SageTV will not play dvd

[SecureITGroup]

Upon installing and configuring my system to the default settings i have decided to ty to use my box as a dvd rom, i have purched the 500mce package with the nvidia dvd decoder and SageTV v2.1. I have all drivers installed for the system, when i play a dvd in windows media player i have no problem sound + video, when i try to play it in SageTV i get a error code "Sage.Playbackexcption (-5,0x80040218) There was a problem Rendering the audio portion of the content for playback"

[gplasky]

The nVidia decoder will only work with Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center thru analog. For any other application (including Sage) nVidia Audio Decoder will work with SPDIF. Choose another audio decoder in Sage. (And not default).

Gerry

[SecureITGroup]

all of the decoders produce the same error

[judoGTI]

Originally Posted by SecureITGroup

all of the decoders produce the same error

Do you have the audio cables going from your DVD drive to your motherboard? Im having the same proble, and I think it has to do with this connection between the drive and the MB.

I think.

[idvsego]

that able is a legacy cable fromt he days when the IDE speeds weren't fast enough to handle the data and audio. I can't remeber the last time I actually had one of those cables attached.

[judoGTI]

Hmmm... Well that shows the last time I had to trouble shoot a CD (or now DVD) drive.

I selected a different option, but still get no sound... hrmm, Ill keep playing.

[judoGTI]

Hmmm, so the nVidia audio decoder will not work in Sage eh?

Right now Im having the problem where my DVDs play with sound in WMP, but I only get video in Sage, regardless of the decoder. Any trouble shooting tips? Do I need to get another audio decoder?

[m0ng00se30]

Try AC3Filter... Works well and its free. You will have to add it to your .properties file.. videoframe/additional_audio_filters=AC3Filter after you install it. Try it and see if your problem goes away!

--Mike

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by judoGTI

Hmmm, so the nVidia audio decoder will not work in Sage eh?

The nVidia audio decoder will work, but (as of .67) only for MPEG audio (eg recordings) and S/PDIF. It will not decode DVD audio.

[judoGTI]

Hey thanks guy, the AC3Filter worked great.

However my DVD audio is SO much lower than the sound from watching TV or TV recordings. I'd say the TV is 90% louder than the DVD audio. I checked the sound properties and the levels are all OK. Is this typical?

[stanger89]

It depends, DVDs generally have MUCH greater dynamic range than TV. So while most of the time TV is close to the max volume, DVDs are typically lower than max.

[ToxMox]

You should be able to raise the volume in the AC3Filter configuration utility which should be in your Start Menu.

[m0ng00se30]

Yes the audio is a lot lower... I've messed with most of the settings in AC3 to get it higher. You can alter volume per channel, and overall. I use GRAPHEDIT to render an unencrypted VOB file. This should show AC3 in the graph. YOu can show properties from there, and play the file and actually see the input levels, and its the best way I can find to adjust settings. I belive I turned on DRC, and boosted the overall level, and then even tweaked some of the indiviual output levels as well (mainly on the surround speakers!)

Good Luck

--Mike

[stanger89]

DRC!? Oh the humanity!

[m0ng00se30]

OK... stay away from DRC, but the rest should be ok to configure!

[judoGTI]

Worked great, I turned DRC off and turned the GAIN up to the highest level and it is almost at the same level at my TV audio. I guess the rest Ill have to do the old fashioned way with the TV remote.

Thanks for the help!