BDA Tuner Test Application

[Stealth1971]

For those of you interested in using tunable BDA devices (usually HD capture cards like ATI's HD Wonder or DVICO's). I have built a BDA graph controller DLL and a test app to run it (later to be controlled from a network encoder). This is definitely Alpha software! but I wanted to get some testing in before going the extra miles.... (That is - connect it to a network encoder like UNE...)

I have been testing with an ATI HD Wonder with some success. I am curious to see if it works with other cards like Fusion or Sasem's USBHDTV. If the vendors created BDA compliant drivers then other cards should work.

My playback in Sage only works correctly using the InterVideo decoders. Outside of Sage the latest NVidia decoders work fine also.

FYI this program requires:

- The .NET framework 1.1
- Cyberlink's latest PowerVCR II Mux & dump filters (FYI - I need to use filter names instead of GUIDs moving forward as to avoid filter version issues)

The instructions are in a text file in the zip file. In summary it goes like this from the command line:

HDNE.ConsoleApp <file> <physical chnl> <major chnl> <minor chnl> <length in mins> [Pause mins before starting graph]
	i.e. HDNE.ConsoleApp c:\media\test.mpg 31 32 1 5 2

Thanks for any help!

Tim

[flashbacck]

Hey stealth,
It hasn't worked with my Fusion, but I'm not even sure I'm doing it correctly. I didn't think I had the mux and dump filters, so I downloaded and installed powercinema 3. Will that install the filters? Anyway, when I ran the program with this command line...

HDNE.ConsoleApp c:\hdne\test.mpg 11 65 1 2

I get the following output:

HDNE Capture - version 0.2
Created by Tim Smith Copyright(c) 2005
usage HDNECapture <file> <physical chnl> <major chnl> <minor chnl> <length in mi
ns> [Pause Minutes before start Graph]
Building Graph

Loading BDA network driver.

Finished loading BDA network driver.

Loading BDA ATSC tuner reques.

Tune request for physical channel:52, major channel: -1, minor channel: -1

Finished BDA ATSC tuner request.

Loading BDA NETWORK tuner and capture device.

Finished loading BDA NETWORK tuner and capture device.

Loading transport stream demux

Finished loading transport stream demux

Starting to render Demux

Connecting Demux to Capture Device

Connected Demux to Capture Device

Loading TIF

Loading IP Sink

Loading MPEG Mux video

Couldn't CoCreate requested filter

Cannot load MPEG Mux

Cannot load demux

Couldn't build graph

[Stealth1971]

Flashbacck -

I checked this morning -I had the wrong Cyberlink app listed. It should have been PowerVCR II..

If you check graphedit the filter IDs should be:

Cyberlink MPEG MUX ID:
{4B5C6BC0-D60E-11D2-8F3F-0080C84E9806}

Cyberlink MPEG Dump ID:
{9BC7E140-912D-11D3-B1AD-0080C84E9C15}

BTW - Installing the trial software will install the filters

[flashbacck]

alright, I downloaded PowerVCR3 and installed that...

ran the app with the following command line:

C:\HDNE>hdne.consoleapp c:\hdne\test.mpg 11 65 1 1 1

output was:

HDNE Capture - version 0.2
Created by Tim Smith Copyright(c) 2005
usage HDNECapture <file> <physical chnl> <major chnl> <minor chnl> <length in mi
ns> [Pause Minutes before start Graph]
Building Graph

Loading BDA network driver.

Finished loading BDA network driver.

Loading BDA ATSC tuner reques.

Tune request for physical channel:52, major channel: -1, minor channel: -1

Finished BDA ATSC tuner request.

Loading BDA NETWORK tuner and capture device.

Finished loading BDA NETWORK tuner and capture device.

Loading transport stream demux

Finished loading transport stream demux

Starting to render Demux

Connecting Demux to Capture Device

Connected Demux to Capture Device

Loading TIF

Loading IP Sink

Loading MPEG Mux video

Connecting MPEG Mux video

Connecting MPEG Mux audio

Before File Sink

Target File: c:\MediaStorage\Temp001.mpg
After File Sink

Graph Created

Tune request for physical channel:11, major channel: 65, minor channel: 1

pause to change graph
Before File Sink

Target File: c:\hdne\test.mpg
After File Sink

Starting to record
Stopping
Stopped
Graph Destroyed

I opened up graphedit and took a screenshot which is attached.

the test.mpg produced was only 2 kb.

btw, just to clarify, what exactly does physical, major and minor channels refer to?

[Stealth1971]

Looks like the graph built fine! However, if the channel info was wrong then it wouldn't record anything because it had no stream data.

The physical channel specifies the frequency allocation.
The major channel usually corresponds to legacy analog channel ID.
The minor channel is the sub division of the digital channel bandwidth.

For example:
In Chicago the analog ABC channel is "7". However, ABC's HD broadcast in Chicago is on physical channel 52. The digital channel ("Friendly Name") is "7.1". 7 is the major channel and 1 is the minor channel. Since there is bandwidth left over, ABC supplies 2 extra channels 7.2 and 7.3. 7.2 is a low bandwidth digital SD stream that is news only and 7.3 has Dopler Radar weather.

Hope this helps! BTW -TitanTV.com's listings show physical,major and minor channels in their listings.

[flashbacck]

well, I'm glad it's working!

but... shouldn't I be getting a playable mpg? I'm sure my channel info is right.

[Crazedz]

Sucess i got it to record channel 21 29.1 minneapolis but it's in overlay so i wasn't able to do a sceeen cap. Sound worked on 29 but when i tired to do channel 28 9.1 i got video but no sound.

Tried to do channel 34 2.1 to get a true HD recording but it wouldn't record so i went back to 29.1 and it refused to record this time but 9.1 still worked but still no sound.

My graph came out the same as flashbacks so i'll not waste bandwidth reposting it.

Ok a check after it finished recording 28 9.1 the sound is their and played in powerdvd but didn't while recording in vlc player which is what i was using for testing while recording though 29.1 worked in vlc.

Well thats what i got from the test file tonight i'll try some more tommarow if we can get this working properly in sage that would be just the greatest.

Thanks stealth this is a great first step for fusion support.

[Stealth1971]

Flashbacck -

As far as I can tell right now, you should be getting a recording. Did you switch your channel selection around - because I noticed that you may have had your Major channel specified before your physical channel in your posted output :

physical channel:11, major channel: 65, minor channel: 1

Most of the physical channels are UHF so they would be higher... just a thought

[flashbacck]

yeah, I had the physical and major channels mixed up.

It works! At least the first time this morning. I'm having trouble reproducing it though. Everytime after that first run, it produces the 2 kb file again. I'll test it out more later tonight.

[flashbacck]

Hmm, I think it might have to do with the stupid fusion app. I ran the app after I first got HDNE to work, so I could search for channels that were playing any HD material. After that, HDNE wouldn't record. I ran the fusion app again, exited that. And HDNE started working. It's completely unscientific, but the fusion app might've been tying up the card or something.

Anyway, what kind of CPU usage are you guys seeing for playback? For the intervideo video codec, I was getting near 100%. For cyberlink and nvidia, I was seeing 65%ish.

[Stealth1971]

crazedz -

It might have to do with TS stream PIDs getting screwed up... not sure at this point. The guys working on the firewire stuff/UNE are putting Nividia's "TS Info Parser" filter into their graphs to handle the PID issue.

That filter is installed with Nvidia's latest DVD playback software.

Also what kind of playback do you get with Sage if you use the import video? The sage MPEG splitter filter seems to stutter with these files...

Stealth

[Crazedz]

Originally Posted by Stealth1971

crazedz -

It might have to do with TS stream PIDs getting screwed up... not sure at this point. The guys working on the firewire stuff/UNE are putting Nividia's "TS Info Parser" filter into their graphs to handle the PID issue.

That filter is installed with Nvidia's latest DVD playback software.

Also what kind of playback do you get with Sage if you use the import video? The sage MPEG splitter filter seems to stutter with these files...

Stealth

You mean that some channels aren't working because the current program doesn't use the ts info parser in it? If so how long before you could post an update that includes the info parser in the graph or is their a way for me to change the graph to include the info parser and have it effect your program before it starts recording? I have the NVDVD 2.55 is that the one your refering to?

If i playback the test file in sage useing sage's mpeg2 codecs i get video but no sound switching to cyberlinks powerdvd 6 codec the sound works so sage's codec just doesn't like the audio. Otherwise it plays back just like in power dvd and wmplayer 9.0. Their is however a glitch that i noticed a few moments into the recordings where the video freezes for a couple seconds then theirs a quick flash of a whole screen of artifacts (blockyness) then it plays fine through the rest of the recording. It's their in whatever program i use to playback the files.

[Crazedz]

Stealth after the last post i went back and reinstalled nvdvd 2.55 i had forgoten i uninstalled it. I just retested recording on channel 34 2 1 PBS HD as well as wcco HD both of which didn't work before but they do now both are 1080i. The videos on both look great but the audio would garble and pop at certain times other than that the recordings were fine audio stayed in sync and the video looked great. I haven't gone through and checked every channel but i will over the comming days.

Question the graph that graphedit captures since it has a tuner filter if it's loaded in anders universal network encoder would sage be able to change the channels through the graph or does it need your program to tune the channels? Sorry im just not familer with how this works and was hopeing since we got a way now to get the card to work somewhat outside of divicos software that we could start some sage trials.

BTW Thanks for the progam and your work on this it's really apreaciated a lot.

[Stealth1971]

Originally Posted by Crazedz

Question the graph that graphedit captures since it has a tuner filter if it's loaded in anders universal network encoder would sage be able to change the channels through the graph or does it need your program to tune the channels? Sorry im just not familer with how this works and was hopeing since we got a way now to get the card to work somewhat outside of divicos software that we could start some sage trials.

It would be great if it worked with Ander's UNE but it does need a "tuning command" to work properly. I have talked to Anders about adding support for my plugin in UNE - but it would take some time right now on his end. However, I have a pretty good understanding of the network encoder and writing networked applications; so I have the shell of the network encoder finished in .NET. Just need a free night to wrap it up -maybe this week. (I have to get my taxes done and its killing me )

[Crazedz]

Ok stealth if you get your app working or get anders to put it in his i'd be happy to be the guinee pig since it works on my setup.

[Stealth1971]

FYI - Just about done with the first pass at HDNE (HD Network Encoder) to work with the BDA plugin (and any other plugin anyone wants to develop! - Plugins can be .NET assemblies or Native DLLs). I hope to upload for testing in the next couple days. I want to get this done - SD TV is looks sooo bad!

[Crazedz]

Kewl I'll be watching for it. So your making it pluginable? In that case it should make it easier for it to be made to work with other BDA cards right?

Yeah SD does look pretty poor next to HD channels *sigh* pity theirs so few of them right now.

[Stealth1971]

Thanks everybody for helping with the test app!!!!

I am switching over to the following thread now:

http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...ad.php?t=11147

Its the link to my HDNE thread (Network encoder with the BDA driver plugin)

Stealth