What is a decoder, and why do I need it?

A combination of audio decoders and video decoders are required for you to watch live tv and recordings. In simplistic terms, decoders take compressed audio/video frames, and decompresses them into audio samples for sending to the speakers, or video frames for displaying on the screen.

NextPVR is a non-commerical application, and ships without any decoders installed, since these would cost $$$ for me to legally license and distribute. Instead, NextPVR will make use of decoders you already have on your system. Some of these are supplied with Windows, some come from other applications you have installed, some are downloaded from Internet sources.

Below is info on what decoders you need and recommendations, the TL;DR answer: install the LAV decoders from HERE, then go to the Settings->Decoders screen, and set everything to the LAV decoders

Which decoders do I need?

It depends on the country you're in, the television system you're using, and sometimes the device you use. If you don't have a decoder you require, NextPVR will tell you what type of decoder it's missing. Here are some example decoder requirements for common user groups:

USA/Canada: Usually require MPEG-2 video decoder, MPEG1 audio and AC3 audio decoders
Freeview UK: Requires most decoders. MPEG-2 and H.264 video decoders, and MPEG1 audio, AC3 audio and HE-AAC decoders
Freeview NZ (DVB-S): Requires MPEG-2 video, MPEG1 audio decoder
Freeview NZ (DVB-T): Requires H.264 video, HE-AAC audio decoder
HDPVR/HDPVR2/Colossus/Rocket: Requires H.264 video decoder, AAC audio decoder

Windows 8 Qcow2 Better ✯

This guide focuses on using the qcow2 format, QEMU's native and most versatile disk image format. The qcow2 format is central to achieving a balance between performance, manageability, and functionality, with features that RAW disk images often lack.

Right-click each missing device, select , and point the search wizard to your VirtIO CD-ROM drive. windows 8 qcow2

If you have a Windows 8 ISO, you can create a fresh QCOW2 disk using the tool. Open your terminal and run: qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows8.qcow2 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard This guide focuses on using the qcow2 format,

This occurs if the storage controller type was changed from IDE/SATA to VirtIO before the drivers were successfully installed inside the guest OS. If you have a Windows 8 ISO, you

Running Windows 8 or 8.1 in a virtualized environment requires a flexible and efficient disk format. (QEMU Copy On Write version 2) is the standard format for KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and QEMU, providing features like thin provisioning, snapshots, and compression.

If you have a legitimate Windows 8 ISO file, creating a QCOW2 image is straightforward. Here is the step-by-step process using a Linux host (Ubuntu/Debian/Fedora).

Windows 8 was engineered with physical consumer hardware in mind. Disable these features to optimize performance on a virtualized QCOW2 storage backend:

Is there anything else I should be aware of?

NextPVR is a 32bit application so will only see 32bit decoders on the machine. It can't see 64bit decoders, so these will not be listed.

NextPVR's decoder settings only apply to Live TV, and the playback of .ts recordings. For playback of other file types, like .mkv/.mp4/.avi, it's left to Windows to decide what decoders etc are used during playback. Installing LAV from HERE will often resolve issues with playback of these other file types.