Problem with QAM recordings

[icon123]

I think I solved my problem. See bottom of thread for solution.

I am having problems with my QAM recordings and I haven't seen anything like this via search. Hopefully someone can help me out. I will just try to list the facts since I am new to Sage and have only recorded a few shows. The bottom line is the shows stop at a certain point within the program for no apparent reason and will not continue:

• It appears that the whole recording is there ~ 5-6 gigs and the HD200 says its an hour long.

• The show actually freezes and the time keeps on going. Where in the show it freezes is random.

• The program stops at the same point when I view it on my laptop via VLC or WMP or placeshifter or a HD200.

• VLC says American Idol is only 5 minutes long and only increments time once every 12 s. WMP says American Idol is only 39 minutles long. Both stop around the 15 to 20 min mark.

• I have sucessfully recorded QAM shows, but I would say it has between a 50 - 75% failure rate.

• I was also sucessful recording and playing back a 3 hour hockey game via analog cable.

• This has happened with 6.5.9 and 6.5.13 with SageMC and without. Right now I started from scratch and running a plain vanalia 6.5.9.

• I'm using a dedicated WHS with a 2250 tuner card. This problem has happened with drivers 86, 90, 91.

• I have no problems watching live QAM or with any stutering or other playback symptoms.

If I can think of anything else, I will post it here. I hope someone can help me. My wife hates this thing and wants me to take it back. I don't have the heart to tell her I just bought another HD200 and it will be here on Friday. Thanks for your help.

[Opus4]

It isn't clear to me: is the problem only on analog recordings? (Edit: of course, the title says 'QAM'...) See if this FAQ helps.


- Andy

[icon123]

Thanks Andy. I already tried that, but will have to wait until tonights recordings to see if it helped.

I don't do a lot of analog recordings, but so far, I haven't had any problems with them.

It appears that I only have problems with QAM recordings, not all of them, but most of them.

I turned the log on just to be proactive and I have submitted to Sage support.

Is there any software I can use to scan the media files that are causing problems to see why they don't play all the way through?

Thanks again for all your help (including the other threads). It's like I wasn't made to go the Sage route.

[Opus4]

I should have more closely read the thread title where it says "Problem with QAM recordings". I don't know that the FAQ will do anything for that issue.

I'm not familiar enough with that tuner, so I'll leave this for someone using that tuner or for support to get back to you.

- Andy

[sflamm]

I believe this is the same problem I (and others) have reported previously.

Recordings made by SageTV are not able to be played back on VLC or WMP correctly.

I filed a bug report but have not heard anything back.

[icon123]

Originally Posted by sflamm

I believe this is the same problem I (and others) have reported previously.

Recordings made by SageTV are not able to be played back on VLC or WMP correctly.

I filed a bug report but have not heard anything back.

After reviewing some of your threads, I don't think this is the same thing. Mine start to play within Sage and then stop playing. I can play any of my Sage files with WMC or VLC fiine until I get to the point of a program where it just stops. And when it stops, the video just freezes with no audio, but the time keeps going.

[icon123]

It did it again tonight with American Idol. About 20 min. into it, it gives me the circle of death and that's it. I thought maybe it was my tuner #1 that was giving me problems, but was proved wrong by tonights disapointment. BTW, my signals for both tuners are good.

[icon123]

Well, I think I solved my problem. I think it was a Java issue. I ran JavaRa on my WHS box. It cleaned up a few things and haven't had this problem since.

It would have appeared that because of this Java problem I was having, the HD200 was able to corrupt a video file while playing it. Is this possible?

[PiX64]

I was having a similiar issue with QAM recordings. I was using an HVR1600 which i know has its problems. I also tried an ATI external capture and a Pinnacle QAM internal capture. My problem existed on ALL cards and i was unable to figure out where, when, or why it was happening. I finally said forget it i am going to take all of the great advice from the Message Board Sage Experts, and get myself an HDHomerun. Once installed i have not had a single issue with QAM. No missed recordings, no messed up recordings, nada. Thanks to all of you by the way for the great advice .

My advice is to get an HDHomerun for QAM recordings.

[paulbeers]

Originally Posted by icon123

Well, I think I solved my problem. I think it was a Java issue. I ran JavaRa on my WHS box. It cleaned up a few things and haven't had this problem since.

It would have appeared that because of this Java problem I was having, the HD200 was able to corrupt a video file while playing it. Is this possible?

Let me guess, 6u12 eh? It probably wasn't corrupting the file while it was playing, most likely since the java was corrupt, Sage was failing also at the recording level and not just at the extender.

[icon123]

I'm not sure, but I don't remember putting that version on. I didn't realize Java was used on the recording level, I thought just the playback level.

It seems like if this is a well known issue (or potential), something should be done about it. I would have never of thought of a Java issue until I started to really dig in about possible Sage problems. This was at the cost of receiving a negative WAF that I don't think I will ever be able to recover from. Even the 'official' support I received said nothing about potential Java problems, although the support was pretty iffy to begin with. Thank gosh for the support forums.