DVBViewer GE – General Instructions





DVBViewer GE („Griga Edition“ ) is an alternative DVBViewer version that is based on the thoroughly reviewed code of an early DVBViewer 2.3 Beta version. In contrast to the official DVBViewer Pro it focusses more on the the DVB/MPEG2 core. Its simplified user interface doesn't support skins, and doesn't feature the elaborate OSD and multimedia database of DVBViewer Pro 3.0, thus requiring less memory and CPU power.

None the less DVBViewer GE provides equivalent technical DVB capabilities plus some additional features (for an overview see below), thus being suitable for less powerful PCs, or „purists“, who want a reliable software for watching and recording TV on their PC, without HTPC („Home Theater PC“) or network requirements.

This quick reference guide focusses on special DVBViewer GE features, that – compared to earlier DVBViewer versions or DVBViewer Pro 3.0 – are different or new. Please refer to the DVBViewer Pro Manual for more information.

Terms of Use | Installation | Restrictions | Features



Terms of Use

By using DVBViewer GE you agree to the following terms of use:

DVBViewer GE is provided as a free additional software exclusively for purchasers of DVBViewer Pro. It is only available via download from http://www.dvbviewer.com. Any other kind of distribution or usage violates the copyright of the authors and is prohibited.

DVBViewer GE is no official DVBViewer release. Improvements and updates are provided as far as possible. Any claims to support, updates, changes or bug fixes are explicitely excluded for DVBViewer GE, though. You use it at your own risk.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OF THIS SOFTWARE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Feel free to post suggestions or bug reports in the DVBViewer Forum: http://www.dvbviewer.com/forum/

Since DVBViewer GE is a „non-profit“ private build of the author and is provided without additional charges, though it costs a lot of work, you may express your appreciation it by donating an appropriate amount of money to a welfare group of your choice (or optionally suffer from bad karma ), if the software proves to be useful for you.

contents | to the top | next chapter



Installation

Download the file DVBViewer_GE.zip from http://www.dvbviewer.com/members, which requires entering the username and password that you have received via e-mail after purchasing the DVBViewer Pro.

Unpack the ZIP file to a folder of your choice – usually to „program files“. DVBViewer GE does not require an additional installation procedure. If there is an already existing DVBViewer Pro installation, you may copy your channel list (channels.dat) and your favourites list (favourites.ini) to the DVBViewer GE folder, but in no case the configuration file Setup.ini resp. Setup.xml, which is not compatible. DVBViewer GE can coexist with other DVBViewer installations, as long as they are not mixed up in a single folder. So there is no need to uninstall them.

For an English user interface remove the file Deutsch.lng from DVBViewer GE\Language.

Launching DVBViewer GE for the first time under Windows XP/2000 must be done with administrator rights, in order to allow the program to register DirectShow Filters (if necessary) and to store your password and username in the Windows registry.

If no DVBViewer Pro version has been installed before, DVBViewer GE will prompt you to enter the username and password that you have received via e-mail after having purchased the DVBViewer Pro. Please do it carefully. In case of typing errors the password dialog will pop up again sooner or later, and DVBViewer GE must be closed and re-launched after entering the correct credentials.

After having launched DVBViewer GE for the first time, it is recommendable to immediately open the Options Dialog („Settings/ Options“), and to select a suitable video- and audio decoder (e.g. Cyberlink, InterVideo, Nvidia, Sonic or DVD Express) on the DirectShow Tab. The default setting „Auto“ will let Windows do it – sometimes with questionable results.

Plugins: Only use the latest plug-in versions from the Service Center, that have been adapted to DVBViewer GE. Please take note of the included instructions. Recommendable are the Videorecorder Plugin, that adds multi-recorder capabilities to the DVBViewer GE (recording two or more channels simultaneously), and the Preview Plugin, that allows watching two TV channels at the same time. In both cases the involved channels must be broadcasted on the same transponder (in the same data stream).

Updates: For updating DVBViewer GE copy the following files from the new ZIP file to an already existing DVBViewer GE folder:

contents | to the top | next chapter



Restrictions

Since one of the major DVBViewer GE guidelines is to keep it „slim and fast“, it has been simplified in various respects. Hence some of the DVBViewer Pro features are not included:

Please note: Some DVBViewer GE features will not work correctly with the TechniSat USB devices, especially all functions that comprise processing more than one TV channel at a time. The same applies to DVBViewer Pro 3.0. Using the Videorecorder Plugin or Preview Plugin, or switching over to another channel while recording may cause severe disturbances due to insufficient USB 1.1 bandwidth.

contents | to the top | next chapter



Features

On the other side basic data stream restructuring in DVBViewer GE enables a lot of additional features compared to former DVBViewer versions. Especially the playback and recording functions have been designed to work independently, thus allowing to perform the following actions while recording:

Same applies to recording with the Videorecorder Plugin. It enables recording a second channel from the same transponder. If multiple instances of the plugin are installed, even three or more channels can be recorded simultaneously. Furthermore, scheduled recordings that can not be executed by the DVBViewer GE, because it is already recording, are automatically delegated to the Videorecorder Plugin (if present), and vice versa.

Another add-on that takes advantage of the new data stream handling is the Preview Plugin. It displays a TV channel as „Picture in Picture“ while DVBViewer GE plays a video resp. DVD.

Some more improvements can be found in the Recorder Control Window:

... and in the Scheduler Window:

Another new DVBViewer GE feature is the optional usage of the DVBViewer Filter as file source filter for MPG and TS playback, which provides several advantages:

DVD playback has been improved and stabilised considerably:

The Zoom Window contains new functions:

Finally miscellaneous novelties:

...plus a lot of smaller enhancements and fixes.

contents | to the top | next chapter