MyTheatre DVB Network Encoder Plugin - Your working configuration

[svalmorri]

Hello all,

I'm currently running SageTV 5.0.4 with the MT Network Encoder plugin. I'm very impressed by the plugin and honestly this is the main reason I decided to purchase SageTV: being able to run DVB-S from the same box, without the need of external set top boxes, simply rocks.

It has been a long time since I started configuring the system and unfortunately I haven't come to a final and stable configuration. I'm using a SkyStar2 DVB-S card with MT and the problem I have is the following:

- MT itself works flawlessy for hours w/o any stutter or problem at all.
- when used in conjunction with SageTV with the plugin, stutters occurs after some time (during playback and recording), ranging from 15 to 25 minutes.

Stutters also start when recoding without watching, or with the UI shut down (with only the service running). It's the .mpg stream in the recording folder that has stuttering video, I watched it through Media Player and it's the same. Audio is pretty good, no jumps.

I have changed several options, even installed two different OS (XP Mce and Win 2k3) but the results are always the same. It's not a CPU fault because the box is oversized, no bottlenecks apparently. I'm running out of ideas :-(

Is there anyone out there running it in a similar environment and having a good performance? What's your configuration (card, dvd decoder, OS, MT version, SageTV version etc.).

Thanks!

[Mark SS]

Can't offer any assistance with the plugin but thought it worth mentioning that DVB-S is in the upcoming beta version of Sage. I'd be surpised if CI support was included but from the code i've looked at recently (media portal in particular) it should be possible to get this working.

[peterjb]

I haven't looked at the plugin source for a long time - I've gven away trying DVB-S on my pc as a bad joke, as I can't get an NDS CAM for Foxtel Digital here in Oz. Instead I have been using DVB-T natively with SageTV and it looks good

Having said that, what version of MT are you running? There are known recording issues with some versions of MT ( can't remember which ones specifically ). Also what do your plugin logs look like - Do they show any anomalies?

Cheers

Peter

[Mark SS]

Originally Posted by peterjb

I haven't looked at the plugin source for a long time - I've gven away trying DVB-S on my pc as a bad joke, as I can't get an NDS CAM for Foxtel Digital here in Oz.

Does the Dragon/T.Rex CAM used for NDS in the UK not work?

[Motofreak75]

I know Peter DirectTV in the US, has made (or making) a NDS cam that is geared towards the htpc market for legit subs, someone in another forum has tested the beta plugin a while back, it might work for your NDS card. I bet if Sage talked the main providers/card makers, I bet that they can make a deal and provide this type of feature because there is alot of htpc users now and will be growning faster each year.

Its sucks that they're is no CI cam support for DVB-S in Sage and alot of other htpc software that on the market, and some users have to be very creative in getting things to work with subbed plastic. I really wish I didnt have to use my legit subbed box ( the GUI sucks ass among other things)

Whats that robot Rodnie Copperbottom says (from the movie Robots) "see an need, fill a need"

[peterjb]

That sounds interesting.. I've heard rumour that Foxtel is going to offer a similar product. Is Dish Network also owned by Mr Murdoch? As Foxtel defintely is..

I've sunk to new depths in my pursuit of this in SageTV. I'm currently capturing the output of my STB and hardware re-encoding it to MPEG2 On a positive note, the original quality is such cr*p that you don't really notice the re-encoding. Anders excellent Universal Network Encoder solution works very well for this. I just needed to get a very simple graph working and it works a treat When I get some time, I might look at maybe adding some power management and HIP support for it..

Cheers

Peter