How do you add codecs to SageTV ?

[squeed]

How do you add codecs to SageTV ?

[stanger89]

What kind?

[HuMan321]

No intention of hi-jacking, but I am very interested in this also. Here is a post I have out there that is not getting any response.

Can the TyShow codec be installed to allow the viewing of .ty files? I am not sure if this is done in the software, or in the extender itself. Here is some info on the codec. Please let me know if this is something I can add, or needs to be submitted as a feature request.

TyShow is a codec that allows video files extracted from a modified TiVo to be played back in Windows using any program that supports the Microsoft Windows DirectShow multimedia framework. TyShow is not for playback of shows extracted from an unmodified TiVo using [TiVoDesktop]. TyShow plays files both standard definition shows from Series 1 and 2 TiVos and high definition shows from a Series 2 DirecTiVo; there is no Series 3 support at this time.

http://www.dvrpedia.com/TyShow

[babgvant]

On windows anything that can play using directshow can play in Sage. Assuming that the container's source filter registers itself properly it will just work w/o needing to tell Sage to do anything.

If you want Sage to import the files you'll need to tell it to (there's a line in the server properties noting which ext to import).

If you're using an extender, only containers and codecs supported by the device will play.

[squeed]

What I'm asking is, when you go into detailed setup, video/audio you can pick from a list of video and audio codecs. How do you add additional codecs to that list inside of SageTV ?

-S

[babgvant]

That's just for mpeg and h264 (in the latest beta), other codecs can be set using the appropriate entry in the properties file. If you don't select one DirectShow will take care of selecting one that works.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by squeed

What I'm asking is, when you go into detailed setup, video/audio you can pick from a list of video and audio codecs. How do you add additional codecs to that list inside of SageTV ?

-S

videoframe/additional_audio_filters=
videoframe/additional_video_filters=

IIRC it's a semicolon delimited list of the "friendly names" of the codecs you want to use. But this only applies to the Video Decoder (not H.264), and Audio Decoder (as well as the ones in the DVD section).

[HuMan321]

Originally Posted by babgvant

On windows anything that can play using directshow can play in Sage. Assuming that the container's source filter registers itself properly it will just work w/o needing to tell Sage to do anything.

If you want Sage to import the files you'll need to tell it to (there's a line in the server properties noting which ext to import).

If you're using an extender, only containers and codecs supported by the device will play.

Thanks for the help!
I downloaded the codec from the link above in this thread. I ran the .bat file and it registered 3 items in Windows XP. WMP now plays both .ty and .ty+ files perfectly.
I then opened Sage properties file in wordpad and added ,.ty,.ty+ to the import line and saved it. (When doing a "save as" should it be saved as a text file?)

I can navigate with SageTV to the .ty+ files, but it won't give me the "play" option it gives other media files.

Someone posted about putting the codec into this line in properties
videoframe/additional_video_filters=
Frankly, that is over my head and don't even begin to know where to start.

I have quite a few of these video files and it is the only thing I can't do in SageTV that I want at this time. I think these files are considered MPEG2, but not quite sure.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!

[Brent]

Originally Posted by HuMan321

I then opened Sage properties file in wordpad and added ,.ty,.ty+ to the import line and saved it. (When doing a "save as" should it be saved as a text file?)

No. You save it just as it was before as

sage.properties

Here are the basic steps:

1. Exit SageTV and shut down SageTV service if you are running as a service
2. Using wordpad, open the file named sage.properties
3. look for a line that is like this:

   seeker/video_library_import_filename_extensions=.mpg,.mpeg,.mp2,.mpeg2,.mpe,.avi,.divx,.mpg1,.ts,.wmv,.asf,.wm,.tivo,.m2t,.tp, .ty

   and add .ty at the end like the example above.
4. Do a save-as and save the file with the same filename

   sage.properties

5. Restart SageTV and see if you can now play the files
6. Report back here so we know whether it worked for you or not.

Good luck

[HuMan321]

Originally Posted by Brent

No. You save it just as it was before as

Here are the basic steps:

1. Exit SageTV and shut down SageTV service if you are running as a service
2. Using wordpad, open the file named sage.properties
3. look for a line that is like this:

   seeker/video_library_import_filename_extensions=.mpg,.mpeg,.mp2,.mpeg2,.mpe,.avi,.divx,.mpg1,.ts,.wmv,.asf,.wm,.tivo,.m2t,.tp, .ty

   and add .ty at the end like the example above.
4. Do a save-as and save the file with the same filename
5. Restart SageTV and see if you can now play the files
6. Report back here so we know whether it worked for you or not.

Good luck

Thanks for the detailed walk through! I had added the ty and ty+ to the properties file, but did not have Sage shutdown so of course it did not save.

The ty files folder was added to the import list and it went thru some kind of extensive indexing or something all of last night. (661 2GB files) This morning it appeared the indexing was complete. I tested playing the ty files on the Sage Server and they played perfectly. I then tried to play them on an extender through the server and it won't work. CPU goes to 60% and it just hangs with the circular Sage arrow for 5-10 minutes and then drops out of trying to play the video. I knew that the extender would not play the files directly in stand alone mode, but thought they would play through the Sage server. Is this not the case with my ty files, or do I have a setting wrong?

What was interesting is I also tried some small mpeg files on the extender and they did not play either.
Thanks for all your help!

[Brent]

Originally Posted by HuMan321

Thanks for the detailed walk through! I had added the ty and ty+ to the properties file, but did not have Sage shutdown so of course it did not save.

Glad to help. Thats the sort of instructions I need for things so I try to lean towards too much info versus not enough.

I knew that the extender would not play the files directly in stand alone mode, but thought they would play through the Sage server. Is this not the case with my ty files, or do I have a setting wrong?

What was interesting is I also tried some small mpeg files on the extender and they did not play either.
Thanks for all your help!

What firmware version are you using for the extender? Be sure you update to the latest Beta firmware using the instructions described in this thread under the firmware updates section

That might take care of the issue, but if not you should submit a bug report with SageTV.

[HuMan321]

I updated the firmware when it first started. It is something like 12-30-08. Also when I have it look for an update it tells me that no updates are available.

Edit
Just saw that you said latest "beta" firmware. I will look into that.

When in extender mode will the extender use the codec on my XP machine?

[Brent]

Originally Posted by HuMan321

I updated the firmware when it first started. It is something like 12-30-08. Also when I have it look for an update it tells me that no updates are available.

Edit
Just saw that you said latest "beta" firmware. I will look into that.

You definitely want to be using the latest beta firmware released last week - it has a bunch of improvements since 12/30/09...

When in extender mode will the extender use the codec on my XP machine?

No messing with codecs required on the extenders. It either works or it doesn't. After that firmware update to the latest beta I'm guessing that will take care of all playback issues for you.

[HuMan321]

Well I updated to the latest firmware and software. My ty files play perfectly on the Sage Server from the video menu. However, they will not play on the extender at all. It just sits there and hangs with lots of network activity.

My thought on this is since I believe the extender decodes what is thrown at it I will probably need to ask for a feature request to add the TyShow codec be added to the extender or stand alone.

Thanks for the help.

[Brent]

It was worth a shot - I'd submit it as a request to SageTV

[HuMan321]

Originally Posted by Brent

It was worth a shot - I'd submit it as a request to SageTV

I submitted the request.
Thanks for your help. i wouldn't be this far without your help!