HDTV Network Encoder v0.9.0 07-08-05 - HD Support for Sage!

[pcuoco]

jchiso,

I haven't set my card up yet (no time), but I believe your Fusion card with BDA drivers, and the HDNE all need to be on the same system. Either the HDTV Host Machine or the Server, it doesn't matter which.

SageRecorder is not necessary at all, HDNE serves as a replacement for that.

SageClient will be necessary to playback the files from the Sage Server on the HDTV Host machine unless you plan on using another playback software. However you won't be able to view LiveTV that way.

The PowerVCR and Nvidia codecs are required on whatever machine you plan to watch the HD content on. i.e. If you plan to view the files on both the HDTV host and your server you must install the codecs on both machines.

Does this make sense?

[jchiso]

Tried running HDNE on the host and am getting a dialog box saying "... MSVCR70.dll was not found". I did a search and it seems I have a few instances of MSVCR71.dll.

pcuoco:
I think it clears up some of the abiguity I have on placement of software, etc. I don't plan to use the host for playback, so I should can remove that from there. However, I have two Clients and two other Sage units that I occasionally use in Client mode. These units all have Cyberlink decoders (one client has NVIDIA, as well) installed. Please tell me I would not have to install PowerVCR on each of these (real and virtual) clients. I should also mention that I intend to do my Fusion captures in MPEG mode. All of my clients are able to playback both such mpeg files as well as .ts streams with the Cyberlink decoders.

[Crazedz]

Originally Posted by flashbacck

I dunno what happened, but when I tried 0.8 again last night, it worked! I have a series of recordings set up for tonight that should test it. I'll try to get the output and debug.txt from that. But my internet is still down at home so I probably won't have it until tomorrow.

The quality settings shouldn't have an effect on HD. The stream is already encoded in mpeg2, isn't it?

HDTV's got me thinking about how to fit another harddrive in my mATX case . 160gb used to be something like 3 days worth of TV. Now it's less than 20 hrs.

Ya know that's kinda wierd...... And .......No that's just wierd!

I say that because mine just started working last night to on version .7, And i don't know why? Im at a loss to explain why it quit working and as to why it suddenly started working. Nothing changed, I installed nor removed anything no restarts nothing it just suddenly decided to start changing channels even in live tv mode it switches stations albeit with a delay but changes channels all the same.

One thing has anybody seen any recordings that have a spot in them where the playback just starts to stutter? I've had more than one where this has happened and if i jump ahead playback resumes normaly if i skip back to that spot it starts stuttering again, If I let it continue it continues stuttering until i skip ahead. This ussually happens more towards the end of a recording. Maybe it's just something connected to my flaky OS install (I mess around with my OS way more than i should, I can't help it).

I'm not sure at this point if i should try installing .8 since things are working right now, Don't wanna jinx it. Think i may wait a while to try it.

[littlerm]

I have been using .8 for a couple of days with an ATI HDTV Wonder and it has worked great. Being able to run it as a service is my only wish. Great job!

[Stealth1971]

Originally Posted by jchiso

Please tell me I would not have to install PowerVCR on each of these (real and virtual) clients.

You should only need the PowerVCR (Cyberlink) filters on the capturing machine - not the clients... The Cyberlink filters are used for MUXing and DUMPing the demuxed TS stream. I would like to get rid of these dependencies in the future - I can builld a DUMP filter, but the MUX filter will be a treat I would like to use Sage's MUX but I had some issues when building a graph with their filters.

I would like some feedback from Frey on their filters - I need to contact them.

[Stealth1971]

Originally Posted by Crazedz

I say that because mine just started working last night to on version .7, And i don't know why? Im at a loss to explain why it quit working and as to why it suddenly started working.

There is no background Fusion app that may be running too and causing issues? Just a thought

[flashbacck]

Dunno, there's a Fusion scheduler thing that runs as a tray app, but I haven't noticed any problems with that running at the same time.

I was looking for other video decoder options, and I downloaded and installed PowerDVD 6 (cyberlink). When I playbacked using those decoders I got an average of 35% CPU usage. This is a 15% drop compared to the old cyberlink decoders I was using! If anyone is having CPU usage problems, that might be worth a try.

[pen25]

well i got my aver mce a180 yesterday. slapped it in the htpc loaded the drivers. installed sage, installed this app installed powervcr II installed the ndvd software configured my channels and when i tune it pulls up the screen for tv and it locks up. well doesnt lock up it just doesnt display anything. going to play with codecs and see if that fixes it. anyway i think its controling the card but is there anyway of telling if it is? BTW would you like my debug file as well?? if so pm me your email addy and ill shoot it on over.

[Stealth1971]

I know there is some question about moving to version 0.8.0 but 0.7.0 had some serious issues. It is definitely not going to switch channels using the SWITCH command from Sage - it will YACK - I forgot to strip the line end characters from the file name and those are illegal in a file name....

If you don't want to screw up your existing install - you can install HDNE 0.8.0 in a different folder i.e. c:\HDNE.0.8.0, shutdown your current version, copy over your ServiceLocator.xml file, and start the new version.

Its build for side-by-side installation... (but only run one version at a time)

[pen25]

well everyone who was wanting to know. yes the a180 will work. I have video capture but doesnt display in live so i am thinking fresh windows xp install. this should fix allot of my problems i have had with the htpc. right now i have mytheatre/dvbritz/dvbdream all installed and can only get mytheatre working. so just like the other dvb software i am thinking i have issues with the codecs. so looks like off i go with a fresh xp install wish me luck haha

[chrisc16]

Originally Posted by pen25

well everyone who was wanting to know. yes the a180 will work. I have video capture but doesnt display in live so i am thinking fresh windows xp install. this should fix allot of my problems i have had with the htpc. right now i have mytheatre/dvbritz/dvbdream all installed and can only get mytheatre working. so just like the other dvb software i am thinking i have issues with the codecs. so looks like off i go with a fresh xp install wish me luck haha

So if I understand correctly, you are getting .ts files written to disk, but are unable to play them with Sage? Do you have a client that you can test with? As long as the .ts files are valid, it sounds like you just have a playback issue.

-Chris

[Crazedz]

Originally Posted by Stealth1971

I know there is some question about moving to version 0.8.0 but 0.7.0 had some serious issues. It is definitely not going to switch channels using the SWITCH command from Sage - it will YACK - I forgot to strip the line end characters from the file name and those are illegal in a file name....

If you don't want to screw up your existing install - you can install HDNE 0.8.0 in a different folder i.e. c:\HDNE.0.8.0, shutdown your current version, copy over your ServiceLocator.xml file, and start the new version.

Its build for side-by-side installation... (but only run one version at a time)

Yeah i could try that and see if things still work but im just afraid to jinx it if you know what i mean. What your meaning about that switching channels does that mean if i goto .8 i wont need the fast-mux switch set to false anymore?

About fusion having anything running in the background the answer is no it's part of the problems in my install the fusion app and remote for the tray crash on windows startup. I can still launch them after windows has finished loading but they just don't auto start with windows unless i sit at the login screen for a couple minutes then everything loads fine. So since i got this working in sage i haven't been launching the fusion software so that shouldn't be causeing any problems.

Oh FYI to all im going in for lasik friday morning. Bit scared as im blind in one eye already and theirs nothing they can do for that one but their going to lasik the good eye so just wanted to let everyone know just incase something goes horribly wrong and i end up blind that if you don't here from me fristhand anymore thats why. Sorry just a bit of cold feet and nervousness over this, Im sure it's nothing and everythings going to go great but when i have only one good eye it's something i tend to worry over.

Ok im done Stealth let me know how you want the money sent and i'll get it sent blind or not lol.

[Stealth1971]

Originally Posted by Crazedz

Oh FYI to all im going in for lasik friday morning. Bit scared as im blind in one eye already and theirs nothing they can do for that one but their going to lasik the good eye so just wanted to let everyone know just incase something goes horribly wrong and i end up blind that if you don't here from me fristhand anymore thats why. Sorry just a bit of cold feet and nervousness over this, Im sure it's nothing and everythings going to go great but when i have only one good eye it's something i tend to worry over.

OMG! good luck with that.... I wish you the best.

BTW - again thanx for all of the help

[SD_Entertainmnt]

Well I have installed my A180 and successfully captured video using the BDA test app, but have had no luck with the network encoder.
I doubt it is the tuner here as I get errors beginning with " initialization error: could not build the ATSC BDA filtergraph" and here is the screen text:

2005-04-28T21:44:12 Application Started - version 0.8
Building Graph
Loading BDA network driver.
Finished loading BDA network driver.
Loading BDA ATSC tuner reques.
Tune request for physical channel:52, major channel: -1, minor channel: -1
Finished BDA ATSC tuner request.
Loading BDA NETWORK tuner and capture device.
Finished loading BDA NETWORK tuner and capture device.
Loading transport stream demux
Finished loading transport stream demux
Starting to render Demux
Loading TS Info Parser
Couldn't CoCreate requested filter
Cannot Load TS Info Parser
Cannot load demux
2005-04-28T21:46:27 HDNE Capture Plugin created and initialized
2005-04-28T21:46:27 HDNE Server: Listening on port - 6980
The FilterGraph is not yet built.

I have installed powervcr II, NVDVD, older Nvidia codecs and newest trial.

Also attached the debug txt. Thank you for your help...
-SD

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by SD_Entertainmnt

Tune request for physical channel:52, major channel: -1, minor channel: -1

That looks really bad to my untrained eye. Not sure what causes that, but doublecheck your settings in ServiceLocator.xml

[stanger89]

FWIW, I can confirm that the A180 seems to work just fine with HDNE. It records just fine, but I've had trouble playing a couple of them. Haven't played much yet.

[SD_Entertainmnt]

Originally Posted by stanger89

That looks really bad to my untrained eye. Not sure what causes that, but doublecheck your settings in ServiceLocator.xml

That is definatly something that looked suspitious to me too, however replacing servicelocator.xml with the original and rechecking changes seems to be of no help.

[PGPfan]

Mildly OT,

Stanger (and others with the A180),

I read over at AVS forum that the A180 can also capture SD via the s-video input. Is this correct? If so, can this card replace a PVR-150 or M-150 (assuming tuning would be done via STB) as well as provide OTA capture?

For the price, it would seem to be a very attractive card to have if you have no need for an onboard SD tuner.

-PGPfan

[flashbacck]

Originally Posted by SD_Entertainmnt

That is definatly something that looked suspitious to me too, however replacing servicelocator.xml with the original and rechecking changes seems to be of no help.

I think that's just the way Stealth wrote the plugin. It does that on mine and also did it on the test tuner app. But mine works fine with the correct service xml

[pen25]

Originally Posted by chrisc16

So if I understand correctly, you are getting .ts files written to disk, but are unable to play them with Sage? Do you have a client that you can test with? As long as the .ts files are valid, it sounds like you just have a playback issue.

-Chris

yes chris this is correct. with the problems of the orhters o am thinking its grafs or codecs