SageTV V4.1.11 Beta Is Available - Better Placeshifting!

[Deadbolt]

I have been using the various versions of SageTV for about 2 years now. I can't remember when (v.2 or v.3) but I increased my scheduler_lookahead from the standard 3 day to the max 14 day. I have an AMD 2500 with 1 GB of RAM and never had a problem. Ever since these v4.1 betas I get stutter on my extenders (I run the server headless) for about an hour after a reboot. If I decrease the lookahead to the default it is fine...has something been down to the algorythm that makes it much more intesive now?

Thanks!

[jimmyb]

Jeff

I found the problem The key word you used was "simultaneous". Turned off the MVP (which I was leaving on as an experiment. Since it uses a dif TV input there was no problem).

All is working as should. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[Narflex]

Originally Posted by Deadbolt

I have been using the various versions of SageTV for about 2 years now. I can't remember when (v.2 or v.3) but I increased my scheduler_lookahead from the standard 3 day to the max 14 day. I have an AMD 2500 with 1 GB of RAM and never had a problem. Ever since these v4.1 betas I get stutter on my extenders (I run the server headless) for about an hour after a reboot. If I decrease the lookahead to the default it is fine...has something been down to the algorythm that makes it much more intesive now?

Thanks!

Submit a bug report please.

[MrD]

2. Added support transcoding of VOB files when played through the MVP (the files must have a .vob extension at this time)

YAHOOO!!!!!!!!!



Thanks!

[lotusvball]

Originally Posted by marneb17

For this to work, you have to add the .vob extension to the sage.properties file, so that they are recognized by the importer.

Marneb

On what line do you add this?

[Para]

Originally Posted by lotusvball

On what line do you add this?

seeker/video_library_import_filename_extensions=.mpg,.mpeg,.mp2,.mpeg2,.mpe,.avi,.divx,.mpg1,.ts,.vob

2. Added support transcoding of VOB files when played through the MVP (the files must have a .vob extension at this time)

Now I just have to merge my VOB files for each movie. If you have your ripped DVD's still under "VIDEO_TS" folders, you can rename the folder to just "VIDEO" and SageTV will find all of the VOB files on a regular scan of the media directories. This is GREAT!!!! Thanks Jeff and all of the other people at Sage!

[lotusvball]

Originally Posted by Para

seeker/video_library_import_filename_extensions=.mpg,.mpeg,.mp2,.mpeg2,.mpe,.avi,.divx,.mpg1,.ts,.vob



Now I just have to merge my VOB files for each movie. If you have your ripped DVD's still under "VIDEO_TS" folders, you can rename the folder to just "VIDEO" and SageTV will find all of the VOB files on a regular scan of the media directories. This is GREAT!!!! Thanks Jeff and all of the other people at Sage!

I put the .vob in the right place but it still doesn't work. I then tried what you said above but now my server shows all the .vob as seperate and not the way it was with video_ts. This will not work. So currently I have over 400 dvd's ripped to a couple of disks and the work perfectly from the client, but I take it without combining all of them as one .vob they will not work on the MVP, if this is so then this will not work at all.

[banmj]

With 4.1.11 everything was working great until I turned on the MVP. It stutters.
every 20 seconds or so. I had to go back to 4.1.10. Anyone else have this happen? Client and placeshifter worked great

[Para]

Originally Posted by lotusvball

I put the .vob in the right place but it still doesn't work. I then tried what you said above but now my server shows all the .vob as seperate and not the way it was with video_ts. This will not work. So currently I have over 400 dvd's ripped to a couple of disks and the work perfectly from the client, but I take it without combining all of them as one .vob they will not work on the MVP, if this is so then this will not work at all.

I had the .VOB extension in the line before the change to 4.1.11, so maybe it was not needed. However, I believe eliminating the DVD "VIDEO_TS" folder structure allowed them to be seen by SageTV as VOB files instead of as DVDs, which makes them available for transcoding to the MVP. I think it would also limit the regular clients from using the ripped DVDs in the usual mode, but I have set up SageTV to play back the movie on access and skip the menu anyway. Hopefully someone else knows of another way to get them to show up without changing the folder structure??? That was only the first way I tried.

The multiple VOB files per DVD is exactly what I was talking about when I said I needed to merge them for each DVD. But I don't have 400 to do.

Given a choice, I would prefer to see the MVP use the .ifo file and VIDEO_TS folder structure just as the client will, but I am uncertain if it is going to happen. It seems that is a larger undertaking than transcoding the VOB files themselves and Jeff has previously said that it is not presently in the works.

Originally Posted by Narflex

There's no plans to allow you to able to play the .ifo files at this time. That would require DVD Navigator handling which is another thing entirely.

http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...5&postcount=10

Even with the limitation of "VOB only" transcoding DVD to MVP, this is still far superior to what we had before....Nothing.

Maybe they will eventually come up with a way of using the ifo file and DVD Navigator to skip the menus and playback the movie when selected (just like you can select as an option in the client - hint hint). But again, that is not presently in the works.

[Bohica]

Jeff -- what are all the new jar files in the jars directory... I know I am lazy and could go look to get some type of a clue...

[Opus4]

There are jar files for the UPnP automatic router port forwarding configuration.

- Andy

[malbec]

You know, I have been waiting very patiently for this. I was extremely excited to see VOB transcoding being supported now. So, I quickly installed 4.1.11.

However, when trying to play the ripped DVD over the MVP with the standard STV plus Nielm's comskip import, I get the error:

There was an error playing .../VIDEO_TS - ".../VIDEO_TS":
ERROR(-19): There is no MediaPlayer that can playback the selected file

I have add the .vob extension to the property file as mentioned previously. I have not tinkered with renaming VIDEO_TS to VIDEO yet.

Anyway, I am rather green with respect to all of this and know just enough to be dangerous. So, I thought I would throw this against the forum to see what ideas/advice you guys may have. Thanks!!!

FWIW: The ripped DVDs play fine on the server.

[mayamaniac]

Jeff, one request concerning .vob playback, could you find a way to add audio track selection? Vob files include subtitles too I think, so maybe subtitles selection is needed too.

This is what I did to get vob playback:
I ripped out one chapter with smartripper, then place it in one of my imported video directory. I shut down SageTV, open sage.properties and added the .vob extension. Started SageTV and browse to the vob files and it played just fine, just no audio/subtitle selection options.

[jptaz]

This is not a new bug, but still dissapointed that after over 2 years SageTV handles errors in the IR Blaster so badly.

I came home and found the SageTV UI totally unresponsive because my ACtisys IR Blaster was timing out and causing the CPU to spike to 100% in an oscilating fashion....I have not had this issue in over 2 years and it usually happened when the computer came back from hibernate...I actually have to stop the SageTV Service any time I wake from sleep or hibernate or I get the same issue, but that is moot point since I run my server 24x7 now and done so for like 2+ years, and I still use SageWake to do this anyway.

Really poor design if they either can not detect this situation in the software or be are just pounding away on a device that is clearly not responding.

John

[Para]

Originally Posted by malbec

You know, I have been waiting very patiently for this. I was extremely excited to see VOB transcoding being supported now. So, I quickly installed 4.1.11.

However, when trying to play the ripped DVD over the MVP with the standard STV plus Nielm's comskip import, I get the error:

There was an error playing .../VIDEO_TS - ".../VIDEO_TS":
ERROR(-19): There is no MediaPlayer that can playback the selected file

I have add the .vob extension to the property file as mentioned previously. I have not tinkered with renaming VIDEO_TS to VIDEO yet.

Anyway, I am rather green with respect to all of this and know just enough to be dangerous. So, I thought I would throw this against the forum to see what ideas/advice you guys may have. Thanks!!!

FWIW: The ripped DVDs play fine on the server.

Another way to find the files without renaming the VIDEO_TS folder is to "browse media files" inside the media center. You can then navigate to the desired DVD location, go into the VIDEO_TS folder and select a VOB to play. Again, kind of cumbersome, but it is better than nothing.

Other ideas not related to your post:
I have been playing around with different ways to do this (watch DVDs on the MVP) and (without SageTV programming changes) it looks like merging the VOBs to one VOB for each DVD may be the easiest to navigate (SageTV menu wise) but requires more work up front. If you do it with one VOB, you can create a new IFO file for the single VOB and should still be able to use the SAGE clients as they currently are operating (watching the ripped DVDs via the ifo and video_ts file structure).

I even have tried creating video playlists consisting of multiple VOBs and that works somewhat. However, during playback, once you transition to a new VOB in the playlist, you can't back up past the start of the current VOB. That and the issue of not being able to have a saved video playlist (I have not found out how to do it) make this option less that ideal too.

But, I have watched ripped DVDs on my MVP now and through placeshifter (local net) and am extremely happy about that. This is super cool and is SOOOO close to being THE solution for DVD over MVP.

[mtfred99]

if you dont have a Media Extender license How do you buy one? I dont want to buy a Media Extender for $99 I just want to to placeshift. also is there doc. on the use of placeshifting someware?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by mtfred99

if you dont have a Media Extender license How do you buy one?

It is the SageTV store: SageTV Client License for MVP. That is the one for the Media Externder and Placeshifter client.

also is there doc. on the use of placeshifting someware?

Not other than what is in the forum & release notes. The manual won't be updated for it until development settles down.

- Andy

[ChePazzo]

Originally Posted by Para

But, I have watched ripped DVDs on my MVP now and through placeshifter (local net) and am extremely happy about that. This is super cool and is SOOOO close to being THE solution for DVD over MVP.

So, the real question is, can you play non-encrypted DVDs on the MVP using the Media Center->Play DVD option? Or, can you play them after browsing and finding the DVD folder?

I suspect that we will never be able to stream encrypted DVDs to the MVP, but what about home movies or if I record a bunch of TV shows and instead of a collection of files in a folder, I want to navigate through them using a DVD menu.

That would really be ideal!!

Also, any idea when the MVP will be able to play an entire video from the 'Imported Videos' folder and not cut off the last few seconds?

[gplasky]

No and No. You can play the .vobs. You would play them as Imported Video and you need to add .vob so that Sage sees them. So it's up to you to figure out how to put them on the server to make it easy for the MVP. Some people have talked about ripping one .vob. Others will drill down to the vobs and play them one by one. It WON'T play them by the .ifo file and no menus either.

Gerry

[Deadbolt]

This whole effort is silly if we can't read the .ifos and navigate like a normal DVD ... even simply play the main movie. All the work to make one vob or to drill down and play each vob is more work then just ripping the DVD and then reencoding to an MPEG with audio that the MediaMVP can actually play. One file...one movie...I've done it many times on my AMD athlon 3200+ w/ 1GB RAM in about an hour per movie.