Success DOWNgrading to 20090505

[freedml]

So I took the advice of several forum members and DOWNgraded to 20090505. It's only been two days, but my 3 HD200s seem to work perfectly now. So, from at least 3 or 4 users, we have a pretty good idea that some problem, probably network related, crept in after 20090505. Sagetv, PLEASE find out what it is and fix it so we can go forward. (yes, I have sent this to tech support)

[Tomahawk51]

Would you mind pointing me toward HD200 downgrade information? I've searched around and can't find more than references to it.

After having a persistent stuttering issue with DVD Rip playback, I'm ready to go back to something more stable. I've been in touch with support...but it's not really going anywhere...

Thanks

[freedml]

I hear ya', brother.

Here you go http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...0&postcount=16

[Tomahawk51]

Thanks for that link. I'm seeing a message that says "no upgrade found" (or something close to that). Is this because I already have the most recent upgrade installed; hence it doesn't want to overwrite with an old version?

Or have I just got some issue with the USB drive? I formatted a FAT32 and simply put the .ver, .bin files on the root as described in the FAQ.

Any input for me? I appreciate the help on downgrading to see if that helps my issue.

[freedml]

Did you change the filenames? You take out the date part of the filename.

[Tomahawk51]

I'm getting so frustrated with Sage. Perhaps I am an idiot, but here's what I did:

Downloaded the ...505 firmware directly to a USB drive as "STP200.ver" and "STP200.bin" (thanks, I missed that it had to be renamed).

Then I load up settings, type USB and get the update window change, and then pop in the drive. I hit the dialog button to look on the usb stick, and all I get is an error message that says an upgraded can't be found. I've tried countless permutations of this.

Am I being dense and missing yet another step?

[freedml]

You need to plug in the USB BEFORE you go to Settings, etc. It doesn't know it's there.

[_Demo_]

If you have stability issues with the latest release firmware (20090702) could you please answer those questions to help me try to reproduce them :

1. How do you notice the issues and what happens?

2. Do you use extender or media player mode?

3. Did you enable discovery of media files?

4. Do you have a large number of media files indexed?

5. Do you use the logo or picture screen saver?

6. Do you use soft power-off or do you always leave the unit "on"?

7. Did you enable file sharing in media player mode?


Thanks

_Demo_

[freedml]

1. Playback freezes, then plays fast until it 'catches up with itself. Or spontaneously disconnects. Or freezes requiring unplugging the unit. Perhaps if I wait 10-15 minutes it times out and resets itself but I am usually not that 'patient.'

2. media extender only
3. no
4. no
5. logo
6. generally leave it on but sometimes soft power off
7. n/a

[Deacon Crusher]

Demo

I've been reporting versions of this problem since the first post 5/5 firmware came out.

For me it happens with hi definition (high bit rate) files. The higher the bit rate the worse the problem.

1. Problem for me is hitches/pauses in playback. I don't get the high speed catch up symptom, just lots of pauses.

Happens with recorded shows, ripped blu-rays and blu-rays being played back from the blu-ray drive on the server.

2. I'm always in Extender mode.

3. NA

4. yes, between photos, music and movies there'll be many thousands.

5. logo screen saver.

6. soft power off when done watching most of the time.

7. NA

Additionally, it should be noted that my HD100s playback these same files fine (may get an infrequent pause during the highest throughput part of a scene with lots of detail or movement when playing back a blu-ray either from drive or mkv.)

So, without touching the server I upgrade the firmware on a 200 and watch a movie and experience the problem. Same movie at approximately the same time plays back fine on a 100. downgrade the firmware back to 5/5 and again the file plays back fine. And as I said, this has been true for every firmware since 5/5 (problem has seen varying degrees of severity but is always there.)

thanks

Originally Posted by _Demo_

If you have stability issues with the latest release firmware (20090702) could you please answer those questions to help me try to reproduce them :

1. How do you notice the issues and what happens?

2. Do you use extender or media player mode?

3. Did you enable discovery of media files?

4. Do you have a large number of media files indexed?

5. Do you use the logo or picture screen saver?

6. Do you use soft power-off or do you always leave the unit "on"?

7. Did you enable file sharing in media player mode?


Thanks

_Demo_

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by Deacon Crusher

Additionally, it should be noted that my HD100s playback these same files fine (may get an infrequent pause during the highest throughput part of a scene with lots of detail or movement when playing back a blu-ray either from drive or mkv.)

Out of curiosity, can you try muxing those same file into a m2ts (tsMuxer) container and seeing if you see the problem? I've been ripping a bunch of my HD-DVD's and i'm seeing all kind of wierd issues when I put them in mkv's but not when I put them into m2ts.

[Deacon Crusher]

Hey Evil.

I've got lots of blu-rays in mkv and have no issues with them (except with this firmware related issue that effects many formats not just MKVs.)

I have many hd dvds but have toshiba hd dvd players (I was really hoping Toshiba would win the format war, so much for that <G>) so haven't ripped any of them yet.

Do you use eac3to for ripping?

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

Out of curiosity, can you try muxing those same file into a m2ts (tsMuxer) container and seeing if you see the problem? I've been ripping a bunch of my HD-DVD's and i'm seeing all kind of wierd issues when I put them in mkv's but not when I put them into m2ts.

[_Demo_]

Originally Posted by Deacon Crusher

Demo

I've been reporting versions of this problem since the first post 5/5 firmware came out.

For me it happens with hi definition (high bit rate) files. The higher the bit rate the worse the problem.

1. Problem for me is hitches/pauses in playback. I don't get the high speed catch up symptom, just lots of pauses.

Happens with recorded shows, ripped blu-rays and blu-rays being played back from the blu-ray drive on the server.

Had you tried the setting miniplayer/forced_max_push_size=32768 on your server? The more recent firmwares had increased their reported size to 128K to improve performance in most cases unless there is an issue with your network. Some other network settings have also been improved but can cause issues with broken older drivers/operating systems versions.

_Demo_

[_Demo_]

Originally Posted by freedml

1. Playback freezes, then plays fast until it 'catches up with itself. Or spontaneously disconnects. Or freezes requiring unplugging the unit. Perhaps if I wait 10-15 minutes it times out and resets itself but I am usually not that 'patient.'

Does it only happen with recorded video files or also with other ones such as trailers or other video files? If you see catch-up it shouldn't be because of streaming performance being too slow since in those cases it would pause by itself when it is detected.

Thanks

_Demo_

[_Demo_]

Please try the new beta firmware 20090805 and let me know the results.

Thanks

_Demo_

[hemicuda]

Looks like the older BETA has caption issues w/ DVDs; can't turn them off. I'll try the new BETA in the morning when it's "safer."

Also, the release f/w for the HD100 has captions on by default. Any way to change that?

[Deacon Crusher]

just checked and that setting is already in place on my server.

So, I'm going to try and remove it and then update to the latest beta.

Originally Posted by _Demo_

Had you tried the setting miniplayer/forced_max_push_size=32768 on your server? The more recent firmwares had increased their reported size to 128K to improve performance in most cases unless there is an issue with your network. Some other network settings have also been improved but can cause issues with broken older drivers/operating systems versions.

_Demo_

[freedml]

Here's the correct link, I hope...

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...0&postcount=16

[Deacon Crusher]

so commendted out this setting

miniplayer/forced_max_push_size=32768

by stopping server and putting a ; in front of that line in the properties file and restarting server.

then updated to latest 200 beta firmware and still have pauses/hitches in high bit rate files, but not in the couple of recorded hi-def files I tested, only in ripped movies or movies playing from the servers blu-ray drive.

I'll renable that setting tonight and try again and see if that helps/hinders/makes no difference.

Anything else I should try?

Thanks

Originally Posted by _Demo_

Please try the new beta firmware 20090805 and let me know the results.

Thanks

_Demo_

[_Demo_]

Originally Posted by Deacon Crusher

Anything else I should try?

Thanks

Could you create short wireshark (wireshark.org) captures when you have the problem?

Thanks

_Demo_