Mostly new 3.x version issues: 45 button remote, audio and media folder refresh

[IPFighter]

As a preface, I'm a long-time (well, over a year) Sage 2.x version user, but I only installed version 3.0.11 last night. I installed the latest version last night for two reasons: (1) it is new, and I like new; and (2) I kept inexplicably losing focus with my remote on version 2.x after upgrading the MB on the system (after reboot everything worked sweet, but after a few minutes remote would stop controlling Sage and even mouse entry changing channels would no longer change Comcast Motorola box; very strange, but that is hopefully now a moot issue), and I thought the new version may solve the problem.

I have searched/skimmed the dialog on 3.x versions, and not found answers to these questions, but I allow that I may have missed them. If so, I apologize and please just direct me to the link.

ISSUE #1: 45 BUTTON REMOTE

Under 2.x, I was able to alter the irremote file to customize the buttons to control just what I wanted. I did so using some very cool information/tables provided on this forum (by Opus I think). I was able to assign some very important buttons, such as toggle full screen and used the four colored buttons to program control of my DVD options (forward chapter, main menu, etc.) when watching DVD I have burned onto my HD (e.g., FotR expanded).

I realize that 3.x now has built in support for the 45 button remote, but it appears that it has come at the sacrifice of the above-described customization. Am I correct? Or is it still possible to reprogram the buttons? If so, how? And is there a table similar to the earlier Opus-inspired version that has a table showing the code for each feature?

ISSUE #2: NO AUDIO/STATIC AUDIO FOR CERTAIN MEDIA FILES

My library includes various media, including relatively low quality recordings from DISH or Comcast cable, as well as higher quality recordings, for example from digital PPV options. All are now either .mpeg or .vob files. However, some of the PPV digital shows originated with “.ac3” audio rather than more standard lower quality audio. I’m not sure if this is the source of the problem, but I have thus far documented that the problem I am describing is related only to files that originally included .ac3 audio.

Anyway, for these few files 3.x does not find audio. For one, the audio is simply nonexistent, although the video play great. For another, the audio has been replaced by static throughout the entire movie. The audio on all other media plays fine, including the media from my burned DVDs (e.g., RotK). I know the audio is fine on the source files because they play fine, including with audio, using other players (e.g. PowerDVD). Again, they also played fine in version 2.x before my upgrade.

I have tried various audio renderers (I have C-Media Wave Device, CyberLink, Default DirectSound, Default WaveOut, DirectSound: C-Media Wave Device; although 3.x installed using “Default”—I’m not sure what that is) and MPEG2 Audio Decoders (I have Default, Cyberlink, InterVideo NonCSS Audio Decoder for Hauppauge, MPEG Audio Decoder, SageTV MPEG Audio Decoder).

Any suggestions? Thanks.

ISSUE #3: MEDIA FOLDER UPDATING

I saw a reference by some to a request for some additional visual recognition of updating/refreshing. My issue is different, and it is one that version 2.x had problems with as well. I mentioned directly to Sage at some point but it was not solved for 3.x.

I have a distributed media storage system; I have media files in folders on about 6 different HDs on four different computers on a LAN. I have similar subject folders on each of the different HDs, e.g.,

HD 1:
Fantasy
Drama
Science Fiction
HD 2:
Fantasy
Drama
Science Fiction
HD 3:
Fantasy
Drama
Science Fiction
Etc.

I may have five movies on HD1\Fantasy; three more on HD2\Fantasy; and ten on HD3\Fantasy, for a total of 18 “fantasy” movies. All of these directories are accessible by the machine running Sage. I would have thought that when I updated/refreshed the Media Library and viewed my media in Imported Video Files I would see the folder “Fantasy” showing that it held 18 movies. I see the “Fantasy” folder, but it only shows a number <18 being in the folder, e.g., only five movies in the folder. When I go into the folder, all 18 movies are present. It just doesn’t update the folder label to accurately reflect the actual number of movies. Thinking that it stops noting the number of movies after checking one of the HDs “Fantasy” folder, I checked, but sometimes it does not even note the proper number in one single HD folder, e.g., it may only “count” four of the HD1 movies.

Why does Sage find all 18 movies but the folder label is unable to “refresh” to accurately count the number of movies in the folder?

Likewise, Sage continues to have a problem with accurately refreshing when new media is moved into these folders while Sage is running. For example, when I add a new movie to the “Fantasy” folder on HD1, then go into Sage and refresh, it may not immediately see the newly added movie. And if it does, it will frequently note an incorrect movie duration. For example, I can move in a new movie I know to be 2 hrs, but when selected in Sage it only shows 20 minutes. I have not checked every instance of this bug, but the problem appears to go away when I quit Sage before I transfer new movies into the source directories. Should I have to do this? Shouldn’t Sage be able to refresh in this situation?

Sorry for being so long-winded, but I’d appreciate any answers/suggestions to any of the issues. I really like Sage and it is nagging bugs like these able that prevent me from securing complete buyin to the system by my wife/family. :0(

[Wheemer]

I also experience the inaccurate counting of media files... FWIW

[IPFighter]

As a preface, I'm a long-time (well, over a year) Sage 2.x version user, but I only installed version 3.0.11 last night. I installed the latest version last night for two reasons: (1) it is new, and I like new; and (2) I kept inexplicably losing focus with my remote on version 2.x after upgrading the MB on the system (after reboot everything worked sweet, but after a few minutes remote would stop controlling Sage and even mouse entry changing channels would no longer change Comcast Motorola box; very strange, but that is hopefully now a moot issue), and I thought the new version may solve the problem.

I have searched/skimmed the dialog on 3.x versions, and not found answers to these questions, but I allow that I may have missed them. If so, I apologize and please just direct me to the link.

ISSUE #1: 45 BUTTON REMOTE

Under 2.x, I was able to alter the irremote file to customize the buttons to control just what I wanted. I did so using some very cool information/tables provided on this forum (by Opus I think). I was able to assign some very important buttons, such as toggle full screen and used the four colored buttons to program control of my DVD options (forward chapter, main menu, etc.) when watching DVD I have burned onto my HD (e.g., FotR expanded).

I realize that 3.x now has built in support for the 45 button remote, but it appears that it has come at the sacrifice of the above-described customization. Am I correct? Or is it still possible to reprogram the buttons? If so, how? And is there a table similar to the earlier Opus-inspired version that has a table showing the code for each feature?

ISSUE #2: NO AUDIO/STATIC AUDIO FOR CERTAIN MEDIA FILES

My library includes various media, including relatively low quality recordings from DISH or Comcast cable, as well as higher quality recordings, for example from digital PPV options. All are now either .mpeg or .vob files. However, some of the PPV digital shows originated with “.ac3” audio rather than more standard lower quality audio. I’m not sure if this is the source of the problem, but I have thus far documented that the problem I am describing is related only to files that originally included .ac3 audio.

Anyway, for these few files 3.x does not find audio. For one, the audio is simply nonexistent, although the video play great. For another, the audio has been replaced by static throughout the entire movie. The audio on all other media plays fine, including the media from my burned DVDs (e.g., RotK). I know the audio is fine on the source files because they play fine, including with audio, using other players (e.g. PowerDVD). Again, they also played fine in version 2.x before my upgrade.

I have tried various audio renderers (I have C-Media Wave Device, CyberLink, Default DirectSound, Default WaveOut, DirectSound: C-Media Wave Device; although 3.x installed using “Default”—I’m not sure what that is) and MPEG2 Audio Decoders (I have Default, Cyberlink, InterVideo NonCSS Audio Decoder for Hauppauge, MPEG Audio Decoder, SageTV MPEG Audio Decoder).

Any suggestions? Thanks.

ISSUE #3: MEDIA FOLDER UPDATING

I saw a reference by some to a request for some additional visual recognition of updating/refreshing. My issue is different, and it is one that version 2.x had problems with as well. I mentioned directly to Sage at some point but it was not solved for 3.x.

I have a distributed media storage system; I have media files in folders on about 6 different HDs on four different computers on a LAN. I have similar subject folders on each of the different HDs, e.g.,

HD 1:
Fantasy
Drama
Science Fiction
HD 2:
Fantasy
Drama
Science Fiction
HD 3:
Fantasy
Drama
Science Fiction
Etc.

I may have five movies on HD1\Fantasy; three more on HD2\Fantasy; and ten on HD3\Fantasy, for a total of 18 “fantasy” movies. All of these directories are accessible by the machine running Sage. I would have thought that when I updated/refreshed the Media Library and viewed my media in Imported Video Files I would see the folder “Fantasy” showing that it held 18 movies. I see the “Fantasy” folder, but it only shows a number <18 being in the folder, e.g., only five movies in the folder. When I go into the folder, all 18 movies are present. It just doesn’t update the folder label to accurately reflect the actual number of movies. Thinking that it stops noting the number of movies after checking one of the HDs “Fantasy” folder, I checked, but sometimes it does not even note the proper number in one single HD folder, e.g., it may only “count” four of the HD1 movies.

Why does Sage find all 18 movies but the folder label is unable to “refresh” to accurately count the number of movies in the folder?

Likewise, Sage continues to have a problem with accurately refreshing when new media is moved into these folders while Sage is running. For example, when I add a new movie to the “Fantasy” folder on HD1, then go into Sage and refresh, it may not immediately see the newly added movie. And if it does, it will frequently note an incorrect movie duration. For example, I can move in a new movie I know to be 2 hrs, but when selected in Sage it only shows 20 minutes. I have not checked every instance of this bug, but the problem appears to go away when I quit Sage before I transfer new movies into the source directories. Should I have to do this? Shouldn’t Sage be able to refresh in this situation?

Sorry for being so long-winded, but I’d appreciate any answers/suggestions to any of the issues. I really like Sage and it is nagging bugs like these able that prevent me from securing complete buyin to the system by my wife/family. :0(

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by IPFighter

ISSUE #1: 45 BUTTON REMOTE

Under 2.x, I was able to alter the irremote file to customize the buttons to control just what I wanted. I did so using some very cool information/tables provided on this forum (by Opus I think). I was able to assign some very important buttons, such as toggle full screen and used the four colored buttons to program control of my DVD options (forward chapter, main menu, etc.) when watching DVD I have burned onto my HD (e.g., FotR expanded).

I realize that 3.x now has built in support for the 45 button remote, but it appears that it has come at the sacrifice of the above-described customization. Am I correct? Or is it still possible to reprogram the buttons? If so, how? And is there a table similar to the earlier Opus-inspired version that has a table showing the code for each feature?

Obviously, the default 'official' layout for the 45 button remote is different from what I posted to get it to work in v2. You can see what functions are assigned to each button in the v3 PDF manual that is in your SageTV dir.

The way for you to change functions for any buttons depends on how you want to do that... you can 1) edit irremote.ini and assign keystrokes/event code messages for any button you wish, or 2) you can go to Detailed Setup -> Commnads -> Link Command and assign any button to any command.

- Andy

[IPFighter]

Thanks Andy. I had not found the v3 PDF manual or the v3 button configuration options, which are slick.

My last concern on the remote issue is with the sleep button; the remote Power will send it to sleep, but under the v2 configuration hitting the Power button again woke it up. Now, it sends it to sleep but I can't figure out how to wake it up from the remote; I am forced to use the mouse. What am I missing?

Thanks

P.S. Any thoughts on the other two issues?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by IPFighter

My last concern on the remote issue is with the sleep button; the remote Power will send it to sleep, but under the v2 configuration hitting the Power button again woke it up. Now, it sends it to sleep but I can't figure out how to wake it up from the remote; I am forced to use the mouse. What am I missing?

Hmmm... maybe I'll need to upload new versions for v3.

The downloadable v2 ini files included extra lines to do what you describe. You could simply use the same ini from v2 with v3 -- just make sure to set the keystrokes yourself to match what you want the buttons to do.

Alternatively, you can use the version that doesn't require focus. For that one, all you have to do is edit the ini to specify the command number for each button. See post #15 in Hauppauge link #3 of my sig lines.

P.S. Any thoughts on the other two issues?

I don't have any ideas at the moment.

- Andy

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by IPFighter

Likewise, Sage continues to have a problem with accurately refreshing when new media is moved into these folders while Sage is running. For example, when I add a new movie to the “Fantasy” folder on HD1, then go into Sage and refresh, it may not immediately see the newly added movie. And if it does, it will frequently note an incorrect movie duration. For example, I can move in a new movie I know to be 2 hrs, but when selected in Sage it only shows 20 minutes. I have not checked every instance of this bug, but the problem appears to go away when I quit Sage before I transfer new movies into the source directories. Should I have to do this? Shouldn’t Sage be able to refresh in this situation?
(

Whats happening here is that when Sage is running, it periotically scans the import folders and when it finds a new file, it attempts to determine the run time. Unfortunately, it tried to scan the file while it was in the middle of being added into the import folder. Since the file was in the middle of a move/copy/unzip when Sage scanned it, it noted it as a smaller file than it really is. If you quit Sage before you add the file, then Sage scans it upon restarting so the file is complete during the scan and you get the correct time.

The cure right now is to either do what you have been doing and shut down Sage before a file addition, or the easier way is to move/copy/unzip your file into a temporary folder on the same HD as the import folder you want to place it into. If it takes a couple minutes to complete the action, it is no big deal since Sage won't have an oportunity to scan the imcomplete file. Once the file is compete in the temp folder, then just move the file into the import folder, this is almost instantanious and Sage doesn't have enough time to scan the file before the move is done.

If you do mess up and forget, and Sage scans an incomplete file, then rename the file and Sage'll can usually rescan it and get the correct info. In the past, I sometimes had to remove the file from the import folder, tell Sage to rescan, then move the file back under the new name. Then when Sage rescanned, it got the right time.