SageTV V6.0.16 RC1 is Now Available

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by salsbst

I worked around this by unregistering tssplitter.ax from sagetv\common, so that the Nvidia Transport Demux kicks in instead. All my firewire recordings play back now.

Continuing my private saga. I've found that if I use SageTVDemux and Cyberlink Video under overlay, I can avoid stutter. Trouble is, the moment Sage is put to standby, it loses the ability to run this graph, and one way or the other, it locks up when Girder sends commands.

Sage hasn't responded to bug reports since several days ago. I hope it's because they're too busy fixing all of these things! I'm at the point where I've tried so many different things to fix these problems, that I need some feedback.

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by salsbst

Continuing my private saga. I've found that if I use SageTVDemux and Cyberlink Video under overlay, I can avoid stutter. Trouble is, the moment Sage is put to standby, it loses the ability to run this graph, and one way or the other, it locks up when Girder sends commands.

Sage hasn't responded to bug reports since several days ago. I hope it's because they're too busy fixing all of these things! I'm at the point where I've tried so many different things to fix these problems, that I need some feedback.

Solved the Girder issue. Sage doesn't like SendMessage when it's in overlay mode. It's ok with PostMessage, but SendMessage causes lockups. Lockups can be solved by touching the mouse or keyboard, but again, once these happen, something in the rendering graph changes and then I get stuttering again (my guess is that it is ditching PowerDVD's video decoder in favor of some other decoder).

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by Deadbolt

Is there a standalone USB style Placeshifter 6.0.16 that doesn't need to be installed to be run?

Install it once and then copy the contents of Program Files\SageTV\Placeshifter onto a USB flash stick and you're all set.

[nielm]

Originally Posted by jlindborg

Yeah, but setting the aspect ration to full and having the pictures try and fill your 16x9 screen makes them look all wonky... everyone is short and fat (shorter and fatter than normal that is).

Video Aspect Ratio does not affect Pictures.

Since 6.0 Sage has the ability to specify the Display Aspect Ratio (setup->Detailed->MultiMedia->Display AR) so that you can tell sage that no matter what your pixel aspect ratio is, your display's aspect ratio is 16x9, and so Sage will display all pictures and fonts 'squarely'. (this is even with 'enlarge to fit screen' enabled)

[mattritchie]

I haven't read through this entire thread, so this may have already been reported, but I'm having problems changing channels with RC1. I can either move one up or down or pick one in the program guide, and the screen displays "no signal."

If I get out of the main screen, and - say - play a video or something, and then come back to "Live TV" then I find it has properly changed channels to where I want it.

I'm using a WinTV 150 with the IR Blaster. This aspect of it worked fine in prior releases.

[Enormous]

I have noticed the performance improvements on the MVP (quicker boot time, more responsive within screens). But when I change between screens it seems to take longer than it used to. In fact, I find myself wondering if the MVP missed my remote input somehow, and I start pressing up or down to see if the cursor will move on the current screen. Is anyone else noticing a delay when switching screens?

P.S. Is there a way to enable even more verbose logging than is currently output with the betas? I'm trying to track down another problem with CPU utilization, but when the CPU goes crazy, nothing is output to the logs.

[SHS]

Any one had any luck getting Placeshifter to work on new ver of SuSE 10.2?

[salsbst]

Is there a definitive way to determine that FSE is in effect?

Overlay looks like puke and is causing at least two additional problems, but at least it plays smoothly. I miss VMR9!

I'm suspicious that my problems with rendering HDTV/VMR9 in v6 may be caused by SageTV whiffing on FSE. Is there something in Sage's log file that can be trusted as correct? I know it says, "turning on FSE" or something like that, but is that entry (don't remember exactly what it is offhand) definitive that FSE is working? Is there some other way to determine that Sage has exclusively and correctly grabbed the screen?

[srothwell]

Originally Posted by salsbst

Solved the Girder issue. Sage doesn't like SendMessage when it's in overlay mode. It's ok with PostMessage, but SendMessage causes lockups. Lockups can be solved by touching the mouse or keyboard, but again, once these happen, something in the rendering graph changes and then I get stuttering again (my guess is that it is ditching PowerDVD's video decoder in favor of some other decoder).

What version of Girder are you using? I'm still using 3.3 (no reason to upgrade) and I'm running RC1 and have never had a problem with Girder with overlay.

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by srothwell

What version of Girder are you using? I'm still using 3.3 (no reason to upgrade) and I'm running RC1 and have never had a problem with Girder with overlay.

I don't know what version I'm on, but it's one of the commercial/paid for versions. How do you communicate with Sage? SendMessage plugin? If so, are you posting or sending the messages? In my version, there is a checkbox under the settings for the sendmessage commands to control whether messages are "posted" or "sent".

[srothwell]

Originally Posted by salsbst

I don't know what version I'm on, but it's one of the commercial/paid for versions. How do you communicate with Sage? SendMessage plugin? If so, are you posting or sending the messages? In my version, there is a checkbox under the settings for the sendmessage commands to control whether messages are "posted" or "sent".

I'm not home right now and don't have access to the server but I'll check. I'm pretty sure it's send.

Stacy

[nielm]

Originally Posted by salsbst

How do you communicate with Sage? SendMessage plugin? If so, are you posting or sending the messages? In my version, there is a checkbox under the settings for the sendmessage commands to control whether messages are "posted" or "sent".

Theoretically Sage should not be able to see any difference between Sent and Posted messages, so I am surprised to see the results you were getting!

SendMessage waits for Sage to process the message and return a result , while PostMessage does not wait: it just sends the message and continues. The same message handler will be used for both...

Therefore if Sage is being slow at processing messages, using Send can cause Girder to hang waiting for a response.

Is there a definitive way to determine that FSE is in effect?

My quick+dirty method is to open TaskManager and enable AlwaysOnTop, then make sage go fullscreen. If FSE is working, you not be able to see Task Manager.
Alternatively, trigger a program to be run (from within Sage, or via a remote command) when it is in fullscreen: if it is in FSE, it will minimise itself when it loses focus.

[cummings66]

My problems have returned as well, I agree that something is broken with VMR9 and it's causing these problems. I sincerely hope that the RC1 is followed by something that's got this SERIOUS bug fixed. I know they've got several bug reports on it, I just hope they take it serious.

I don't believe there is anything we can do to solve it from our end, it's got to be some programming bug. I too have noticed in overlay it seems to lose the ability to use the codec again, so I'm more convinced than ever that something is broken.

Please people, if you have this problem and have not reported it, do so now. I don't want to see Sage released with this bug intact.

[lovingHDTV]

I updated two days ago and am now seeing issues playing back HD shows. It appears to only affect HD recordings, or at least I've not had any issues with SD recordings.

I'll be watching a recording and Sage will just hang. No spinny icon, nothing. I hit stop, then play again it will play fine as if nothing was ever wrong. This has happened on every HD recording I've watched since updating. I playback on my client.

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by nielm

Theoretically Sage should not be able to see any difference between Sent and Posted messages, so I am surprised to see the results you were getting!

SendMessage waits for Sage to process the message and return a result , while PostMessage does not wait: it just sends the message and continues. The same message handler will be used for both...

Therefore if Sage is being slow at processing messages, using Send can cause Girder to hang waiting for a response.

IIRC, one SendMessage gets through (i.e. Sage reacts to the first one) and then things hang, as if Sage swallows the first SendMessage, causing Girder to hang waiting for the response. I can just use PostMessage, so this one isn't a big deal to me. I reported this problem because I suspect it might be related to my other overlay problem (which I think could be called "stutter after losing focus").

My quick+dirty method is to open TaskManager and enable AlwaysOnTop, then make sage go fullscreen. If FSE is working, you not be able to see Task Manager.
Alternatively, trigger a program to be run (from within Sage, or via a remote command) when it is in fullscreen: if it is in FSE, it will minimise itself when it loses focus.

I'll give that a try. Thanks!

[Narflex]

Originally Posted by justme

Better, but...

The title pretty much says it all, unfortunately. I did see an improvement in 16's ability to parse some of my "trouble" OGM's durations correctly. However many are still importing as too long. This is even after a deletion of the wiz.bin and wiz.bak. One of the files I'm having an improper duration is from the series "Hellsing". I'm almost certian I uploaded ep 1 of Hellsing to your FTP for my Bug report of 15. So you might want to check that file and see if it shows up as being 22min 35sec long(correct duration) or 1hr 12 min(what Sage shows it's duration as).

INFO:I'm using the always use Dshow player setting on this machine and CCCP for Dshow playback, if that makes any difference.

I'll do some more testing on a different machine and try using Sage's internal mplayer, in the morning. I'm short on time tonight, but I wanted to give you a quick heads-up. Especially since you may still have a "trouble" file to test on your FTP(under "From Justme"). Of course I'll file an official bug report tommorrow after I get a little more data. However feel free to just send me an email(requesting anything) to continue our current dialog if you wish.

Thanks for all your hardwork on this issue. I really appreciate all the effort on your part.

/justme

We've fixed this now. It'll be in the next build that comes out.

[salsbst]

Re: how to tell if FSE is engaged...

Originally Posted by nielm

My quick+dirty method is to open TaskManager and enable AlwaysOnTop, then make sage go fullscreen. If FSE is working, you not be able to see Task Manager.
Alternatively, trigger a program to be run (from within Sage, or via a remote command) when it is in fullscreen: if it is in FSE, it will minimise itself when it loses focus.

TaskManager won't display along with Sage, so Sage is at least attempting to grab FSE. I'm still not convinced that it's doing so succesfully, but we have a data point.

I'd like to try triggering another program, but I've run out of time. I've spent way too much time trying to recover from the v6 upgrade, and my job and my family need to take priority for now. I hope to get back to SageTV soon.

[blade]

Originally Posted by salsbst

TaskManager won't display along with Sage, so Sage is at least attempting to grab FSE. I'm still not convinced that it's doing so succesfully, but we have a data point.

You can use fraps if you aren't already and it will display the fps. For video content it should be 60 and film it will be 24. I'm not having any problems with SD, but with HD I sometimes can only get 40-44 fps. Sometimes after a reboot I can get a solid 60 fps without any problems and other times I'm still stuck at around 40-44 or even lower. This is on the same test clips so it's not a difference in content.

Something is wrong somewhere. I just wasn't sure if it was Sage or something with my drivers or decoder.

[cummings66]

Without a doubt it's Sage. I figured out something I think, since tech support has gone awol I've dug into the debug log and found an interesting thing. Right after it enables FSE it will sometimes disable it. I've also noticed it disable it while absolutely nothing is going on, for example today around noon it got disabled and sure enough an HD recording stuttered badly. I exited Sage, restarted it and the recording played back fine. The logs did not show it being disabled.

I think for some reason Sage is turning off FSE without good cause, I hope RC2 has this issue fixed, or else I'm really worried. This is a MAJOR bug that needs squashed, and I didn't see any hint in the readme that it was.

[blade]

Originally Posted by cummings66

I think for some reason Sage is turning off FSE without good cause, I hope RC2 has this issue fixed, or else I'm really worried. This is a MAJOR bug that needs squashed, and I didn't see any hint in the readme that it was.

I don't think it's as simple as Sage turning off FSE. According to what salsbst said Sage is still using FSE. Also if you use fraps you can see the actual framerate. With FSE enabled I'm typically getting 42-44 fps. If I actually turn it off I'm only getting 18-22 fps. So I have no doubts that FSE is doing something. If it wasn't for the fact that sometimes I get perfectly smooth playback at the full 60 fps I would just think my video card wasn't up to the task.

BTW the 60 fps is what you should expect with the Nvidia decoder. I didn't mention that before.