Utility: Web Radio and TV Encoder

[jc8367]

Also the webfeedencoder service won't start. Error 1

Damn microsoft!

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by jc8367

Also the webfeedencoder service won't start. Error 1

Damn microsoft!

It might not be microsoft.

Can you send me the encoder.log and wrapper.log files please in the webfeedencoder/logs directory

Thanks,

Michael

[kha]

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

Thanks for sending your channel props.

Here is a revised channel props in the zip file called Channel1.props.

This includes automatic date substitution so you don't get the same 7 days of EPG each time.

But I had to fix that so there is a patch grabber.jar to put in the libs directory.


Regards,

Michael

Hi Michael,

I tried your fixes and the grabber is working now for me.

Thank you very much!

Best Regards,
Michael K.

[kha]

Hi Michael,

In regards to the sluttering problem, I think a solution may be increasing DeeMuxer BlockSize and/or BlockNum. By default BlockSize=64, BlockNum=128. By increasing both of these numbers to 512 I was able to get rid of sluttering. Note, these numbers are not optimized - this was just a test. Also I already had NumBuffer value changed a while ago from 64 to 256 to avoid sluttering of high definition video on an extender.

Please try, if this approach works for you.

Still, it's unclear to me why VLC encoded file requires larger demuxer block/buffer values compared to other network encoders that I had working without problem. If there is an encoding parameter in VLC that can improve file compatibility with Sage, I would prefer to find it rather than customizing SageTV demuxer.

Also, there is an audio/video playback synchronization problem, which is quite noticable when watcjing internet TV. Video and audio gets out of sync periodically. Interestingly, the lag between video and audio does not continuosly increase over time. From time to time (once every few minutes), video and audio get in sync. However, between these synchronization points the lag is very visible. The files play perfectly fine if using VLC itself. So the question is if there are any VLC encoding parameters that can be altered to make a recording file more compatible with SageTV. In particular, how did you decide on the encoding paramters and mux=ts (and not ps), in particular.

Regards,
Michael K.

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by kha

Hi Michael,

Please try, if this approach works for you.
...

If there is an encoding parameter in VLC that can improve file compatibility with Sage, I would prefer to find it rather than customizing SageTV demuxer.
...

In particular, how did you decide on the encoding paramters and mux=ts (and not ps), in particular.

Hi,

Oh great progress!

Thanks for continuing to investigate.

I don't think a project like this can succeed with beta-testers like you!

I'll have a play with this tomorrow.

Some of the encoding parameters have been hammered out with help from beta testers. Others come from spare examples found on the net and probably have less justification.

ps works too. You could try editing the tune.windows.tv.commands file to change "ts" to "ps".

Regards,

Michael

[jc8367]

Here are the logs

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by jc8367

Here are the logs

Jun 5, 2009 12:25:20 PM WrapperSimpleAppMain uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.EncoderProperties loadFile INFO: Cannot find properties file C:\Documents and Settings\atron.PVR\Desktop\webfeedencoder\\config\encoder.props

Is this where you unzipped webfeed encoder?

My thoughts are:

1. its to do with the way I got you to run the installServices script by double clicking on it - I normally use cmd.exe and cd to the directory and run the script. If so try removing and installing it this way.

2. The encoder.props file is actually missing.

3. Some windows peculiarity of running from Desktop (I normally unzip in program files)

Either way I think will soon have you up and running.

Michael

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by kha

Hi Michael,

In regards to the sluttering problem, I think a solution may be increasing DeeMuxer BlockSize and/or BlockNum. By default BlockSize=64, BlockNum=128. By increasing both of these numbers to 512 I was able to get rid of sluttering. Note, these numbers are not optimized - this was just a test. Also I already had NumBuffer value changed a while ago from 64 to 256 to avoid sluttering of high definition video on an extender.

Please try, if this approach works for you.

It doesn't seem to make any difference for me when I use:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Frey Technologies\Common\DSFilters\MpegDeMux]
"NumBuffers"=dword:00000100
"RemuxOptimize"=dword:00000000
"AudioDelay"=dword:00000000
"BufferSize"=dword:00010000
"MPEG2PackSeekModulus"=dword:00000800
"BlockSize"=dword:00000200
"BlockNum"=dword:00000200

(numbers in hex)

I also have the following SageTV setup

Default video renderer
Sage TV MPEG2 decoder
SageTV uses DXVA acceleration
mpeg4 direct show
Dscaler deinterlacing filter as off
Audio renderer as default
SagetV MPEG2 decode filter

How does this compare with yours?

Michael

[kha]

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

It doesn't seem to make any difference for me when I use:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Frey Technologies\Common\DSFilters\MpegDeMux]
"NumBuffers"=dword:00000100
"RemuxOptimize"=dword:00000000
"AudioDelay"=dword:00000000
"BufferSize"=dword:00010000
"MPEG2PackSeekModulus"=dword:00000800
"BlockSize"=dword:00000200
"BlockNum"=dword:00000200

(numbers in hex)

I also have the following SageTV setup

Default video renderer
Sage TV MPEG2 decoder
SageTV uses DXVA acceleration
mpeg4 direct show
Dscaler deinterlacing filter as off
Audio renderer as default
SagetV MPEG2 decode filter

How does this compare with yours?

Michael

My registry settings are ientical to yours.

SageTV settings are as following:

Video renderer: VMR9
MPEG2 video decoder: NVIDIA Video Decoder
Dscaler deinterlacing filter: off
Audio renderer: Realtek HD Audio output
MPEG2 audio decoder: NVIDIA Audio Decoder

While the combination of these settings may help to resolve the problem, I would still prefer to find a solution when the default settings working for other capture devices work for VLC encoded files as well.

Regards,
Michael K.

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by kha

My registry settings are ientical to yours.

SageTV settings are as following:

Video renderer: VMR9
MPEG2 video decoder: NVIDIA Video Decoder
Dscaler deinterlacing filter: off
Audio renderer: Realtek HD Audio output
MPEG2 audio decoder: NVIDIA Audio Decoder

While the combination of these settings may help to resolve the problem, I would still prefer to find a solution when the default settings working for other capture devices work for VLC encoded files as well.
.

Noted.

Its all useful information.

I have been playing with various parameters in the encoding but got nowhere yet apart from reducing the video bit rate. There are loads of things to tweak in VLC. Its hard to understand what they do as advanced features are poorly documented and the forum is nowhere near as good as this one - most requests on advanced matters never get an answer.

I have filed an official SageTV support request - not sure where this will get me but it may yield some expert advice.

Would you say those settings have temporarily fixed the issue for you now? I wonder why they don't work for me :-(

Michael

[willplaice]

Michael,

I had a go at getting your encoder running, but failed...
would you have time for a simple howto walk through, to say getting bbc radio stations into sage ?

would help me out big time...

also how close would this be to a workaround for accessing iplayer material ?

very many thanks, Will

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by willplaice

I had a go at getting your encoder running, but failed...
would you have time for a simple howto walk through, to say getting bbc radio stations into sage ?

The setup guide is in the webfeedencoder directory.

Can you give me a run down on what you have done so far and where how you feel you have failed?

Originally Posted by willplaice

also how close would this be to a workaround for accessing iplayer material ?

At the moment very far. Though it is one of my goals. Form what I have read for DRM reasons I think the material only plays in the player so I doubt there is an mpeg file we can point sagetv at.

Michael

[willplaice]

hi...

I've re-read your instructions, and perhaps i can do it.... i'll have another go...


wrt iplayer, there is a movement to make the content available in a non iplayer way... see http://beebhack.wikia.com/wiki/IPlayer_TV

[jc8367]

I installed the STVXMLTVS, but how do I remove this and get my program data back(no data in program guide). I just don't have time to mess with this now and would like to get to normal.

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by jc8367

I installed the STVXMLTVS, but how do I remove this and get my program data back(no data in program guide). I just don't have time to mess with this now and would like to get to normal.

Is STVXMLTVS the XMLTV importer?

It should just remove from add/remove programs.

But I'm guessing thats not the problem.

Few questions that will help me to help you

Are you seeing no data on just your web feed encoder channels or your tv channels too?

Are you other channels sourced from sageTVs EPG service? I believe theres a problem adding an xmltv source. Robogeek had the problem earlier in this thread.

Michael

[jc8367]

thx

[kha]

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

Noted.

Its all useful information.

I have been playing with various parameters in the encoding but got nowhere yet apart from reducing the video bit rate. There are loads of things to tweak in VLC. Its hard to understand what they do as advanced features are poorly documented and the forum is nowhere near as good as this one - most requests on advanced matters never get an answer.

I have filed an official SageTV support request - not sure where this will get me but it may yield some expert advice.

Would you say those settings have temporarily fixed the issue for you now? I wonder why they don't work for me :-(

Michael

Hi Michael,

Thank you.

I can confirm that the demux settings I listed earlier definitely resolved the problem with sluttering. However, I am afraid that they made A/V synchronization issue worse. So, ultimately the problem is in the file VLC generates. I also submitted test file to SageTV support, so that they can recommend the corect encoding/demuxer settings. Currently my workaround is to make a recording and then convert them using Sage transcoder.

Please let me know if you hear back from Sage before me or/and if you find optimized SageTV/VLC settings.

Regards,
Michael K.

[michaeldjcox]

Time flies and it is already end of June.

I notice that I have not released anything since 0.9.3 on the 7th May!

This does not mean nothing is happening.

The target of the next release is to primarily address configuration and installation.

As such it contains some big things - e.g:

• An install/upgrade wizard
• A configuration tool will allow
  • editing of the lineup
  • editing of channel parameters
  • interactive testing of channels, EPG grabbing and web-based now playing text grabbing.
  • automation some of those annoying SageTV tasks e.g proding sage to pick up a revised lineup or new EPG.
  • grab of TV channel data from external sources e.g. as is done with radiotime.com for radio sources.
• Both installer and config tool will run in headless environments.

All patches and config change recommendations made since 0.9.3 will be rolled into this release.

I will post some taster screen shots at some point.

Other things still in progress:

• SageTV support about the stuttering issues experienced by some users when the SageTV client is a PC rather than extender.
• Unix - held up here waiting for the next version of portable ubuntu.

Michael

[Rigwald]

Hello!

I am trying this to access certain streaming radio from www.polskastacja.pl. The streams are in asx format. Currently I got the utility installed, but I cannot get VLC to load. I will include logs for you. Also, is there a wy that I can listen to the stream without it actually recording? It appears to be recording when it attempts to listen to the feed. I will admit that I am a total novice when it comes to doing anything fancy with SageTV.

My vlc.exe is located at: E:\Multimedia\Video\VLC\vlc.exe

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by Rigwald

Hello!

I am trying this to access certain streaming radio from www.polskastacja.pl. The streams are in asx format. Currently I got the utility installed, but I cannot get VLC to load. I will include logs for you. Also, is there a wy that I can listen to the stream without it actually recording? It appears to be recording when it attempts to listen to the feed. I will admit that I am a total novice when it comes to doing anything fancy with SageTV.

My vlc.exe is located at: E:\Multimedia\Video\VLC\vlc.exe

Thanks for any help you can provide!

First thing

Jul 3, 2009 8:27:47 AM WrapperSimpleAppMain uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread initialise WARNING: Failed to create logo file
java.io.FileNotFoundException: C:\Users\Main\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\ChannelLogos\KQEDFM.png (The system cannot find the path specified)
	at java.io.FileOutputStream.open(Native Method)
	at java.io.FileOutputStream.<init>(Unknown Source)
	at java.io.FileOutputStream.<init>(Unknown Source)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread.downloadImage(ServerThread.java:223)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread.initialise(ServerThread.java:94)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread.<init>(ServerThread.java:37)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.Encoder.main(Encoder.java:67)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)

in the log files means that your sagetv.logo.dir property in the encoder.props may be wrong. It cannot find that directory.

Are you sure it should not be set to:

C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\ChannelLogos

I'm not sure what you mean by not being able to get VLC to load? Were you able to download and install vlc ?

Most broadcasts - actually probably all - record to a file first. Thats the way SageTV works.

The web feed encoder has to save to an mp3 file first and then save to an mpeg file for sage tv to pick up.

This first step is particularly necessary for asx streams. VLC doesn't seem to be able to combine asx with video directly for timing reasons.

SageTV will tidy up any recording you don't want to keep and the web feed encoder will delete the mp3 file it creates.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for trying out this beta release despite novice status

Michael