Channel changing gracefullness

[Wheemer]

Is there anything that I can do to improve the fluidness of channels changes with an external cable box? I am currently running the SageMC STV and using the USB-Uirt to control my set top box. When I select a channel change, sometimes the progress bars reported show length instantly changes to an enormous number. The graphics misalign and extend off the playback progress bar.

On every channel change the entire sage interface seems to lockup, exactly like a freeze. The picture sometimes just pauses, and other times it stops between frames, leaving a distorted picture of the last channel on screen.

After a short time the screen comes back to life, resuming a split second of the previous show, and I see the channel change going though.

Isn't there anything that can be done to make this look better? Why does the video stream have to freeze up for so long?

I'll give you an example of what I think should be happening: If I am watching a show and there's a scheduled recording coming up, I'll see the channel change warning and click yes. Then I'll continue to watch the current channel as normal. When it comes time to change the channel and start a new file for the new show, I'll see a very slight video and audio pause, then I'll see the channel change go though. It seem very acceptable and how I would assume every channel change should happen.

So why is it that channel changes while roaming around looking for something to watch are sooo much worse. What is this pause/freeze that I'm seeing?

[gplasky]

Does this also happen with the default STV? This may be an issue with the STV you're using.

Gerry

[Wheemer]

Yes, I just double checked to be sure. I'm not talking about an extremely long time between, but enough that makes it annoying. Especially when the graphics screwup on the progress bar.

[Lucas]

I changed the sage.property for the delay between writing to disk and playing to 500ms and things are much better : channel changes in approx 1 sec.

[Wheemer]

Do you mean these settings:

local_encoding_to_playback_delay=2000
&
network_encoding_to_playback_delay=3500

If not, which setting did you change?

What do the above settings do?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Wheemer

local_encoding_to_playback_delay=2000
&
network_encoding_to_playback_delay=3500

What do the above settings do?

From the bottom of p. 181 in the v2.1 manual:

videoframe/local_encoding_to_playback_delay - the amount of time SageTV should wait after starting recording of a file to start playing it back if the capture device is not a network encoder

videoframe/network_encoding_to_playback_delay - the amount of time SageTV should wait after starting recording of a file to start playing it back if the capture device is a network encoder

I thought there was at least one other property that people have discussed for speeding up channel changes, but I don't remember it.

- Andy

[Lucas]

Wheemer, as you can see from the above the first one.

Now, I don't remember if I changed anything else in the properties.
But I did change the interval between ir digits in the .ir file to something like 100 or 200 ms.

[Wheemer]

I just changes that setting in the properties file to nothing and it seems to be a tad bit quicker. Still freezes needlessly, instead of the quick pause I think is required.

[sixdoubleo]

Has somebody compiled a standard list of common optimizations like this?

I recently rebuilt my server and have had to redo everything and have really had a time getting it all re-tweaked.

[Wheemer]

I thought there was at least one other property that people have discussed for speeding up channel changes, but I don't remember it.

Does anyone remember something else that may need to be adjusted??

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Wheemer

Does anyone remember something else that may need to be adjusted??

I forget the exact prop (I think it is the 'repeatcount'), but using the USBUIRT, the delay can be changed in the settings for the USBUIRT files. Hop over to their forums and you will find it quickly...

http://166.70.183.44/phpBB2/viewtopi...channel+delays



-Jason