STV: Cayars17 Ultimate STV (Release 17 - Jan 18)

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

I can get it to work in WMP and Showtime, but not PowerDVD (Figures as this is the program I prefer), Showtime gives a little better playback quality with it's own AVC encoded files but no remote works with it, WMP plays back a little bit jerky. PowerDVD would be perfect, but it is still opening the open media file dialog box.

I can't get the file to open unless I use UNC. But PowerDVD seems to have no access over the network and will not use UNC's. The open dialog box gives no network places access.

I can open a path to the file over the network and it will play it though. Just not through Sage...Hmmm... I'm stuck on this one.

Fow PoerDVD the command line should be something like:
"C:\Program Files\Cyberlink\PowerDVD\PowerDVD.exe" %1

That works on my system but didn't start it in full screen as I'm sure another parameter is needed to tell it to run full screen. But it did launch PowerDVD with that setting and work.

[jgsouthard]

Originally Posted by Cayars

What version of VideoReDo do you have installed? I only tested with version 1.7.0.302 dated Dec 19th.

That was it.

I assumed that I was OK since I just downloaded the latest version of VideoReDo last week, after you posted the first version of your DVD Burner. Unfortunately, I forgot to check the version number, and the version that I have is 1.6.2.284 (10/21/04). I didn't realize that you were using a Beta release of VideoReDo that was newer than the normal download.

I just went back to the site and found the 1.7.0.302 beta update in the user forum, and it appears to work fine.

[jgsouthard]

Regarding DVD Burning:

Originally Posted by jgsouthard

I used a DVD-RW that had data on it from my previous testing, and DVD Decrypter popped up a dialog box that I had to manually answer, telling it to erase the disc before burning. This is a minor issue, but it would be nice if this were non-interactive. If there was an option for this in the DVD Burner settings, you could select whether to 1) silently erase DVD-RW before burning, 2) ask, or 3) end without burning. My desire/preference would be for a default of silently erasing any data on a DVD-RW disc.

In the interim, maybe this is a DVD Decrypter command line option that I can add to dvdburn.cmd. I'll look into this later today when I have a chance.

Adding /ERASE to the dvddecrypter command line parameters in dvdburn.cmd is all that is required to get it to erase DVD-RW's automatically before burning. I'd recommend that this be the default, unless/until the /ERASE parameter can be toggled with a selectable setting.

[Cayars]

I thought about doing that but don't really want to do that by default. I've lost good family made DVDs doing something similar because I forgot to label the disc.

As you pointed out. It's easy to add this yourself. I'm probably going to leave it this way. This is one of the reasons I went with the CMD file instead of hard coding this part of the burning process like the other steps.

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by jgsouthard

That was it.

I assumed that I was OK since I just downloaded the latest version of VideoReDo last week, after you posted the first version of your DVD Burner. Unfortunately, I forgot to check the version number, and the version that I have is 1.6.2.284 (10/21/04). I didn't realize that you were using a Beta release of VideoReDo that was newer than the normal download.

I just went back to the site and found the 1.7.0.302 beta update in the user forum, and it appears to work fine.

Yea, I wish the beta would get released already so the automatic check would be useful (to us) to know there is a newer version. I'm sure this is going to come up a few times as more people try using the feature.

BTW, I'd suggest using VideoReDo for the Demux even if you aren't using it for commercial cutting as it's faster and saves a copy step if using UNCs.

[dvd_maniac]

Fow PoerDVD the command line should be something like:

"C:\Program Files\Cyberlink\PowerDVD\PowerDVD.exe" %1

I have tried that except that I left in the fullscreen and prefetch switch
Ex:"C:\Program Files\Cyberlink\PowerDVD\PowerDVD.exe" %1 /fullscreen /prefetch:1

Is this right, or should I leave out full and pre switches?

I am using PowerDVD 6.0 deluxe if that matters...

Also are you using UNC path? could you try on client as well using UNC paths?

[Demideus]

Originally Posted by Cayars

• Changed color of "timebar" in Live TV Guide and Extended it all the way vertically.
  .
  .
• Fixed null issue in EPG Description.

Sorry for this late response Cayars, my ISP has me Trojan hunting... Man, is that boring... <yawns>

About that null issue. You didn't really fix it. It's merely been reduced to a missing episode name in the top box. In effect the same situation as I described in post 1511. (As a side note: If you turn episode numbers on in listings, you can still see the null there. Though it does keep displaying the episode name...)

I don't really think you have fixed it. At best you can say that you have changed the problem. I'm still missing the episode name in the top box. So from my standpoint we're still where we were in post 1511 (version 16C).

As for the timebar in the Live TV Guide. I think you forgot to put it back on. Either that, or you planned to put it back in in v17 but forgot to remove it from the list in post 1.

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

I have tried that except that I left in the fullscreen and prefetch switch
Ex:"C:\Program Files\Cyberlink\PowerDVD\PowerDVD.exe" %1 /fullscreen /prefetch:1

Is this right, or should I leave out full and pre switches?

I am using PowerDVD 6.0 deluxe if that matters...

Also are you using UNC path? could you try on client as well using UNC paths?

you can't mix and match command line switches from one program with another Remove the switches and try it. Otherwise have a look in the manual or do a Google to find out what the command line switches are that work for PowerDVD.

[sleonard]

I noticed you used my DVD Decryptor command line for ripping to IFO keeping only the video and 0x80 audio track. Just be aware that this also require you to set the proper options in DD settings on the stream processing tab. You need to enter 0XE0 0X80 in the direct stream copy line.

In the DVD burner options in detailed options/external setup there is an entry for a registration key. What app is this for?

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by Demideus

Sorry for this late response Cayars, my ISP has me Trojan hunting... Man, is that boring... <yawns>

About that null issue. You didn't really fix it. It's merely been reduced to a missing episode name in the top box. In effect the same situation as I described in post 1511. (As a side note: If you turn episode numbers on in listings, you can still see the null there. Though it does keep displaying the episode name...)

I don't really think you have fixed it. At best you can say that you have changed the problem. I'm still missing the episode name in the top box. So from my standpoint we're still where we were in post 1511 (version 16C).

We went two releases without anyone mentioning that it was still an issue. Matter of fact, a couple people said it was fixed so I removed it from the list. This really should be fixed on the input however instead of putting a bandaid in on the display routines.

As for the timebar in the Live TV Guide. I think you forgot to put it back on. Either that, or you planned to put it back in in v17 but forgot to remove it from the list in post 1.

I need to go back and remove that item from the list. As much as I like the vertical timebar I just can't get it to function correctly in Studio without it messing up other parts of the theme.

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by sleonard

I noticed you used my DVD Decryptor command line for ripping to IFO keeping only the video and 0x80 audio track. Just be aware that this also require you to set the proper options in DD settings on the stream processing tab. You need to enter 0XE0 0X80 in the direct stream copy line.

In the DVD burner options in detailed options/external setup there is an entry for a registration key. What app is this for?

Oops that shouldn't have made the release. I was playing to see if there was any advantage to using it this way. I don't think I ever got around to testing it out. Maybe I'll just ask you...

So what's the advantage?

[sleonard]

Originally Posted by Cayars

Oops that shouldn't have made the release. I was playing to see if there was any advantage to using it this way. I don't think I ever got around to testing it out. Maybe I'll just ask you...

So what's the advantage?

DVD's usually contain several audio tracks. AC3 stereo, AC3 5.1, DTS and different languages. The 0x80 audio track is almost always the AC3 5.1 English. By ripping only this audio track you can save 100's of MB's to a GB or so of space making it easier to fit on a single layer DVD and/or save you from having to transcode to a lower bitrate.

It also makes it easier to use Dr. DivX since there is only the wanted audio track (the doctor doesn't clearly identify which tracks are which. I've waited days for the doc to finish a multipass encode only to find out I encoded the swahili version )

BTW, have you got command line options for the Doc? I've searched their site but could not find any.

[Demideus]

Originally Posted by Cayars

We went two releases without anyone mentioning that it was still an issue. Matter of fact, a couple people said it was fixed so I removed it from the list.

I didn't respond to 16D because you said "There are still a couple of STV issues that didn't get touched" just before 16D came out.
I only noticed Redman mentioning it was fixed, but I didn't hear him comment on episode names. So I simply figured he didn't have them in his xmltv data-source.

Originally Posted by Cayars

This really should be fixed on the input however instead of putting a bandaid in on the display routines.

I couldn't agree more. But since that is out of my hands, a bandaid will have to do.

[jcato]

Hi! I think this got overlooked, selecting Channel Setup goes to the wizard instead of the channel setup screen.

Also, I currently use Sage for tv functions and myHTPC for everything else. With all the great things this STV does, I'm going to see if I can't simplify and just use Sage.

The first thing I've tried to use is the Play a DVD option (the same would apply to playing ripped movies on the hard drive, too). It worked...sort of. I use PreMovieManager to display trivia slides prior to the movie. It then loads the dvd player and pass a playlist to it containing the an intro, demo, and trailers, as well as the movie. I change the cmd file to run premoviemanager and it works fine. But when pmm ends and launches the dvd player, the cmd file also ends, so Sage pops back up over the dvd player. Is there any way for me to write the cmd file so that it does not end until the dvd player exits? Or another way to keep Sage from restoring?

Thanks

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by jcato

Hi! I think this got overlooked, selecting Channel Setup goes to the wizard instead of the channel setup screen.

This didn't get overlooked and has been covered here in the forums. It goes directly to the channel setup if you only have one EPG lineup. If you have multiple it takes you to a different screen where you select your lineup and then you can adjust your channels. If this seems repetitive menu wise just delete this item.

Also, I currently use Sage for tv functions and myHTPC for everything else. With all the great things this STV does, I'm going to see if I can't simplify and just use Sage.

The first thing I've tried to use is the Play a DVD option (the same would apply to playing ripped movies on the hard drive, too). It worked...sort of. I use PreMovieManager to display trivia slides prior to the movie. It then loads the dvd player and pass a playlist to it containing the an intro, demo, and trailers, as well as the movie. I change the cmd file to run premoviemanager and it works fine. But when pmm ends and launches the dvd player, the cmd file also ends, so Sage pops back up over the dvd player. Is there any way for me to write the cmd file so that it does not end until the dvd player exits? Or another way to keep Sage from restoring?

Thanks

You might be able to use a call command to launch premoviemanager or put this stuff in a batch file and call the batch file from the cmd file.

Maybe someone with more knowledge of this program can chime in here on this. I'll work the code to allow the use of third party programs but I'm not going to officially support all the different programs that can be called as it's outside the scope of what I'm doing.

See my next message.

[Cayars]

If anyone has successfully changed the one of the exteranl cmd files to use a different player (music or video) please post your cmd file contents here in the thread.

It will help someone else out in the future and I can probably add it to the cmd file commented out for later releases.

Thanks,
Carlo

[Demideus]

Originally Posted by jcato

Is there any way for me to write the cmd file so that it does not end until the dvd player exits?

Yep. Try putting start "start DVD" /wait in front of the command that starts PreMovieManager:

start "<title>" /w "<executable>" <parameters>

title = any window title you'd like.
executable = the PreMovieManager executable.
parameters = arguments to the PreMovieManager.

Experiment by starting up notepad. Just to make certain that this is the correct syntax for start on your OS...

[Cayars]

How many of you guys are using my STV with a Hauppauge MVP player instead of a Video Card?

[Demideus]

Does a Hauppauge PVR-350 scart connection instead of a Video Card count?

[White94Cobra]

Originally Posted by Cayars

If anyone has successfully changed the one of the exteranl cmd files to use a different player (music or video) please post your cmd file contents here in the thread.

It will help someone else out in the future and I can probably add it to the cmd file commented out for later releases.

Thanks,
Carlo

I use the DivX Player since I mapped out the commands in Girder some time ago.