250 vs 250BTV

[rehbergr]

What is the difference between the generic Hauppauge PVR-250 and the PVR-250BTV?

Can you use the hauppauge drivers with the 250BTV or can you use the hauppauge WinTV2000 software?

[Edgarmoon]

The 250btv was the 250mce card, Hauppauge does not support it and their drivers will not work with it. Snapstream made their own drivers but these do not unction correctly (at least on many systems, it may work on a few but no one has come forward to indicate it works without problems.

Problems I and others have had with 250btc (before we returned these cards, which was another long and difficult fiasco)

1. sometimes Live tv doesn't start from link or from program guide, you get an error. you may have to try a dozen times, somedays it never worked. This affects recordings as well

2. Live tv is usually very choppy when it starts

3. there is a green line at the bottom of screen

4. sporatically color and brightness contrast are screwed up on installation.

Snapstream is aware of all these issues, and has told me they will not be able to start addressing them until after BTV 3.5 is released, after that their success is up in the air. I am shocked they are still selling these boards before this problem is fixed, all they're doing in my opinion is alienating potential customers and making themselves look bad vs their competitors like Sage et al. I am happy with their software product, and do not want to see them go belly up. Hopefully someone there will wake up, grow a pair, and pull the 250btv off market until they get their act together and fix the drivers.

Until then, spend the extra money and get the regular 250, life is too short for this agravation. The 250 worked beautifully when I tested it, it's on my upgrade list. Check the boards for others who may have had issues, usually driver or pci slot related.

[rehbergr]

Thanks, I wish I would have know this before buying. I guess I need to stop the impulse buying.

So far I have not really experienced any problems other than the fact it only works with BTV. I assumed the 250TV was a version of the card with special cababilities for BTV. The last thing I thought it was is a piece of propiretary hardware that only worked with BTV. Proprietary hardware in the PC world usually spells death.

[rpemb]

This reminds me of the row I just had with Dell over the sound card in the new system I purchased. When I was doing the configuration pre-sale on their web site there was a sound card option which read "Creative Audigy 2" and so, having previous knowledge of that card I snapped it up. When the system arrived I sadly discovered that the "Creative Audigy 2" was really a "Creative Audigy 2 Dell Edition" which was based on a different processor entirely and lacked the headers on the card that needed for digital connection to my 5.1 amp. The regular creative drivers would not work and several important (to me anyways) features were missing from the Dell drivers. After complaining several times to their moronic non-english-understanding Indian tech support people I just gave up, got a "REAL" "Creative Audigy 2" and swore off Dell forever. I was surprised to see SS engaging in such behavior but after their disappearing DivX plug-in trick not overly so.

[Chunk_Drywall]

Originally Posted by rehbergr

Thanks, I wish I would have know this before buying. I guess I need to stop the impulse buying.

Same here. I got the Blackbird last week, and it has been nothing but a pain the butt. I should have kept the WinTV 250 PCI.

[ascully]

I have the 250BTV from the main page and I have not really had many problems apart from the screwy contrast and brightness which is easily fixed and the green line at the bottom of the screen which I used overscan to get rid of. I know its not the card that is at fault its the drivers does anybody know when Snapstream will be updating them?