FWChannelProxy Setup

[sflamm]

I think I'm missing something - when I setup my Firewire tuner it display N/A for tuning options....

I put the FWChannelProxy2.dll and channel.dll in the SageTV common directory.

I left the SGraphRecorder.ini section as "UseEXETuner=0" as this (since I am trying to use FWChannelProxy instead of "channel.exe"):

; The ExeTuner section is used to call another program to change channel.
; Set UseExeTuner to 1 to use this.
; The program indicated in ExeTunerPath will be called with the cannel number as
; the only parameter. Provide the complete path to the Tuner program.

[ExeTuner]
UseExeTuner=0
ExeTunerPath=D:\Program Files\Timmmoore\MCE 2005 STB Controller\channelw.exe -v 2

Are there other configuration steps I am missing?

It records the current channel fine - just won't change channels. The log file is empty --> as I dont think the dll is even getting invoked.

Thanks in advance.

I've attached my sagetv.properties and the SGraphRecorder.ini

[sflamm]

I've setup the recording according to the "SageTV Firewire Settop Box Tuner Setup" directions.

Instead of recording to a filename of the show.... it record to "dump.ts" (my dummy name).

It does create a "recordingName.ts" file, but it is of 0KB length. The "dump.ts" file continues to grow. When I stop the recording the "recordingName.ts" file is removed and only the "dump.ts" remains.

The SgraphRecorder log shows:

VERSION 12:36:55 AM
NOOP 12:36:55 AM
NOOP 12:36:55 AM
NOOP 12:36:55 AM
START Firewire Tuner 1 1394|3|2542634066116|e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg|Great 12:37:13 AM
Running: D:\Program Files\Timmmoore\MCE 2005 STB Controller\channelw.exe -v 2 3
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mpg 12:37:20 AM
GET_FILE_SIZE e:\RecordedTV\LateNightWithJimmyFallon-437133-0.mp

What am I doing wrong?


Attaching SageTV log of a live recording attempt.

[sflamm]

figured out why the graph was not recording correctly.

For anyone who has the same problem:

1. propage.dll was not not registered correctly
2. The graph was subsequently not build correctly

To solve:

1. regsvr32 propage.dll
2. rebuild graph.

[Naylia]

FWChannelProxy is an option you can select in SageTV recording device setup when you add a new device. You just need to make sure that you've changed the # in the FWChannelProxy name to correctly match the device you need to tune - or leave it a lone if you are tuning device #2 on the list.

[sflamm]

It does not show up as an option.

I left it alone (FWChannelProxy2.dll) - since right now I have only one device and its identifier is 2.

[Naylia]

I think this is the step you need to do "for an existing tuner":

4. If changing an existing tuner, open the sage.properties file and find the entry for the tuning_pluggin and change it to the path to FWChannelProxy#.dll

And make all edits with Sage and the Service closed.

[sflamm]

Currently not running it in service mode (to make sure this is simple as possible to begin with)

I have added the full path to "FWChannelProxy2.dll" and it shows up as an IR source. Is FWChannelProxy only for control of IR? Or is it also an alternative to using "channel.exe"?

I currently do not have my HD-PVR and IR hooked up. I am attempting to use FWChannelProxy to change instead of "channel.exe" in the SBRecordingGraph. Is this possible?


I am trying to get channel changing and recording to work reliably over firewire only first.

The problem I am having with that is that sometimes it tunes and other times I get a "no signal".

I've noticed that tuning through the guide works most of the time. But when I press "channel up" or "channel down" it most frequently fails. Is there are way to fix this?


It seems like it is always the same channels. I am noticing that it happens in VLC as well. But these are local channels so they should not be encrypted via 5C.

[sflamm]

I tried the latest version of FWChannelProxy.

When I use the TunerStubTest.exe inside the SageTV/Common directory it changes channels fine.

Inside SageTV it does work at all....

The FWChannelProxy2.log contains:
DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH
MacroTune 2
LoadLibrary 13238272
sendKey -1
sendMin 100
sendA 2
-f -a2 2 2
HR = 0

Any ideas?

[sflamm]

Unlike exemultituner.dll, fwchannelproxy.dll never shows up as an option in video source setup -- it is like SageTV does not see the dll as a tuner interface.

Here is what happens with exemultituner:

Quote:
Originally Posted by MeInMaui View Post
After setting up the encoder to use the ExeMultiTuner plugin in the SageTV source setup, did you go into sage.properties and add the panel number for that STB (looks like 2 in your case) to the mmc/encoders/.../device_name property? (make sure you shut down SageTV first or the changes won't take.
BTW: you should be able to do this from the Source Details screen: select Tuner Control, Change Tuning Device, then choose from the list. If it isn't there, then something isn't configured properly.

[robk]

It shows up for me. You lost me a day or two ago with the discussion of graphs - I never touched that stuff. But, the FWProxy works well - I wish I could step you through it, but the discussion is getting beyond my abilities! See attachment.
Rob

[sflamm]

That's interesting. Only EXEMultiTuner shows up for me in the menus but FWChannelProxy does not.

I placed the latest channel.dll and FWChannelProxy.dll (renamed to FWChannelProxy#.dll) into the SageTV/Common directory... just like I placed the EXEMultiTuner.dll...

Only difference is I do not modify or install and IR files.

Just the two files channel.dll and FWChanellProxy2.dll (my tuner panel # is 2) should be necessary right? No other steps, yes? (I added the registry entries for the fun of it, but they are having no effect)

[robk]

When I look at the "Common" folder, RemoteCodes, I see 3 folders: ACTiSYSIR200L, FWChannelProxy2, USB-UIRT Transceiver.
In the FWChannelProxy2 folder is a file "StubDevice.ir" that opens to this:
StubDevice 38000 400 4 600 800

So, it looks to me like Sage regards FW tuning as a type of IR tuning, just having the signal redirected from the blaster to the FW port (in the correct format of course).
I think that is the only place Sage could pick up the entry in the "Tuning Control" of FWChannelProxy2 StubDevice

Make any sense?

Rob

[sflamm]

It does. And I noticed there was a "Stubdevice.ir" before... but the contents were empty.

I figured that FWChannelProxy somehow created it... or it was somehow a consequence of my manually configuring the sagetv.properties (since FWChannelProperty was not a choice when I configured the video source).

Not sure how you would use this file... And how does the name "Stubdevice" work... is the "device_name=Stubdevice" in your sagetv.properties?

[robk]

Yup,
Here's a piece of properties:

mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/available_channels=
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/brightness=134
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/contrast=128
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/device_name=StubDevice
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/hue=128
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/last_channel=1372
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/provider_id=1221190196469
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/saturation=128
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/sharpness=128
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/tuning_mode=
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/tuning_plugin=C\:\\Program Files\\SageTV\\Common\\FWChannelProxy2.dll
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/tuning_plugin_port=0
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/video_crossbar_index=0
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/video_crossbar_type=90


Don't quite understand it, but it works. I find Sage to be a bit like that - sort of "wow, I got it doing what I want it to do, I better leave it alone" But, that's only because I don't need another career, just want to watch TV :>

Rob

[sflamm]

ah ha!

The trick is here:

mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/device_name=StubDevice
mmc/encoders/-431556906/90/0/tuning_plugin=C\:\\Program Files\\SageTV\\Common\\FWChannelProxy2.dll

This is what SageTV uses to connect the sagetv.properties to the .ir file.
I believe it looks for a folder under the name of the "tuning_plugin" and opens the .ir file that matches "device_name".ir and uses its parameters. The 1st field in the .ir file needs to match the device_name.

For example:

tuning_plugin is "FWChannelProxy2.dll
the device_name is "StubDevice"
folder name is "FWChannelProxy2" in SageTV/common
the .ir filename is StubDevice.ir
the .ir file of interest has the key entry called "StubDevice"

In the case of EXEMultituner:

tuning_plugin is "EXEMultituner.dll
the device_name is "2"
folder name is "EXEMultituner" in SageTV/common
the .ir filename is 2.ir
the .ir file of interest has the key entry called "2"

I think this makes some sense?

I dont believe that I put the StubDevice entry in the sagetv.properties or added the right .ir entries when I configured it manually... I'm wondering if I manually put these in if it will work....

[robk]

Glad it makes some sense to you! I don't believe the parameters in the "ir" file are of any importance - but is it necessary to have it so there is a tuning device to choose when setting up a device.
The delays and such are other entries in the properties file - I started high and found I could run with almost no delay with FW, they were designed for IR timings - the FW channel change is instant, just gotta give the HD PVR a half second to stabilize.

[sflamm]

I have EXEMultiTuner running happily now - it has the same near instant response. Like you said it takes only a fraction of a second for the HD-PVR to stabalize.

I am running the STB output at 720p currently. Do you have any experience with 1080i? Does the HD-PVR do ok at that resolution?

I foudn using SRecorderGraph there was definitely a significant delay building the graph and outputting... I think HD-PVR looks to be faster and more stable.
Is that your experience?

[robk]

Glad to hear it works!
My Cisco Explorer 4640HDC seems to be crippled by Bright House Networks. I have no control over the output format, it comes out of the component cables the way they want it to. A lot of the programming is 1080i, with some 720P. I have to manually set aspect to "Source" for 1080i. and sometimes 4X3 for 720P (Fill sometimes works on 720P, but with a small square and large black bars all around) If I adjust the H & V %, it just has to be readjusted for a different channel. Don't you just love the consistency of the transmissions? I get the same thing on OTA HD channels. They will get it straight in a few years!

Rob
PS- Quality on 1080i = excellent. Using the Arcsoft decoder, 22" monitor connected by DVI to computer with an embedded ATI graphics adapter

[sflamm]

Wow - now that sounds painful.

You should be able to set the "Aspect Ratio" to "Source" for all your stream under the SageTV "General" settings... that way you dont have to set it for each stream.

The DCT6200 can be set to use a fixed output and then to adjust SDTV to 480p. 720p is looking good. But I'm going to give 1080i a shot (assuming the HD-PVR can handle it )