Feature request: Add purevideo HD support

[mikesm]

Hi. Since Nvidia has gone to a new model for purevideo HD functionality, where the software is no longer sold separately, but built into modern drivers that require the use of a compatible codec for acceleration, I would like to request such support be built into the standard Sage MPEG2 decoder, as well as for support in h.264 decoding.

It would also be highly desirable for Sage to support the new EWR rendering mode for Vista, which is required for using 100% video card acceleration for vc-1 and h.264 playback.

While we can buy software like Nero and others, getting Sage to work with these programs to be able to use their codecs with Purevideo HD support has been fraught with problems.

So the most straightforward thing to do would be for Sage to support this functionality directly and save us users all these hassles. You already bundle a MPEG2 decoder with Sage, so this is a logical extension of that support.

Most of us would be willing to pay separately to enable this support if that's what it took. It's just a lot of hassle the way it is now, and without EWR support, it's not really leveraging one of the few good things about that platform.

What say you?

Thanks,
mike

[mkanet]

Hey Mike, I'm already in touch with one of the senior engineers at sageTV. I just asked him about about a related issue. Although, I totally think its a great idea to have native purevideo HD support, I'm sure sageTV would argue that it would limit people only to one name brand of display adapter... Nvidia.

I just found out that I can do hardware acceleration in Vista using purevideo HD (via Nvidia decoder and PowerDVD); however, its completely useless since there seems to be some kind of weird incompatibility within sageTV causing the video to be jerky/framey/slow... At least on my machine. I will know more tomorrow when sageTV replies back to my email about this.

[Eckwell]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Hey Mike, I'm already in touch with one of the senior engineers at sageTV. I just asked him about about a related issue. Although, I totally think its a great idea to have native purevideo HD support, I'm sure sageTV would argue that it would limit people only to one name brand of display adapter... Nvidia.

I just found out that I can do hardware acceleration in Vista using purevideo HD (via Nvidia decoder and PowerDVD); however, its completely useless since there seems to be some kind of weird incompatibility within sageTV causing the video to be jerky/framey/slow... At least on my machine. I will know more tomorrow when sageTV replies back to my email about this.

I too have jerky HD video... slow to start, and loong to finish... but once it "gets going" it is smooth... Just wierd that it takes awhile to get going...

Any enhancement of the HD rendering process would be welcome.

UPDATE: I fixed most of my HD rendering issues. See my other posts.

[mkanet]

The title of this thread should be revised to "Feature request: Add EVR support"

The solution to all these weird jerky video problems is for sageTV to provide EVR support. EVR is available natively in Vista and the lates PowerDVD decoder supports it. I think there's a way to get EVR to install in XP, but I'm not the best person to ask about that.

EVR is microsoft newest video renderer which supersedes VMR9. That's why the video I saw in PowerDVD was better than anything I had ever seen so far...

Originally Posted by Eckwell

I too have jerky HD video... slow to start, and loong to finish... but once it "gets going" it is smooth... Just wierd that it takes awhile to get going...

Any enhancement of the HD rendering process would be welcome.

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by mkanet

The title of this thread should be revised to "Feature request: Add EVR support"

The solution to all these weird jerky video problems is for sageTV to provide EVR support. EVR is available natively in Vista and the lates PowerDVD decoder supports it. I think there's a way to get EVR to install in XP, but I'm not the best person to ask about that.

EVR is microsoft newest video renderer which supersedes VMR9. That's why the video I saw in PowerDVD was better than anything I had ever seen so far...

Fair, but I think even if EVR is added, why should we have to buy powerdvd ultra just to accelerate MPEG2? Sage should support EVR on Vista - no doubt about that, but they should also make sure the codec they bundle supports using purevideo HD if the capability exists on the system. Even Nero does that.

And if PowerDVD changed their code so that Sage couldn't use it, which they well might, then we'd all be here asking them to support it natively anyway.

PS Are you going to dump Vista over this?

Thanks,
mike

[korben_dallas]

I personally don't like the fact that when I upgrade SageTV, it overrides my PureVideo decoder and makes a mess of the renderer settings and merits. So whatever they do, I would suggest option boxes during the install which allow you to choose which SD or HD, XP or Vista options you want SageTV to install. Since most of us are do-it-ourself'ers, it's not surprising we'd already have the box setup the way we like and just want SageTV w/o the extras.

[mkanet]

Mike, I didn't see your post until just now, sorry. My guess is that SageTV will support EVR with their built-in decoder... just like they did when XP and VMR9 was getting popular for the sageTV decoder.

Currently, there's a pretty big problem with SageTV + VMR9 + Nvidia hardware acceleration in general under Vista (with 1080i). More and more people will realize this as they buy new PCs (that come with Vista and Nvidia cards) and try to use SageTV. I'm guessing that is what they are focusing on right now. The only solution for this currently is to turn off hardware acceleration, use their software-based sageTV decoder, or buy an ATI display adapter (non of which are acceptable to me personally).

And.. no I cant dump Vista over this. It's sort of like asking me if Im going to dump my R5000's I use EVR for both blu-ray and HD-DVD playback. Once you see EVR in action with PureVideo HD, there's no going back...

-Michael

Originally Posted by mikesm

Fair, but I think even if EVR is added, why should we have to buy powerdvd ultra just to accelerate MPEG2? Sage should support EVR on Vista - no doubt about that, but they should also make sure the codec they bundle supports using purevideo HD if the capability exists on the system. Even Nero does that.

And if PowerDVD changed their code so that Sage couldn't use it, which they well might, then we'd all be here asking them to support it natively anyway.

PS Are you going to dump Vista over this?

Thanks,
mike

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Mike, I didn't see your post until just now, sorry. My guess is that SageTV will support EVR with their built-in decoder... just like they did when XP and VMR9 was getting popular for the sageTV decoder.

Currently, there's a pretty big problem with SageTV + VMR9 + Nvidia hardware acceleration in general under Vista (with 1080i). More and more people will realize this as they buy new PCs (that come with Vista and Nvidia cards) and try to use SageTV. I'm guessing that is what they are focusing on right now. The only solution for this currently is to turn off hardware acceleration, use their software-based sageTV decoder, or buy an ATI display adapter (non of which are acceptable to me personally).

And.. no I cant dump Vista over this. It's sort of like asking me if Im going to dump my R5000's I use EVR for both blu-ray and HD-DVD playback. Once you see EVR in action with PureVideo HD, there's no going back...

-Michael

I never said you should dump vista! :-) While they are at it, they should add support for blue-ray and hddvd playback too! Itd probably help dish r5000 users too.

thx
mike