Playback h.264 HD on MVP/Placeshifter

[HawgGuy]

Is anyone able to transcode r5000-hd streams for playback on the MVP or Placeshifter? I can get sound on the Placeshifter, but no video. Is there any way to tweak the transcoder to handle these streams?

[SpiffyRex]

Congratulations, I don't even get sound in the Placeshifter. But mpeg-2 SD/HD plays just fine. Looking at CPU and network utilzation been nearly 0% in the Placeshifter machine, it's clear that the transcoder in the SageTV MC is not sending anything. Hope they fix this by the time the HD Media Extender is available.

[HawgGuy]

Same here. MPEG-2 HD files transcode & stream perfectly, it's just those nasty h.264, PAFF interlaced r5000-hd streams from Dish that are the problem.

[chrisc16]

Here too. My MVPs won't play any h.264 files from my Dish R5000 receiver. I really hope the HD extender can work with these files...

-Chris

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by SpiffyRex

Hope they fix this by the time the HD Media Extender is available.

As noted in the other thread, it's all but confirmed that the extender will natively support H.264. There should be no transcoding except for the most exotic formats.

[SpiffyRex]

Are you referring to the SageTV Media Extender thread started by Narflex?

Q: What makes it better than the one from CES? (I'm predicting this will be asked)

-HDMI output instead of DVI
-1080p upscaled output
-H.264 decoding (bitstream requirements will be announced later)
-Animations...just like the ones mentioned here: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27516

I'm not sure he meant native hardware decoding. Can only hope you are right. However, what we are concerned about is the non-standard h.264 PAFF interlaced streams from DishNetwork VIP211/r5000HD mod. HawgGuy already pop the question and chrisc16 and others let them know he's not alone. No definitive answers though.
Now, if the SageTV MC could convert that to standard h.264 and send it to the HD extender... I would be one happy customer, more than once! Heck I settle down for the SageTV MV converting it to mpeg-2 and sending it to the SD or HD extender.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by SpiffyRex

Are you referring to the SageTV Media Extender thread started by Narflex?

Yup, that's exactly the one.

I'm not sure he meant native hardware decoding. Can only hope you are right. However, what we are concerned about is the non-standard h.264 PAFF interlaced streams from DishNetwork VIP211/r5000HD mod.

The HD extender they demo'd at last CES, was (by all appearances) based on Snazio Net Cinema HD hardware, which according to the specs is based on the Sigma EM8620L SOC, which (as I just posted in the other thread) supports H.264 BP@L3, MP@L4, and HP@L4, all of which include both PicAFF and MBAFF interlacing.

It would seem that the most likely scenario is that the "real" HD extender will support at least that.

One last thing to keep in mind, CE equipment (based on SOCs and ASICs) doesn't have a bit of trouble with PAFF interlacing, the extender is a CE device built on (most likely) the same SOCs, or at least, similar ones.

Oh, and don't expect any transcoding of HD, I bet 99% of people here don't have a machine that can decode and encode H.264 simultaneously in real time.

[chrisc16]

Originally Posted by stanger89

One last thing to keep in mind, CE equipment (based on SOCs and ASICs) doesn't have a bit of trouble with PAFF interlacing, the extender is a CE device built on (most likely) the same SOCs, or at least, similar ones.

That's a good point, after all, the chip(s) that Dish uses in their mpeg4-capable receivers are certainly capable of decoding the stream. And I would imagine that they're probably using an off-the-shelf part.

-Chris

[stanger89]

Yeah, I guess my main point is, it seems some here seem to be assuming the extender won't work for some reason. But there doesn't seem to be any real reason for that assumption, I mean, we know almost with certainty, that the extender they demod at CES was based on the EM8620L, and Sigma publishes all the specs for it. And beyond that,

Originally Posted by Narflex

The box will not be the same as the one we demoed at CES; it's better.

So basically I expect something functionally equivalent to the current extender (DVDs, and the like) but with the addtional horsepower of an EM8620L or maybe EM8630 decoder/SOC. That's a very exciting combo

[SpiffyRex]

Yeah, I guess my main point is, it seems some here seem to be assuming the extender won't work for some reason.

Well, these are the reasons for me to have some doubts: It's not working in the current SD extender or Placeshifter and nothing is been done about it. The question about HD extender support has been asked before in several threads with no answer. It has been a real PITA to get the proper combination of decoders, video cards, and drivers to get this h.264 playback in the SageTV MC or Client even on video cards with hardware h.264 decoding. Finally, nobody has posted this info before:

The HD extender they demo'd at last CES, was (by all appearances) based on Snazio Net Cinema HD hardware, which according to the specs is based on the Sigma EM8620L SOC, which (as I just posted in the other thread) supports H.264 BP@L3, MP@L4, and HP@L4, all of which include both PicAFF and MBAFF interlacing.

Which is music to my ears.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by SpiffyRex

Well, these are the reasons for me to have some doubts: It's not working in the current SD extender or Placeshifter and nothing is been done about it.

I realize people aren't even getting video, but I'd be surprised if many here have the server horsepower to transcode H.264 for the extender.

The question about HD extender support has been asked before in several threads with no answer. It has been a real PITA to get the proper combination of decoders, video cards, and drivers to get this h.264 playback in the SageTV MC or Client even on video cards with hardware h.264 decoding.

We should realize that a hardware device would not have the issue of half-baked drivers and decoders, companies like Sigma simply can't afford it.

Finally, nobody has posted this info before:

The bulk came from this thread:
http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...ghlight=snazio

[SpiffyRex]

Yup, I followed that thread for a while but nobody mentioned the magic words, "supports H.264 BP@L3, MP@L4, and HP@L4, all of which include both PicAFF and MBAFF interlacing". Maybe I just missed it. Thanks for making that clear.

Man, the more I think about it the more excited I get. I'm so glad I didn't upgrade my video card and waited to hear more about the HD extender. Think about it, if you are building a client: minimum upgrade cost $150 for a good HD video card, $30 for IR receiver/remote, and $30 for a license = $210. And we are not talking about codecs or other upgrades which make a $200 to $250 HD extender really cost efficient.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by SpiffyRex

Yup, I followed that thread for a while but nobody mentioned the magic words, "supports H.264 BP@L3, MP@L4, and HP@L4, all of which include both PicAFF and MBAFF interlacing". Maybe I just missed it. Thanks for making that clear.

Well those exact words took a bit of research into what profiles/levels the 8620L supported and what those profiles/levels mean.