Do you use Fullscreen Exclusive Mode?

[NEOSG]

Here is what I can replicate 100% so far. (but only about 20-30 tests)

I never get a black screen when watching anything that is NOT currently recrding or liveTV. This means imported videos, DVDs, and completely finished recorded TV NEVER gives me the black screen.

I have confirmed this 100% with high bandwidth HD completed recordings from an R5000HD, OTA from CBS, and WNED.

If it's still be recorded, or live, FSE viewing goes to a black screen everytime. Sometimes quickly, sometimes not. If it is done beeing recorded, then I can watch it with FSE with no problems.

This lead me to think that perhaps I had some throughput issues that were casuing some type of slowdown that was hanging things up while running FSE. So, here is what i did to try and rule that out.

I tried to watch recorded video using FSE while
it was being recorded with every combination of encoder and drive conection listed below:

Hauppauge USB2
ATI HDTV Wonder
Fusion 5 Gold
R5000HD

SIIG Sata connected non-raided drive
NVIDIA nforce4 Sata connected non-raided drive
NVIDIA nforce4 PATA connected non-raided drive
USB2 external drive (PATA drive)
1394 external drive (PATA drive)

This is when viewing by either client or server.

My setup is pretty is slightly different from client to server.

In common:
Nvidia Decoders
AC3Filter
ATI Video Cards (X850XTg and X1900XTX) (Same drivers, Cat 6.4-6.5, and omega 6.4 tested)
Sata OS Drives
Gigabit cards connected via same gigabit switch (tested with direct connection via crossover also)

Differences:
Client P4 3Ghz
Server AMD64 3200
Client 1GB ram
Server 2GB ram
Client, Dell motherboard with Intel chipset
Server, Asus A8NSLI with nvidia nforce4 chipset
Client, 720P preojector for monitor
Server, 21" crt

This may just be a fluke or something, but I just wanted to offer up the info.

[stanger89]

Maybe it's an ATI problem, I don't recall every having a black screen with FSE on my 6800.

[NEOSG]

Very well might be. Don't suppose you feel like sending me your 6800 to test ;-)

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by NEOSG

Very well might be. Don't suppose you feel like sending me your 6800 to test ;-)

I'm very much convinced that it is an ATI problem (or at least a problem in the combination of Sage and ATI). I don't have any problems on my nVidia 6800GT on the main machine (though of course the problem could be totally unrelated to the graphics card, at least in theory).

I'm confident that SageTV will solve this, but in the meantime, those tears in the rendering that I see when not in FSE mode are a bit annoying to me.

My financee either can't see them or is nice enough to claim that she can't, so I'm not feeling any real pain, yet.

NEOSG, it sounds like we have similar symptoms, but they are caused by different actions. For me, the most likely way to cause the black screen is exiting a recording. The SageTV UI begins to appear, and then the process freezes, with the screen also going black. 100% CPU is also in evidence.

[NEOSG]

Salsbst, when yours goes black, if you press stop or home or guide, and wait a little bit, does the screen eventually come back bringing you to the page you requested? Mine does this, and this is another thing that makes me think it is something graphics card related.

Well, i'll keep plugging away and testings, to see if I can find any other patterns to prove or disprove.

[salsbst]

Nope, once it goes black, it never comes back, as far as I know.

[NEOSG]

Well, forget 100%. Ran about 24 hours of staright movies, one right after another. After about the 6th movie, went to black screen. So, forget my earlier conclusions, of this only happening on live/recording stuff, as it must have been a fluke.

[NEOSG]

After more searching I believe that my issue (black screen but still audio anbd can backuout of playing and get screen back) is one that has been happening for at least a year to ATI users

[NEOSG]

After 1 simple change this was fixed.

I installed an Nvidia card.

This is too funny. I spent days trying every ATI config oiption i could think of with a ton of different driver versions. none worked.

Ran for hours last night without 1 glitch using nvidia card and FSE

[Fluffdaddy]

Do you feel your PQ is better with the Nvidia card?

[millers_35]

I use FSE and VMR9 on my client machine:

PIII 733Mhz 512MB 6200agp using s-video out to tv.

Seems to work really well.

I only use VMR9 on my server as that is my main machine I use on a daily basis and the windowed to full screen mode messes me up there if I use FSE.

Miller

[NEOSG]

Originally Posted by Fluffdaddy

Do you feel your PQ is better with the Nvidia card?

Couldn't say yet. need to watch more material

[Hector]

But does FSE work with other apps (e.g. theatretek, zoomplayer)? IMO that's the first thing to know.

Also be sure you're starting full screen and not changing to a window at ANY point during the current session. That's a lock up for sure on a lot of boxes.

peace . . .

Originally Posted by jds23

FSE mode locks up Sage on my machine. 3.2 GHz, Nvidia 6600, 2GB Ram, 2 TB's HDD. So that would be a no here

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by jds23

This is a good point, I am not sure about theatretek, or zoomplayer, as I don't have either configured or installed on my machine (yet!). Do you know if they will work well with the SageMC interface (STV/XML)?

Also, I did a search for FSE in the latest manual (5.0) of Sage and came up with nothing. I am VERY new to Sage, so I am not real sure what FSE is supposed to do for me. I know it means "Full Screen Exclusive", and I would think that it would keep Sage at Full Screen all the time, but really have no clue! Could someone tell me the pros and cons of FSE, please? When it didn't work very well, I just ignored it, but maybe it is something I should be looking at for my setup? Thanks in advance!

FSE mode completely dedicates the graphics pipeline to the Sage process, which allows the pipeline to run without interruption, or something like that.

If you are happy with the video playback, then you probably don't need FSE. On the other hand, if you are running VMR9, and you see:

a) stuttering
b) tearing (as in, it looks like the screen has a tear (sounds like tare) in it)

then you might be seeing problems that can be corrected if you run FSE.

[IncredibleHat]

Just wanted to throw in some money:

FSE enabled for me, means I am stuck in SageTV, or it bombs if I try to minimize, or sleep, or window it. It is highly ungraceful with this feature. Unfortunately, it is required to use VMR9 with my system to prevent the tears and stutter.

FSE works perfectly fine in Zoomplayer, and other VMR9 enabled software. So its SageTV that is busted.

I reported this problem to Frey (in case for some odd reason NO ONE else has bothered to mention it to the creators). This is a BIG BAD BUG... one that needs to be fixed! I see no reason why a piece of software like SageTV should be this much of a problem with FSE mode and VMR9.

So, my vote on the poll is: Would LIKE to use FSE mode without BOMBS!

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by IncredibleHat

I reported this problem to Frey (in case for some odd reason NO ONE else has bothered to mention it to the creators). This is a BIG BAD BUG... one that needs to be fixed! I see no reason why a piece of software like SageTV should be this much of a problem with FSE mode and VMR9.

Oh, they know about it

[IncredibleHat]

Hahah

I do have to say though... when its working, it works REAL GOOD... just not too friendly with anything else. Quitting Sage to do something else is annoying, especially if you simply wanted to look up a radar image on the web, or fiddle with a decoder setting.

[Hector]

If you use the -startup option (mentioned elsewhere) its only one extra click. If you're using FSE you have to minimize Sage anyway to fiddle so in this case minimize then quit. Then you'd have to max the screen again once you are done 'fiddling' and in this case you just have to start Sage again instead (and with the option it starts full screen).

One extra click is all.

peace . . .

Originally Posted by IncredibleHat

Hahah

I do have to say though... when its working, it works REAL GOOD... just not too friendly with anything else. Quitting Sage to do something else is annoying, especially if you simply wanted to look up a radar image on the web, or fiddle with a decoder setting.

[IncredibleHat]

Its not one extra click. There is no point in minimizing (and thus having sage crash 50% of the time). You simply set a key on the remote to either Close the application (HIP has "EXECLOSE#" which does that), or the button set to do Alt-F4.

The BENEFIT TO MINIMIZING (not quitting) is that Sage is left in the EXACT SAME STATE as you left it (not to mention the time spent minimizing/restoring is 200x faster than quit and launch DUH). Same menus, same settings, even the same show being watched if you happened to leave a show running when you minimized.

It's pure bull to quit the application, plain and simple, and any programmer who hides behind a cop-out is a programmer who needs to find a new line of work

[Hector]

First of all I prefer the mouse but you're right if you use commands its not EVEN one extra click so its even LESS painless. While it would obviously be better to minimize (has as been discussed ad nauseum, consider reading before posting) my box is not in such disarray that I have to start the UI over and over.

And secondly I wrote the tip to help other users, if you think it's 'Bull' then don't use it. We publish C# components/software and have nothing to do with Sage so no one is hiding behind anything. Its a known issue and this is what's known as a 'workaround' (perhaps you've heard the term). Duh.

Originally Posted by IncredibleHat

Its not one extra click. There is no point in minimizing (and thus having sage crash 50% of the time). You simply set a key on the remote to either Close the application (HIP has "EXECLOSE#" which does that), or the button set to do Alt-F4.

The BENEFIT TO MINIMIZING (not quitting) is that Sage is left in the EXACT SAME STATE as you left it (not to mention the time spent minimizing/restoring is 200x faster than quit and launch DUH). Same menus, same settings, even the same show being watched if you happened to leave a show running when you minimized.

It's pure bull to quit the application, plain and simple, and any programmer who hides behind a cop-out is a programmer who needs to find a new line of work