Vista MC to SageTV 6 Migration Doc. Feedback please?

[gplasky]

Choose the same decoder you have on your main Sage PC. Edit the .properties files to use the Arcsoft Video Decoder to play the h.264 files. Look for this in the Sageclient.properties file: videoframe/h264_video_decoder_filter=Arcsoft Video Decoder

Gerry

[babgvant]

do dvr-ms playback in WMP on the client machine? do you have SP2 installed?

[wayner]

Originally Posted by babgvant

do dvr-ms playback in WMP on the client machine? do you have SP2 installed?

Yes and Yes.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Choose the same decoder you have on your main Sage PC. Edit the .properties files to use the Arcsoft Video Decoder to play the h.264 files. Look for this in the Sageclient.properties file: videoframe/h264_video_decoder_filter=Arcsoft Video Decoder

Gerry

I definitely am using Arcsoft as I had to install it on the client to play H.264 files.

[babgvant]

what error do you get?

if you enable debug logging sage will write the graph it builds to play the file to it's log file.

do mpegs playback in the sage client?

[wayner]

There was a Playback Error in playback: Details sage.PlaybackException: ERROR (-4,0x80004005): There was a problem rendering the video portion of the content for playback. Note this error is on a second client that I am trying out that is also XP ProSP2 and it is able to play dvr-ms in WMP. I have not yet installed Arcsoft on this client although I have tried to install ffdshow.

Where do you enable debug logging and do you do this for the server or client?

Yes, MPEGs do play and Sage is even able to create thumbnails for the dvr-ms files.

One more thing, in case it helps" under Video Detail is says Format: ASF[MPEG2-Video/6.7Mbps 4:3 480i@29.97fps, MP3/256Kbps@48kHz Stereo]

I have now installed Sage Client on a third PC and the same result - no love playing dvr-ms files. This machine is running Vista HP and, just like the other two PCs, can play the files without problems in WMP (and on this PC in VMC).

[babgvant]

shut down the client and change the following line in properties file-

debug_logging=TRUE

what version of the client are you using, i received an error very similar to that in 6.4.5 (the issue was fixed in 6.4.6); although that was a ATSC recording.

you may want to contact support, they are very responsive.

[wayner]

The sagelient.properties file does not have a debug_logging line but I have added one - are you sure this goes in the client rather than the server? I am using version 6.4.8.184 - Client and 6.4.8 all around. Assuming that the log gets created where would it go - in the SageTV folder? And what would the file name be? The only log that I see is tv.sage.mod.0.log and it is pretty brief, here is what it has:

2008-09-07 21:10:40.630 INFO loadXML from C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV3\SageTV3.xml
2008-09-07 21:10:40.846 FINE loadXML count = 47817
2008-09-07 21:10:40.846 FINE loadXML depth = 112
2008-09-07 21:10:40.846 FINE loadXML anon = 43756
2008-09-07 21:10:40.846 FINE loadXML sym = 47817

[babgvant]

The log file will get written to the sagetv folder, it should have a name like sagetv_0.txt.

[ghostlobster]

Originally Posted by wayner

What do you have to do to get dvr-ms files to play in SageClient? They play fine on my main Sage PC but I can't get them to play in my client. Note that install Arcsoft TME on the client allowed H.264 files to play but I can't get dvr-ms files to play, although the play fine in WMP. The client PC is running XP Pro and the Sage Media PC is running Vista HP. On the client I am using Arcsoft for MPEG-2 playback.

Interesting...it plays in WMP, but not in Sage? Can you try a different decoder? Grab the nVidia PureVideo trial and see what happens if you set that as your preferred decoder on your client. I'm running Vista on my clients and using the MS decoder.

[wayner]

Problem fixed - the issue was with drive mapping - the SageMedia Center PC has drive W: mapped to the Recorded TV directory on my MCE box. I did not have the same mappings on the clients that I was trying to use. You either have to have the exact same mapping on all PCs or use UNC paths. My bad! (But I think that Sage should give a more useful error message in this instance)

[ewelin]

I'm currently migrating from MCE 05 to SageMC... i really like the tool for importing the recordings data into Sage, but I'm curious, is there any way one can easily convert the dvr-ms files into mpg files and still keep all of the meta data so they can still be imported correctly? I have several recordings of kid programs I rather keep for good and would prefer if all of the files were in the same format. Also it appears as though the mpg files seem to respond better to FF and REV better than the dvr-ms files.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by ewelin

I'm currently migrating from MCE 05 to SageMC... i really like the tool for importing the recordings data into Sage, but I'm curious, is there any way one can easily convert the dvr-ms files into mpg files and still keep all of the meta data so they can still be imported correctly? I have several recordings of kid programs I rather keep for good and would prefer if all of the files were in the same format. Also it appears as though the mpg files seem to respond better to FF and REV better than the dvr-ms files.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

1) run the migration tool to create the xml metadata
2) convert the files using DTB (I used the AVIVO method, but ffmpeg works too), make sure you keep the files name/path the same
3) do a find/replace for dvr-ms->mpg
4) import through the webserver, make sure you select the option to get file times from the xml file (the slider will be messed otherwise)

[ewelin]

Most excelent! Thanks babgvant

[Brent]

Okay former VMC and 7MC users. I'm pointing a few media center folks towards this thread so be prepared for some good questions from Microsoft Media Center folks.

Mr. Lobster (or anyone else in the know) - are there any items on the guide (at the top of this thread) that need to be updated?

[babgvant]

1) SageTVLauncher replaced SageTray.

2) Change the permissions on the SageTV install dir to allow users "Full Control" to workaround file redirection.

3) AC3Filter is probably a better choice for audio v. the vista ms decoder; haven't had a chance to really mess with the 7 one.

[ghostlobster]

OK Brent and everyone else...updated doc within the next few days. I've been meaning to do this for a while now, especially now that I've got SJQ with Comskip working. I'm also going to include a bit on using SAV1 w/ DTb, if you don't want to use SJQ.
Things have been a bit hectic around here lately, so I've let a lot of things fall by the wayside. However, I did finally get around to fixing the front porch railing. However, now I still need to paint it!

[wayner]

Originally Posted by ghostlobster

...I'm also going to include a bit on using SAV1 w/ DTb, ...

I am guessing that Dtb = DVRMS Toolbox but what is SAV1? Show Analyzer something?

[Brent]

Originally Posted by ghostlobster

However, I did finally get around to fixing the front porch railing. However, now I still need to paint it!

Don't worry - we know you gotta keep Mrs Lobster happy too

Look forward to the update!

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by wayner

what is SAV1? Show Analyzer something?

ShowAnalyzer Version 1