Can PS3 or MVP play HD-PVR streams?

[stuckless]

I'm thinking of getting a PS3 for christmas. I was wondering if any one had any success playing HD-PVR .ts files on the PS3? Also, so the PS3 play divx, xvid, and mkv formats?

And... I have a MVP, and I was wondering if the MVP could play HD streams if they are in MPEG2 format? ie, if I transcode my HD-PVR recordings into MPEG2 HD streams, could the MVP play them? BTW, yeah, I have a HD extender as well... I use it, i love it, but I wanted to make use of the MVP as well, if I could.

Thanks

[stanger89]

The MVP only plays SD MPEG-2, anything else is transcoded by the server.

If you transcoded HD PVR recordings to MPEG-2 the MVP might work if you've got enough horsepower for the server to transcode that HD MPEG-2 into SD MPEG-2.

[stuckless]

If you transcoded HD PVR recordings to MPEG-2 the MVP might work if you've got enough horsepower for the server to transcode that HD MPEG-2 into SD MPEG-2.

I guess with the lack of an official answer, I'll have to transcode a show and see what happens.

Thanks.

[stuckless]

FYI, I transcoded a 1hr recorded show from the HD-PVR into a mpeg2 file of the same resolution (1280x720). The process took 91minutes on my quad core, allowing ffmpeg to use 3 cpus. The MVP was able to play it without issue.

I guess i'll setup a cron task to run nightly to convert my HD recorded shows to mpeg2, so that I can use my MVP in the other room.

[rerooks]

If I play shows encoded on my HD-Homerun on my wired MVP, they look great (Q6600 processor). If I play video recorded on my HD-PVR, it stutters so badly that it is unwatchable. In fact, my processor upgrade didn't help (from a Athlon 3800 X2), which seems to be in-line with the comment on this thread:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...37&postcount=6

The HD-PVR encodes in H.264, some sort of mpeg-4 format, right? What does the HD-Homerun use? Why is video recorded from the HD-Homerun so much smoother?

The previous post indicated that the H-264 could be re-encoded to make it smoother using ffmpeg. How exactly is this done? What format do I re-encode it to? As a side issue, my current filenames are with a .ts extension. Would I just give it the same extension so wiz.bin can find the file?

Are there any updates on whether the development team is working with the new ffmpeg to get H.264 transcoding working so that we can use our MVPs with a sufficiently fast processor?

[stuckless]

i use the following to convert my .ts files into dvd quality mpg files...

 ffmpeg -i Chaotic-FightingFriendly-1528717-0.ts -target ntsc-dvd -acodec mp2 -ab 192 -ac 2 -ar 48000 -b 4096 -r 29.97 -s 720x480 -vcodec mpeg2video Chaotic-FightingFriendly-1528717-0.ts.mpg

You can change the size to 1280x720 if you want to keep the original HD size.

[stanger89]

The HDHR just captures the bitstream, which is MPEG2. H.264 could easilly be an order of magnitude (at least 3-4x) more processor intensive than MPEG-2

[rerooks]

I appreciate both of your comments.

Now a follow-up question to ffmpeg.

I downloaded it, and put it in my directory. I am running WHS.

When I tried to run the command as described, I get an error "Error while opening codec for input stream". The input stream is audio, and according to ffmpeg:

Input #0, mpegts, from 'e:\Bones-YanksintheUK-3230478-0.ts':
Duration: 00:59:57.16, start: 0.387044, bitrate: 12497 kb/s
Program 1
Stream #0.0[0x1011]: Video: h264, yuv420p, 1920x1080 [PAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 29.97 tb(r)
Stream #0.1[0x1100]: Audio: aac, s16

So, I would assume that I need a decoder for aac and s16 (whatever s16 is). I downloaded a decoder for aac (CoreAAC), but I still get the error. I don't know how to get the s16 decoder.

Am I on the right track? Do I just install these codes? Are they supposed to be directshow codecs?

[stuckless]

Maybe someone on windows can help with the codec stuff. Under linux it just worked? I don't recall installing any additional codecs. I thought that ffmpeg came with its own codecs, but I could be wrong.

[gplasky]

I would think you need to wait until ffmpeg supports aac. I don't think it uses external codecs. Or maybe use the new driver for HD-PVR. That way your audio would be AC3 which maybe ffmpeg supports. (I don't know.)

Gerry

[rerooks]

stuckless,

Based on your reply, I assume that you did your transcoding in linux. When you did this, did your audio stream have aac (and that s16?).
I am putting together a Fedora platform right now so I can try using ffmpeg in linux. I saw how there is instructions to put ffmpeg on via SVN and I also saw links to use FAAD2 for decoding aac. So, based upon gplasky's reply, I am not sure that these downloaded codecs are useful.
I saw how the beta drivers for the HD-PVR are out now, so I may try that route as well.

Ray

[vexhold]

Just thought I would add this excerpt from the new Beta Driver for the HD PVR

All HD PVRs can be upgraded to support Dolby 5.1 audio through the SPDIF port on the back of the HD PVR. Your set top box needs to have an SPDIF output if you want to record audio in a 5.1 format.

In addition, this version of HD PVR software supports new features such as: record to M2TS for playback on the Sony PS3,

To install, download and unzip the file and run “hcwdriverinstall.exe”.

NOTE: The current version of Arcsoft Total Media Extreme can not burn AVCHD disks with 5.1 audio, the audio will be transcoded to AC3 2 Channel. An updated version of Arcsoft Total Media Extreme will be available mid October with full 5.1 disk burning support. TV programs recorded today with 5.1 audio will be able to be burnt to disk when the new TME comes out.

File name: HDPVR1.0.3.53Beta.zip
Date: Sept. 23, 2008
File size: 4 MB

Hope this helps some.

[stuckless]

Yeah I transcode under linux, Ubuntu 8.04.

I honestly don't know what my audio format is... I do know that I am not using the digital out on the HDPVR, but it is on my list of things to get working at some point, but since I don't have a true surround sound system... i didn't see the need to use the digital audio.

[rerooks]

I installed the new drivers last night, and I programmed my SA 8300 HDC to output in 720p (since my HDTV is 720p). From my MVP, I actually can almost watch the recordings, as they don't stutter so much. I don't know if it is because it is 720p and is easier to transcode, or if it is because it is AC3 and is easier to decode than AAC. I guess I should have done it in steps. I may try and bump up the processor speed.

In the meantime, I ran ffmpeg on the resulting .ts file with the AC3 audio, and it worked great. It would't use more than one thread, but it is running about 28 fps, which is close to realtime (Q6600). I am assuming that SageTV will find the *.ts.mpg file if I rename/delete the *.ts file. When I get home I will try it.

One more point, I am using component audio. I could not get any audio off the TOSlink. I don't know if it is my SA 8300 HDC box, or the input in my HD-PVR. I am switching to FIOSTV (from Time Warner, the old Adelphia in Buffalo) in a little over two weeks, so I will try it then.

[rerooks]

Taking the advice here, I have put my solution together. I have switched to the new HD-PVR drivers and that allows me to get AC3 audio. I normally don't watch live TV, but record what I wish to watch. Many channels I get over my standard PVR-150s and my HD Homerun. For those channels that are encrypted, I have set up a perl script to transcode them. I am using ffmpeg for transcoding.

I downloaded ActivePerl (free) on my WHS box, and then I run the following script:

$start = time;
$input = $ARGV[0];
system("ffmpeg -threads 3 -y -i $input -target ntsc-dvd -acodec ac3 -ab 192k -b 8192k -r 29.97 -s 1280x720 -vcodec mpeg2video $input.tmp");
system("del $input");
$filename = substr($input,0,-3);
system("move $input.tmp $input");
open TEXT, "+>", $filename . ".trans";
printf TEXT "Transcoding Complete\n";
$elapsed = time - $start;
printf TEXT "Time Elapsed: $elapsed\n";
close(TEXT);
sleep 10;

The last sleep call lets me see how it did in case there was an error. It gives me a second to see the text screen. Note that I have to rename the file to the same as the original file name (.ts), since sage looks for that filename.

I then use Dirmon2 from Dragon Global to run my script.

I then use Showanalyzer, also from Dragon Global to scan it for commercials, but I wait for 2 hours before I do that, to give the transcoding a chance to take place. Note that the transcoding on my Q6600 is pretty much real time, meaning that once I have finished the recording, it takes 1 hour to process a 1 hour show.

One last thing...since I cannot seem to use ffmpeg on the AAC files (audio, and made before the latest drivers for the HD-PVR were available), I avoid transcoding those by making the files hidden. Dirmon2 has a box to ignore hidden files.

The end result is that I can now watch my shows recorded on my HD-PVR on my MVP, and it is very smooth.

[rerooks]

Arggh! The above works great on my MVP, but this weekend I went upstairs to my HDTV box with my STX HD100, and it can't seem to play the video files that will play on my MVP. No errors, just the video doesn't play. Any thoughts? You can see the format on the script. I would think that the extension of .ts wouldn't make a difference.

[rerooks]

Does anyone have an idea why the video won't play on the STX HD100? Should I put in a support request? (It is a bit outside of normal sage operation, so I don't know if they would help).

[stuckless]

Unfortunately I can't help. I have transcoded .ts files, using a similar ffmpeg command line that you use, and played them back on both the HD Extender and the MVP... so far, cross my fingers, i haven't had any issues.

[rerooks]

One thing that I have noticed is that when playing the transcoded files is that they are still labled in Sage as H.264 encoded. I would assume that is because of a setting inside of wiz.bin. When you go to look at the Detailed Info of the file you are playing, does it still indicate H.264 encoding? Also, do you have to keep the same extension of .ts so Sage can find it?

Thank you for your responses!

[stuckless]

Also, do you have to keep the same extension of .ts so Sage can find it?

Actually, when I transcode, I keep the original in the recorded menu and I put the transcoded file in my media library. So I have to go looking for the transcoded file when I play it.