HDHomeRun (HDHR) Prime + SageDCT

[uberpixel]

Originally Posted by phelme

I'm not sure what exactly stopped mine (I'm on XP BTW), but when I upgraded to SageDCT 2.6 and Prime firmware 20121107beta1 all my halts suddenly disappeared.

I recently upgraded to 20121107beta1 after seeing your post, but if anything, my halts are getting worse. I've been using SageDCT 2.6 since I installed the Prime a few weeks ago...

Thanks for the suggestion. Any other things I should try?

-uberpixel

[uberpixel]

Originally Posted by uberpixel

I recently upgraded to 20121107beta1 after seeing your post, but if anything, my halts are getting worse. I've been using SageDCT 2.6 since I installed the Prime a few weeks ago...

Thanks for the suggestion. Any other things I should try?

-uberpixel

I should mntion that I have tried "Play Nice" on Comskip to no avail.

And I'm not using UNC paths for my recording directory. But I couldn't figure out how to configure things to avoid loopback so any advice on how to set that up would be appreciated. If there's a chance that it would help.

I've never had a halt on my HDHR. Only the Prime halts. Along with the halts, it occasionally brings up the spinning circle when changing channels on live tv. I'm guessing hat these are related.

I haven't tried VLC since I didn't understand if that would help with this issue. I don't have any issues with playback of the recordings from the Prime.

I've run quad shielded coax to a powered 8-way amplifier and the Prime reports 100% signal trength on all tuners. Signal is provided by Comcast.

-uberpixel

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by uberpixel

Could someone summarize the best practices for eliminating these halts?

In order:

1) Update NIC drivers
2) Don't use a loopback/UNC write path, especially on XP
3) Make sure the HD can keep up
4) Load balance HD writes
5) Get a good NIC
6) Get a better HD
7) Use a modern OS
8) Upgrade base HW

[uberpixel]

See my inline responses.

Originally Posted by babgvant

In order:

1) Update NIC drivers
Done already
2) Don't use a loopback/UNC write path, especially on XP
I assume this includes WHS. Can you explain how to do this?
3) Make sure the HD can keep up
How could I check this?
4) Load balance HD writes
Can you explain how to do this?
5) Get a good NIC
Currently using onboard NIC... So there is room for improvement.
6) Get a better HD
Hard drive is 500gb Samsung Spinpoint
7) Use a modern OS
Plan to upgrade to Win8 once they fix drive balancing in Storage Spaces.
8) Upgrade base HW

I appreciate any help!!!

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by uberpixel

2) Don't use a loopback/UNC write path, especially on XP
I assume this includes WHS. Can you explain how to do this?

Either use the replace paths feature in SageDCT or change the write target in SageTV to a local drive.

If you are using a loopback target (\\mywhsserver\tv) the data hits the NIC at least 2x (HDHR->NIC->SageDCT->NIC->Disc) per stream, if you're also watching something at the same time it's quite easy to overwhelm a poor NIC, even at 1000MB.

Originally Posted by uberpixel

3) Make sure the HD can keep up
How could I check this?

Use a performance analysis tool. Pretty sure it's called performance monitor (aka perfmon) on XP based systems. Modern OS's have Resource Monitor.

Originally Posted by uberpixel

4) Load balance HD writes
Can you explain how to do this?

Add a HD, configure both as targets in SageTV it will handle the rest (once they get about the same amount of free space).

Originally Posted by uberpixel

5) Get a good NIC
Currently using onboard NIC... So there is room for improvement.

Yes. If you have a Realtek NIC, a discrete Intel one would be a solid step up.

Originally Posted by uberpixel

6) Get a better HD
Hard drive is 500gb Samsung Spinpoint

7200RPM? Also make sure you have recent AHCI drivers (is it configured in AHCI mode?). NCQ helps with multi-I/O scenarios. Is it in the WHS pool?

[jlmdxtv]

I've been running very well with SageTV (7.1.9) / SageDCT / Prime / Comcast for about a year under Windows 7/64.

Recently, I've been getting "NO SIGNAL" on channels like DSCHD but programs from those channels record. VLC can play those recordings but SageTV cannot. So I read in the forums to try SageDCT with the VLC option, so I did the following:

1) Updated to FIRMWARE HDHR3-CC 20121107beta1 (the latest)
2) Updated to SageDCT 2.6.0.0 64-bit (the latest / also tried the 32-bit)
3) Updated to VLC 2.0.4 (the latest)
4) In SageDCT I've set VLC path to: C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe where VLC is stored and checked the box for "Use VLC for RTP capture"
5) I've added the program VLC to the firewall using "Allow programs to communicate through Windows Firewall". I also set Inbound and Outbound VLC ports/Protocols to "ANY"
6) I've rebooted between config changes.

Using these settings, SageTV won't record anything requiring SageDCT. It's not a NO SIGNAL, it simply hangs with "TUNING INTO (program name)" for about two minutes then the screen goes black.

I can turn off the VLC option and everything is back, but then some channels go back to "NO SIGNAL" and I'm back to where I started. All of these channels come in fine using HDHomerun's QuickTV.

What I didn't do is to generate the channel assignments or manually update the Properties files like I did when I originally setup SageDCT a year ago. I also am not selecting "Use PBDA Capture" - I assume you don't for this.

Thanks for any insights, john

Log attached.

[uberpixel]

Originally Posted by babgvant

Either use the replace paths feature in SageDCT or change the write target in SageTV to a local drive.

If you are using a loopback target (\\mywhsserver\tv) the data hits the NIC at least 2x (HDHR->NIC->SageDCT->NIC->Disc) per stream, if you're also watching something at the same time it's quite easy to overwhelm a poor NIC, even at 1000MB.



Use a performance analysis tool. Pretty sure it's called performance monitor (aka perfmon) on XP based systems. Modern OS's have Resource Monitor.



Add a HD, configure both as targets in SageTV it will handle the rest (once they get about the same amount of free space).



Yes. If you have a Realtek NIC, a discrete Intel one would be a solid step up.



7200RPM? Also make sure you have recent AHCI drivers (is it configured in AHCI mode?). NCQ helps with multi-I/O scenarios. Is it in the WHS pool?

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

My recording drive is already setup as a local drive and is excluded from the drive pool. Is it safe to assume that this avoids the loopback issue without having to make any other changes?

The drive is 7200rpm and should be plenty fast. Not sure if I'm using AHCI as this gets tricky with WHS. How likely is it that AHCI would improve the halting issue? Maybe I could add a PCIE SATA controller card for my recording drive and configure it for AHCI and NCQ so I don't disturb my WHS boot or storage drives.

I may have room in the server for another drive so I'll try adding a spare to spread out the load.

I'll have to pick up an intel NIC and see if that helps.

I'm really looking forward to upgrading my SageTV/Server to Windows 8, but I'm trying to wait until it's had a little more time to bake.

Thanks again...

-uberpixel

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by uberpixel

My recording drive is already setup as a local drive and is excluded from the drive pool. Is it safe to assume that this avoids the loopback issue without having to make any other changes?

No. Those are separate things.

Do the #s in order, you might fix the problem along the way before you get to anything that requires new HW.

[jlmdxtv]

Can someone with a working version of SageDCT with the VLC option checked tell me what version of VLC you're using?

I'm having no luck with VLC 2.0.4 when paired with SageDCT 2.6.0.0 64-bit.

Thank you, john

[voorhees]

Originally Posted by jlmdxtv

Can someone with a working version of SageDCT with the VLC option checked tell me what version of VLC you're using?

I'm having no luck with VLC 2.0.4 when paired with SageDCT 2.6.0.0 64-bit.

Thank you, john

I am successfully using the VLC option with VLC v2.0.3, but I am using SageDCT 2.6.0 32-bit because I am on WHS v1.

[kchase56]

Originally Posted by babgvant

Either use the replace paths feature in SageDCT or change the write target in SageTV to a local drive.

If you are using a loopback target (\\mywhsserver\tv) the data hits the NIC at least 2x (HDHR->NIC->SageDCT->NIC->Disc) per stream, if you're also watching something at the same time it's quite easy to overwhelm a poor NIC, even at 1000MB.

If you have multiple target drives set via loopback target, how do you specify the replacements in the replace paths feature in SageDCT?

[jbuszkie]

I've been halt free for quite a while... Now I may be jinxing(is that how you spell it?) myself for saying it!!!

I've had other random recordings that didn't come out right for whatever reason....but no halts..

My big change was increasing the signal strength to the prime. After I gave it a stronger signal, my halts seemed to have stopped.

But that's just my experience..

Jim

[jimz06]

Was just reflecting on how rock solid my Sage/SageDCT setup was when I go to play a couple of recordings from last night. Neither the HD300 or the Sage server will play them although the files play fine on MPC-HC. Then I checked liveTV and, sure enough, the channels with the troubled recordings just return a No Signal. Other channels play fine. Also, Sage informed me that Comcast added a bunch of channels yesterday...coincidence? Is this the issue that using VLC would address?

[uberpixel]

Originally Posted by jimz06

Was just reflecting on how rock solid my Sage/SageDCT setup was when I go to play a couple of recordings from last night. Neither the HD300 or the Sage server will play them although the files play fine on MPC-HC. Then I checked liveTV and, sure enough, the channels with the troubled recordings just return a No Signal. Other channels play fine. Also, Sage informed me that Comcast added a bunch of channels yesterday...coincidence? Is this the issue that using VLC would address?

I just noticed the new channels for Comcast as well... I'm in Portland, OR.

I haven't had a chance to check for the "no signal" issues yet. I wonder what tonight's TV watching experience has in store for me.

What channels are you seeing this on?

-uberpixel

[jimz06]

Originally Posted by uberpixel

I just noticed the new channels for Comcast as well... I'm in Portland, OR.

I haven't had a chance to check for the "no signal" issues yet. I wonder what tonight's TV watching experience has in store for me.

What channels are you seeing this on?

-uberpixel

I haven't done a full check but Speed and Food Network were the two that gave me issues.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by jimz06

Was just reflecting on how rock solid my Sage/SageDCT setup was when I go to play a couple of recordings from last night. Neither the HD300 or the Sage server will play them although the files play fine on MPC-HC. Then I checked liveTV and, sure enough, the channels with the troubled recordings just return a No Signal. Other channels play fine. Also, Sage informed me that Comcast added a bunch of channels yesterday...coincidence? Is this the issue that using VLC would address?

Yes.

[jlmdxtv]

Thanks Voorhees,

I installed VLC v2.0.3 and switched to SageDCT 2.6.0 32-bit, but the VLC option still doesn't work. I think I'm giving up on the VLC option.

john

[jimz06]

Originally Posted by babgvant

Yes.

Thanks, found the origin of the VLC option about 20 pages back. Just when I thought I was out of the A/V hobbyist/tinkerer game...they pull me back in!

[jnickels]

Originally Posted by babgvant

Yes.

I have had the 'no signal' issue for a couple of months and recently upgraded to DCT 2.6 and now using the VLC option. LiveTV seems good. Several of my pre-2.6 recordings are unplayable. Should I expect the VLC option to play these recordings...or is VLC a solution for LiveTV and future recordings? Seems like the latter.

Thanks for all your efforts. It's very much appreciated.

[jkohn]

Originally Posted by jnickels

I have had the 'no signal' issue for a couple of months and recently upgraded to DCT 2.6 and now using the VLC option. LiveTV seems good. Several of my pre-2.6 recordings are unplayable. Should I expect the VLC option to play these recordings...or is VLC a solution for LiveTV and future recordings? Seems like the latter.

Thanks for all your efforts. It's very much appreciated.

My understanding of the VLC option it's just for recording and will have no effect on previous recordings that it wasn't used for.