SageTV MPEG Video Decoder Overlay for 2nd monitor?

[luckya]

Currently I'm getting my best playback using the SageTV MPEG Video Decoder with overlay as the video renderer. Smooth as ice, stutter free, 15-25% CPU usage. But unfortunately it only works on my primary monitor. I can switch to cyberlink PDVD8 and get overlay playback on my second monitor, but the CPU usage goes up (~50%) and there are occasional slight stutters.

I'd really like to be able to use the SageTV decoder for a second monitor, but it doesn't look like a current possibility. Does anyone know if overlay for a second monitor might be a possibility for the SageTV decoder? I am surprised to come across this issue in Vista 64 since I thought the whole primary monitor issue was just an XP issue. Guess not.

[Ryokurin]

Overlay is typically for the primary monitor only. while cyberlink may work better on the secondary monitor in software mode, the only way to get it accelerated on both primary and secondary is to get a video card that supports it. Something your typical every day ATI or Nvidia card won't support. The only card I can recall supporting hardware accelerated overlay on primary and secondary are some very old Matrox cards.

If you have an nvidia card you can try toggling the option in the nvidia control panel to set the card from single monitor to multi monitor, but I'm not for sure it will enable hardware overlay to work on both ports

[Opus4]

Overlay doesn't need 3D acceleration on either monitor; you can use it with 3D acceleration turned off in SageTV. Use of overlay on a secondary monitor seems to depend on whether the decoder supports it, and it appears that the SageTV MPEG Video Decoder doesn't work that way. Wondering whether it was different on XP vs. Vista, I tried it on my XP system & got the same results. (I have an InterVideo decoder from a Hauppauge tuner installation that will work with overlay on a secondary monitor on XP.)

- Andy

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by luckya

I'd really like to be able to use the SageTV decoder for a second monitor, but it doesn't look like a current possibility. Does anyone know if overlay for a second monitor might be a possibility for the SageTV decoder? I am surprised to come across this issue in Vista 64 since I thought the whole primary monitor issue was just an XP issue. Guess not.

When I used WinXP, I had to use overlay, and I had to make sure any hardware acceleration options with the decoder were turned off. With that, overlay worked pretty well for standard definition, but it didn't work so well with HD.

Now I'm using Vista on my client box. There I can use VMR9 on both monitors, along with hardware acceleration, something that didn't work under XP. That really doesn't give me any problems. Have you tried using the VMR renderer, or EVR?

[luckya]

I tried disabling 3D acceleration but still got no video on either my second monitor on the same card (GeForce 8400GS) or on my TV on a separate card (GeForce 7300GT). I think it's like you said that the SageTV decoder just doesn't work on a second monitor.

I have tried both VMR and EVR with the SageTV decoder and the cyberlink decoder (and ffdshow, and coreavc, and purevideo, and windows . . .). Surprisingly enough I get varying levels of stutter with VMR and EVR. I can only get smooth playback with overlay, with the best results using the SageTV decoder. Why? Beats me. But at least overlay works.

So I guess for now I'll just drag my tool bar over and let my TV by my primary monitor. Yeah I'll have to either turn on my TV or login blind, but it sure beats the alternative of having stutter.


My specs:
Vista 64 SP1
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (1.8GHz)
6G
GeForce 8400GS
GeForce 7300GT
SDHDHR tuning OTA

[Taddeusz]

Do you have Aero in Vista disabled?

[luckya]

Nope, just Windows Vista basic

[Taddeusz]

That's the reason its working like XP. Its the Aero interface of Vista Home Premium and above that allows accelerated playback on all monitors. You should have gotten Home Premium.

[luckya]

I have Vista ultimate so Aero is available. It appears to me though that STV doesn't really like Aero. Maybe I'm mistaken in this impression.

[nyplayer]

When you disable hardware acceleration make sure that in the video/audio settings that you have the Sage Decoder to use DXVA is set to no. I use it on my secondary monitor using overlay all the time. I am using a geoforce 6200.

1. Disable hardware acceleration
2. Set overlay
3. Set sagetv Decoder
4. Set use DXVA to no.

Originally Posted by luckya

I tried disabling 3D acceleration but still got no video on either my second monitor on the same card (GeForce 8400GS) or on my TV on a separate card (GeForce 7300GT). I think it's like you said that the SageTV decoder just doesn't work on a second monitor.

I have tried both VMR and EVR with the SageTV decoder and the cyberlink decoder (and ffdshow, and coreavc, and purevideo, and windows . . .). Surprisingly enough I get varying levels of stutter with VMR and EVR. I can only get smooth playback with overlay, with the best results using the SageTV decoder. Why? Beats me. But at least overlay works.

So I guess for now I'll just drag my tool bar over and let my TV by my primary monitor. Yeah I'll have to either turn on my TV or login blind, but it sure beats the alternative of having stutter.


My specs:
Vista 64 SP1
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (1.8GHz)
6G
GeForce 8400GS
GeForce 7300GT
SDHDHR tuning OTA

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

When you disable hardware acceleration make sure that in the video/audio settings that you have the Sage Decoder to use DXVA is set to no. I use it on my secondary monitor using overlay all the time. I am using a geoforce 6200.

I missed that setting when I tested & posted above. When I disabled DXVA for the SageTV MPEG decoder, it works when using overlay on my secondary monitor. 3D Acceleration can be on or off. (Of course, this is XP Pro, not Vista.)

- Andy

[luckya]

Thanks, I tried disabling DXVA and it definitely works for getting video on a second monitor. Unfortunately my CPU usage goes to 97% with common stutters. So until I get a more powerful CPU I guess I'll just stick to overlay with STV mpeg decoder and DXVA enabled. Yeah that means my TV is my primary monitor, but I get smooth playback this way which is what it's all about.