SageTV transcoding

[ojones]

Josh,

Major thanks for all of your improvements across the SageTV platform. I will be contributing to your Patreon account.

For several years I have managed to use the miniclient on Sony TVs for remote site access (I cheat using site to site VPNs). I worked with Narflex a few years ago to insert a option into .properties that disabled transcoding (actually let me set the bandwidth test low enough that transcoding wouldn't be triggered as bad comcast latency/packet loss at stream start frequently triggered incorrect bandwidth readings).

At the time my fix was to implement real time transcoding in OpenDCT (on record) to push bandwidth down to an acceptable level but that had adverse playback consequences throughout the eco-system and stressed my hyper-v host (dual processor E5-2643v4 @3.4ghz) when multiple recordings occurred. I ended up giving up this angle and haven't found another great fix yet.

While fixing FFMPEG is the wholly grail just being able to get basic transcoding working in a compatible container and reasonable HD bandwidth (real streaming @ 6-7mbps even if it isn't adaptive!!!) would massively reduce the WAF and insure a future for Sage.

Very Excited!

[jpwegas]

Originally Posted by jvl711

I am interested in at least taking a look. Not sure what I will be able to add, but I will try.

Josh

Seconded!

--John

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by ojones

Josh,

Major thanks for all of your improvements across the SageTV platform. I will be contributing to your Patreon account.

For several years I have managed to use the miniclient on Sony TVs for remote site access (I cheat using site to site VPNs). I worked with Narflex a few years ago to insert a option into .properties that disabled transcoding (actually let me set the bandwidth test low enough that transcoding wouldn't be triggered as bad comcast latency/packet loss at stream start frequently triggered incorrect bandwidth readings).

At the time my fix was to implement real time transcoding in OpenDCT (on record) to push bandwidth down to an acceptable level but that had adverse playback consequences throughout the eco-system and stressed my hyper-v host (dual processor E5-2643v4 @3.4ghz) when multiple recordings occurred. I ended up giving up this angle and haven't found another great fix yet.

While fixing FFMPEG is the wholly grail just being able to get basic transcoding working in a compatible container and reasonable HD bandwidth (real streaming @ 6-7mbps even if it isn't adaptive!!!) would massively reduce the WAF and insure a future for Sage.

Very Excited!

Thank you very much for you words and support. I think I am as excited about this as you are. This is a big potential change. I also agree with your opinion that this will be a change that will insure a longer future for Sage.

Josh

[jvl711]

Hi Guys,

See this post and thread for details.

https://forums.sagetv.com/forums/sho...&postcount=335

[jvl711]

Hi,

I just wanted to drop a quick note that I have been working on SageTVTranscoder. I have been able to get a working development environment, and I have FFmpeg compiling. I am working though the SageTV code and slowly folding it into the latest version of FFmpeg. If you would like to follow my progress, I am posting regular updates (I try to do it weekly) on my Patreon page. Supporters see the posts first, then a week or so later I open the posts for public view.

Thanks,
Josh

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by jvl711

I have been able to get a working development environment, and I have FFmpeg compiling. I am working though the SageTV code and slowly folding it into the latest version of FFmpeg. If you would like to follow my progress, I am posting regular updates (I try to do it weekly) on my Patreon page. Supporters see the posts first, then a week or so later I open the posts for public view.

I am finally getting around to looking at this thread more closely so need to be "caught up."

When I go to SageTV PlugIns, MediaFormatParserPluin (both x32 & x64) it shows "Not Compatible." What does that indicate?

System: SageTV v9.2.1.826. Java v1.8.0_261, Gemstone v1.0501, Base STV File-SageTV7.xml v9.1.7.0 & Windows 10 x64,

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by RonBoyd

I am finally getting around to looking at this thread more closely so need to be "caught up."

When I go to SageTV PlugIns, MediaFormatParserPluin (both x32 & x64) it shows "Not Compatible." What does that indicate?

System: SageTV v9.2.1.826. Java v1.8.0_261, Gemstone v1.0501, Base STV File-SageTV7.xml v9.1.7.0 & Windows 10 x64,

The media format detection plugin feature was added in 9.2.2. you would need to upgrade first before you can use it.

Josh

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by jvl711

The media format detection plugin feature was added in 9.2.2. you would need to upgrade first before you can use it.

See, told you I have to catch up. <chuckle>

FWIW, you, now, have my Patreon support... catching up there, too.

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by RonBoyd

See, told you I have to catch up. <chuckle>

FWIW, you, now, have my Patreon support... catching up there, too.

Thank you very much for your support. It is the support of the users that keep me going!

Josh

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by jvl711

The media format detection plugin feature was added in 9.2.2. you would need to upgrade first before you can use it.

Josh

Hi Josh,

I know you have a lot on your plate, but is there any chance that you can port the media format detection plugin to support Linux and in particular Unraid since many of us have moved over to it? Thanks!

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by Zogg

Hi Josh,

I know you have a lot on your plate, but is there any chance that you can port the media format detection plugin to support Linux and in particular Unraid since many of us have moved over to it? Thanks!

Hi Zogg,

I have good news on that front. User jpwegas has been working hard to fix my bad C code to do just that. He has been testing on his side, and at some point in the future he will hopefully feel comfortable for it to be released to the masses. He does have it working on Linux.

I assume that the Unraid will work with a standard linux build. Is that correct?

Josh

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by jvl711

Hi Zogg,

I have good news on that front. User jpwegas has been working hard to fix my bad C code to do just that. He has been testing on his side, and at some point in the future he will hopefully feel comfortable for it to be released to the masses. He does have it working on Linux.

I assume that the Unraid will work with a standard linux build. Is that correct?

Josh

I am 99% sure that Unraid uses the standard linux builds so that is good news. Thanks!

[jvl711]

I just wanted to give you guys an update that I am still plugging away at this. I am actually using an alpha build in my personal SageTV server.

I anyone with C experience is willing to help, please let me know. If you guys want to follow my progress you can get updates on my patreon page, or follow the commits and issues list on github

https://github.com/jvl711/FFmpeg

Josh

[jvl711]

Hi All,

Wondering if anyone knows how SageTV determines how it is going to stream when using the dynamic settings.

I have a few questions:

1. Does anyone know how SageTV determines the Target Bandwidth. The Placeshifter seems like it might max out the setting at 1791kbps.
2. Does anyone know if there is a way to get it to pick a higher resolution?
3. Does anyone know what Channel Bandwidth in the Placeshifter statistics window?

Sorry for all the questions. I would like to see if I can tweak Dynamic Transcoding to get it to stream in HD if it thinks there is enough bandwidth.

Josh

[Galaxysurfer]

Thanx for all your effort in Modernizing Sagetv! Once we are out of Pandemic mode, I will be better in a position to add my support. I suspect that many other changes will happen in the Media Entertainment industry, going forward. Hopefully us diehard pvr users will be rewarded!

G

[jvl711]

Hi All,

Wanted to let you guys know that I am moving into Alpha testing with the transcoder.

You can see the updates on my Patreon page. I am going to give my supports for crack at it, then I will open it up for anyone to try.

Josh

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by jvl711

Hi All,

Wanted to let you guys know that I am moving into Alpha testing with the transcoder.

You can see the updates on my Patreon page. I am going to give my supports for crack at it, then I will open it up for anyone to try.

Josh

Are you looking at this from a ‘live’ transcoding concept, or a rendering-for-archival thing, like Handbrake would be used for?

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

Are you looking at this from a ‘live’ transcoding concept, or a rendering-for-archival thing, like Handbrake would be used for?

Sorry for the late response.

This replaces/updates the current SageTVTranscoder.exe process that is a part of the core installation. From what I can tell it handles the following tasks.

1. Media format detection (I still suggest my other library for this task)
2. Thumbnail generation of recordings, imported videos, pictures
3. Live/Realtime transcoding of video files while watching
4. Transcoding/Encoding engine in SageTV for rendering for archival

It is currently based off version 4.3.1 of FFMpeg source code. This is many, many versions newer than the one currently in SageTV.

Thanks,
Josh

[jvl711]

Good news everyone!

I have completed coding what I believe is the last major feature, Media Format Detection. I have pushed another Alpha to my Patreon supporters to try out. If I do not hear any negative feedback, I plan to publish this as a plugin. It will be a beta for a while....

At first I am only going to release x64 windows build. The x64 build will work with 32bit SageTV as long as your OS is 64 bit. I know I am not showing a lot of love for the linux users... I am sorry, it just happens that my development platform is windows, and I need to get a decent working Linux machine to do the Linux builds.

Let me know if you guys have any questions.

Josh

[wayner]

Originally Posted by jvl711

I know I am not showing a lot of love for the linux users... I am sorry, it just happens that my development platform is windows, and I need to get a decent working Linux machine to do the Linux builds.

This may be an alternative to setting up a separate Linux machine, or even a dual boot machine.

You can run pretty much a fully functional Linux distro as an app under Windows. This should allow you to do Linux builds. This is kind of like running Linux as a VM. It is very easy to setup - you have to turn on WSL in the Windows options, reboot, and then install the Linux distro from the MS store.

This article is a little out of date, but this is the main gist of how things work, at least with Ubuntu:
https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/ubuntu-...ows#1-overview

More recently Unbutu 20.04 is available and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) has been update to WSL2 which runs faster and supposedly has full system call compatibility.

There are other distros available as well, like Suse and Kali.

If you go this route then another useful app is the Open Source windows terminal. This let's you run multiple command line interfaces in one app. So you can have Powershell, the old windows command prompt, and the Linux command line.

One shortcoming is that it can't access hardware like USB or Firewire ports, which is too bad as I was wondering if this was a way to get Firewire channel changing in 64 bit Windows.