Feature Request: Audio Stream & Subtitle Controls!

[lobosrul]

It's my understanding that SageTV uses mplayer for video playback (except for MPEG-2's). It would be really great if I could switch between audio streams and subtitles in the Sage GUI, like I can when using mplayer (smplayer GUI). I really don't understand why this hasn't already been implement. Also 5.1 surround playback would be nice too!

Even better would be create a menu to control Haali media splitter, but that may not be possible. Right now if I want to switch to a 2nd audio stream in an mkv(or mp4 or avi) I have to switch to Overlay mode, start the video, take Sage out of fullscreen mode, and then click on the haali media splitter icon. Note: I have to use FSE mode with VMR9 (or I get tearing), and with FSE on going between full-screen and windowed in sage restarts the video thus losing any changes I made with haali media splitter .

[Taddeusz]

I have 5.1 surround working fine through AC3Filter. If you have AC3Filter set as your audio decoder make sure to tell it how many speakers you have. Also make sure Windows is set to use that many speakers.

I've personally never had any problems with surround sound as long as everything is set correctly. Usually when surround sound stops working it's because some game or other has reset my Windows speaker settings back to stereo.

[lobosrul]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

I have 5.1 surround working fine through AC3Filter. If you have AC3Filter set as your audio decoder make sure to tell it how many speakers you have. Also make sure Windows is set to use that many speakers.

I've personally never had any problems with surround sound as long as everything is set correctly. Usually when surround sound stops working it's because some game or other has reset my Windows speaker settings back to stereo.

The built-in decoder uses AC3 filter? Right now I use dshow filters (haali splitter-ffdshow-AC3 filter) so I have surround sound working.

This is for everything but mpeg-2.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by lobosrul

The built-in decoder uses AC3 filter? Right now I use dshow filters (haali splitter-ffdshow-AC3 filter) so I have surround sound working.

This is for everything but mpeg-2.

I think the only surround sound problem I may have had in SageTV is with AAC 5.1 audio. Honestly, I don't expect better support for it. AAC is an awesome format, much better than MP3. But outside of Apple there just isn't that much support for AAC 5.1. It's unfortunate that it's really the only audio format the MP4 container can support.

Other than that, I have no problems with AC3 or DTS surround audio coming from a ripped DVD or from AVI or MKV container files. They work fine.

As far as the AAC 5.1 thing those files work fine for me from SageTV on a computer. The transcoder doesn't properly translate the 5.1 audio for the MVP. The HD Extender downmixes it to PCM stereo. But I don't have a problem with that because I don't have anything in AAC 5.1. Nor do I plan to.

[Patilan]

Originally Posted by lobosrul

It's my understanding that SageTV uses mplayer for video playback (except for MPEG-2's). It would be really great if I could switch between audio streams and subtitles in the Sage GUI, like I can when using mplayer (smplayer GUI). I really don't understand why this hasn't already been implement.

I second that!

About 15 subtitle formats are already natively supported in MPlayer, so if SageGUI just enables that, I won't need any external plugins for Sage in order to enjoy the subtitles.