Sage an NAS

[craigap]

Can sagetv access a NAS? I was thinking of putting my DVD collection into HDD storage system, but I wasn't sure if Sagetv could be setup to access the network with the NAS. All I know how to do is set up the directories for the Media center to access videos through the imported videos option.

[Addict]

Yeah. I've been running this way for a while (still in trial mode) and it seems to work just fine. You just specify a UNC path. I've even tested running my recorded shows to it, and it works well.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by craigap

Can sagetv access a NAS? I was thinking of putting my DVD collection into HDD storage system, but I wasn't sure if Sagetv could be setup to access the network with the NAS. All I know how to do is set up the directories for the Media center to access videos through the imported videos option.

Add the import dir as a UNC path. Note that if you are using service mode, you will need to configure the service to log in as a user w/a password -- more info is in Chapter 2 of the PDF manual where it talks about running service mode.

Originally Posted by Addict

Yeah. I've been running this way for a while (still in trial mode)

Your first post about using SageTV (Placeshifter) was on 4-27-2007, so you are well beyond the trial period. If you plan to continue using SageTV, you should buy the appropriate licenses.

- Andy

[craigap]

Will this also allow me access to the NAS with any MVP's I have on my system?

[SprDtyF350]

Originally Posted by craigap

Will this also allow me access to the NAS with any MVP's I have on my system?

You can access everything with an MVP except your DVD's. If you convert them to Xvid the MVP can play them. MVP's use horsepower from the main Sage server to transcode the Xvid into an mpeg the MVP understands. It works pretty well though as I may typically have 3 MVP's going with one or two watching a movie and the other a recording. AMD XP2400 with 1gb is all my server has for guts. Works good.. have the Sage server mapped to my NASLite-2 server with 1.3tb's storage. No password needed with my NAS. No problems with Sage accessing anything from it.. I do have Sage record TV shows to a drive on the Sage server though. Movies, Music, Photos are all on the NAS..

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by SprDtyF350

You can access everything with an MVP except your DVD's.

You can play your imported non-encrypted hard drive based DVDs on the MVP via SageTV. (Placeshifter is the one that does not play DVDs.)

- Andy

[SprDtyF350]

Originally Posted by Opus4

You can play your imported non-encrypted hard drive based DVDs on the MVP via SageTV. (Placeshifter is the one that does not play DVDs.)

- Andy

Cool! Just tried it and sure enough.. It plays DVD's just fine.. Seems like last time I tried there was an issue with playing the AC3 audio.. Learn something new everyday..

[lampcov]

I wish I was so lucky. I just got a SmartDisk SOHO NAS 400gb and cant seem to get it working with sage. The import is slow sagetvtranscoder.exe takes too much CPU, and sage will actually only stream a file without crashing 1 in 10 times. I don't know how much of this is network related or hardware related, but I can playback files without hassle via VLC on my Mac or media player on other pcs on the network.

Anything special in the confit other than adding the UNC path as an import directory. The files are mainly XVID.

thanks
Marc

[warrenlj]

Make sure you've got 64k clusters, as you would on your recording disks.

[lampcov]

warrenlj,

I assume that's a NAS setting, which this thing apparently doesn't allow me to control. It's pretty basic via the UI, it runs linux but I don't know how to "get into it" if you know what I mean. Are there any benchmark/diagnostic tools anyone can recommend?

Thanks,
Marc

[stevech]

Originally Posted by warrenlj

Make sure you've got 64k clusters, as you would on your recording disks.

Perhaps many/most off the shelf NAS (Linux inside) cannot do this.

An argument for using NTFS and windows for video file NAS.

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by stevech

Perhaps many/most off the shelf NAS (Linux inside) cannot do this.

An argument for using NTFS and windows for video file NAS.

Windows fileserving is a joke. A good linux implementation wipes the floor with a windows server. Look at this thread, esp. towards the end: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25709

Thanks,
mike

[lampcov]

Ok, well I've moved the nas onto a switch which only has the Sage box and the NAS and I reformatted the nas to EXT3. Here's the odd part.

If I playback files from the NAS on any other PC/MAC on the network I've got issues and they are smooth as silk.

On the SageTV box there is a brief pause, or stutter every 15 - 20 seconds during playback. This happens in Sage itself and on Media Player...So obviously it's something on the Sage box, but I'm not sure what. I've got the latest NIC drivers, the CPU usage during playback shows System Idle Process as the biggest user, and the system isn't taxed at all.

Anyone got ideas? I'm at a loss.

Marc

[RobJ]

Sounds like it might be the 16 second stutter problem, see this thread: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25196.

You might post your hardware and SageTV version. What greatly improved it for me was upgrading to SageTV v6.2.4.

There are other sources of stutter also, try a search.

[lampcov]

Thanks for the help so far. I've done some more playing around and here's what I've found.

The problem is not the 16 second stutter, hoped it was, but to no avail.

The playback issue appears to only be in DiVX/XViD files that are on the NAS drive.

I played WMV, MPG, and VOB (i know that's MPG also), all without incident from the NAS drive.

I believe the problem is hardware/codec related for the following reasons:

DiVX/XViD files on the local drives playback fine, the NAS files that stutter when played back on the SageTV machine DO NOT stutter at all when I watch them via PlaceShifter, or if I play them in WMP, DiVX Player, or Quicktime from other machines on the network.

What I have tried. I have FFDSHOW on the SageTV box, but am no expert with it. I did try swapping from default, libvacodec, and XViD with no effect. I also updated the NIC drivers just in case.

The box is an older Athlon 1700+ (1.5GHz) with 768MB of RAM. I know it's a bit underpowered, but it was the only way I could get the wife to let me try (i know, i know).

It handles everything else in stride. Any suggestions (other than "get a new pc" please) will be VERY appreciated!

Thanks for all your help!
Marc

[stevech]

If the (linux/BSD based?) NAS does or can use large file system block sizes (as windows does at 64K blocks), the I/Os per second go way down and buffering improves. This may or may not be related to the problem.

[Addict]

Originally Posted by Opus4

Your first post about using SageTV (Placeshifter) was on 4-27-2007, so you are well beyond the trial period. If you plan to continue using SageTV, you should buy the appropriate licenses.

Andy: I just saw this and for some reason feel I need to clear my name. I posted this on 5-25, less than one month after my "first post" you quoted above. So, I don't think I'm "well beyond" any trial period...whatever that period may be. I am an owner of the Sage, a Client, and a Placeshifter...and have been ever since it expired (and Sage stopped working).

[Erich in AZ]

Originally Posted by Addict

Andy: I just saw this and for some reason feel I need to clear my name. I posted this on 5-25, less than one month after my "first post" you quoted above. So, I don't think I'm "well beyond" any trial period...whatever that period may be. I am an owner of the Sage, a Client, and a Placeshifter...and have been ever since it expired (and Sage stopped working).

I think the part where you said:

Originally Posted by Addict

<snip> I've been running this way for a while (still in trial mode) and it seems to work just fine.<snip>

Made it sound like you were using the 15 day trial way past it's expiration rather than in a "testing mode" or however it might be said otherwise.

Sounds like a simple misunderstanding

[Addict]

Understood, just wanted to clarify that I wasn't being a mooch. <smile> Back to your regularly scheduled thread.

[lampcov]

Originally Posted by lampcov

Thanks for the help so far. I've done some more playing around and here's what I've found.

The problem is not the 16 second stutter, hoped it was, but to no avail.

The playback issue appears to only be in DiVX/XViD files that are on the NAS drive.

I played WMV, MPG, and VOB (i know that's MPG also), all without incident from the NAS drive.

I believe the problem is hardware/codec related for the following reasons:

DiVX/XViD files on the local drives playback fine, the NAS files that stutter when played back on the SageTV machine DO NOT stutter at all when I watch them via PlaceShifter, or if I play them in WMP, DiVX Player, or Quicktime from other machines on the network.

What I have tried. I have FFDSHOW on the SageTV box, but am no expert with it. I did try swapping from default, libvacodec, and XViD with no effect. I also updated the NIC drivers just in case.

The box is an older Athlon 1700+ (1.5GHz) with 768MB of RAM. I know it's a bit underpowered, but it was the only way I could get the wife to let me try (i know, i know).

It handles everything else in stride. Any suggestions (other than "get a new pc" please) will be VERY appreciated!

Thanks for all your help!
Marc

Back to topic.....

The NAS is Linux, but it's not open I have to way to check and/or modify the block size that I am aware of. But if this were the issue wouldn't it also effect the MPG and other files? Not just Divx/Xvid?