Live TV sound, System Clock, and MKV issues. Random Gripes too.

[Commodore 64]

1. When I watch Live TV, the sound periodically drops out because. My receiver indicates that sometimes the signal just drops and other times it vacillates between PCM and Dolby Digital (causing the sound to drop out when the receiver switches modes). The symptoms are exacerbated when using the nVidia VIDEO decoder. Output to the receiver is accomplished via optical cable and S/PDIF from the mobo (onboard Realtek 850)

I've tried all manner of codecs, cables, and configurations. I'm not completely illiterate to codec configuration (long time Media Portal user), but I am at my wits end. At the moment, I'm leaning towards some kind of PCI IRQ issue since the problem is present no matter which codec/renderer that I use. I've got a Chaintech AV-710 on the way, just to rule out the onboard sound issues. Any suggestions?


2. My HTPC clock keeps resetting. i turned off the "sync with SAGETV server becasue it kept putting me on CST or something. But for some reason the damned time on my HTPC keeps offsetting itself by a few hours. This makes scheduling recordings pretty much impossible.

3. Sage doesn't recognize any of my .mkv files. Please tell me that the Media Center can be configured to recognize .mkv files. I tried adding the .mkv extension to the appropriate 'Seek' line Sage.Properties file but it didn't work. I've encoded a lot of my DVD files to .mkv and they work fine in Media Portal.

4. Gripes. I hope I'm just missing a configuration setting for the following gripes because even with all it's faults, the Wife Acceptance Factor was much higher for Media Portal and she is starting to clamor for me to switch back to Media Portal.

I'm really fighting the urge to just use SageTV for TV viewing and Media Portal for everything else. The fact that the Media Center only recognizes WMA lossless and MP3 is pretty ridiculous, IMHO. Why are supported file types for video and music so limited in SageTV? Maybe I just got spoiled by Media Portal.

Scrolling through the imported video library in SageTV is a pain in the ass too. If you hold down the down arrow (MCE remote), it just keeps scrolling down forever. I have over 300 entries and you have to press the button once for each entry you want to scroll past. Lame.

Why don't movies offer you the option to start where you left off? You have to start from the beginning each time? Ugh. Just Ugh. OMFG this is so annoying.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Commodore 64

1. When I watch Live TV, the sound periodically drops out because. My receiver indicates that sometimes the signal just drops and other times it vacillates between PCM and Dolby Digital (causing the sound to drop out when the receiver switches modes). The symptoms are exacerbated when using the nVidia VIDEO decoder. Output to the receiver is accomplished via optical cable and S/PDIF from the mobo (onboard Realtek 850)

How are you getting DD audio for live TV? Are you talking HD? If not, sounds like you're using AC3Filter, and that may be causing problems.

[QUOTE]I've tried all manner of codecs, cables, and configurations. I'm not completely illiterate to codec configuration (long time Media Portal user), but I am at my wits end. At the moment, I'm leaning towards some kind of PCI IRQ issue since the problem is present no matter which codec/renderer that I use. I've got a Chaintech AV-710 on the way, just to rule out the onboard sound issues. Any suggestions?

2. My HTPC clock keeps resetting. i turned off the "sync with SAGETV server becasue it kept putting me on CST or something. But for some reason the damned time on my HTPC keeps offsetting itself by a few hours. This makes scheduling recordings pretty much impossible.

3. Sage doesn't recognize any of my .mkv files. Please tell me that the Media Center can be configured to recognize .mkv files. I tried adding the .mkv extension to the appropriate 'Seek' line Sage.Properties file but it didn't work. I've encoded a lot of my DVD files to .mkv and they work fine in Media Portal.

If you've got the right Dshow filters installed, add ".mkv" (no quotes) to the video import extentions line in the properties file.

[Halstead]

Originally Posted by Commodore 64

Why don't movies offer you the option to start where you left off? You have to start from the beginning each time? Ugh. Just Ugh. OMFG this is so annoying.

This part I totally agree with. The DVD player should pop up a dialog asking if you want to start playback at the last point or from the beginning, and it should remember this setting for previous DVDs as well.

[Commodore 64]

All audio runs out the S/PDIF to the receiver. I've tried reclock, AC3Filter, nVidia Audio Decoder, and the other included codecs from SageTV. I've also tried several audio renderers.

I don't think it is AC3 Filter because the problem exists when AC3 Filter is disabled.

My previous setup was NForce 2 based, so I would just have Soundstorm encode everything to DD (or pass through stuff that was already DD). On this one, I'd just like to pass through AC3 streams from DVD and my video files and let the receiver just Pro Logic the rest.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Commodore 64

All audio runs out the S/PDIF to the receiver. I've tried reclock, AC3Filter, nVidia Audio Decoder, and the other included codecs from SageTV. I've also tried several audio renderers.

OK, I'm confused then:

When I watch Live TV, the sound periodically drops out because. My receiver indicates that sometimes the signal just drops and other times it vacillates between PCM and Dolby Digital

How are you getting DD for live TV? What's your LiveTV source?

[Commodore 64]

The source for DD on live TV is HD broadcasts like Greys Anatomy, Desperate Hosuewives, NFL Football, MLB, and anyting else that is broadcast in HD over-the-air in Northeastern Ohio.

[stanger89]

OK, so it is an HD feed (I could have looked at your sig ). Have you tried those files in any other programs (WMP) to see if it's an issue with the recordings?

[Commodore 64]

Fixed the sound problems by installing a Chaintech AV-710.

Also fixed the VMR9 stutter problems by swtiching from a Radeon 9700pro to a nV 6200 (non TC).

[Commodore 64]

I've still got major stutter when using VMR9 in Live TV. I'm hoping it's becasue my video card isn't up to snuff (the 6200). I'll have a 6600GT in a few days. Overlay works fine, BTW.

I can't seem to get mkv files to import. Has anyone been able to play mkv files or import them into their media library?

Is there anyway to make SageTV restart where you left off when watching a DVD or AVI? I understanda that recorded content does this, and it would be great if I could do that with Sage.