SageTV & HD Audio

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I don't have any VC-1 streams to check it with, but i have wrapped some WVC1 streams into both m2ts and mkv containers. Sage plays back the MKV version fine, but craps out on the m2ts file. So it seems the demux DOES expose it from mkv files, but has problems from m2ts. Have any of you who DO have these files tried putting it into an MKV container and see if sage can swallow it?

WVC1 is a media subtype used to present the same underlying data as VC-1, it's not a property of the underlying stream only splitter/demuxer support is required (i.e. the MPC-HC M2TS splitter uses WVC1).

Sage uses different splitters for MKV and M2TS, and as you note, the MKV splitter (like Haali, and MPC-HC) presents VC-1 using the WVC1 subtype which is compatible with the WMV DMO included with Windows.

Ideally Sage will extend their M2TS splitter to also present WVC1 as well as VC-1 (making VC-1 preferred so we don't have to muck with the WMV DMO's merit - which is very high), so we'll have an software solution available (those w/ ATI HW can use the MPC-HC video decoder for HWA-DXVA2 support).

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by babgvant

Ideally Sage will extend their M2TS splitter to also present WVC1 as well as VC-1 (making VC-1 preferred so we don't have to muck with the WMV DMO's merit - which is very high), so we'll have an software solution available (those w/ ATI HW can use the MPC-HC video decoder for HWA-DXVA2 support).

Sagetv says that they are working to get vc-1 and the sage splitter to cooperate. I can't get the sage splitter to use any of the MPC-HC decoders. I wonder why, because I had no problem with v6 and MPC-HC decoders, but sage would also use the mpc-hc splitter (gabest).

It is still beta so hopefully when sage releases we will have vc-1 playback.

[dbone1026]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Sagetv says that they are working to get vc-1 and the sage splitter to cooperate. I can't get the sage splitter to use any of the MPC-HC decoders. I wonder why, because I had no problem with v6 and MPC-HC decoders, but sage would also use the mpc-hc splitter (gabest).

It is still beta so hopefully when sage releases we will have vc-1 playback.

Did you submit a bug for not being able to use the MPC decoders, as I have been unable to as well. If I could use the MPC decoders it would fix the problems we are having. Until there is a fix SageTV7 just continues to collect dust which is a shame (I did a quick writeup on what I hope are some hopeful ideas for SageTV 7 + a possible HD300 - http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010...whats-to-come/)

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by dbone1026

Did you submit a bug for not being able to use the MPC decoders, as I have been unable to as well. If I could use the MPC decoders it would fix the problems we are having. Until there is a fix SageTV7 just continues to collect dust which is a shame (I did a quick writeup on what I hope are some hopeful ideas for SageTV 7 + a possible HD300 - http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010...whats-to-come/)

I just submitted a bug for vc-1 in general. I don't care what codec I have to use I just want it to work. Although I do prefer the mpc-hc codecs. I hope that we will be able to use any decoder, but I can't use mpc for h.264 so I don't think vc-1 will be able to use it either.

[panteragstk]

So I swapped video cards and started using my on board intel graphics. For some reason doing that broke h.264 playback. Even when I put my ati card back in playback is acting very odd now. No driver changes or anything. Very strange.

[benjatelcom]

Greetings all,

I've got a new x64 win7 client, am using the MS DTV decoders (its all I can get to work), and AC3filter 1.63b.

I have copies of my BD flicks ripped and compiled as a single m2ts file for a movie with only the HD audio English track that only contains the bare movie from title to end credits.

Typical media players (like WM, MPC and XMBC) play these files properly even though Cyberlink8 doesn't understand how to find the HD audio stream without the main disc structure.

In SageTV client:
DTS-HD plays back with choppy audio, like a sputtering on top of the audio.
DD-MA rolls video with no audio - but sagetv identifies audio type in detailed
LPCM rolls with no audio - sage identifies it as above as BD-PCM.

Should I be trying hard to get the Cyberlink 8 codecs to work properly in SageTV client, or should I stick with AC3 filter troubleshooting?

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by benjatelcom

Greetings all,

I've got a new x64 win7 client, am using the MS DTV decoders (its all I can get to work), and AC3filter 1.63b.

I have copies of my BD flicks ripped and compiled as a single m2ts file for a movie with only the HD audio English track that only contains the bare movie from title to end credits.

Typical media players (like WM, MPC and XMBC) play these files properly even though Cyberlink8 doesn't understand how to find the HD audio stream without the main disc structure.

In SageTV client:
DTS-HD plays back with choppy audio, like a sputtering on top of the audio.
DD-MA rolls video with no audio - but sagetv identifies audio type in detailed
LPCM rolls with no audio - sage identifies it as above as BD-PCM.

Should I be trying hard to get the Cyberlink 8 codecs to work properly in SageTV client, or should I stick with AC3 filter troubleshooting?

ffdshow probably has the most comprehensive HD Audio codec support. I'd go with that. (It can also do everything that AC3 filter can do, so it makes a decent replacement).

[benjatelcom]

Will FFDShow permit decoding of MP4 files with 6 channel AAC? Right now Sagetv will only play the front left and front right audio channels.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by benjatelcom

Will FFDShow permit decoding of MP4 files with 6 channel AAC? Right now Sagetv will only play the front left and front right audio channels.

Yes.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by babgvant

Yes.

Since we've opened up this thread again I'd like to know if 7.0.16 helped at all with your vc-1 playback? I can only get the WMVideo Decoder DMO to work and playback is awful with the i3 graphics. ArcSoft tmt 2 codecs crash sage, and half the time vc-1 movies will crash no matter what codec i try to use.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Since we've opened up this thread again I'd like to know if 7.0.16 helped at all with your vc-1 playback? I can only get the WMVideo Decoder DMO to work and playback is awful with the i3 graphics. ArcSoft tmt 2 codecs crash sage, and half the time vc-1 movies will crash no matter what codec i try to use.

The WMVideo DMO is software, it shouldn't matter what CPU you're using as long as it has enough go (which i3 does).

Did you let Sage know that it's crashing?

[Rico66]

Originally Posted by babgvant

The WMVideo DMO is software, it shouldn't matter what CPU you're using as long as it has enough go (which i3 does).

Did you let Sage know that it's crashing?

I had mentioned this a couple of days ago (see http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49980), and I've also filed a bug about this.

What I don't understand about the WMVideo DMO, is why it actually stutters. Looking into taskmgr shows only about ~30% CPU usage (I have a Phenom II X3(4) 720, and 240 GT, which should be enough), but the video is not watchable.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by Rico66

I had mentioned this a couple of days ago (see http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49980), and I've also filed a bug about this.

What I don't understand about the WMVideo DMO, is why it actually stutters. Looking into taskmgr shows only about ~30% CPU usage (I have a Phenom II X3(4) 720, and 240 GT, which should be enough), but the video is not watchable.

When using the decoder my cpu usage never goes above 30%. I've been having problems with h.264 decoders as well so I've been using ffdshow and cpu usage is the same so I know the cpu can handle the hd video decoding. It is just that sage is buggy with certain codecs.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Rico66

I had mentioned this a couple of days ago (see http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49980), and I've also filed a bug about this.

What I don't understand about the WMVideo DMO, is why it actually stutters. Looking into taskmgr shows only about ~30% CPU usage (I have a Phenom II X3(4) 720, and 240 GT, which should be enough), but the video is not watchable.

On an X3, 30% CPU is pretty much maxed out. (33% would be maxxed).

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

On an X3, 30% CPU is pretty much maxed out. (33% would be maxxed).

The WMV DMO is multi-threaded.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Since we've opened up this thread again I'd like to know if 7.0.16 helped at all with your vc-1 playback? I can only get the WMVideo Decoder DMO to work and playback is awful with the i3 graphics. ArcSoft tmt 2 codecs crash sage, and half the time vc-1 movies will crash no matter what codec i try to use.

Check your client properties file. Make sure it has the entries below.

videoframe/dolbytruehd_audio_decoder_filter=ffdshow Audio Decoder
videoframe/dts-ma_audio_decoder_filter=ffdshow Audio Decoder
videoframe/vc1_video_decoder_filter=ArcSoft Video Decoder

Then check ac3filter to make sure it's not setup to accept PCM.

With this config VC1 works perfectly.

[Rico66]

Originally Posted by babgvant

The WMV DMO is multi-threaded.

Yes, each of the 4 cores shows a usage somewhere between 30 and 40 percent, and the picture stutters. Why doesn't it go higher? This is not related to Sage, the same happens when I use this decoder e.g. within MPC-HC.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by Rico66

Yes, each of the 4 cores shows a usage somewhere between 30 and 40 percent, and the picture stutters. Why doesn't it go higher? This is not related to Sage, the same happens when I use this decoder e.g. within MPC-HC.

I've never observed that particular issue with MPC-HC's splitter, although I have seen frame dropping on weak CPUs below 100% utilization.

For users w/ ATI or modern Nvidia HW the WMV DMO isn't the perfect end state - the MPC-HC video decoder is a much better solution. I've asked them to support it (it uses WVC1 too), if you want free HWA support you can do the same.

[Rico66]

Yes, using the MPC video decoder with dxva is the best solution (within MPC). No issues there. But when I specify this decoder for vc-1 within Sage, I get even more stuttering. The same happens when using the ffdshow dxva within Sage. Something seems to be wrong with the Sage splitter here.

Are you using an external splitter? If so how can I configure that?

[babgvant]

I'm using the TMT2 video decoder, which works perfectly.

If you haven't already submit a bug for the MPC-HC filter.