HDHomeRun (HDHR) Prime + SageDCT

[sflamm]

VLC simply recodes the output to avoid the stream problems...

It affects all recordings. Playback is unaffected. So old recordings with the existing stream problems will still have them.

[voorhees]

Originally Posted by 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

I ended up doing several things to get the VLC option to work, and I am not sure which one(s) did the trick or if I had to do them all to get everything working great. As mentioned previously, I am using VLC v2.0.3 (which was the new version when I installed it) and SageDCT v2.6.0 32-bit (since I am on WHS v1). I also had to either eliminate using UNC paths or use the replace paths feature in SageDCT. Both worked great, so for various reasons I went with using the replace paths feature in SageDCT. Also, at the same time I went to a dedicated gigabit switch (Netgear JGS524) instead of using my router as my switch, and that helped with a lot of different problems. I am not sure if I needed to do this for the VLC option, but I remember it all happened at the same time and just thought I would mention it just in case. Either way, after doing all of those I got the VLC option to work and it fixed all of my "bad" Comcast channels and truthfully my recordings with my Prime are much more stable to the point that I do not remember when my last halt was. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by jnickels

Should I expect the VLC option to play these recordings...or is VLC a solution for LiveTV and future recordings?

No. Watch them in a different player. MPC-HC w/ LAV Splitter for e.g.

[jnickels]

Originally Posted by babgvant

No. Watch them in a different player. MPC-HC w/ LAV Splitter for e.g.

Thanks for the confirmation.

[zoso]

Comcast in the Seattle area (South King County) has started altering some of the streams. Neither the VLC or PBDA option seems to help with the 2 channels I have found with issues so far. Haven't found anything that plays the streams when I just use SageDCT Test tab to output a stream directly hard drive either. Already checked both channels for the copy freely flag and it is still set that way.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by kchase56

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

Currently you can't. I already have this on the feature request list, but TBH there are no guarantees that I'll touch the project again.

[jimz06]

Originally Posted by zoso

Comcast in the Seattle area (South King County) has started altering some of the streams. Neither the VLC or PBDA option seems to help with the 2 channels I have found with issues so far. Haven't found anything that plays the streams when I just use SageDCT Test tab to output a stream directly hard drive either. Already checked both channels for the copy freely flag and it is still set that way.

I have the same South King County service...I only checked SPEED (which was one of my problem channels as I mentioned above), but it now works using SageDCT w/ VLC. What is a channel that does not work for you?

[zoso]

Originally Posted by jimz06

I have the same South King County service...I only checked SPEED (which was one of my problem channels as I mentioned above), but it now works using SageDCT w/ VLC. What is a channel that does not work for you?

Comedy Central Ch. 704 (which I really don't care too much about) and Nickelodeon 679 (which is the end of the world for my 10 year old.) NFL Network Ch 418 (remapped to 180) seems to be on and off. Until I have time to further analyze, I just have them disabled. I also got 7 or 8 notices from SageTV about new (mostly spanish) channels today.

Edit to update with channel numbers.

[jimz06]

Originally Posted by zoso

Comedy Central Ch. 704 (which I really don't care too much about) and Nickelodeon 679 (which is the end of the world for my 10 year old.) NFL Network Ch 418 (remapped to 180) seems to be on and off. Until I have time to further analyze, I just have them disabled. I also got 7 or 8 notices from SageTV about new (mostly spanish) channels today.

Edit to update with channel numbers.

Confirmed that VLC SageDCT works with Comedy Central and NickHD. However, one thing I noticed is that I'm only getting a PCM stereo audio track instead of the AC3 track. I assume this is a simple setting change in VLC or I need to install an AC3 filter on my Sage server?

Edit: Disregard the AC3 comment...forgot I swapped in a different HD300 when I was troubleshooting, which was set to PCM instead of passthrough.

[zoso]

Originally Posted by jimz06

Confirmed that VLC SageDCT works with Comedy Central and NickHD. However, one thing I noticed is that I'm only getting a PCM stereo audio track instead of the AC3 track. I assume this is a simple setting change in VLC or I need to install an AC3 filter on my Sage server?

Just checked again. Right now NickHD and NFL Network HD are working with VLC, but no luck at all with Comedy Central.

[jlmdxtv]

Originally Posted by voorhees

I ended up doing several things to get the VLC option to work, and I am not sure which one(s) did the trick or if I had to do them all to get everything working great. As mentioned previously, I am using VLC v2.0.3 (which was the new version when I installed it) and SageDCT v2.6.0 32-bit (since I am on WHS v1). I also had to either eliminate using UNC paths or use the replace paths feature in SageDCT. Both worked great, so for various reasons I went with using the replace paths feature in SageDCT. Also, at the same time I went to a dedicated gigabit switch (Netgear JGS524) instead of using my router as my switch, and that helped with a lot of different problems. I am not sure if I needed to do this for the VLC option, but I remember it all happened at the same time and just thought I would mention it just in case. Either way, after doing all of those I got the VLC option to work and it fixed all of my "bad" Comcast channels and truthfully my recordings with my Prime are much more stable to the point that I do not remember when my last halt was. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Voorhees ,

You're spot on. I switched to using a drive letter on the recording directory (as opposed to a UNC) and the VLC option of SageDCT worked immediately.

For others reading this: you'll also need to update your client PCs to also use mapped drive letters to the recording drive so Comskip will continue to work properly on playback.

thanks, john

[zoso]

Originally Posted by zoso

Just checked again. Right now NickHD and NFL Network HD are working with VLC, but no luck at all with Comedy Central.

Add FXPHD Ch. 665 to the list not handled by vlc.

Edit to add:
I downloaded ffdshow tryouts. Once I enabled Other MPG2 EM2V and MMES in ffdshow's codec list I could play the non-VLC handled streams in windows media player.

[hb4]

Timeout for a quick diversion.....

I have an HDHR Prime with SageDCT.

I can see channels on QuickTV, but not on Sage. 2nd green light blinks and HDHR Config reports no oob lock and zero signal quality. I assume the lack of an oob lock is the problem and I should call Comcast. Is this correct, or should I be looking further?

Thanks from a long time SageTV user without much IT or video signal knowledge.

EDIT>>> Called Comcast and found out the cable into the house was bad. They replaced it, and all OK.

[nyplayer]

Check your firewall settings make sure the rule for SAGEDCT and SAGETV have access to all ports makes life easier. If not add a rule.

[Spot]

Originally Posted by hb4

Timeout for a quick diversion.....

I have an HDHR Prime with SageDCT.

I can see channels on QuickTV, but not on Sage. 2nd green light blinks and HDHR Config reports no oob lock and zero signal quality. I assume the lack of an oob lock is the problem and I should call Comcast. Is this correct, or should I be looking further?

Thanks from a long time SageTV user without much IT or video signal knowledge.

Had a similar situation on my HDHR Prime. Mine ended being a bad unit. As it was later explained to me, I was able to get the locals because all that is required is authentication for those channels. I was unable to receive anything beyond the OTA channels in my subscription package.

If I had to test again, (so i didn't have a Comcast tech here for four hours)

1. I would use a spare cable modem to see if it can lock on to the Downstream and upstream frequencies from the same connection that you are using for your Prime.

2. In my case, the cable modem locked almost immediately...so the Tech told me that it wasn't a drop issue.

3. After the tech left, I turned on logging...filed a support ticket, and used the IRC chat option on the SD support page. Within 30 minutes, they had figured out that it was a bad unit & I had an RMA in my email when I got back from dinner.

The new unit works fine...

[hb4]

Just recently was able to get SageDCT to work in the VLC mode and record channels with the Comcast issue; had to abandon the NAS for storage and switch to a local drive with drive letter address.

I wanted to make the NAS the primary recording location, but when I used 'replace path' as "\\NASNAME\Sage\Recordings" it didn't work, nor did leaving it blank.

[sflamm]

I'm going to guess that the 'replace path' is implemented as a simple regex.

In which case you need to 'escape' the '\' in the path to use (i.e "\\\\nas\\recordedTV")

[sflamm]

If you turned on verbose logging in SageDCT you can see the location it is trying to record to after the 'replace path' has been used.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by sflamm

I'm going to guess that the 'replace path' is implemented as a simple regex.

In which case you need to 'escape' the '\' in the path to use (i.e "\\\\nas\\recordedTV")

Doesn't use regex:

Path.Combine(ReplacePath, Path.GetFileName(orgPath));

[sflamm]

I see that just appends the filename to the new base path to create the full file path....

what do you think the problem is with using UNC replacement paths?