No AC3 Filter for MKV files

[technazz]

Originally Posted by HawgGuy

I thought that SageTV always use the Sage Splitter? When I playback in GraphEdit, the Haali icon shows up in the tray, but not when playing the same fine in SageTV.

Also, I thought there was a problem in getting SageTV to use CoreAVC's codec. Last time I tried (months ago) SageTV would always fall back to using the Cyberlink decoder for h.264 files after unsuccessfully trying to use the CoreAVC decoder. I went back and forth with Sage on this for a while, sent them logs etc to no avail.

Nope I'm using Core AVC 1.6 and AC3Filter with no problems.

Technazz

[lcddream]

I still haven't been able to figure out how to get this to work. I have tried several media players, which all pass the ac3 sound to my receiver.

No matter which settings I use in Sage.properties :

always_use_dshowplayer=true or false

for the false setting the other appropriate variables are set:
extra_mplayer_args=-afm hwac3
mplayer/audio_renderer=win32

I set the merit of ac3filter in Radlight manager under directshow filters>ac3filter to the highest level of preference, not sure if there are other merits I should change....

To make matter worse I just realized I am unable to get Sage to use my Cyberlink Video Decoder, in order to use HW acceleration on h.264 mkv files

The Cyberlink video decoder also works fine in other apps that I have tested AC3 sound in.

Am I missing something? Why is this so hard to get working? This is all on a pretty much vanilla install of Windows XP.

I have CCCP installed too....but I only resorted to that after days and days of nothing working.

[lcddream]

OK really strange, I got it all working at once...ac3 sound and hw acceleration.


Last night I apparently messed around with the merits of decoders a little too much, and inside Sage I was getting alot of tearing and other stuff like stutter which never happens.

So time to use windows restore since I just installed windows to get back to normal. It worked, for my normal content.

Today I get home from work and decide to try and get the mkv stuff working again.

I have to reinstall pdvd, after which windows media player is not playing nice with the mkv files...its not using hw acceleration. So I remove CCCP and install only the Haali media splitter. WMP still doesn't want to play nice, so I try in zoom player and force the cyberlink decoder in playback options.

Zoomplayer now plays ok...no big deal I am pretty much back to square one. I decide to fire up Sage because I changed a couple things. Try playing a file.....bingo sage passes ac3, not only that my cpu is showing only 1-5% usage(hw acceleration working).

Try another file....opposite result, ac3 is not being passed. Hmmmm weird. Try a couple more some work some don't.

Some of my files were mkv with ext changed to avi and some were mkv. The ones that were avi had detailed file information(resolution, format) most of the mkv's didn't and it seemed that most mkv's were working (not all) and most of the avi's weren't (not all).

Anyway, I got an idea that maybe I should just rename my inport folder and re-import, maybe sage was remembering something about a file or associating something that I wouldn't want.

Did this re-imported and voila! All files use hw acceleration and pass ac3 sound.

Explain that!

[talbot3]

That is very strange. I am glad you got it working.

[lcddream]

Unfortunately this stopped working again.

I installed the vsfilter, and when I went to play a mkv in Sage I got a video playback exception(didn't write it down)

So I uninstalled the filter, after that Sage would play the mkv's again but without passing the ac3 sound, or hw acceleration.

Luckily I had made an image of my C:\ drive right after I got it all working. I restore my c:\ drive and no luck still not working.

I do have a separate program files drive which I did not restore which is where Sage takes up residence, but my thinking is my problem shouldn't be in the Sage install folder right?....I did not change anything in my sage.properties file. More likely a merit issue?

So, now at this point I am ready to give up on Sage playing my mkv files properly. I decide bite the bullet and run zoomplayer as an external media player out of SageMC.

Set everything up custom keys the works. Fire up Sage hit play on an mkv file, zoom player opens up and..........plays the audio fine but only shows my jpg for the mkv file in the video field.



After a bunch of tinkering and switching up VMR9 options in Zoomplayer , I finally figure out that when the sage gui is running Zoomplayer will not display the video. As soon as I close Sage, everything works wonderfully.

What the hell? Should I just give up on this?

[technazz]

Originally Posted by lcddream

Unfortunately this stopped working again.

I installed the vsfilter, and when I went to play a mkv in Sage I got a video playback exception(didn't write it down)

So I uninstalled the filter, after that Sage would play the mkv's again but without passing the ac3 sound, or hw acceleration.

Luckily I had made an image of my C:\ drive right after I got it all working. I restore my c:\ drive and no luck still not working.

I do have a separate program files drive which I did not restore which is where Sage takes up residence, but my thinking is my problem shouldn't be in the Sage install folder right?....I did not change anything in my sage.properties file. More likely a merit issue?

So, now at this point I am ready to give up on Sage playing my mkv files properly. I decide bite the bullet and run zoomplayer as an external media player out of SageMC.

Set everything up custom keys the works. Fire up Sage hit play on an mkv file, zoom player opens up and..........plays the audio fine but only shows my jpg for the mkv file in the video field.



After a bunch of tinkering and switching up VMR9 options in Zoomplayer , I finally figure out that when the sage gui is running Zoomplayer will not display the video. As soon as I close Sage, everything works wonderfully.

What the hell? Should I just give up on this?

Try to to turn of FSE

[lcddream]

With FSE off same problem.

Side question for you Technazz, I noticed your specs list a 8500GT, and AVC 1.6 h.264x. Is that a hardware decoder?

edit: just noticed your answer above. Any reason you aren't using a hardware decoder, as your gpu supports it?

[technazz]

Originally Posted by lcddream

With FSE off same problem.

Side question for you Technazz, I noticed your specs list a 8500GT, and AVC 1.6 h.264x. Is that a hardware decoder?

edit: just noticed your answer above. Any reason you aren't using a hardware decoder, as your gpu supports it?

I guessed I havent upgraded it yet. I had an ati x1600 and I used AVC 1.6 so when I upgraded to my 8500 i didn't change the decoder.

Which decoders used hardware cyberlink?? But I think cyberlink has problems with PAFF ?? I cant remember.. I have some Dishnetwork H.264 captures that I had trouble with before.. but maybe the new versions of Sage Work with these recordings now.

HawgGuy Can you comment on the decoders that work with Dish R5000 recordings?

according the Core AVC web site


CoreAVC™ Professional Edition

coreavcPlays everything that CoreAVC Standard Edition does but adds support for everyone that needs support for SAT TV, IPTV, DVB. For the highend video zealots CoreAVC Professional Edition even supports SMP processors like the Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo, allowing for even fast multitasking while playing back high-definition CoreAVC H.264 video.

- H.264 Baseline, Main, High profile support
- Interlaced support (PAFF and MBAFF)
- SMP (multi-core CPU) support (limit 4)
- GPU support (to be added**)

[lcddream]

Yeah actually I think cyberlink is the only option at this point. And to play back mkv correctly you need the Cyberlink h264 decoder version 1.99.0.1405. Plus 1080p playback is broken at this point. Not sure what PAFF is.

I would use CoreAVC but I my system is a little slow for higher bitrates. I have a AMD 4200 X2. And I specifically got the the 8600gt for hw acceleration.

It's frustrating that Sage doesn't just work properly with these files though(especially when xvid and other files work fine). And when it does work it seems like a precarious balance where if the slightest change occurs it is thrown out of wack.

[technazz]

Originally Posted by lcddream

Yeah actually I think cyberlink is the only option at this point. And to play back mkv correctly you need the Cyberlink h264 decoder version 1.99.0.1405. Plus 1080p playback is broken at this point. Not sure what PAFF is.

I would use CoreAVC but I my system is a little slow for higher bitrates. I have a AMD 4200 X2. And I specifically got the the 8600gt for hw acceleration.

It's frustrating that Sage doesn't just work properly with these files though(especially when xvid and other files work fine). And when it does work it seems like a precarious balance where if the slightest change occurs it is thrown out of wack.

To be fair H.264 is new and lots of other apps are having troubles with playing it. When Xvid first came out I remember some troubles as well. With my system I get flawless playback. I just had some sound level issue with AC3.

Technazz