Media Player can play HD recordings but not SAGE without studder

[gwgunter]

Can anyone shed light on why my HD recordings run perfectly fine when I minimize sage and double click the HD file (mpg)? Windows media player launches and it runs flawlessly. Open the same file in Sage and it studders terribly. I'm using SageTV_V6_1_9.

I've been thru the whole manual on the fix for studdering and it hasn't helped. Doesn't Sage use Media Player? Can I force Sage to use a different "player"?

[reggie14]

What mpeg2 decoder are you using? From my experience, the Hauppauge and Nvidia decoders have the lowest CPU usage, while the Sage MPEG Video decoder has the highest usage.

Also, are you using overlay or VMR9 has your video renderer?

[gwgunter]

Thanks for the reply.

I've gone line by line through the following thread.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23853

I made Graphedit look exactly like it is shown above. I'm using the Nvidia decoder. I've tried all combinations of the FSE and VMR9 (3d accel on). I tend to agree about it being a decoder but how come it plays flawlessly when I use Microsoft Media Player. Doesn't Sage use Microsoft Media Player?

[reggie14]

I would suggest trying overlay. I believe WMP defaults to using VMR7, which is similar to overlay. Do you know if WMP is using the purevideo decoder? If it is then an icon would probably appear in the system tray next to the clock that allows you to change the decoder settings.

Also, what video card do you have? What is your CPU?

Sage doesn't use WMP, or any other program, to play back files, but they share codecs/decoders.

[gwgunter]

Thanks.

I'll check WMP and its decoder again.

I do know that using graphedit and the windows decoder check utility, I was able to make an HD recordering map through the proper decoders. Just like the picture in the other thread.

I have an x300se card in an HP z540 media center computer. The GPU on it is at 400 but I've seen some folks say that it doesn't work great with HD. Because it is playing in WMP, it must get back to the way it is decoding, possibly Java, or the actual sage player engine. At this second, I do not believe it is the graphics card. (Of course a better one couldn't hurt)

The reason I was curious about WMP and Sage integration (beyond decoders) was from another thread that talked about streaming media issues. This discussion lead me to believe something more broad was going on. Thanks for clearing this up. Your statement is consistent with that from a friend at work.

[reggie14]

I don't think simply following the steps in the other guide is really your best option. That person was using a 6600GT video card, and thus getting quite a bit of help from the video card when decoding. He was also using VMR9, whereas most people seem to have lower CPU usage and fewer problems when using overlay on less advanced hardware.

Your problem clearly isn't the video card exactly. However, it is possible (frankly, I'm not an expert here) that your video card is holding you back enough that you're right on the edge of being able to play HD back without problems. Sage does have a lot more overhead than WMP, so maybe throwing that in the mix puts you on the wrong side. Assuming you have a PCI-express board (which you probably do), upgrading the video card to a 6600GT *could* help things for you. It seems like most people that are playing back HD without problems are using a card of that class or better.

Out of curiosity, what kind of CPU usage do you see when playing HD video back in Sage versus WMP?

[GbrNole]

since you're using a radeon you're probably best to stick with overlay anyway since it's vmr9 benefits aren't so aparent. (radeon's have great overlay image)

[gwgunter]

I bought the 7600GS low profile video card. I know it will fit in my z540 because of other comments I've found. Hopefully, I will finally get past this studdering issue. I'll post back next week when I receive the card.

[gwgunter]

Put in the new card last night. Same issue. Unless it is a Java or the NVidia Decorder, I'm at a loss. If it were my hard drives, I'd think it would have the same problem in windows media player...

My 3.4ghz processor is running around 40% utilized when the HD recordings are running.

I can manipulate the studder by changing the decoders around. I downloaded the COREAVC decoder but it doesn't show up in the Sage list...

Back to the drawing board.

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by gwgunter

I bought the 7600GS low profile video card. I know it will fit in my z540 because of other comments I've found. Hopefully, I will finally get past this studdering issue. I'll post back next week when I receive the card.

The 8400GS's are now shipping for about $50-60, and have low-profile options and do full hardware decoding of h.264 like their 8XXX bretheren do. I would recommend that over the 7600gs.

However, in another thread Sage staff seem to be recommending ATI hardware over Nvidia, so maybe the 2400 series is the better bet. I posted and have requested them to elaborate more on their hardware recommendations.

A lot of us keep wasting time to try and make HD playback work flawlessly, and if they have recommended configurations of hardware/codec and driver that work for them, I sure want to know! It would save me a lot of time.

Thanks,
mike

[reggie14]

A 7600GS should still be plenty powerful, given that you have a 3.4GHz P-IV as well. So, if the 7600GS isn't working for you, I highly doubt a 8400GS would.

I've been assuming that you are running Windows XP. You're not using Vista, are you:?

[gwgunter]

I should have posted more specs. Windows Media Center edition. I've disabled all the media center services and it has been working fine in Standard definition.

I'm not going to buy another video card. At least not for this system. I appreciate the feedback and responses. I guess my situation is just a little unique. I'll continue to try software approaches to fixing this issue. It's simply amazing how well it plays back in anything other than Sage.

Again ... thank you!

[gwgunter]

After countless hours attempting to tweak and isolate, I have finally achieved studder free HD. I am connecting a vbox 3560 to a 2.0 USB connector (not a hub, and verified at 2.0) but for whatever reason, It was just not performing like it should.

Borrowed a VBOX 150 card from a JLabrue (Fellow sage poster) and my headache has finally gone away.

This seriously was causing me a migrane !

Thanks to everyone who posted and attempted to help me on this issue.

[camus]

FWIW, Since I am using both an X300 and a 7600GS I will offer this.

For me:
X300, struggles with 1080i in VRM9, yes those files are will playpack in WMP, but it is not using VRM9, but overlay.

7600GS will do 1080i in VRM9, but struggles if not using FSE.

Both were using nvidia's PV decoder.