STV: SageMC 16x9 Version 6.x (latest dev build)

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by clmolnar

However, I have one question on the encoding properties in SageMC. I might just be missing the setting somewhere, but I did not notice how to set what happens to the mpeg2 files after the encoding is complete. Is there a setting to auto-delete the old mpeg2 files? I thought this had been mentioned when the 6.0 beta was initially released, but like I said, I'm probably just not seeing the option.

Hi Carl,

if you manually compress video files, the wizard will ask you whether to compress "in-place" (which will automatically delete the mpeg2 file after transcoding is finished), or if you want to keep the old file, in which case it'll ask you for a directory and new filename. The auto-compression for favorites will always compress the shows in-place ...

This is probably the wrong place, but someone with more experience with the SageTV transcoding might know the answer. Is an encoded show treated just like the original recording in the "Recorded Shows" menu? In other words, if I transcode all of my shows to mpeg4 deinterlaced high quality and then delete all of the original mpeg2 files, will SageTV recogize the transcoded files as being the original mpeg2 files for cataloging purposes in the wiz.bin file? And will these shows retain the same show information properties as the originals? Or do the transcoded files now show up as imported videos?

No worries, the compressed shows will stay in "Recorded Shows", and will retain all show info they had before. You won't notice any difference to non-compressed recordings

Dirk

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by JDizzy

First off, love the change to layout of music section and various enhancements.

Prior to v6.3 update I was using Winamp as default player for music files. I had access to the Milkdrop visualzations.

I can see that I am still running music through Winamp but visuals have defaulted to albumart floating around screen (which I also like very much )...
I looked through the Sage config file for this area and noticed a few changes have been made.

Is the Milkdrop still available (it would be cool to have access to several visualizations themes) or do I need to check through Winamp and see if my default vizualization has been changed? (I can live w/o it though)...
-JD

Hi JD,

I am using Winamp with Milkdrop myself (addicted ), otherwise I would have never made the switch from Meedio ... When the 'Visualization" button is focused, bring up the options menu, and it will let you choose between 'Standard' (old Sage OSD visualization), 'Alternative' (what you are currently seeing), and 'Winamp' which will use whatever plugin you set up in Winamp. I don't know any way to change the Winamp plugin from within SageMC though, you'd need to do this in Winamp itself ...

Dirk

[deria]

Originally Posted by flachbar

Hi JD,

I am using Winamp with Milkdrop myself (addicted ), otherwise I would have never made the switch from Meedio ... When the 'Visualization" button is focused, bring up the options menu, and it will let you choose between 'Standard' (old Sage OSD visualization), 'Alternative' (what you are currently seeing), and 'Winamp' which will use whatever plugin you set up in Winamp. I don't know any way to change the Winamp plugin from within SageMC though, you'd need to do this in Winamp itself ...

Dirk

The Winamp API does not let you change visualization from outside Winamp (which would be a problem, I guess, if there was a visualization that even came close to Milkdrop).

[JDizzy]

Originally Posted by flachbar

Hi JD,

I am using Winamp with Milkdrop myself (addicted ), otherwise I would have never made the switch from Meedio ... When the 'Visualization" button is focused, bring up the options menu, and it will let you choose between 'Standard' (old Sage OSD visualization), 'Alternative' (what you are currently seeing), and 'Winamp' which will use whatever plugin you set up in Winamp. I don't know any way to change the Winamp plugin from within SageMC though, you'd need to do this in Winamp itself ...

Dirk

SWEET!!!!
I had no idea that was there.....

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by deria

The Winamp API does not let you change visualization from outside Winamp

I think that the Winamp plugin in Meedio let you switch the Winamp visualization theme, so they must have used some dirty tricks to achieve this...

(which would be a problem, I guess, if there was a visualization that even came close to Milkdrop).

Absolutley true, I never felt the urge to try something else. Although, I always wanted to ask if there were some newer visualizations available which would get close to Milkdrop, but I guess not ...


Dirk

[deria]

Is there a list of changes in 6.3.0 available anywhere?

I checked the first post, but it stops at 6.2.0. I didn't even notice there was a 6.3.0 at all until a minute ago.

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by deria

Is there a list of changes in 6.3.0 available anywhere?

I checked the first post, but it stops at 6.2.0. I didn't even notice there was a 6.3.0 at all until a minute ago.

Yeah sorry, didn't update the change history yet. See this post for a list of all changes ...


Dirk

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by Hyperbaric

Sure.

Also, I've attached my current properties files in case that sheds some light on the issue (renamed to txt files to allow uploading, of course.)

I assume that those are the files when running is service mode, when it comes up with an empty screen, right ? Can you also post the logs in the non-service mode, for the case when it's fine, so that I can compare and look for any differences ?

In addition, one ther thing I've noticed is that under MC the guide only shows movies colour highlighted. Default STV shows everything OK, so I think the guide data is fine. Any ideas?

The guide genre coloring has to be configured manually. The default SageMC distribution only contains color image bars for movies, that's right. You can easily generate your own by editing them in an image editor (the configuration is described here), or even better, use Mike's great Color Coded Guide Bars

Edit: Hmm, also can't import the "sagemc_menu.xml" - "yes / no" dialogue just hangs there. I've followed the instructions in this thread.. so perhaps it is a symptom of the problem above?

So you made sure that:

1) no net/sf/.. folder is there
2) you have the correct nielm_sagemenureader.jar
3) you have the correct 'SageMenu.dtd' (which was not included in the update-only download, only in the full package)

If so, please post another debug log for this issue too ...


Dirk

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by JUC

Thanks dirk,

yes-i've fooled around a little with the defaul menu....not bad. i guess i need to take some time and just do it. If you have time to look at those studio instructions it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Juc

1. With SageTv running, open Studio (Cntrl-Shift-F12)
2. Scroll down to the menu page definition of "My TV"
3. Expand it, find "MainMenuContainer" (third widget), and expand it too.
4. Right click on "MainMenuContainer" and select New Child -> Item
5. The new button is now at the bottom of the list as "UNTITLED", change
it to "Compression" or whatever you want the
button to say.
6. Scroll down, find "Video Conversion", click on it and do a copy (Cntrl-C)
7. Go back up to "My TV" and click on the item you
created in steps 4 and 5
8. Do a Paste Reference, under the Edit menu (Cntrl-Shift-V does not
always work right for me). "Video Conversion" should appear in italics there
now.
9. Save your changes (in current file or new)
10. Close Studio


Hope this helps,

Dirk

[dflachbart]

I created a new 'SageMC 16x9 New Version Notification Thread' in which I will post an announcement whenever a new version / fix becomes available. You can subscribe to this thread to get automatically notified in the future. Just please do not post any responses in the thread itself.

Dirk

[Hyperbaric]

Originally Posted by flachbar

I assume that those are the files when running is service mode, when it comes up with an empty screen, right ? Can you also post the logs in the non-service mode, for the case when it's fine, so that I can compare and look for any differences ?

Yep. Attached are the log file generated after loading Sage in non-service mode.

Originally Posted by flachbar

The guide genre coloring has to be configured manually. The default SageMC distribution only contains color image bars for movies, that's right. You can easily generate your own by editing them in an image editor (the configuration is described here), or even better, use Mike's great Color Coded Guide Bars

Ahh, I see

Originally Posted by flachbar

So you made sure that:

1) no net/sf/.. folder is there
2) you have the correct nielm_sagemenureader.jar
3) you have the correct 'SageMenu.dtd' (which was not included in the update-only download, only in the full package)

If so, please post another debug log for this issue too ...


Dirk

No net folder, nielm_sagemenureader.jar is 24/10/06 and 32,094bytes (32,768 on disk), tried with full install package - SageMenu.dtd is correct in the base directory, but there is an old version in the STV directory - I will delete this and try again after posting these results (not expecting it to make a difference though).

Attached is a log after trying to load the "sagemc_menu.xml" via the "import stvi" option in settings. Same thing happens if I try to import it via Advanced settings option. I noticed that one of the drives seemed quite active for a couple of minutes during this, SageTV seemed to be the only process active at the time. To quit Sage, even though it seemed to be working apart from the 'stuck' dialogue, I had to end the application from the task manager - this in turn waited for a timeout message which I could clsoe using 'end now'.

Hope this makes sense! Cheers.

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by Hyperbaric

Attached is a log after trying to load the "sagemc_menu.xml" via the "import stvi" option in settings. Same thing happens if I try to import it via Advanced settings option.

Ahhh, now I know what is going on ...

"sagemc_menu.xml" is not a STVi, so you can't "import" it. It is a menu definition file only used by Niel's Dynamic Menus, and you have to "load" it via 'File.../Load Other File" in the dynamic menus options menu ...

But I can see that it's quite easily assumed that a "*.xml" file is a STVi, sorry if I wasn't clear about it


Dirk

[JUC]

dirk-thanks for the studio help. I think i figured it out now based on those instructions. I will give it a shot later tonight. I also have been playing around with the dynamic menus and like them too--so now its a toss-up...
thanks,
juc

[kricker]

Originally Posted by flachbar

Thinks I found the issue. Do you use .my files ? If so, can you confirm that if you start with viewing the detail of a video *without* a .my file this does not happen ?


Dirk

I am using .my files. I guess I really do not need to 'use' them in Sage, I just need them made to import into Meedio. I will try what you asked for and let you know.

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by JUC

dirk-thanks for the studio help. I think i figured it out now based on those instructions. I will give it a shot later tonight. I also have been playing around with the dynamic menus and like them too--so now its a toss-up...
thanks,
juc

Well you can still add the button to 'My TV' and use the dynamic menus for other stuff ...

Dirk

[kricker]

Originally Posted by flachbar

If you use the standard SageMC main menu, the 'My Menu' item will allow you define submenus (which are dynamic menus again)


Indeed, all these menus are really confusing ...

I meant that for any dynamic menu item (not only on the main menu, but also on submenus) you can assign an icon file (the one which pops up on the right side). Prior to SageMC 6.3.0 you needed to edit the menu.xml file and set the "icon" property manually (although it was not used by SageMC), now you can do this within the options dialog (and now it gets used by SageMC). My question was simply if you are using icons in any (non-main) submenus




You can't ...
These are all hardcoded, and there is no esay way to make this generic.

Dirk

When I use the standard SageMC menu I am not using the 'my menu' item just custom1 and custom2. I did create a hover_custom# icon for each of those. When I tried the dynamic menu 'main menu' replacement I changed all the icons associated with each entry. So to recap:

standard menu, using custom1 and custom2, Sage style, animations disabled - icon half off screen when returning to the menu from another screen ,either using the home command or left as back. Returning to this menu places you on the item you selected to leave this screen.

standard menu, using custom1 and custom2, Sage style, animations enabled - icons animate properly without issue. Returning to this menu places you on the item you selected to leave this screen.

dynamic menu 'main menu' replacement, animations disabled - Returning to this menu doesn't always place you on the item you selected to leave this screen. Icon for the item you DID select to leave the screen flashes on for just a second before the icon for the item that is selected shows up. The item it selectes when returning to this menu seems a bit random. It is not always the same thing.

OK, clear as mud? Anything else you need to know?

I love those side menus, I wish I could make them for all the main menu entries.

[Hyperbaric]

Originally Posted by flachbar

Ahhh, now I know what is going on ...

"sagemc_menu.xml" is not a STVi, so you can't "import" it. It is a menu definition file only used by Niel's Dynamic Menus, and you have to "load" it via 'File.../Load Other File" in the dynamic menus options menu ...

But I can see that it's quite easily assumed that a "*.xml" file is a STVi, sorry if I wasn't clear about it


Dirk

No need to apologise for my stupidity My brain gave out after HTML

Any ideas on where I went astray with the MC 6.3.0 in service mode?

Cheers.

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by Hyperbaric

No need to apologise for my stupidity My brain gave out after HTML

Any ideas on where I went astray with the MC 6.3.0 in service mode?

Looks like it get's stuck before initializing DirectX. Just a guess, but can you try disabling the weather bar in the main menu ?

Dirk

[Morgan111]

With all the posts here I missed the new release. Lots of good stuff in there. Can't wait to try it!

[Hyperbaric]

Originally Posted by flachbar

Looks like it get's stuck before initializing DirectX. Just a guess, but can you try disabling the weather bar in the main menu ?

Dirk

Disabled weather bar.. ah.. as I was typing 'no change there' while I left Sage with the blank screen, the menu appeared.

However, it is verrrrrrry slowww. Task manager shows SageTV process running at 97-99% CPU. Any input via remote takes e.g. 2-3secs to move from one menu item to another, then 30 secs for the animation to move from right to left.

Edit: Just attached the latest log files during the slow menu.