Does Placeshifter support DivX/MP4 recordings?

[The_Dude]

I've been using SageTV for a couple of years now, recording to DivX format with my Plextor ConvertX unit. It has worked very well, except for a few inconveniences with how the final conversion to AVI happens.

I just upgraded server and client to 5.0.2.90, and thought I'd try out Placeshifter for when I'm on the road.

I tried playing some of my SageTV Recordings and get a black screen, no sound, no movement on the timer bar. I tried some of the remedies in other posts, with no success. I was able to get sound without video, I think it was from turning off the post-processing. Most recordings were made with the DivX home theater "Good" or "High" quality settings.

I changed recording quality to MPEG-4 "Good" and tried to watch some Live TV, same results.

Changing recording mode to one of the MPEG-2 quality settings, I am able to watch live TV with Placeshifter. I haven't got any MPEG-2 recordings to try out but I'm sure they'll work.

So... does Placeshifter not support MPEG-4 and DivX playback? Or, what might I be doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

[codacoda]

I can't speak to Divx, but I have Nero Encoded MP4's and they play perfectly in Placeshifter and Sage Client using the default player. Strangely, and I've never gotten an answer that makes sense, I have to use an external media player to watch my MP4's on the server.

[The_Dude]

More Info:

Today, I installed Placeshifter on the same machine that I have the SageTV Client set up on (not running at the same time).

On that system, when I try to play a DivX encoded SageTV Recording through Placeshifter, I get a Playback Error. (This is on my local LAN).

I verified that the SageTV Client still works, on the same system.

[blade]

Originally Posted by codacoda

Encoded MP4's and they play perfectly in Placeshifter and Sage Client using the default player. Strangely, and I've never gotten an answer that makes sense, I have to use an external media player to watch my MP4's on the server.

The media player used in the placeshifting client is different than the one used by the regular client. I assume this is why you can't play all of the same files.

I believe Narflex mentioned once that some file formats can be played through placeshifter without being transcoding. I've been curious as to which ones because my server isn't fast enough to transcode on the fly, but if I could convert certain shows ahead of time then watch via placeshifter it would be nice.

[The_Dude]

Update:

Now that I have some MPEG-2 recordings, I tried to watch them in Placeshifter - I get a black screen, with audio, and the timer bar advances.

So, I can only watch Live TV in MPEG-2 mode - and not view any recordings at all (in any format). This is on the same system that I have the SageTV Client (which plays all of my recordings regardless of format).

I logged a support request yesterday, but haven't gotten a response on that yet.

[The_Dude]

The official response was, "Yes it does, the files just first need to unwrap to an AVI before the Placeshifter will be able to play them."

I know what that means, it means that it may not be possible to watch Live TV in DiVX/MPEG-4 because the server has to process the file after the recording is done.

In any case, that still doesn't solve my problem - Placeshifter won't play any of my SageTV recordings, regardless of format

I was hoping to use it on an upcoming trip

[dvd_maniac]

Before going through any intense testing, I thought I'd ask how Placeshifter works in regards to AVC/H.264 files?

[Mark SS]

One for the OP to try if he's still around. For who knows why I found the Placeshifter client wouldn't work with some files (Xvid) using dynamic encoding or LAN streaming. Specifiy encoding parameters manually and everything worked fine.

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by blade

The media player used in the placeshifting client is different than the one used by the regular client. I assume this is why you can't play all of the same files.

I believe Narflex mentioned once that some file formats can be played through placeshifter without being transcoding. I've been curious as to which ones because my server isn't fast enough to transcode on the fly, but if I could convert certain shows ahead of time then watch via placeshifter it would be nice.

I am looking for this answer too.

[The_Dude]

I am still around - I sort of "gave up" on Placeshifter, but not only for this reason.

I decided that, even if I could get it to work, I don't like the risk of opening the port in my firewall.

Also, I purchased an MVP and hooked that up to my home entertainment system - I'm using my PS license for the MVP. That works but not well (partly due to the requirement that all of my MPEG-4 or DivX files be transcoded by the server). For some reason FF and RW do not work well at all with these formats playing on the MVP.

Also, and this is unrelated to Placeshifter/MVP: I have a Plextor ConvertX unit which records in DivX format, and sometime after recording, SageTV has to process the files to an .AVI format. I've had problems with this since I started using SageTV2 almost 2 years ago - occasionally the conversion process will get "hung up" on a particular file and then nothing gets "unwrapped" to AVI. Ever again, until I delete the offending recording. This means that the files are taking up more space, and won't play outside of SageTV server or client. Oh, and you can't run Comskip on these files, or the AVI files, either (unless this has changed in the past year or so).

So I think I'm finally going to just record everything in MPEG-2 format. Then I can run Comskip or SA, my MVP will probably work better, and if there are shows that I want to keep I can always use AutoGK or DivX Converter to put them into XviD or DivX formats to save space.

I don't mean the above to sound like a rant, I love SageTV and eagerly await the 5.1 version. The above "unwrapping" process for the MPEG-4 formats is not SageTV's "fault", nor is the requirement to transcode to a format that the MVP supports. It is what it is.

What would be nice is if Placeshifter would do client-side decoding of MPEG-4/DivX, that way the data would traverse the 'net in a more compressed format. I am guessing that there is either a technical limitation due to the format, or a licensing issue, that prevents this from being included in Placeshifter. Like the above poster, it would be nice to know exactly which formats the Placeshifter client natively supports (without transcoding). So far the only thing I'm sure of is MPEG-2.

[wesleydnc]

I've also had some problems with my Plextor ConvertX and Sage.
My understanding is that Sage puts an MPEG wrapper around the DIVX recording that the Plextor is making so you can watch it timeshifted.

That is where the problem came in for me, sometimes Sage wouldn't remove the wrapper from the recording and it's then useless.

I almost never watch as a program is being recorded, so I turned that option off. My Plextor now records directly to DIVX, and I use comclean and a couple of different AVI editors to clear any commercials. I've not had any problems with a corrupted recording since.

There aren't many of us TV402Users around Sage, we've got to stick together.

[Minga]

I have this same problem with the BETA versions of 6

I used to play XVID/DVIX files on my placeshifter just file on my STABLE version of 5 and 6. When I switched to BETA - it stopped working. ONLY MPEGs work now.

Its a bug in the BETA version of 6 for sure.