Is there only one output format for SageTV?

[freewheeling]

Originally Posted by freewheeling

I'm running Windows 7. I don't know whether I'm using "user access control" or not, nor do I know what running Sage in "service mode" means. What I do know is that the file "Sage.properties" isn't anywhere on my system, in any directory, anywhere. At least, it doesn't turn up when I do a system-wide search.



I do have administrator privileges. Something's apparently wrong. What do I do now??

My bad. It was in the "Virtual Store." I don't know why the "search" function didn't find it, but it's there. I've attached a copy. Can't find the "encode_digital_TV" line in it, though.

[GKusnick]

It would be under mmc/encoders/xxx/y/z/encode_digital_tv_as_program_stream. However as the name suggests this property applies only to digital TV tuners, which your HD-PVR is not; it's an analog capture device. That's why you can't find that entry.

There may be a way in the HD-PVR driver config to control what file format it outputs, but I don't own one so I can't help you there.

[xxLJLxx]

Originally Posted by freewheeling

My bad. It was in the "Virtual Store." I don't know why the "search" function didn't find it, but it's there. I've attached a copy. Can't find the "encode_digital_TV" line in it, though.

I first disabled UAC and prevented this from happening. I probably should have asked what OS you were using. However my Sage properties file is only named Sage. Hmm, this is what I get for basing my suggestions off of my own system.

[freewheeling]

Originally Posted by xxLJLxx

I first disabled UAC and prevented this from happening. I probably should have asked what OS you were using. However my Sage properties file is only named Sage. Hmm, this is what I get for basing my suggestions off of my own system.

I'd disable mine, but I gather this would de-activate the Virtual Store without moving it, which is sort of a stupid bind to leave people in. Oh well.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by xxLJLxx

However my Sage properties file is only named Sage.

Unlikely. What's more likely is that you have Windows set to hide file extensions (normally the first "feature" I turn off after a fresh Windows install).

[xxLJLxx]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Unlikely. What's more likely is that you have Windows set to hide file extensions (normally the first "feature" I turn off after a fresh Windows install).

I'm running Windows 7 and I'm nearly positive its default is to hide extensions. Thanks for pointing that out.

[freewheeling]

As I said, I tried converting the original .ts recording into other formats compatible with my Samsung, but something else I noticed is that the conversions play better than the original, even on my computer. So strictly speaking I would not have to use my Samsung (or an extender) to play the recordings without the herky jerkiness if they were originally in avi or mp4 format. It's something about the .ts format that taxes my computer's video playback capabilities. Maybe SageTV has to "convert" these .ts files "on the fly" if they're not already converted?

I assume this "preconversion" shouldn't be too hard to accomplish, because Arcsoft does it. There must be a way in SageTV.

[freewheeling]

So there's no way to automate this conversion process, with a plugin or something?

[lovingHDTV]

Originally Posted by freewheeling

So there's no way to automate this conversion process, with a plugin or something?

EP has a plugin for batch encoding. You may want to take a look here:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40079

you may want to download graphedit (google for it), run it on your computer and drag-n-drop each of the two file to see how the computer plays them differently. I can help in debugging your playback, unfortunately this type of debugging can be involved, hence the suggestions to get an extender. Its just money right

dave

[freewheeling]

Originally Posted by lovingHDTV

EP has a plugin for batch encoding. You may want to take a look here:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40079

you may want to download graphedit (google for it), run it on your computer and drag-n-drop each of the two file to see how the computer plays them differently. I can help in debugging your playback, unfortunately this type of debugging can be involved, hence the suggestions to get an extender. Its just money right

Dave:

I'm also having problems with the system freezing, similar to what happens if SageTV is left full screen and the screen saver comes on, except that it's not full screen, just active for a long time. Once it freezes I can't get any response from the mouse or anything else, and it fails to keep its recording schedule as well. I had to just reboot. This doesn't seem to happen if I leave SageTV in standby mode. Just thought I'd mention it because I'm sure it's some sort of bug.

If I get a windfall perhaps I'll use it to get an extender, but I've heard that even extenders have problems with playback sometimes, and the concept of purchasing an add-on because the original product doesn't do what it ought to do runs against my sense of principle.

[freewheeling]

The mouse freezes shortly after recording begins. It tunes to the correct channel OK, but I don't think it actually records anything. (I have to wait until the end of this recording before rebooting, since I have to reboot.)

Something is interfering. Could it be Windows Media?

[freewheeling]

I think I'm back to "normal" now, although I would like to make sure the Media Center is disabled. I blocked media streaming using Windows Media, and also set some of the options on the USB root hubs so that I don't allow Windows to switch them off for "power management." I'm not sure who the genius was who set that up, but it occasionally freezes the mouse... leaving Windows in a condition where it's unusable. This isn't a feature, it's a bug. Too green for Sesame Street. Anyway I think this modification will stop the mouse from freezing so I'm back to figuring out the encoding.

I downloaded GraphEdit and burned the DVD, so I have to install it. I did get that monetary windfall, so I could afford to get the Extender, but I still don't see why I need it. Playback ought to work with my computer. It has a decent graphics card so the jerkiness of playing the .ts files is clearly a matter of it doing some sort of "on-the-fly" encoding/conversion. There ought to be a way to choose the format for the recording that's saved so that the on-the-fly conversion isn't needed.

[freewheeling]

Apparently GraphEdit is part of a whole development package that has to be installed on my system which includes C++ compilers and a whole raft of stuff I don't want. So, I'm not really going to do that.

So, I take it that SageTV doesn't have more than one kind of output, and that if I want files saved in an easily playable format I have to use the Arcsoft software? Perhaps I should have tried to get an Arcsoft application that schedules recordings in the first place?

[freewheeling]

I've turned off SageTV until I can figure out why something about it keeps freezing my system. Of the two problems--jerky playback, and OS/Mouse "freeze"-- the later is much worse. It also occurred to me that watching TV live, either on SageTV, or Arcsoft, isn't jerky... so, why is playback jerky?? But again, first things first...

[freewheeling]

This topic got distracted, but was never answered. Now we're on a whole new version of SageTV and it *still* can't record using an mp4 container.

[gplasky]

The format is usually determined by the tuner card you use. Hardware encoders tuners are the preferred tuners and digital tuners just write the stream from the provider. So for the most part it's usually mpg2 or h.264 in a ts container. You can covert to anything you want.

Gerry