HD PVR volume?

[ericscottf]

Hi all

I have two identical cable boxes hooked into two identical HD PVRs, but one records much more quietly than the other.

both cable boxes are set to max volume.

Any suggestions?

thanks
Eric

[darcilicious]

The Vz STBs have some additional audio settings (dynamic something or other) so that would be one place to check.

[ericscottf]

I think i dug around in there pretty well, but i'll check again. It is especially annoying to do what with the several-second-delay buffer...

Is there an easy way to tell which device recorded a show? At least then i could narrow down which device is the quiet one..

[sic0048]

The HD-PVR really shouldn't do anything to the sound as far as I know. But you could double check this by simply swapping the STBs. If the same HD-PVR records the other box at a low level, then you know for a fact that it is HD-PVR related. If not, then it is STB related.

I'd make sure I swapped the STB ouputs and don't unplug the HD-PVRs. That way there would be no way for the HD-PVRs to change.

[ericscottf]

I gotta figure out which is coming from which first, i guess i could record a few things at the same time and keep track of it like that...

[SDeGonge]

Take a look at the Total Media Extreme software. There's a "boost audio level" checkbox (or something like that) on one of the configuration popups. I don't know if this can be individually checked for each device or if it's a global setting.

[ericscottf]

So i've got both boxes at the same volume after messing with the STBs, but things are still quieter than i'd like.

Does anyone have any recommendations on CLI-based software (free or reasonably priced pay once) that will bump up the volume by some configurable amount? If so, i'll just add it to my SJQ-like software that already runs comskip and mediainfo.
bonus points if it doesn't have to reencode everything or is rather fast and lightweight, as i'd obviously prefer to save processor power and not risk increasing file size/decreasing video quality unnecessarily...

thanks!

[wayner]

I have a similar issues with two HD-PVRs at different vols but one is using SPDIF and the other is using analog - are you using the same audio outputs?

[ericscottf]

Yeah.
It is all the same equipment, and now they're at the same volume -- problem is, that just isn't loud enough.
With the TV at 100% and my HD200 at 100%, i can't hear the tv over the A/C, and i would like to.

Videos downloaded from the internet are plenty loud, so i know the gear is capable of doing it -- the shows are just recorded too quietly.

Any lightweight CLI programs that can gently massage my audio without costing me a ton of processor cycles or video quality?

[Spectrum]

HDPVR encodes to AC3 which has a low reference level, that's why the volume is low. The easiest way boost the volume is to use AC3 filter and boost the gain to get AC3 sources in line with everything else. This won't work for an extender though, only if you are playing back through a client.

If you don't care about multi-channel audio you could demux the files, downmix the AC3 to stereo, encode the audio to mp3/aac, then remux the new audio and original video. It wouldn't be too cpu intensive and could all be done with SJQ and some external programs. It would not be real time though. The xcode would have to be done after the recording is complete.

If you are interested you would need tsmuxer to demux the streams, avisynth and an appropriatescript to downmix to stero, lame to encode to mp3, and tsmuxer to put things back together. If you want to get into it I can help you with the scripting

There may be ways of normalizing the AC3 files I've never tried and I think they would still have to be re-encoded.

[ericscottf]

Boy oh boy that looks like more work than it should be!
I didn't like SJQ, so i wrote my own program to handle post-record things.
I'll look into the cavalcade of programs you've mentioned, but i was hoping for something simpler, even if i had to buy it.

thanks!

[SWKerr]

I don't think it is a HDPVR issue because I get the same sound level with my HDHR but the AC3 audio does seem low since I switched to Win7 for my server and clients. Going from the Xbox360 to the HTPC will make Sage seem like it is on mute. I had to go way up on the volume to even hear it.

Like Spectrum I use a HTPC and can go into the FFDShow setting and amp up the volume to 200% and also use volume leveling. This works very well on the HTPC but I don't know how you would approach it on the extender. It was never so bad I couldn't hear it by turning up the volume.

Have you listened on the PC to see how loud it is there?

[ericscottf]

Well, in a month or two, the AC units will come out of the walls and the problem will not be an issue until next summer.
I was also contemplating getting a set of satellite speakers to put closer to the viewers.

[Spectrum]

Originally Posted by ericscottf

Well, in a month or two, the AC units will come out of the walls and the problem will not be an issue until next summer.
I was also contemplating getting a set of satellite speakers to put closer to the viewers.

Lucky you, I'll be running my AC's into October as hot as it's been in TN this summer!