Does MVP support XVID [Archive]

ke6guj

02-06-2006, 08:19 PM

not natively. Sage has experimental support in 4.1.6? that has on-the-fly transcoding. Plan on having a lot of CPU horsepower to run that smoothly. My Sempron 2500+ just barely runs it with minimal pausing and stuttering.

BBCritical

02-07-2006, 06:24 AM

I have looked through the user guide and the forum's and I cannot seem to find where this setting for the experimental transcoding is. Can someone please post a link as to where to turn it on and what filetypes it supports...:confused:

gplasky

02-07-2006, 06:29 AM

Read the release notes for 4.1.5.

Gerry

BBCritical

02-07-2006, 07:06 AM

I only see release notes for beta ver 4.1.6....
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15809

MrApollinax

02-07-2006, 07:26 AM

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15545

The main thing is fixes for MVP networking/connectivity/loading issues.
There's also experimental transcoding support for the MVP in there (set the property enable_transcode_streaming=true to try it out)
...
Media Extender Updates
1. New MVP experimental transcoding support! To turn it on set the property in the Sage.properties file: enable_transcode_streaming=true

sabre

02-09-2006, 10:02 AM

i have tried this, and it seems to work pretty well, assuming not a lot of menu, pause/stop/go action (although that works too). CPU usage of ~40-70%

mayamaniac

02-09-2006, 04:32 PM

so does it support Xvid?

Also, the hauppauge software does Divx transcoding, now does that support Xvid?

ke6guj

02-09-2006, 11:49 PM

so does it support Xvid?

Also, the hauppauge software does Divx transcoding, now does that support Xvid?

I'm sorry, I thought I answered that in post #2, but I see I didn't actually.

Yes, the MVP in 4.1.5 and 4.1.6 will play xvid, divx, some wmv, and maybe others if you have "experimental transcoding" turned on. That is done by adding the following statement into your sage.properties file: enable_transcode_streaming=true

With that done, your Sage server will transcode the file and send a valid mpeg stream to the MVP that it can use. Plan on having a lot of CPU if you want to use this. Without the transcoding feature, the MVP does not support playing anything but a standard mpeg file.

With regards to hauppauge's software and divx/xvid transcoding. I dunno anything about that, never used it. Sage's implementation is totally separate from that.

Wheemer

02-10-2006, 12:50 AM

Just a thought: It's really too bad there is not a way to pump the video through an extra encoder... There's no way to do that with just software is there?

c309

02-10-2006, 07:24 PM

where is it?

and how do you do it?

I search for it and i find a file in program files under sage tv that I can't open to put anything in.................(enable_transcode_streaming=true)

thanks in advance

tom(rookie)

Opus4

02-10-2006, 09:54 PM

sage.properties file: where is it?

and how do you do it?the properties file is located in the sagetv directory, where you find sagetv.exe.

To edit it, you have to completely exit (not sleep) SageTV, or the service if you use service mode. You can edit it in notepad, but make sure Format -> Word Wrap is not checked.

- Andy

c309

02-11-2006, 03:48 PM

sleonard

02-11-2006, 05:37 PM

thank you very much for the response.

A few more questions if you will.

After it is in that folder do I turn it on somewhere(in Sage or Client), to make my Media extender start transcoding? Please be specific. I am a total beginner in sage and on the computer.

thank you

tom

Exit Sage. Go to C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV, find and open Sage.properties (or SageClient.properties if using the Sage Client). Change the property "enable_transcode_streaming=" to true, save the changes and exit Notepad. Thats it. Nothing else to do except to start watching your Xvid's.

c309

02-12-2006, 04:20 PM

is it the same for these or is there an encoding trick to make these play too?

Thank you in advance

tom:confused:

MrApollinax

02-12-2006, 06:50 PM

Transcoding is taking a encoded file and encoding it to another encoded format for transport. In this case MPEG2. As long as you can play the file in the SageTV player on your computer you should be able to transcode the file for MVP playback. I've done this with wma and divx/xvid with no problems. The only catch is that this process is very processor intensive and may bog down your system while you are streaming to your MVP.

c309

02-12-2006, 07:39 PM

I can play any video file in sage tv and any in sage client------but nothing so far in media extender except those recorded by sage. Xvid is still up for trial.......im encoding a dvd to xvid now so we will see.

I get this when I try to play any non sage recorded file......:

THERE WAS AN ERROR PLAYING THE SELECTED FILE;

E:\WHATEVERFILE.avi or divx or wm audio/video file

ERROR:ERROR(19) THERE WAS NO MEDIA PLAYER THAT CAN PLAY BACK THE SELECTED FILE.

thank you for helping me

tom

MrApollinax

02-12-2006, 09:17 PM

hmmm, strange. I just set the transcoding option that has been mentioned here in this thread and I can playback those files. I'll have to look at it again to check but I've done wmv, divx and xvid in the past.

c309

02-12-2006, 10:31 PM

>+++++++++++ REQUEST ++++++++++

REQUEST DESCRIPTION: Is there a way to play other video formats(one's not
recorded by sage), with the Media Extender? When I import avi/wmv, etc...
non sage recorded movies, they wont play(they do play in sage and client on
same computer)

I get this when I try to play:

THERE WAS AN ERROR PLAYING THE SELECTED FILE;

E:\WHATEVER.MPG

ERROR:ERROR-19) THERE WAS NO MEDIA PLAYER THAT CAN PLAY BACK THE SELECTED
FILE.

Step by step explanation would be nice I'm new.

thanks

RESPONSE FROM SAGE:

Tom,

At this that is not supported. We are currently testing it in the beta.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15809

Thanks,

George Oms
SageTV, LLC
support@sagetv.com
http://www.sagetv.com/

MY CONCLUSION:

It cant play xvid either.................MY SAGETV MEDIA EXTENDER WILL ONLY PLAY WHAT SAGE TV RECORDS PERIOD.:bang:

I give up this is junk:( ............it is just that,.. a sage tv ONLY media extender

thank you evrybody for your help i'm sending it back and buying a linksys.

tom

Wheemer

02-12-2006, 11:17 PM

are you actually running the beta version?

c309

02-12-2006, 11:58 PM

Wheemer

02-13-2006, 12:09 AM

Only the properties file addition mention above.

But you also need to remember that this is "beta" software. So there most certainly will be bugs found. This is basically how it works with betas.

The best way to ensure Sage will fix your issue is to file a bug report here: http://www.sagetv.com/bugs.html

They would also probably need your log files. Which are produced after enabling their output with the properties file addition. More about enabling that here: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16041&highlight=log

gplasky

02-13-2006, 06:51 AM

yes of course.....should I use something else I have 4.1.6 beta sage and client with the extender. Is it possible I have something like a setting I need to change in the sage software?

thank you

tom
Did you STOP the Sage service (if you're running it) and did you quit Sage TV on the server. (Click standby in the menu then go to the system tray and right-click on the Sage icon and choose exit.)? Then go to the Sage TV directory and open the sage.properties file in notepad and insert this line: enable_transcode_streaming=true and then saved the file and rebooted. It sounds like that line did NOT get saved the last time you tried. Other indivuals have enabled it with that line and have played xvid and other files successfully. The error you received is the error you would get WITHOUT that line in your sage.properties file.

Gerry

c309

02-13-2006, 08:35 AM

I did all that here is a copy of my properties file:

Edit: please post such long files as attachments rather than as part of the post.

SO<<<<<<<<<<MVP wont start up at all.....it says contacting MediaMVP BootServer...

endlessly..:bang:

the moment I real enable the server in sage tv MVP works but my sage properties file changes back by itself to :enable_transcode_streaming=false :confused:

So as you see it still wont let me play anything unless sage tv recorded it.

any further help would be appreciated..........

thank you

tom

Opus4

02-13-2006, 10:27 AM

If you are editing the properties file & the change in that file is not staying, then you still have SageTV running somewhere or you are corrupting the file while editing it somehow. As I said above:

To edit it, you have to completely exit (not sleep) SageTV, or the service if you use service mode. You can edit it in notepad, but make sure Format -> Word Wrap is not checked.

I'll add to that that you make sure the MVP is unplugged. I'm not sure if that could make a difference, but it doesn't hurt to do it.

Check the Windows Task Manager to see if there is some SageTV process running. If you are running the service, you can't simply kill the process if you have it set to auto-restart. Use the SageTVServiceControl.exe utility in your SageTV dir.

- Andy

c309

02-13-2006, 01:52 PM

Now have everything working, but .wmv files dont play in SageTVME.

Attached is my sage.prop file---well never mind it wont upload--says its invalid why is that? its only 23kbs

any help with .wmv would be greatly appreciated

thanks

tom

BobPhoenix

02-13-2006, 01:59 PM

Attached is my sage.prop file---well never mind it wont upload--says its invalid why is that? its only 23kbs

tom

It would work if you changed the file extension by adding .TXT to the file name.

BobP.

ke6guj

02-13-2006, 02:01 PM

.properties is not a valid uploadable file. make a copy of it, rename it to sage.properties.txt and it should upload.

regarding .wmv files, you say they don't play. Do they show up in the import library and play in Sage, but not on the MVP?

IF they show up, but error out in the MVP, then that seems to be that some .wmv's play and others don't. I think it is related to which version .wmv it is. .wmv 7's seem to play fine, but .wmv 8's sometimes error out. IT is due to the ffMpeg transcoder. Remember, this is all experimental right now and official documentation is limited.

IF they don't show up anywhere, then make sure .wmv is in this setting :"seeker/video_library_import_filename_extensions=.mpg,.mpeg,.mp2,.mpeg2,.mpe,.avi,.divx,.mpg1,.ts,.wmv,.asf,.wm,.tivo,.m2t,.vob"

c309

02-13-2006, 04:03 PM

sagetv media extender: everything plays that I have tried except wmv. The error I get is::

there was an error playing the selected file:

E:\movieclip.wmv
ERROR:Error(-4)Cannot view program because it is over and was not recorded

So...................that makes no sense, cause they are recorded, and they play in regular sage and client on same computer.

thank you in advance for any help

tom

ke6guj

02-13-2006, 04:35 PM

If everything else transcodes ok but .wmv, I'd try some different .wmv's and see if they work. my older .wmv files play fine, but some newer ones, encoded in .wmv8 give me problems. The transcoder used is ffMpeg, and you can read the documention on it, on what it supports. http://ffmpeg.sourceforge.net/ffmpeg-doc.html#SEC19 . In the docs, it mentioned that .wmv8 is not completely supported. Remember, this is beta software, and the transcoding feature is an unsupported, experimental feature that was just added to Sage in the last month.

edit: just because something is listed in the ffmpeg list does not mean that Sage will transcode it. Without official documentation, the actual extent that Sage will use ffMpeg, or any other transcoder, is unknown as now.

BBCritical

02-14-2006, 06:17 AM

Has anyone gotten .avi or mp4 files to work yet?

MrApollinax

02-14-2006, 07:25 AM

I have. avi files work for me.

ke6guj

02-14-2006, 01:17 PM

Every .avi that I have works fine for me as well. I guess there could an .avi encoded with a codec that ffmpeg doesn't support and not be able to transcode. But all my .xvid/.dvix encoded .avi's play just fine.

I don't mess with .mp4 files but it looks like it could be transcoded. On my system, mp4's don't show up in the import list since they are not in the "seeker/video_library_import_filename_extensions=" list. IF you added .mp4 to that list, it is possible that sage could transcode a .mp4 to the MVP. I know that there are other threads about native support of .mp4 playback in Sage and Sage Client. I haven't messed with that since I don't do .mp4

egeller

02-19-2006, 06:14 PM

I cannot seem to get the change (enable_transcode_streaming=true) to work to display any of the various MPG and AVI files I've tried. I have changed Sage.properties, verified the change, and even rebooted everything more than once.

I don't see ffmpeg running as a process in TASKMGR. Should I?

The only thing that works is to reencode the MPG or AVI into DVD format (720x480). Then I can get MediaMVP & Sage to display the MPG. However, that worked before I made the change to make enable_transcode_streaming=true.

Are there any unique settings for Video / Audio that I need to make? I've already changed video renderer to Overlay, as the AverTVHD seems to like it better.

e