Let Sage know you want EVR support

[GollyJer]

Now that I have a 3-HDPVR setup I set out to find the best way to render the video using Vista. It seems the same codecs I use for MPEG2 work great, BUT DXVA hardware acceleration is only enabled when using EVR.

This graph renders beautifully on my plasma with no stuttering/tearing/skipping and awesome color with 2-4% CPU load.


Using VMR9 (which works perfectly for MPEG2) will not use DXVA, uses about 40-60% CPU, the colors don't look as clean/clear, and there is some tearing.

Let's let Sage know we want EVR support.
One of the many reasons I love SageTV is because it's always on the cutting edge of HTPC technology. I'm not sure if it's because it's developed using Java, but Sage has fallen behind most competitors by not supporting EVR as a renderer in Vista. They know of the problem and I assume a solution is being worked on, but let's help them determine how many people will benefit from EVR support. Maybe we can bump it up on their priority list.

Post here with a +1, but more importantly, send a message directly to Sage and let them know.
Click for automated EVR Support Request email.

SageTV,
With h.264 becoming the defacto recording format for more and more video content, including the HD-PVR, I'm sending this request for Enhanced Video Rendering (EVR) support in the SageTV suite of software products.
See this post for more discussion:
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34557
Thanks.

-Jeremy

P.S. - If you play h.264 files (HD-PVR, Satellite Cable, MKV container or other downloaded video) and want perfect quality hardware accelerated playback in Vista, you want EVR support.

[GollyJer]

please...

[Polypro]

+1, It's the future and should be supported. I'm on Vista and don't want to use software to render HD-PVR files.

P

[deitysteve]

+1 -- on Vista EVR should be supported.

[redondo_se]

Sage users, please submit a support request asking for EVR support.

Here's the content of my request which provides context around everything I've tried to get a good picture with H.264:

Hello, I love SageTV and all the features that it offers. However, the BIG
problem that I have is picture quality with H.264 content from my R5000-HD
Dish Network receivers. It is impossible to get smooth playback of these
streams on Windows Vista without using EVR.

I have tried every H.264 decoder that I am aware of including Cyberlink,
CoreAVC, Divx, Arcsoft, Mainconcept, Elecard, Sonic, Nero, and ffdshow (and
maybe others that I am forgetting off the top of my head). I have also
tried all possible demux filters using the CustomDemuxGuid registry setting
and all 4 video renderers that work with SageTV including Overlay, VMR7,
VMR9, and Haali.

The best solution I can find at this point is CoreAVC 1.7 with VMR9. The
picture is ok, but could be described as jumpy, jittery, or stuttering. It
is mostly noticeable in horizontal and vertical pans. The worst case is
channels with "news tickers", i.e. CNN-HD and CNBC-HD. With CoreAVC 1.7
(deinterlace mode set to blend), the ticker will play somewhat smooth, but
will "jump" about every second. I have uploaded a sample clip from CNBC-HD
here:

http://cid-bc845d43f8b3e65f.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/SageTV/h264|_sage|_sample.mpg

I have been constantly fighting with SageTV trying to find the optimal
setting for the best picture for over 6 months. I used to brag to my
friends about how awesome my TV solution was. But now, I'm just embarrassed
when they come to my house and see the jumpy picture on H.264 channels.

The behavior is the same on multiple clients, 2 of which run 8600GT video
cards and 1 that runs an ATI 2600XT. I have tried many different driver
versions for both video cards.

The ONLY solution that I've found which achieves smooth playback is
Cyberlink's H.264 decoder with DXVA2 activated when connected to EVR. It is
very easy to see the difference with the sample that I uploaded. Try
playing back this clip in graphedit (build 061030) with Cyberlink's decoder
first with VMR9, then with EVR. The difference is night and day. With EVR,
the ticker will play back smooth as butter. With VMR9 (and any H.264) you
get jitter/stutter.

Please, please, please, please add support for EVR. You can help save my
marriage My wife is going to kill me if I don't stop obsessing over the
picture quality.

[LehighBri]

Originally Posted by redondo_se

Sage users, please submit a support request asking for EVR support.

Totally agree. For everyone's knowledge, support's email address can be found here: http://www.sage.tv/support.html

[mkanet]

I used to ask for this regularly last year from sageTV support; unfortunately it didnt get me anywhere.

[GollyJer]

Content moved to first post in this thread.

[Opus4]

Instead of more PMs, I'll make a public post now: Please stop posting the same thing in multiple places on this forum. I've now deleted or merged the extra topics & posts from multiple people. This forum is used by many people, not just those of you interested in this topic, so I see no need to post all over the place for your preferred choice of subject. Thank you.

- Andy

[GollyJer]

I was only trying to make a thread that had a distinct title that people could post to. Sorry for "littering". Now this will be really hard for someone to follow.

[Opus4]

I can change thread titles...

- Andy

[GollyJer]

I just realized that if I go to the Advanced editor, I can too. Title and content now updated. Thanks Andy.

[LehighBri]

Sage support recently responded to my email where I asked if they had an update on EVR support:

Unfortunately not yet. It is currently being looked at and is something we would like to get fixed.

[mayamaniac]

People still use PC Clients? Get an HD extender already!

But it would be nice to get EVR support for people who still use PC clients for whatever reason, so +1 for me.

[GollyJer]

Originally Posted by mayamaniac

People still use PC Clients? Get an HD extender already!

Don't get me wrong. I love Sage and have my "TV Only" plasma hooked up to an extender that works to perfection for all video types.

Our living room still uses a client because for when get in discussions about one thing or another and it's awesome to be able to bring up Firefox and search for facts rather than the normal "I think this", "well I think this" arguments. Web related things are the main reason we continue to use a PC client.

[mayamaniac]

You can still have the PC there with the HD Extender, unless your TV doesn't have enough inputs for both. Use the HD extender for playback, and switch to the PC for web browsing. That's how I have it setup, but to be honest, I hardly use the PC client anymore. I don't rememer the last time I fired it up. I use a laptop instead.

[Ryokurin]

Originally Posted by mayamaniac

People still use PC Clients? Get an HD extender already!

But it would be nice to get EVR support for people who still use PC clients for whatever reason, so +1 for me.

I would but I'm kind of picky with my subtitle support, and that really can't be helped in their case (or DXVA support is impossible due to how it works.)

This brings up a good point. The way that EVR works probably makes it pretty difficult to pull off, with graphics or because of other requests it will bring. For instance, you can't have intermediate filters between the decoder and the renderer, so that kills ffdshow, and vobsub from the beginning. There are ways you can still pull some of it off, but it requires a new way of looking at some things. I guess what I'm trying to say is to be patient.

[babgvant]

+1.

The renderer could be configurable for those who want to mess with the output post decode.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by mayamaniac

People still use PC Clients? Get an HD extender already!

Well, for one, a lot of use have clients already, so why spend the money on the HD Extender? Also, I, for one, use it for more than just sage. It is my game console, my HD-DVD player (will be Blu-Ray soon), and it is also used for stereoscopic 3D. HD Extender can't do these things.

[Brent]

+1

I wouldn't benefit from it at least right now as my two HTPC's are XP and my other clients are extenders, but I'm all for having support for this technology.