v9 on llinux: codec question

[chairmanmao]

I currently run v7 on a 32 bit Windows 7 system. All of my tuners are HDHomeRun Primes with cable card. My cable provider is Comcast (in the SF Bay Area).

I've noticed over the last year or so that there are an increasing number of recordings which I can't play back over my HD300s and HD200s (I just realized that I haven't checked to see if I can play them back on the PC running Sage; it sits in a closet so I treat it as headless even though it isn't).

There are no problems with the recordings reported by Sage; it's just that when you try to play them you get a long-running spinning icon, and you usually have to reboot the HD300 to escape it.

What I've done as a workaround is to re-encode the recordings (which are TS files) as H264 MKV files using Handbrake. That works, but it's a pain.

Now for the question (sorry about the long lead): I've been presuming this problem is due to Sage v7 not being able to handle some more recent encodings used by Comcast. Converting the files to "standard" H264 thus solves it.

I am currently looking to move to a headless linux installation of v9, and am wondering if this codec problem -- if it is a codec problem -- will continue in that environment. And if there are steps I can take to minimize/eliminate it.

- Mark

[KryptoNyte]

1) Can you play the offending files on a PC using VLC?
2) Are you using OpenDCT to negotiate the tuner/Sage combination?

[chairmanmao]

Yes, I can play the offending file back via VLC.

No, I'm using SageDCT.

[Fuzzy]

You probably don't even need to reencode the files, and remuxing them likely would be enough. The timeline is probably screwed up in the file from them inserting local commercials. Probably best to look at moving to v9, as well as the newer versions of OpenDCT - which has the ability to remux and repair the stream as it's being recorded, which should clean up the glitches comcast is sending you.

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by chairmanmao

Yes, I can play the offending file back via VLC.

No, I'm using SageDCT.

This is a known problem with SageDCT and Comcast. Newer versions of SageDCT implemented a mode that remuxes the streams on the fly using FFMPEG. OpenDCT also does this and seems to be getting a lot more active development and support.

[egeller]

Let me take Tiki's comments one step further. Changes in Sage itself will help you.

I know what you're seeing, as I am a Comcast user also. The latest build of V9 fixes the issue you are seeing. I have been able to decommission my workarounds, similar to yours, since using the latest V9 build. Sage now detects the issue, and reconnects until it "gets it right."

I also second the motion to move from SageDCT to OpenDCT.