall it and replace it with the NVIDIA DualTV tuner card.

You also need to uninstall any other Windows Driver Model (WDM)

Drivers for TV tuner cards. Go to

Start¾Control Panel¾Add or

Remove Programs

. Select the installed analog TV card drivers and click

Add/Remove. This will uninstall all files associated with the drivers you have

selected.

Use this same procedure to remove any existing DVD decoders.

NVIDIA DualTV MCE User’s Guide

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Installing the Hardware

Note: All hardware must be installed prior to installation of the software.

Use the following procedure to install the NVIDIA DualTV tuner card into your

computer system. Use Figure 3 on the next page as a guide to connecting cables

to your NVIDIA DualTV tuner card.

1. Turn off the computer, monitor, and any peripheral equipment and

disconnect the power cord to the PC.

2. Open your computer; refer to your computer documentation for assistance.

3. Remove any metal plate that covers the PCI slot you selected on the

motherboard so the tuner card connectors are accessible from the back of the

computer (you will use the screws to secure the card).

4. Install the NVIDIA DualTV tuner card into the selected PCI slot.

5. Secure the tuner card using any hardware (screws) removed when you

removed the metal plate or an existing analog tuner card.

6. Reinstall the cover on your computer and reconnect any cables removed earlier.

7. Connect the cables to your NVIDIA DualTV tuner card (see Figure 3). If a TV

antenna or TV cable is used, attach the signal source (directly or via the included

coaxial cable splitter) to the

CATV connector on the card. If you are connecting a

set-top box, see Connecting a Set-Top Box or Other Video Equipment on page 14.

Note: The A/V cable connection for capturing analog video output from a

camcorder or VCR is the same as that for a set-top box (see Figure 4).

Note: If you have an MCE-compatible IR remote control/receiver but have not

connected the USB IR receiver to the MCE system, please plug that in

only after the NVIDIA DualTV software installation (next chapter).

8. Reconnect the power cord to your system.

9. Power on the computer.

Hardware Installation

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1 Connect FM antenna cable.

2 Connect TV antenna or TV cable (this connection supplies the TV signal to both tuners on the card).

If your cable is already connected to another A/V device, you can use the included “splitter” as shown

to send the cable signal to both the NVIDIA DualTV and your other device.

Connect the TV signal directly to CATV connector on the NVIDIA DualTV if you do not have a secondary

A/V device. Do not use the splitter in this case.

NVIDIA DOES NOT recommend that you connect an amplifier or active amplifier/splitter with high

gain to the TV cable input. Doing so could cause excessive noise on the signal resulting in distortion of

the TV picture.

3 For connections to set-top boxes or other A/V equipment. See next page.

Figure 3. NTSC and PAL Card Connections

(

if exist

)

Secure to system chassis using

any hardware removed in step 3.

NTSC

Version

PAL

Version

1

2

3

Use the splitter

only if needed

NVIDIA DualTV MCE User’s Guide

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Connecting a Set-Top Box or

Nvidia DualTV User manual

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