Macroblocking with good SNR/SignalStrength

[DavidinCT]

My guess is it being heavily compressed by the provider in which case there really isn't much that can be done. http://www.cnet.com/news/what-is-the-bl ... s-picture/ As far as the difference in Silicondust and Ceton, my guess is that SD has better error correction circuitry or is less sensitive to compression.

In my case also, I doubt it is that. We had a cable in the house for about 2 weeks (long story) and I was recording stuff on both (cable box and WMC), WMC did it, the cable box did not. I confirmed I had a solid signal from the cable guy, and I even moved one splitter out of the way to confirm.

I also have dish network in the house, Never a problem with dish network on any of the channels, like the macroblocking I get on WMC.

No question, it is something to do with the tuner, or Windows/WMC itself.

Seeming like the OP and I are having the same issue, his symptoms are exactly what I go through. Some days it's perfect, other days here and there, and on other days, ever 10 seconds or so, almost unwatchable.

[laakness]

I have the same issues and they've only cropped up over the last few months. I've had the 4 tuner PCIe card since they first came out. My media center is like an appliance, I don't use it for anything but WMC and recordings. I have good signals, had TW out a couple weeks ago, and have done all the same troubleshooting everyone else has, MoCA filter, coax terminators, booster, recording to different drives, etc. It's driving me nuts.

Opened a ticket with Ceton, tried all of their suggestions and hotfixes and they ultimately, in a nice way, told me too bad it's not their card at fault.

I'm going to try a new InfiniTV 6 PCIe card to rule out the current card having the issue. If that doesn't work then I'm going to shitcan the whole thing and maybe go with TiVo for my TV recording/watching.

[laakness]

I replaced my media center with a TiVo Roamio and 3 Mini's. I have had 0 Macroblocking and I even took out the booster I was using to keep the InfiniTV barely watchable. I did not end up using the InfiniTV 6.

[MeInDallas]

Ive got this crap now myself. Just all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago, after a movie or show has been playing or recording after about 30 minutes, starts the macroblocking and the only way to get rid of it is to stop the recording and change the channel and then back again to get rid of it. I have no idea what to do. This is only happening on the HTPC too. I tried upgrading to the new firmware but that didnt help.

[cwinfield]

Ive got this crap now myself. Just all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago, after a movie or show has been playing or recording after about 30 minutes, starts the macroblocking and the only way to get rid of it is to stop the recording and change the channel and then back again to get rid of it. I have no idea what to do. This is only happening on the HTPC too. I tried upgrading to the new firmware but that didnt help.

Sounds like your hard drive is too full or going bad

[MeInDallas]

I think I figured out what it is. Looks like I had an Nvidia display driver update a couple of weeks ago, so I uninstalled everything Nvidia and rebooted and downloaded the drivers from the Microsoft website, and now its working correctly again. I'm recording 6 at once and its working perfectly so I guess that fixed my issue.

[DavidinCT]

I think I figured out what it is. Looks like I had an Nvidia display driver update a couple of weeks ago, so I uninstalled everything Nvidia and rebooted and downloaded the drivers from the Microsoft website, and now its working correctly again. I'm recording 6 at once and its working perfectly so I guess that fixed my issue.

Microsoft drivers ? Not Nvidia drivers ? Interesting. I moved to a x64 based Win 7 machine (I always ran x32 for compatibility) and with the Microsoft drivers, some 4K content (My HTPC is connected to a 4K tv with WMC running at 2160p @ 60hz), got sluggish, not running smooth but, tried a new NVidia driver and it's flawless.

Sure it wont be noticed at 1080p but, I did notice a difference on 4K...

[STC]

Yet another example of 'if it aint broke...'

With a thing as fragile as WMC, once you get it working, no more touchie!

[MeInDallas]

Well I wouldnt say a Microsoft driver, it is listed as a Microsoft Certified driver. When you do Windows Update and you have no driver installed for your card, then one shows up on the Windows Update when you scan for updates. Usually when I install Windows for the first time, theres always a driver listed there with the Windows Updates, and I never got it before, I would download the latest from the Nvidia website and then just get updates to it thru the Geforce Experience software. So I uninstalled everything that was Nvidia and rebooted, then scanned with Windows Updates, and got the Nvidia driver from there. It fixed the problem, thats all I was concerned with.

I think I figured out what it is. Looks like I had an Nvidia display driver update a couple of weeks ago, so I uninstalled everything Nvidia and rebooted and downloaded the drivers from the Microsoft website, and now its working correctly again. I'm recording 6 at once and its working perfectly so I guess that fixed my issue.

Microsoft drivers ? Not Nvidia drivers ? Interesting. I moved to a x64 based Win 7 machine (I always ran x32 for compatibility) and with the Microsoft drivers, some 4K content (My HTPC is connected to a 4K tv with WMC running at 2160p @ 60hz), got sluggish, not running smooth but, tried a new NVidia driver and it's flawless.

Sure it wont be noticed at 1080p but, I did notice a difference on 4K...

[DavidinCT]

Yet another example of 'if it aint broke...'

With a thing as fragile as WMC, once you get it working, no more touchie!

Agreed but, I boosted my machine to 8gb, I HAD to go to x64 (always ran x32) but, I agree, once it's working 100%, I disable windows updates and don't touch any drivers. Even disable automatic driver updates.

Still trying to sort through the video performance on some 4K content but, the machine is otherwise running better than my x32 has ever run... Even my Macroblocking has seemed to go away on recorded tv (or at least I have not seen it return in the last 2 weeks or so)

[Crash2009]

Looks like I had an Nvidia display driver update a couple of weeks ago, so I uninstalled everything Nvidia and rebooted and downloaded the drivers from the Microsoft website

Microsoft drivers ? Not Nvidia drivers ?

Me too. I've been running the 4/19/2011, 8.850.0.0 driver, on an AMD Radeon HD 6700 since I built this box in 2012.

Got the driver the same way as Dallas. Uninstall everything AMD, Reboot, hit Windows Update, Done.

Try it, Might make your 4k even better.

Did the same thing with my NVIDIA Quadro FX 3450/4000 SDI.....Slightly newer driver arrived with that one 1/30/2015, 9.18.13.908

Both the Windows Update Versions that I am using are the driver only. None of that Hydrovision or NVIDIA control panel crap.

Come to think of it, I think I did the same thing with my Intel's I3, I7.

Nice solid drivers all the way around.

On the other hand, all my NIC's are using Factory Drivers.

[MeInDallas]

Since I started using the one off the Microsoft website its been smooth sailing. It acts like how it did when I first built it, and it hasnt been that long. I put a new SSD and upgraded the processor to a Core2 Quad, and I just started over again like 9 months ago it was. That Nvidia GeForce Experience software was auto downloading new drivers and I guess I mustve hit a button by accident and installed the new driver, who knows. I mightve been drunk and did it, I dont remember but its good now and I'm really happy about it. Thats the one thing in the house I cant do without!