[TechLife]

WMC for me. I tried all the others and they failed me miserably or were a nightmare to configure. Then I discovered a little project bringing the simplicity and reliability of WMC to XBMC directly. I loved it so much I joined the team and am now the wiki guy. Yes, I'm biased now but when I started investigating PVR options for XBMC, I certainly wasn't.

[dark41]

Greetings from Australia. I'm confused about WMC. I see no option in Frodo 12.2 or 12.3 for WMC as PVR service - but did when I experimented a bit with Gotham. Is everyone using WMC on Gotham or is there a trick to getting it to work on Frodo? Thanks in advance.

[krustyreturns]

The wmc backend is the newest of the pvr backends and as such was not included in Frodo. However you can go the download page for serverwmc and get a frodo client for hand install.

https://googledrive.com/host/0ByNnAMYBoW...index.html

[dark41]

Thanks for the link! WMC was working pretty well on Gotham, but I reverted back to Frodo because some addons weren't available. Currently using MediaPortal on Frodo 12.3 but seems to freeze more often for me on free to air TV. Will give WMC another try.

[JasperE]

After trying several packages I also ended up with Argus.

• NextPVR:
  The first backend I tried, however I couldn't manage to get it working with my Dutch DVB-C provider at all (XMSNet: 304Mhz / 6875 symbolrate / 64QAM).
  _
  
• DVBLink:
  I then tried DVBLink which I managed to get tuned to my DVB-C provider, but I uninstalled it as soon as I found out it required two (!) paid licenses, each €21 = €42 total. That's just too much. (One TVSource license, and a Connect Server license.)
  _
  
• MediaPortal:
  I then tried MediaPortal TV Server, which works with XBMC (after installing a plugin for MediaPortal) and my DVB-C provider (out of the box). I was however experiencing slow channel switching (~10secs), so I then tried ArgusTV.
  _
  
• ArgusTV:
  Argus first requires a manual installation of either MySQL, or MS SQL Server Express which is freely available from microsoft.com.
  In the past I've had severe problems with MySQL on Windows after running a system restore, so I chose the stable MS option: MS SQL Express.
  
  I then first had to manually add my providers DVB-C settings to Cables.xml in C:\ProgramData before it would detect any channels.
  (Why can't you just set these parameters manually in the setup?).
  
  When I got Argus tuned I was suprised with all the scheduling options and the nice web interface, so I stuck with it. What I really like is that the webinterface is responsive by design, meaning it's accessible by iPhone/Android devices with small screens. This allows me to set and tweak the many scheduling options using my smartphone, while watching a show, never having to get up from my comfortable couch position
  

The solution for my slow channel switching issue however wasn't solved yet. This ended up to be an XBMC issue, using Margro's custom XBMC build fixed this for me. This build has some PVR optimizations which really make a big difference. Get it at: https://www.scintilla.utwente.nl/~marcel...build.html

In a nutshell:
NextPVR: Couldn't manage to get it tuned to my DVB-C provider.
DVBLink: Expensive.
MediaPortal TV Server: Easy setup, worked out of the box with my DVB-C provider, requires a manual plugin installation to get it working with XBMC.
Argus TV: Many scheduling options, nice web interface, good configurability, stable, but a bit more complicated to setup.

[dark41]

I tried WMC server with Frodo 12.3 and it worked, but kept opening WMC with the Hauppauge remote from various buttons. I couldn't work out how to avoid that, even with EventGhost and the latest drivers for the HVR-2210. I'd never had to map mouse and keyboards strokes before, and found it all very complicated. Too many terms that I didn't understand, and couldn't find easy explanations for them. I spent a week researching before giving up.

Next I tried ArgusTV. BUT I needed an updated SQL server for Argus. Installing the lite version of SQL server 2012 broke my Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - wouldn't boot, just blue screens. I've been a system builder/trouble-shooter for 20 years, but never had to deal with SQL server before. Huge learning curve. I had an image backup so started over and called my ex-wife who's been in IT for decades. She couldn't figure out the SQL server problems either. We read many threads about SQL server and fought with it for a week to no avail. Never got to the actual Argus setup.

So reloaded my backup image (roughly a dozen times by then) with NextPVR. Simple setup and just works. Yes, channel switching is slow but I can live with that. I don't do enough scheduled recording to worry about that either. I've got around 30 plugins installed and configured, which I don't care to start over with again for (hopefully) a long time. The only real issue I have now is that occasionally a couple local free to air channels refuse to open with "no signal found" error. Otherwise it's very stable.

Never had a problem I couldn't sort out on the PC, with the help of Google, until these PVR backends. Very frustrating experience overall. Obviously a lot of smarter people than I using XMBC.

[JasperE]

Next I tried ArgusTV. BUT I needed an updated SQL server for Argus. Installing the lite version of SQL server 2012 broke my Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - wouldn't boot, just blue screens.

What's that 'lite' version you were installing? Express? Or one of the paid-license server products? The latter indeed has a more steep learning curve, but you don't need the paid-license server versions for Argus.
SQL Server Express, in my experience, works pretty much out of the box if you just click next-next-next-next during the installation procedure. It however usually comes bundled with the software installers. With Argus you need to manually download and install it. Finding the right download for an inexperienced SQL user is, I think, the biggest hurdle.

This is the one I would get: Download SQLEXPRWT_x64_ENU.exe from this link: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/...x?id=29062
(The "WT" stands for With Tools, tools used for database management. Comes in handy if you want to make a backup or perform a restore.)

If SQL server express doesn't fly for you you can btw also use MySQL. (Same database systems that comes bundled with MediaPortal, you can just use the MySQL instance installed by MediaPortal. ArgusTV will then install an additional database within the same mysql daemon process.)

[dark41]

SQL Server Express, in my experience, works pretty much out of the box if you just click next-next-next-next during the installation procedure.

The installation file is SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe and the folder is labeled Microsoft SQLServer Express 2012. It was not bundled with anything else and it installed fine. Upon rebooting to complete the setup I got the BSODs. My ex says she's seen SQL server (no specific version) break several systems, and rarely can get it work when it doesn't play nicely. No way I'm going to try it again. Perfectly happy with NextPVR or MediaPortal, but thanks for the reply.

[MrDMiller2]

I found that nPVR works best.. plus it has much quicker tuning/display with XBMC.. And the support for HD Home Run was also a big factor as well in that.. (all the others, outside of WMC) are pretty much (it may work, but not supported).. and various DVB hacks have yelded odd results.. (looking at you HTS and VDI).. once WMC has a PVR backend is mature enough, I may switch over.. but Ithe fact that I can pipe it through other opensource filters to improve quality and eliminate deinterlacing makes me (and most importantly, the wife) very happy.

[bluray]

For me, I combined XBMC with 7MCE. Here is how I do it- post #751

[mr_raider]

Anyone have a recommendation for windows 8.1 pro? I used NextPVR in Windows 7, even though I preferred WMC. But WMC records in .wtv format which many devices (WDTV live ) don't support.

For 8.1, Next PVR is giving me headaches, and locking up my tuner (HDHR3). Shoudl I pay the dough for WMC (10$) or go with Argus/Media Portal? ALternatively, I can virtualize Linux Box and use myth TV, which sounds like a royal pain...

Opinions?

[negge]

@mr_raider you can't virtualize a DVB adapter unless you use a bare-metal hypervisor that supports PCI passthrough.

[mr_raider]

@mr_raider you can't virtualize a DVB adapter unless you use a bare-metal hypervisor that supports PCI passthrough.

I think it works for network tuners like the homerun

[negge]

Of course cause it's a network tuner. Any other kind of tuner won't work.

[h0dges]

Just thought I'd add my own experience to this thread.

Windows 7 single-seat setup with Blackgold BGT3620 Dual-Tuner PCI-E DVB-T2 Card (I live in the UK so I receive terrestrial Freeview HD).

I originally started out with Windows Media Center (front+back). Girlfriend loved it and could operate it without issue. The pros/cons:
+ Timeshift
+ Series Record
+ Stable
+ Intuitive GUI
- Recordings in wtv format
- EPG data source was online-only (regional broadcasting deviations)
- Aside from the pvr aspects, wmc frontend is limited

I then moved to Mediaportal (front+back):
+ Series link
+ Stable
+ non-proprietary video format
+ Over-the-air EPG data
- Timeshifting not as robust as WMC
- Audio issues with HRT MusicStreamer II

With regards to the PVR side of things, I was happy to stay with mediaportal. However, XBMC and its better support for media and large array of addons made me switch.
So I then moved to XBMC (front) / MP (pvr backend):
- No series link (via the xbmc pvr addon)
- Poor timeshifting
- Long channel switching
- Long timeouts on channels that are off-air.
- Really non-intuitive menus (recordings are not showcased well, viewing a channel is many button presses via 'Switch')

Anyway I'm now, again, in a position to test a new backend for XBMC after reading what previous posters in this thread have been discussing. Perhaps...ArgusTV?