SageTV Client Install Issues

[Ghildebr]

I am attempting to set up a SageTV Client install on a PC with the following specs:

• Intel Pentium 4 Dual Core 3.06 GHz Processor
• 2GB RAM
• ATI HD 2400 Pro Video Card
• 1 GB LAN Connection
• Windows 7 x86
• DivX Codec's
• ArcSoft Total Media Extreme Codec's
• InterVideo Codec's

I am attempting to stream from a Hauppauge HD PVR that is attached to my DirecTV receiver. When I launch the SageTV Client and tune to a HD channel, I experience 100% CPU utilization on the client. The Video/Audio is very choppy and totally unwatchable.

If I try and watch a DivX video through the SageTV Client I experience the Spinning Circle of Death and eventually receive the error, "There was a Playback Error in playback. Details: sage.PlaybackExecption: ERROR (-3,0x8004022f): There was a problem accessing the filesystem for playback." If I try and watch that same video through Windows Media Player it plays correctly with only about 10% CPU utilization.

Watching TV/Video from the server gives me no problems whatsoever. I have all of the RecordingNative10 patches and the STV Update Patches installed on both the Server and the Client. I am also using the latest version of SageTV and the Client, (v 6.6.2).

What should I be setting the Video Renderer, MPEG2 Video Decoder Filter, MPEG3 Playback, H.264 Video Decoder Filter, and MPEG2 Audio Decoder Filter on the Client? I have tried about every combination of all of these settings, including changing the Display Resolution for the SageTV Client from 1920x1080 to 1280x720. I have been playing with this for weeks attempting to find the correct combination and am almost at the point of just giving up. This should not be this hard!!!

Gary

[Fuzzy]

Renderer should be EVR, And I'd recommend using the Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder for both MPEG2 and H.264. If not those, you can try the SageTV Decoders, just make sure you turn on Hardware Accelleration.

[Ghildebr]

How do you verify that Hardware Acceleration is turned on?

[Fuzzy]

If you choose the SageTV Video Decoder in the Audio/Video options in sage, it will add another selection box below it to choose Hardware Acceleration or not.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by Ghildebr

If I try and watch a DivX video through the SageTV Client I experience the Spinning Circle of Death and eventually receive the error, "There was a Playback Error in playback. Details: sage.PlaybackExecption: ERROR (-3,0x8004022f): There was a problem accessing the filesystem for playback."

This error has nothing to do with codecs or renderers. It's telling you that you have a problem with file paths or permissions. For instance if you imported the video folder using a drive letter on the server, and that same drive letter means something different on the client, then the client won't be able to find the file for playback. Best practice is to use UNC paths for imports so that the paths are the same for all clients.

[Ghildebr]

Changing the video folder path to a UNC path corrected the error.
Thanks,
Gary

[Ghildebr]

I have set things to use EVR and Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder for both MPEG2 and H.264. The CPU is now down to a more respectable 40% to 50%. I am however experiencing quite a bit of pixilation, especially when there is a fast movement on the screen. I will keep tinkering. I can't believe this hardware is not capable of being a SageTV Client.
Gary