Audio rendering problem with client + HDPVR?

[mihooper]

I cannot watch any content from my HDPVR when using my SageTV client because I consistently get the error "There was a problem rendering the audio portion of the content for playback". However, I *can* watch content from my HD Home Run tuner. What am I doing wrong?

[ghostlobster]

Did you install the Arcsoft package on your client? If not, you need to.

[mihooper]

Did you install the Arcsoft package on your client? If not, you need to.

I'm sorry. I have no idea what you are talking about. I installed SageTV on my server and SageTV Client on my laptop. They don't work together. How hard can this be? Is there some secret undocumented installation process that I missed in the (lack of) documentation?

[paulbeers]

Originally Posted by mihooper

I'm sorry. I have no idea what you are talking about. I installed SageTV on my server and SageTV Client on my laptop. They don't work together. How hard can this be? Is there some secret undocumented installation process that I missed in the (lack of) documentation?

Because of the HDPVR and its somewhat irregular way it records video, you need to have the software that came with the HDPVR installed on your client so that Sage can use the video decoders to render the video on your client. Tranditional video renderers such as the Sage renderers that came with Sage do not handle decoding h.264 videos well (or at all). This isn't a secret at all. There are many threads here on these forums all about how to get the HDPVR to playback properly and studder free.

[babgvant]

Make sure you update the driver for the HDPVR, the OOTB one is not so good (and it only encodes audio to AAC).

[mihooper]

Guys...thanks for your help, but, I'm sorry, this is frustrating as heck. From what I gather from your posts, I *should* be able to watch my HDPVR recorded content from my SageTV client....correct?

Because of the HDPVR and its somewhat irregular way it records video, you need to have the software that came with the HDPVR installed on your client so that Sage can use the video decoders to render the video on your client

The error message is telling me there is a problem with *audio* rendering, not video.

Tranditional video renderers such as the Sage renderers that came with Sage do not handle decoding h.264 videos well (or at all)

So, which is it? not well....or not at all? *Should* I be able to view content from HDPVR on the SageTV client?

There are many threads here on these forums all about how to get the HDPVR to playback properly and studder free.

I don't have a problem with playing "properly" or studder (sic). I have a problem that it won't paly *at all*. It continues to tell me I have an audio rendering problem .....somewhere....! And, should it be necessary to search all of these threads to get basic interoperability working between standard products? This is maddening. The lack of concise, logical documentation is very frustrating. This product is for geeks only, who have lots of time and patience to search thru endless threads to get something so basic as client/server interoperablity working between standard supported products.

Did you install the Arcsoft package on your client?

Sorry, but I don't know what the "Arcsoft package" is. I did temporarily connect my HDPVR to my client and installed the application & drivers from the CD that came with the HDPVR. But it did not get rid of the audio rendering error message.

Make sure you update the driver for the HDPVR, the OOTB one is not so good (and it only encodes audio to AAC).

What is "OOTB"? What is AAC and why does it matter? Is there some incompatiblity between SageTV and the HDPVR applications?

I'm sorry to rant here guys, but as you can tell, I'm very frustrated with SageTV. I have been trying to get this thing tweaked for months. I've thrown up my hands several times giving up. The *real* problem is lack of succinct, logical, coherent, localized documentation. There are bits and pieces scattered here and there, and if you have the time and patience to search and search, you can make things work. But, this the thing isn't a product.....it's a hobby.

[vexhold]

Hey mihooper

Take a chill pill dude. These people are trying to help you. If you need them to "dumb down" their "geek speak" ask em. And if you are really that frustrated to be thrashing the name of the product maybe it is time to throw in the towel and move on to Windows Media player. (but HD-PVR definatly doesnt work with that)

SageTV has a TON of functionality and to have it must require alot of hands on customization.

To have exact documentation on "how to make it work like butta" would require every user in the world to have the EXACT same computer specs, the EXACT same tv service and the EXACT same understanding of the technology.

Think thats going to happen...um no.

So heres your option... either slow down and except their help... or adios bucko.

Either way, dont piss off the people trying to help and wreck it for the rest of us who know how to be polite be and patient for answers.

[babgvant]

I completely understand the frustration; we're all in the same boat together. I think the biggest problem is that it wasn't clear that HD PVR support in Sage is still very much a work in progress. I'm very satisfied with the efforts and support I've received from Sage, even when it doesn't work right I know they are doing something.

OOTB = Out Of The Box
AAC = Advanced Audio Codec

Get the latest beta driver from hauppauge's site. Even though it's "Beta" it's much more stable (i.e. no more random lockups) and you get AC3 (Dolby Digital) audio. There's nothing wrong with AAC per se, but it's not as well supported by audio decoders so you have to use the ArcSoft one, and it can't be passed through to the receiver so mulit-channel audio is a PITA (or not possible).

[babgvant]

And get the updated demuxer (from the beta forum), I don't know if the one listed is the most recent one, but when I reported an issue with it support sent me a couple different versions and the one I have know works great!