SageTV splitting recordings

[dgage]

I have been using SageTV 2.0 since the first betas and everything has been great until a recent server switch. I only use SageTV for recording as I have 3 MediaMVPs that I use for watching the recorded shows. I recently purchased an AMD dual-processor system and made that into a Windows 2003 Server with SageTV. My previous system was a single processor Windows 2003 Server that had been running SageTV just fine for about 3-4 months. However, ever since upgrading to the dual-processor machine, I have periodically had shows split into multiple files with parts of the show being lost. The naming would be similar to the following:
show-12345-0.mpg
show-12345-1.mpg
show-12345-2.mpg
One curious thing is that these splits only occur at multiples of 5 minutes.

Here is my current system configuration:

* The only thing that has changed between this system and my previous system are primarily the motherboard. I did a complete reinstall of Windows 2003 Server when I setup the new server.

Iwill MPX2 dual-processor motherboard
Dual AMD 2600+ processors
2 GB of registered ECC memory
3 - PVR-250 MPEG cards
Nvidia Geforce 2 video card
Intel Pro/100 network card
Aureal A3D sound card
Promise Ultra100 TX2 IDE controller
2 - Maxtor 250 GB hard drives
(1 on each channel of Promise Ultra100)
1 - WD 120 GB system hard drive using onboard controller
1 - Sony 4x DVD burner

I have updated to the latest PVR-250 drivers (I have had 3 for about 6 months) and run tests against my hard drives (2 - Maxtor 250GB) as well as verify they were formatted to 64k clusters.

Since the problems only occur on multiples of 5 minutes, I have suspected the problem is with SageTV and something it is doing. I have searched the forums and found other instances of this but most solutions were to change hardware. While that is an option, I don't really want to do that since I bought this machine specifically for SageTV among other things.

I downloaded GB-PVR which is a free PVR solution which actually works pretty well and has built-in MediaMVP support. For a free solution, it is definitely pretty nice but is missing many features that I have come to rely on in SageTV. However, I have been using it for two days and throwing everything I can at it and it has recorded everything with no problems. I have even recorded 3 shows using the high quality setting of 10000 kbps with no problems.

The fact that GB-PVR is recording everything with no problems along with the files splitting on exact multiples of 5 minutes leads me to believe that the problem is with SageTV and I would like help in figuring it out. My searching of these forums has revealed several instances of others having the same problems but no solution other than changing systems. If anyone has any ideas, I would be interested in hearing them.

Thank you.

David

[Opus4]

Unless someone knows a definite reason for this to occur, I would contact tech support at support@freytechnologies.com & see if perhaps there is something you can do with SageTV to debug & try to track down what is causing this.

- Andy

[dgage]

Thanks Andy. I will do that.

David

[LowBrow]

For what it's worth, I had a similar problem, and it has since disappeared after I removed my PVR folders from Anti-virus Scanning.

[dgage]

For what it's worth, I had a similar problem, and it has since disappeared after I removed my PVR folders from Anti-virus Scanning.

Thanks for the suggestion LowBrow but I have already done that. I excluded both of the drives from my antivirus software which I had not done in my previous system that worked flawlessly.

David

[dgage]

I wanted to post back on the solution to my problem. After moving around the Promise Ultra 100TX2 IDE card into different slots on my system, it got to the point where Windows 2003 Server would stop seeing my video drives. Knowing the problems others have had with Promise cards, I ordered a 3ware Escalade 7006 and everything has been great since I installed it. I am now happy again and didn't have to switch out any other hardware or reinstall anything. I promise Promise IDE cards suck!

David

[16valve]

My system does the same thing sometimes. I thought it had to do with my hard drive being fragmented. When the recording is split into several files the show is unmatchable. The time meter turns white instead of green and fast forwards through an hour show in about a minute. You cant slow it down. I built my system on a low budget using old parts so maybe it's just my hardware. I sometimes get freezing at the end of a show as well.

AMD Athlon 1400
Gigabyte GA-7ZMMH (Via km133a)
PVR-350, hardware encoding only, tv out
512mb
Onboard sound/video
XpPro sp1
All latest drivers.

[Worf]

I too am having the issue of Sage recording multiple files that do not play correctly. I am running the 1.18.021.22254 version of the driver. I started noticing the multiple file issue after installing this driver.

Try opening on of the segmented files in another media player (I use VLC as these files would lock up WMP.) I noticed all kinds of blockiness and stuttering in the file. With previous driver revisions Sage would occassionally start recording files with this corruption, requiring a reboot to fix. I wonder if the multiple file issue is caused by an attempt to fix the corrupt recording problems in previous drivers.

I noticed you are also using a 350 with Hardware decoding only. That may also be a factor.

[dgage]

16valve,

Can you give us more information about your disk subsystem such as hard drive type and speed, partition cluster size (64k is recommended), hard drive controller (motherboard or addon), and what other drives are on the same controller.

David

[john f]

I've been having the same problem.................on the same hardware I have used since the early 2.0 beta testing days.

I really am now just waiting for Meedio Tv or SOMETHING to come out that is more reliable than Sage.

With Sage...........as soon as I get one problem fixed another appears!!!


John

[16valve]

My system is very minimalist. I have one Seagate 80GB hard drive. 7200 rpm, 8mb cache (fairly new). It is the only drive on the primary IDE channel. I have no removable drives. I have a 4 GB partition for my OS and the rest of the drive is for video. I formatted with the 64kb cluster (ntfs). I am using the onboard IDE controller that comes with the Via KM133a chipset. It has integrated S3 savage4 video and creative ct5880 sound.
In my last post I meant to say that the shows split into several files are unwatchable.

[ToxMox]

16valve:
Have you installed the latest Via 4in1 drivers (4.53) http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=2

They may help you if you haven't.

[Crowdx42]

I have had this same problem intermittently since the release of Sage 2, I have never really been able to nail it down as to any reason. Use a Server to record and a client with a PVR 350 to watch (although presently I am not using the PVR 350 for viewing). I also have seen the problem where a file skips through a whole show in a matter of minutes. The only thing I have wondered about is tha it may have been linked to multiple tuners recording at the same time, I have 3 tuners in my server.
Patrick

[dgage]

I have 3 PVR-250s as well and didn't have any problems when my server was a single AMD 2500+ on an Asus A78V with a Promise IDE controller for the two 250 GB Maxtors. It wasn't until I switch to dual AMD 2500+ and the Iwill MPX2 that I began to have problems. As I said, as soon as I got rid of the Promise IDE controller and replaced it with a 3Ware everything has been great.

David

[john f]

What's amazing too me is that nobody from Frey has responded to this thread with any suggestions.
Could it be they don't know what the problem is???

FWIW, I'm still having the same problem....and it's really starting to *&^s me off!!

John

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by john f

What's amazing too me is that nobody from Frey has responded to this thread with any suggestions.

This is a forum for users to offer each other suggestions. Have you tried contacting tech support?

- Andy

[john f]

So Jeff never posts on this forum???

I'll tell you what.....I will post it to tech support......but past experiences posting other questions have been very disappointing.
They get back to you.....but often the answers they give are not at all helpful, and I end up solving the problems myself.

Oh well..........


John

[Opus4]

I didn't say that no one from Frey ever posts in any of the forums... But, this is designated as a user to user forum, so your best bet to bring a problem with a release version to their attention is to file a tech support request. During a beta, you would file a bug report.

- Andy

[rsagetv99]

I have started having this problem now, I believe it happens when two shows are being recorded at the same time, and maybe only if I am also watching another show. Did anyone find a fix for this, or did Frey tech support respond back?

My system is an AMD 1700+, 60 GB system drive, 120GB recording drive formatted at 64k, 768MB RAM, 2 tuners, XP Pro SP1. All drives are connected to the onboard IDE of the ASUS A7266 motherboard.

[john f]

Still Happens to me.....

Frey did respond with some generic *^%^*%() like "drivers, Antivirus,MB drivers, etc. I had not changed any of those things, but checked the suggestions they gave......and they didn't help.

I was just killing time with Sage anyhow until Meedio TV got released..but the way they are going.that may be awhile.


John