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ComproPVR User's Guide
Version 1.1
Compro Technology, Inc.
www.comprousa.com
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Copyright © 2001-2003. Compro Technology, Inc. No part of this
document may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means
without the prior written consent of Compro Technology, Inc.
Compro, VideoMate, Poladyne, Play with Power, and the Compro
logo are trademarks of Compro Technology, Inc. Other names and
marks are trademarks of their respective owners.
COMPRO makes no warranties with respect to this documentation
and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability, quality, or
fitness for any particular purpose. The information in this document is
subject to change without notice. COMPRO reserves the right to
make revisions to this publication without obligation to notify any
person or entity of any such changes.
Compro Technology, Inc.
Tel. +886 2 2918 0169, Fax +886 2 2912 1465
3/F, No.12, Alley 6, Lane 45, Pao Shin Road
Hsintein City, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
www.comprousa.com
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Table of Contents
i
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................1
Key Features................................................................ 2
Other Features............................................................. 3
Installation.................................................................... 3
Updates........................................................................ 3
Remove the Software...................................................4
2 Remote Control ..........................................................5
Definitions and Usage.................................................. 5
3 ComproPVR User Interface.......................................9
Control Panel ............................................................... 9
Configuration.............................................................. 12
Channel Options.................................................... 12
Video/Audio Options.............................................. 15
Recording Options................................................. 18
MPEG settings (VideoMate Live only)................... 21
Timeshifting Options.............................................. 23
System Devices Options ....................................... 25
4 Using ComproPVR................................................... 29
Recording................................................................... 29
Scheduled Recording................................................. 30
Using Scheduled Recording.................................. 31
Timeshifting................................................................ 37
Using Timeshifting ................................................. 38
Playback................................................................ 38
Still Image Capture................................................ 38
Channel Surfing..................................................... 39
Closed Captioning (USA only)............................... 40
Teletext (PAL TV systems only)............................. 40
Browse the Compro Support Web Page ...............40
5 ComproFM ................................................................41
Key Features.............................................................. 41
Control Panel ............................................................. 41
Recording................................................................... 43
ComproFM On-Line Help........................................... 44
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Browse the Compro Web Site.................................... 44
6 Troubleshooting....................................................... 45
Driver Installation................................................... 45
Error Code: 0x1000006 .........................................46
Audio OK / No Video ............................................. 49
Video OK / No Audio ............................................. 49
No audio on the recorded file ................................50
Poor live picture quality while recording ................ 50
Recorded file cannot be played............................. 51
Recorded file lags while playing back ...................51
ComproPVR shuts down when starting to record.. 51
My system cannot Power Up................................. 51
Contacting Compro Technical Support..................52
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Introduction
1
1 Introduction
ComproPVR is a complete digital entertainment solution
for your PC. Watch TV programs on your PC, in
full-screen mode or in a window. Timeshifting lets you
watch TV, pause live TV, or review your favorite scenes
without missing a minute of the program. Integrated
deinterlacing technology assures the highest picture
quality. All this, with the industry's first universal remote
control.
You can watch and record your favorite shows, or
capture video from a video device such as a video
camera for later editing with your own video editing
software.
ComproPVR gives you complete control of TV viewing
by letting you watch, record, or timeshift live TV
programming on your PC. A multi-channel preview mode
supports channels surfing and tuning.
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ComproPVR User's Guide
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As a digital video recorder, ComproPVR can convert
analog video sources, such as TV programs, home
video tapes, to MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 digital formats for
editing and recording to a CD or DVD. Easy-to-use video
quality presets simplify the recording process.
Note
ComproPVR cannot duplicate VHS tapes and DVDs
protected by Macrovision™ technology.
Video editing and authoring software are available
separately.
Key Features
Supports full Compro product line, including,
VideoMate Cinema, VideoMate TV PVR, VideoMate
TV, VideoMate TV Gold, VideoMate TV Gold Plus,
VideoMate Live USB 2.0, and VideoMate For You
USB 2.0.
Easy installation.
Watch, record, and timeshift live TV.
Scheduled recording.
16-channel surf-mode.
Focus on ease-of-use by providing user interfaces
that resemble those you are already familiar with,
including wireless remote control.
Supports up to 125 TV channels. View all available
TV programming.
Supports S-Video and composite video inputs.
Capture video from analog video sources and encode
them to digital MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 formats.
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Introduction
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Other Features
Scheduling: Schedule ComproPVR to record your
favorite shows at a later date or periodically. Supports
Power Up scheduling if your hardware supports it, i.e.
VideoMate TV Gold and VideoMate TV Gold Plus.
Timeshifting: Pause or Replay live TV without
interrupting an ongoing recording session.
Channel Surfing: Quick overview of channels in a 4x4
thumbnail grid.
Closed Caption: Display overlaid text information,
where available.
Capture: Capture still images from TV programs.
Display Window: Watch TV programs in a scalable
display window or in full screen mode.
Installation
Usually, ComproPVR is automatically installed upon
inserting the installation CD into your CD drive. Follow
the instructions of the software installer.
You can also manually install it by inserting the
installation CD. Open Explorer, double-click on the
“setup.exe” in the folder named ComproPVR.
ComproPVR will be installed right away.
Updates
User satisfaction is the first priority for Compro
Technology. Your opinion is crucial in improving our
products. Therefore, Compro Technology is continuously
improving our products. You can download the latest
version of ComproPVR from our website at
http://www.comprousa.com/download
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ComproPVR User's Guide
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After downloading the patch files of ComproPVR, just
double-click the update file. It will automatically start the
installation program. Restart the computer when
prompted.
Note
A version of ComproPVR must be installed on your
computer to install the updates.
Remove the Software
You can remove ComproPVR through “Add/Remove
Programs” in Control Panel. Find the ComproPVR entry
in and click on the "Remove" button. ComproPVR will be
removed from your computer.
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Remote Control
5
2 Remote Control
Definitions and Usage
Remote control keypad lets you control the ComproPVR
application with a familiar, user-friendly interface.
The next two pages describe how to use the remote
control to operate ComproPVR.
Note
The Compro remote control cannot be reprogrammed to
control other appliances such as your VCR or satellite
decoder box.
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ComproPVR User's Guide
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Remote Control
7
Number ComproPVR Function ComproFM Function
0-9 Number keys Pre-set stations
10 Mute sound Mute
11* Zoom In/Out (Full Screen) Not used
12 Start/Stop ComproDVD Start/Stop ComproDVD
13 Start/Stop ComproFM Start/Stop ComproFM
14 Start/Stop ComproPVR Start/Stop ComproPVR
15 Replay Rewind
16
Pause when playing MPEG
files or enable timeshifting
when watching live TV
Play/Pause during playback
17 Advance Forward
18 Jump to previous channel Jump to last channel
19
Stop MPEG file playback or
stop timeshifting mode
Not used
20 Tab function in play list Tab function in play list
21 Open the on-line help file Open on-line help file
22 Open setup dialog box
Open properties setup
dialog box
23 Up Arrow Up Arrow
24 Replay Not used
25 Down Arrow Down Arrow
26 Advance Not used
27 Volume Adjustment Volume Adjustment
28 Open play list Open play list
29 Channel Up Channel Up
30 Channel Down Channel Down
31 Record Record
32
Video source select: TV,
S-Video, Composite
Not used
33 Channel surfing Not used
34* Closed caption Not used
35* Enable and setup sleep timer
Enable and setup sleep
timer
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Note
Not all Compro remote controls have the same keypad.
Buttons noted by an asterisk (*) may not be available on
your remote control keypad.
The FM function is only supported with VideoMate TV
Gold Plus.
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ComproPVR User Interface
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3 ComproPVR User Interface
Control Panel
The ComproPVR control panel resembles the controls
on a VCR. Keep in mind that not all options are available
at all times, and may be grayed out or inaccessible
depending on your hardware setup and TV services
available. The following pages describe the ComproPVR
control panel functions, and tips for using ComproPVR.
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Icon
Keyboard or
Mouse
Shortcut
Description
Alt-Space-N Minimize ComproPVR.
Z Maximize ComproPVR,
Ctrl-W Exit ComproPVR
None
Enable/Disable Always-on-Top function for
TV window.(Green circle on the upper-right
corner of the TV window)
Page Down or
Mouse Scroll
Down
Channel Down - Jump down to next
available channel
Page Up
or
Mouse Scroll
Up
Channel Up - Jump up to next available
channel
N
Last Channel - Jump back to last selected
channel
R Record – Start/stop recording TV to a file
None Online Help System - Open HTML help file
V
Video Source Switch – TV, S-Video or
Composite
T Activate Timeshifting mode
F
Surfing - Browse thumbnail images of
available channels
C Enable Closed Captioning
None
Schedule - Open window for scheduling
recordings, or reminders for program times
P
Still Capture - Capture still images of
current program
S
Options - Open ComproPVR options
window
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ComproPVR User Interface
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Icon
Keyboard or
Mouse
Shortcut
Description
M Mute - Press to mute or restore sound
None
About window - Shows version number
and other information
None
Open a browser window and go to the
Compro web site.
Space bar Play - Begin playback of recorded program
O
Stop - Stop current action, e.g., recording,
playback, Timeshifting.
Left Arrow Replay
Right Arrow Advance
Space bar
Pause - Suspend current action, e.g.,
playback, live TV and recording.
+ Increase
- Decrease
or
Shift + Mouse
Scroll UP and
Down
Volume Control - Increase or decrease
sound intensity
None Show/Hide number pad
Number
Pad
Type in the channel number
n/a L Sleep function.
n/a
Ctrl + Mouse
Scroll UP and
Down
Switch Audio modes (Mono, Stereo, SAP)
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Configuration
Use the ComproPVR options menus to control how
ComproPVR looks and functions. Click on the Options
button to open the Options dialog box. The Options
dialog box is composed of tabbed pages, each with its
own group of feature-specific settings.
Channel Options
The Channel options page lets you customize and
configure your TV channel list. ComproPVR can
automatically scan your cable or antenna signal for
available channels. You can label and identify the
enabled channels, as well as include or exclude
channels from the channel surfing list.
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ComproPVR User Interface
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Follow these steps to customize and configure your
channel list.
Video Source
First, select your video source, Cable or Antenna.
Autoscan
The first time you start ComproPVR, Autoscan will
automatically scan for available TV channels for both
Cable signal and Antenna signals. You can rescan the
channels at any time by pressing the Autoscan button.
1. ComproPVR will automatically scan all available
channels for content. The number of scanned
channels varies according to whether you use
antenna or cable TV input and your country settings.
2. You can interrupt the scanning process by pressing
the Stop button.
3. When Autoscan is finished, detected channels are
automatically enabled and marked with the green
check mark
. Channels, where a valid signal
could not be detected, are disabled and marked with
a blank.
After you are finished scanning for available channels,
you may select OK to return to the display window, or
customize the channel list according to your preferences,
as described below.
Channel Naming
You can customize the channel names by following
these steps.
Step1. Double-click on the Description field of the
channel you wish to rename.
Step2. Type a new name in the text box.
Step3. Repeat steps 1 through 2 for any other channels
you wish to rename.
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Step4. Click OK to confirm your modifications.
Set Mem+
During the Autoscan process, ComproPVR
automatically detects and enables channels with valid
signal. By default, every available channel will be
enabled and marked with the green
icon. However,
you can shorten the list of enabled channels to reduce
channel-browsing time. Customize your list by enabling
or disabling channels from the channel list by clicking on
the green
icon.
Disabled channels will not shown when you use the
channel Up and Down or channel surfing functions.
Set Lock (Parental Control)
By default, ComproPVR lets you access all available
channels. A Parental Control feature allows you to
restrict the viewing of certain channels altogether or
during limited times.
You can lock a channel by clicking in the column labeled
Lock next to the channel number you wish to restrict.
You will then see a red check mark
in the box
next to the channel. You can unlock it by clicking the
check mark.
To use this feature, you should first set a password and
follow these steps:
Step1. Start ComproPVR and click on the Options
button and select the Channels tab.
Step2. Click on the Password button and enter the new
password in the fields labeled Password and
Confirm.
Step3. If you previously set a password, you must also
enter the old password in the appropriate field.
Step4. Click on the OK button.
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Change Password
Click on the Password button. Enter the old password in
the field labeled Old Password. Then enter the new
password in the field labeled Password and Confirm.
Fine Tuning
ComproPVR includes a fine-tuning feature. Select the
channel you wish to fine tune and press the button
labeled, "Fine Tune." You may then adjust the slider and
then press the button labeled, "Exit."
Fine-tuning is normally unnecessary.
Use Default Channel Table
The channel table contains data used to tune TV
channels. This should be selected, i.e., enabled, unless
you are otherwise instructed.
Video/Audio Options
The Video/Audio options tab lets you configure the way
ComproPVR displays video and audio.
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Note
Please verify all TV settings before using ComproPVR
for the first time or if you are experiencing difficulties,
such as "No video."
Source
Select the video source from among TV, S-video, or
Composite. Also you can click the
button on the
control panel to switch video sources.
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Country/Region
Use the pull-down menu to select the country you are in.
This allows ComproPVR to use the correct set of
frequencies for TV tuning.
Video Format
Select the proper video format for your area from the
drop-down menu. The options available depend on the
standards supported by the TV tuner in your system.
The NTSC standard is used in United States, Canada,
Japan, Taiwan and parts of Central and South America.
It specifies 525 lines of display at 30 frames per second.
The PAL standard is used in most of Europe, Australia,
China and parts of Central and South America, and
specifies 625 lines at 25 frames per second.
Additionally, each TV system uses slightly different
frequencies. Therefore, it is important to choose the
correct settings.
Aspect Ratio
Select the display screen aspect ratio, the ratio of screen
width to screen height. The default ratio is 4:3. You may
also choose the 16:9 wide-screen or custom ratios.
If you select a standard ratio, i.e., 4:3 or 16:9, the screen
will retain this ratio when you resize it. If you select a
Custom, ratio, you can modify the ratio by clicking and
dragging the lower-right corner of the ComproPVR
display window.
Video Properties Sliders
Use the sliders in this area to adjust:
Brightness: Adjusts the amount of white in the image.
Hue: Adjusts whether the image looks red, green,
blue, yellow, orange, etc.
Contrast: Adjusts the gradation of tone between the
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image highlights, mid-tones, and shadows.
Saturation: Adjusts the color intensity of the image.
Press the Default button to reset the sliders to their
original positions.
Note
Pressing the Default button for Video Properties
sometimes fixes the situation where you have audio but
a blank (black) or off-color video.
Audio Mode
You can select Stereo, Mono or SAP in this dialog box.
Note
Stereo and SAP sound may not be available in your area
or for all programs in your area.
Turn o n OSD
When you select the checkbox next to Turn on O SD
(On-Screen Display), channel information such as
channel numbers, channel names, and audio quality will
be displayed as you switch channels. When this box is
unchecked no information will be displayed.
Sleep Mode
You can enable sleep mode and set the time delay
before ComproPVR automatically shuts itself off.
Recording Options
Here, you can see the hard disk space available for
recording. You can also set the storage destination folder
and MPEG recording quality parameters.
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Note
You won’t see this tab when using VideoMate Live.
Please see the MPEG Settings below for relevant
options.
Recorded Programs Folder (Path)
Click on the
button to set the folder where recorded
programs are stored. Check that you have ample disk
space to store recorded programs.
Recording Quality
Here you can select the video and audio quality settings
of recorded programs. ComproPVR includes useful
quality presets, from VCD to DVD-quality.
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You can also use custom settings by following these
steps.
Format: Choose between MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 video
encoding formats. For example, select MPEG-1 if you
want VCD format or select MPEG-2 if you want SVCD
format.
Dimension: Select the recording resolution, from
160x120 to 720x480.
Video Bit rate: Video bit rate is expressed in kilobits per
second. The higher the bit rate, the more processing
power and disk space are required to record and
playback video programs.
Audio Bit rate: Audio bit rate is expressed in kilobits per
second. The higher the bit rate, the more processing
power and disk space are required to record and
playback video programs.
Current settings are shown on the right side of dialog
box. They will tell you the available recording time using
the current settings.
Note
Using higher quality settings can cause significantly
greater disk utilization without commensurately higher
quality results. If you have limited free disk space, you
should try different quality levels or bit rates to find the
optimal combination of video quality and disk space
utilization for your needs.
The SVCD profile is sufficient for recording live TV.
Not all formats are available for all products.
Skip
Set the amount of programming skipped, in seconds,
when you press the Replay and Advance buttons
during video playback.
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Video Smoothing
Enable the video smoothing function during recording.
Video smoothing makes the video recording quality
smoother but it increases CPU utilization.
Noise Removal
Remove video "noise" during MPEG encoding. It makes
images more clear and clean. This function increases
CPU utilization.
Hardware Scaling
Enable the hardware scaling function during recording. It
is recommended to turn this on.
Adjust Volume
You can adjust recording audio volume here. Moving the
bar to the right will increase recording audio volume.
MPEG settings (VideoMate Live only)
This tab appears only if you are using VideoMate Live
USB 2.0.
Here, you can change settings related to video recording.
You can see the hard disk space available for recording
and set the default storage destination folder. You can
also optimize the MPEG recording quality parameters to
meet your requirements.
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Recorded Programs Folder (Path)
Click on the
button to set the folder where recorded
programs are stored. Check that you have ample disk
space to store recorded programs.
Recording Quality
Here you can select the video and audio quality settings
of recorded programs. ComproPVR includes useful
quality presets, from VCD to DVD-quality.
You can also use custom settings by following these
steps.
Dimension: Select the recording resolution, from VCD
to DVD-quality.
Video Bit rate: Video bit rate is expressed in Megabits
per second. The higher the bit rate, the more processing
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ComproPVR User Interface
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power and disk space are required to record and
playback video programs.
Audio Frequencies: Choose between 44.1KHz and
48KHz audio frequencies.
Current settings are shown on the right side of dialog
box. They will tell you the available recording time using
the current settings.
Note
Using the highest quality settings can significantly
increase disk and CPU utilization without
commensurately increasing picture quality. If you have
limited free disk space, you should try different quality
levels or bit rates to find the optimal combination of video
quality and disk space utilization for your needs.
Skip
Set the amount of programming skipped, in seconds,
when you press the Replay and Advance buttons
during video playback.
Timeshifting Options
Here you can configure the Timeshifting operation.
Note
When using VideoMate Live, the timeshifting quality
settings are taken from the MPEG Settings Options tabs,
described on above.
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Buffered Time
Set the amount of programming that is stored, or
“buffered” during Timeshifting. It also shows the total
recording time available.
Do not set the Buffered Time to consume all free disk
space.
Buffer file storage location (Path)
Choose the folder where the Timeshifting buffer file is
stored. Choose a folder in a disk partition with ample free
disk space. See the video format table for estimates of
the amount of disk space needed.
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ComproPVR User Interface
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Quality
Quality settings are not available with VideoMate Live.
Choose the recording quality used during Timeshifting.
Higher quality levels consume more disk space.
The appropriate quality setting depends on many factors,
including the speed of your PC, the amount of free disk
space, and the quality of source material. For example,
when recording broadcast television for later viewing, a
medium quality level is usually sufficient. If you plan to
archive or edit the video, a higher video quality may be
more appropriate.
Video Smoothing
Enable Video Smoothing, which makes the video quality
smoother during timeshifting.
Noise Removal
Enable Noise Removal, which makes images more clear
and clean.
Video Smoothing and Noise Removal require significant
system resources. If you experience poor picture quality
during timeshifting, try disabling these features.
Skip
Set the amount of programming time skipped when you
press the Advance and Replay buttons during
Timeshifting.
System Devices Options
The System Devices tab displays Windows system and
drivers information related to ComproPVR.
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Video Device
When you use VideoMate Cinema, the video device
should be “nVidia WDM Video Capture.”
If you are using VideoMate TV PCI Tuner card, the video
device should be “VideoMate TV Capture.”
If you are using VideoMate Live, the video device should
be “VideoMate Live Source.”
If you are using VideoMate For You, the video device
should be “DSF_VXIS7011.”
Note:
You must select the proper Video and Audio devices for
correct operation.
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If you do not see the appropriate Video and Audio
devices, the drivers are not properly installed. Please
reinstall these drivers and see the chapter titled,
“Troubleshooting.”
Audio Device
ComproPVR automatically detects the audio input
devices available in your system. Here, you must select
the appropriate audio input devices for your system.
Note:
If you cannot see the audio device on the field, the sound
card drivers are not properly installed. Please make sure
that your sound card works normally.
LIVE
You can choose the audio source for watching live TV
programs.
When using VideoMate Live or VideoMate For You, you
should choose “Wave” to be your audio source.
If you are using VideoMate TV Gold Plus, use the
internal audio patch cable to connect to the “AUX-In”
port on your sound card and choose “AUX-In” in
ComproPVR.
When using VideoMate Cinema or VideoMate TV tuner
card with an external audio patch cable, connect to the
“Line-In” port on your sound card and choose “Line-In”
in ComproPVR.
If you connect the external audio patch cable to “MIC” on
your sound card, you should use the “Microphone” for
Audio input. For better quality, use “Line-In” or “Aux-In”
instead.
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Record
You can choose the audio source in this field while
recording live programs. Normally, this audio source is
the same as LIVE audio source.
Note:
If you are using VideoMate Live or VideoMate For You,
there is no need to choose the recording audio source.
Support
Before contacting Compro for technical support, please
check our FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on our
website. Please see http://www.comprousa.com/support.
If you click on the E-mail Info button, ComproPVR will
attempt to e-mail this information to the Compro
Technical Support team. (
When you contact the Compro Support team about a
problem, please write enough details to help us
determine the problem. Please also provide the product
serial number (15 or 19 digits numbers) on the AV/Tuner
Box or PCI TV tuner card. You can submit your problem
in the support form provide by our website.
http://comprousa.com/ support/form.htm
Notes
Check the troubleshooting chapter of in this manual for
more information before you submit an email for support.
When contacting us, providing the product serial number
is important to helping us evaluate the problem. It tells us
exactly which product you have.
In order to solve the problem quickly, submitting the
details about your problem is crucial to understanding
the problem.
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Using ComproPVR
29
4 Using ComproPVR
Recording
ComproPVR is a digital video recorder. ComproPVR can
record full-motion video and audio from your video
source and save it to your hard disk. ComproPVR
supports MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 encoding, which saves
disk space while providing high video quality.
To instantly start recording:
1. Press the Record button
. ComproPVR starts
recording the video source currently showing in the
display window. It will save it to a file on your disk.
2. Press the Stop button
to stop recording.
3. When you stop recording, ComproPVR prompts you
to name the file containing the recorded video. Enter
the name and press OK.
To playback the recorded file, press the Play button and
select the file you wish to view.
Disk usage
The actual disk space used primarily depends on the
quality settings for recording. A higher quality setting,
e.g., DVD-quality, requires significantly more disk space
than a lower quality setting, such as VCD-quality. The
appropriate quality depends on the quality of the source
material, e.g., DV camera versus broadcast TV, and your
intended use of the recorded programming. For example,
recording broadcast TV at DVD-quality may not provide
better results than a lower setting, such as 1/2-DVD or
SVCD.
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Video File Formats Table
Format
Screen
Size
Video
Bit Rate
(Mbps)
Audio
Bit Rate
(Kbps)
Typical
Disk
Usage
NTSC DVD 720*480 6.4 224 3 GB/hr
NTSC
1/2-DVD
352*480 3.6 224 1.7 GB/hr
NTSC
1/4-DVD
352*240 1.8 224 1 GB/hr
NTSC VCD 352*240 1.1 224 600
MB/hr
NTSC SVCD 480*480 2.2 224 1 GB/hr
NTSC PC
MPEG-2
720*480 6.4 224 3 GB/hr
NTSC 1/4-PC
MPEG-2
720*480 1.8 224 1 GB/hr
PAL 1/4-DVD 352*288 1.8 224 1 GB/hr
PAL VCD 352*288 1.1 224 600
MB/hr
PAL SVCD 480*576 2.2 224 1 GB/hr
PAL P C
MPEG-2
720*288 4.0 224 2 GB/hr
PAL 1/4-PC
MPEG-2
352*288 1.8 224 1 GB/hr
Note
You can adjust recording quality settings, and thus disk
usage, in the Recording Options menu.
Choosing a higher quality level doesn't necessarily result
in better video quality, for example, SVCD format is
usually sufficient for recording broadcast TV programs.
Not all formats are available for all products.
Scheduled Recording
ComproPVR can be scheduled to record a TV program
later or remind you of an upcoming program. The
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Using ComproPVR
31
schedule can be set for a one-time or a recurring session.
You can repeatedly record any regularly scheduled
programming. Relax. Never miss your favorite shows.
If your hardware supports Compro Power Up Scheduling,
ComproPVR can wake your PC from the Shutdown
(ACPI:S5) or Stand by (ACPI:S3) states.
Note
In order to enable scheduled recording from the
Shutdown state, the Power Up power switch circuit
connections must be properly connected.
Power Up Scheduling is only available with VideoMate
TV Gold and Gold Plus.
Using Scheduled Recording
Press the icon to open the Schedule Recording
dialog box.
Scheduled Program Lists
Create: Create a new scheduled recording event.
Modify: Modify an existing recording event.
Delete: Delete an existing recording event.
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Event Information: Shows details about your recording
schedule.
Preview: You can choose the recorded schedule and
press “Play” button to preview the file. Press “Stop” to
stop the preview. Press “Forward” to fast-forward the
preview. Press “Backward” to rewind the preview.
Scheduled Recording Settings
You can see the following after clicking Create.
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Using ComproPVR
33
Event Name: Type the event name. The saved
recording file will also use this name.
If you leave this field blank, ComproPVR will
automatically create the Event Name and file name. The
Format button lets you select the file name format.
Channel Number: Check this box to add channel
numbers to the names of the recording files.
Start Date: Check this box to add the start date to the
names of the recording files.
Start Time: Check this box to add the start time to the
names of the recording files.
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Enable automatic power function: Check this box if
you wish to use Power Up Scheduling function, i.e.,
wake up the computer from Shutdown or Stand by states
for scheduled recording.
This option is available only if your hardware supports
Power Up Scheduling.
Power Up will start your computer 5 minutes in advance
of the scheduled time. If you set schedule to 4 o’clock,
Power up will wake up your computer at 3:55. Therefore,
you need to shut down the computer before 3:54 in order
to let Power Up start the computer.
There are three possible actions after recording is
complete:
Shut down the system: After recording, shut down
the system.
System stand by: After recording, put computer in
stand by mode.
Keep system power on: After recording, do not
shutdown system.
Enable automatic logon: When using Power Up
Scheduling, ComproPVR will start Windows. If Windows
requires you to enter a username and password during
start up, you should check this box and enter the
required information.
This option will be grayed out if your hardware doesn’t
support Power Up Scheduling.
If “Enable automatic logon” is checked, you will see a
popup window.
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Using ComproPVR
35
There are three fields in the Automatic Logon window.
User: ComproPVR will detect your current user name
automatically. Unless you wish to logon by a different
user, there is no need to change it.
Password: Type in your password.
Domain: ComproPVR will automatically detect your
Windows Domain name, if any. In most home PCs,
this field will be blank and need not be changed. (See
Note below). Do not modify this field unless you
need to logon to a different Windows Domain during
the Power Up process.
Press the OK button to proceed.
Notes
Enabling the automatic logon function is only necessary
when you need to type user name and password to
logon to Windows.
The Windows Domain name is not the Internet domain
name that you may be familiar with, e.g., Yahoo.com.
Windows Domains usually only exist in business
networks. For most users, this field should be left blank.
Your password will be stored on your computer. There is
a chance that your password could be discovered by
another user
The ComproPVR does not use the logon information for
any other purpose.
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Recording Settings
Schedule mode: There are two ways to set the
schedule.
Recording: At the set time, ComproPVR starts
recording the program.
Reminder: At the set time, ComproPVR starts
showing the program without recording it.
Video Source: Select video source from CATV or
Antenna.
Channel: Select the channel you want to record.
Audio mode: Select the audio source you want to
record.
Mute speakers while recording: Check this box to
mute speakers while recording. This feature is useful if
the program is to be recorded while you are asleep.
Quality Settings
Quality settings: Select the video quality at which you
wish to record. Refer to the Video File Formats Table
(page 30) to better understand the relationship between
video quality and disk usage.
Date/Time Settings
Once: Select this to record this program once.
Repeat: Select this to record this program repeatedly.
You can select any kind of combination in a week to
record the programs repeatedly. You can press
Weekday or Daily button to select multiple days. Press
Clear to uncheck the boxes.
Date/Start Date: Select the date you want to record the
program or the start date for repeat scheduling.
Start time: Select the starting time for recording.
Duration: Amount of programming to be recorded.
OK: Click it to add this schedule.
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Using ComproPVR
37
Notes
Check your PC system clock for accuracy.
The ComproPVR scheduler program must be running
(orange circle visible in the system tray).
Timeshifting
Timeshifting lets you pause, replay, or skip commercials
during live TV, without interrupting an ongoing recording
session. Timeshifting gives you absolute control over
how you watch television, like never before. For example,
you watch your favorite sporting event, pause the live
action and help yourself to an ice-cold beverage from the
fridge.
Timeshifting temporary saves the video to your hard disk
for a specified period of time.
When you return to your seat, you can resume viewing
the program from the point when you left.
Note
Timeshifting can use significant disk space and cannot
automatically skip commercials.
Additional Discussion
In timeshifting, you are recording to and playing back
from the same video file or buffer. You can playback from
various locations in that buffer.
Similar to video playback, you can pause, fast-forward,
and rewind. A major difference, however, is that
ComproPVR is simultaneously recording live television.
This means you will see greater CPU utilization during
timeshifting because you are simultaneously recording
and playing recorded videos. At full DVD quality,
timeshifting can require up to a 1.7 GHz CPU.
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Timeshifting and Playback modes also differ in that
Timeshifting lets you pause and replay live TV while
Playback only allows you to replay a previously recorded
program.
Using Timeshifting
Press the Timeshifting button and the Time
Monitoring bar will appear. (See below.)
The Time Monitoring bar informs you of how much of the
timeshifting buffer is in use You can also use your mouse
to drag the Time Control Shuttle to jump to a specific
time in the program.
You may also press the Advance (for commercial skip)
and Replay (for instant replay) buttons on the control
panel or remote control to navigate through the program.
Playback
ComproPVR can play recorded video files.
Press the Play button to open the Play dialog box.
Highlight the file name in the program list, double-click or
press Play to start playback.
During playback, the display area of the control panel
provides information about currently playing program
and provides playback control functions.
To delete a recorded program, open the Play dialog box,
highlight the file name on the program list, and press the
Delete button.
Still Image Capture
Click on the capture icon on the control panel or
press the keyboard shortcut "P" to capture an image of
the display window.
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Using ComproPVR
39
A screen capture dialog will appear. Click on the Save to
save the screen capture to a file. Click on View to view
the image in your default image viewer. Click on Edit
buttons to edit the file in your default image editing
application.
The screen capture image size is fixed at 640 x 480.
Channel Surfing
You must configure the TV and Channels properties
before using the Channel Surfing features.
Channel Browsing
When watching TV, you can browse channels with the
Channel Down
and Channel Up
buttons to
scroll up and down through the available, enabled
channels.
The keyboard shortcuts Page Up and Page Dn, and the
Compro remote control can also be used.
Jump directly to the desired channel by using the
number pad on your keyboard or remote control.
The Last Channel
(recall) button jumps back to the
previously selected TV channel.
If the On-Screen Display function is enabled on the
Display Options page, channel information will appear
briefly in the corner of the display window as you switch
channels.
Note
Some channel numbers may not be available. Check the
Channels Options section, page 12, for more information
on editing the list of enabled channels.
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Channel Surfing
While watching TV, the channel surfing feature displays
a 4x4 grid of channel images to give you an overview of
available programming.
To start the channel surfing feature, press the Channel
Surfing
button on the ComproPVR control panel.
Thumbnail images will begin to appear in the display
window. With your mouse, click on the program you wish
to watch and you will exit surf mode. You can also return
to normal mode by clicking on the Channel Surfing
button again.
You can reduce the number of channels displayed during
surf mode, by disabling channels from the channel list in
the Channels Options dialog. Doing so also prevents
access to those channels with the channel UP and
DOWN buttons.
Closed Captioning (USA only)
The closed captioning feature is used to display overlaid
text captions. This feature is only available with
programming that provides Closed Captioning.
Press the Closed Caption
button to enable or
disable closed captioning. If supported, the overlaid text
captions will be displayed.
Teletext (PAL TV systems only)
ComproPVR includes Teletext display capabilities. Press
the
button to activate Teletext functions. Availability
of specific Teletext features depends on your local TV
broadcasters.
Browse the Compro Support Web Page
Pressing the button will open a browser window and
displays the Compro Support web page. Compro
technical support web pages are here.
http://www.comprousa.com/support
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ComproFM
41
5 ComproFM
ComproFM lets you enjoy FM radio programs on your
PC, with your VideoMate TV Gold+ card. Listen to music
or other programs while you work or browse the Internet.
You can also record your favorite programs to MP3,
WMA, and WAV formats for later playback on your PC or
other MP3 player (purchased separately).
ComproFM is only available with VideoMate Gold Plus.
Key Features
Supports VideoMate TV Gold Plus PCI Tuner Card.
Listen to and record live FM programs.
Focus on ease-of-use by providing user interfaces
that resemble those you are already familiar with,
including wireless remote control.
Capture audio from any station and encode them to
WAV, WMA or MP3 formats.
Control Panel
The ComproFM control panel resembles the controls on
a radio. Keep in mind that not all options are available at
all times, and may be grayed out or inaccessible,
depending on your hardware setup and FM services
available.
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ICON
Keyboard
Shortcut
Description
Z Minimize ComproFM
Ctrl-W Exit ComproFM
Page Up
Station Up - Jump up to next pre-set
station
Page Down
Station Down - Jump down to next
pre-set station
N
Last station - Jump back to last
selected station
R
Record - Start recording FM audio
program to system
F1
Online Help System - Open HTML
help file
Ctrl-A Always on top
K Random access button
Ctrl-S Stereo/Mono switch
S
Properties - Open FM radio
properties window
M
Mute - Press to mute or restore
sound
I
About window - Shows ComproFM
radio version and copyright
information
E
Open a browser window and go to
the Compro web site.
Space Bar
Play - Begin playback of recorded
program
O
Stop - Stop current action, e.g.,
recording, playback, Timeshifting.
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ComproFM
43
ICON
Keyboard
Shortcut
Description
Right Arrow
Key
Channel searching / Forward when
playing audio files
Left Arrow Key
Channel searching / Backward when
playing audio files
Space Bar Pause - Suspend playback
n/a Show/Hide number pad
+, -
Volume Control - Increase or
decrease sound intensity
Recording
ComproFM is also a digital audio recorder. ComproFM
can record FM programming and save it to your hard
disk. ComproFM supports several encoding methods,
letting you choose between high quality and economical
use of disk space.
To instantly start recording:
1. Press the Record button
. ComproFM starts
recording the audio currently showing in the display
window. It will save it to a file on your disk.
2. Press the Stop button
to stop recording.
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3. When you stop recording, ComproFM prompts you
to name the file containing the recorded video. Enter
the name and press OK.
To playback the recorded file, press the Play button and
select the file you wish to listen to.
Disk usage
The actual disk space used primarily depends on the
quality settings for recording. A higher quality setting,
e.g., CD-quality, requires significantly more disk space
than a lower quality setting, such as MP3-quality.
ComproFM On-Line Help
For more details about ComproFM, please see the
ComproFM User’s Guide on your Compro software CD
or see the ComproFM on-line help.
Alternatively, you may download the Guide from our
website. http://www.comprousa.com/download
Browse the Compro Web Site
Pressing the button will open a browser window and
display the Compro Support web page. Compro
technical support web pages are here.
http://www.comprousa.com/support
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Troubleshooting
45
6 Troubleshooting
Driver Installation
The most common cause of problems with ComproPVR
is incorrect installation of the WDM drivers or TV Tuner
card drivers. If you have problems watching, recording,
or timeshifting live TV, please check the status of the
WDM drivers or TV Tuner card drivers with Device
Manager.
VideoMate Cinema
When using VideoMate Cinema, you should see four
WDM drivers on the “Sound, video and game
controllers” section of Windows Device Manager. They
are:
nVidia WDM A/V Crossbar
nVidia WDM TV Audio Crossbar
nVidia WDM TV Tuner
nVidia WDM Video Capture (universal)
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VideoMate TV Tuner card
If you are using the Compro PCI Tuner card, you should
see
VideoMate TV Capture
VideoMate TV Tuner
drivers, in the "Sound, video and game controllers"
section of Windows Device Manager.
If these drivers are not there, uninstalling and reinstalling
the VideoMate TV drivers or WDM drivers can help. Use
the Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel applet to
uninstall the old drivers if you see the icon. Then
reinstalling the drivers should fix this problem.
Error Code: 0x1000006
This error code generally indicates a WDM driver
installation problem. Please uninstall and reinstall the
drivers, as described above.
If the problem persists after the reinstallation process,
your problem could be caused by an IRQ conflict.
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Troubleshooting
47
IRQ conflicts occur when other devices, in your
computer e.g., network or sound cards, share the same
IRQ with your TV tuner card or graphics card.
Please try the following to avoid this problem.
VideoMate Cinema
Please open the Device Manager and choose "View ->
Resource by type." Click on the "+" besides “Interrupt
request (IRQ).”
You should see the following.
Make sure no other device is using the same IRQ
number as the graphics card.
If some devices are using the same IRQ, removing the
conflicting devices can help. For example, unplug USB
devices such as USB printer, USB disks, etc.
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Then reinstall the WDM drivers and restart
ComproPVR.
If the problem persists, you should try removing
conflicting more devices. These devices are typically
other PCI cards. Verify that the graphics card is using an
independent IRQ by checking Windows Device
Manager.
After you can successfully use ComproPVR, install the
other devices one at a time. Restart your system and test
ComproPVR after installing each card.
VideoMate TV Tuner card
To determine if there is an IRQ conflict, please open the
Device Manager and choose View -> Resource by type.
Click on the "+" mark next to “Interrupt request (IRQ).”
You should see the following.
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Troubleshooting
49
Make sure there is no other device using the same IRQ
as VideoMate TV card.
If some devices are sharing the same IRQ, remove the
other PCI devices and move the TV tuner card to the
fourth PCI slot away from the AGP slot, if possible.
Then reinstall the TV card drivers. This usually solves
the problem.
Try running ComproPVR again.
If the problem persists, move the PCI TV Tuner card to
another PCI slot. Make sure the PCI TV card is using an
independent IRQ by checking Windows Device
Manager.
After you can successfully use ComproPVR, install the
other PCI devices one at a time. Restart your system
and test ComproPVR after installing each card.
Note
Networking, sound, and SCSI cards need IRQs.If they
use the same IRQ, you may encounter a similar
problem.
Audio OK / No Video
The main reason for this problem usually is the result of
an IRQ conflict. Please see Error Code: 0x1000006,
above, to solve it.
Video OK / No Audio
If you can view the TV picture but get no audio, you
should check the following:
Check the Windows Volume Control dialog for muted
sound or volume levels that are too low. (Double-click on
the speaker icon in the system tray to see the Volume
Control dialog.)
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If you are using an external audio patch cable, verify
that it is connected between the Audio-Out of TV tuner
card and Line-In of your sound card and that you
selected the audio source to be “Line-In.” If using the
internal audio patch cable, check that it is connected
between the internal Audio-Out of the TV tuner card and
AUX-IN of your sound card and that you selected the
audio source to “AUX.”
If you are using VideoMate Live or VideoMate For You,
make sure you select the audio source to “Wave.”
Please refer to your hardware installation guides for
more information.
No audio on the recorded file
This may be a result of choosing the wrong record audio
source in the System Device in ComproPVR Settings.
If you are using an external audio patch cable, verify
that it is connected between the Audio-Out of TV tuner
card and Line-In of your sound card and that you
selected the audio source to be “Line-In.” If using the
internal audio patch cable, check that it is connected
between the internal Audio-Out of the TV tuner card and
AUX-In of your sound card and that you selected the
audio source to “AUX.”
If you are using VideoMate Live or VideoMate For You,
make sure you select the audio source to “Wave.”
Check the ComproPVR in the Record tab of Settings
dialog for recording volume levels that is not too low.
[The Recording and Live audio inputs are normally the
same.]
Poor live picture quality while recording
Update your video card drivers. Please visit the support
web site of your video card vendor. If you still have
problems, please install the latest ComproPVR patch
from our website.
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Troubleshooting
51
Recorded file cannot be played
The main reason for this problem usually is the result of
installing other CODEC software like Nimo. This kind of
software forces applications to use their CODEC for play
back. Therefore, the recorded file cannot be played
since a different CODEC is being used for playback.
Reinstalling DirectX usually solves the problem. If you
still have problems, uninstall the CODEC software.
Recorded file lags while playing back
Video recording uses significant CPU resources. If CPU
usage hits 100% while recording, the quality of your
recordings may suffer. If this happens, close other
applications while recording or use a lower recording
resolution, such as VCD or SVCD formats.
ComproPVR shuts down when starting to record
This could be the result of an IRQ conflict. Please check
Error Code: 0x1000006, above, to solve it. This may
also happen when your system is unstable, such as
when overclocking, Please reset your system to the
default settings. Other times, the cause is interference
from other applications. Please close them to solve the
problem.
My system cannot Power Up
First, you need hardware that supports Power Up, such
as, VideoMate TV Gold or Gold Plus.
Second, make sure you connect the Power Up circuit.
Please refer the installation guide for more information.
Third, make sure you see a green LED lid on the
VideoMate TV Gold or Gold plus tuner card. If you didn’t
see the green light, your motherboard does not support
the standby power. You can only use Power Up with
motherboards that provide standby power.
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Fourth, Power Up will start your computer in advance of
5 minutes before the schedule time. If you set schedule
on 4 o’clock, Power up will wake up your computer on
3:55. Therefore, you need to shut down the computer
before 3:54 in order to let Power Up start the computer.
Fifth, make sure you have the correct schedule time,
Also, verify your system time or clock.
Finally, it is possible that your power supply doesn’t
provide the standard 5V standby power. Therefore,
changing your power supply might help.
Contacting Compro Technical Support
Before you submit an email for support, please check
our FAQs at http://www.comprousa.com/support
When contacting Compro for technical support, please
use the Compro support request form and provide as
much of the requested information as possible. Please
write the details in order to determine the problem. And
also provide the product serial number (15 or 19 digits
numbers) on the Tuner Box or the PCI card. Please use
the form from below.
http://comprousa.com/support/form.htm
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