OSD missing on TV-out

[viridis]

I'm using the SageTV 2.1 on my computer to record programs to watch on the normal tv via a wireless connection. However, although I get the SageTV informations (menus and OSD) on the computer screen, I can only get the video on the tv. It is very difficult to use the remote when you can't see what you are doing. I assume it's just a setup problem, but I have been unable to find anything in the manual or on this forum.

How can I get the tv to show me the SageTV information?

I have a Hauppauge PVR-250 and a Radeon 9200 video card and use the Intervideo decoder.

[kny3twalker]

try changing the TV to primary monitor in the 9200 settings

[viridis]

Thank's. Changing tv to primary did help on the tv, now I got the information on the tv. However, instead I lost info on the computer screen. Since I'm using both I would be happy for a solution which give me both. Is this possible? What is actually the technical reason for the problem?

[kny3twalker]

certainly does not sound like it with your video card
I have never since this though

[stanger89]

Try turning off Theater Mode.

[viridis]

I did use theater mode. But if I change to "Standard" mode the situation is reversed. Now I only see the computer screen on the tv with the SageTv window and all the information within but without any video. So if I try to show livetv I get both video and Sagetv information (volume, channel, etc.) on the computer but only the Sagetv information on a black screen (with sound) on the tv.
If I instead set the overlay display mode for the 9200 graphics card to "Same on all" I get the following error message in SageTV: "There was a Playback Error in playback. Details: sage.PlaybackException: ERROR (-4,0 x80040217):
There was a problem rendering the video portion of the content for playback."? Any idea what this means?

[stanger89]

Basically Overlay only works on one monitor (usually) theater mode gets around that (by copying the Overlay buffer to the secondary output), but you won't get the OSD on both then. So you'll have to choose between video or OSD on both.

[viridis]

If the ability to have OSD and video is limited to only one screen due to the working of the Overlay technique, I'm forced to accept that (lost to the limitation of a computer...).

But if anyone knows a way out I would greatly appreciate a hint. It's rather annoying that although I'm using a computer I would have to do all the interaction with the program using my remote control if I also would like to interact when using the TV.

Alternatively, of course, I can "just" change my video setup mode every time I move from tv -> computer and vice versa!

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by viridis

But if anyone knows a way out I would greatly appreciate a hint. It's rather annoying that although I'm using a computer I would have to do all the interaction with the program using my remote control if I also would like to interact when using the TV.

Well you should (assuming the preview windows and video background are off) be able to see the Sage menues on the TV, just not the while-video-playing OSD.

Your other option is to use the "Default" (VMR7) renderer instead of overlay.

[viridis]

Thanks! You are right. When the video is not playing I can see the SageTv menu on the TV. So, although not perfect, at least I can stop the video playing when I want to work with SageTV on the TV. It may cause some problems when recording liveTV but otherwise it's possible. Thank you.

[kny3twalker]

it will not cause a problem when recording TV
sageTV does not need to preview the recording for it to record
simply stop the file from playing

[mls]

Not sure why there should be a problem with a 9200 this way. I don't have any problem with a 9000 between the monitor and tv other then VMR9 stumbling for the tv out, but these cards aren't gonna do VMR9 very well anyway. Are you sure you have the latest drivers from ATI ?

[stanger89]

mls,

Are you saying you get the OSD and video on BOTH outputs simultaneously while using Overlay?

[mls]

With the desktop cloned on both, no not with Overlay, used Default instead.

But, since I only have an SD TV, there's no point to have the desktop out to my TV (since couldn't read it anyway), so I normally run with the TV out as Extended Desktop. Then I can run SageTV with Overlay and move it back and forth between the TV or monitor.

I don't bother moving it around though. I just leave it run full screen all the time on the TV out. If I want to mess around at the computer I would either run a Client or "sagetv.exe -client". Don't remember if I run with Default or VMR9 when using the client this way though, probably Default. Can run that full screen on the monitor or resize this window and drag over on top of the full screen TV to use as picture-in-picture.

If he wants to run on both screens at the same time, then as you pointed about above, use Default (or VMR7).

For Overlay use Extended Desktop and move it to which ever screen you want to use it on, since probably wouldn't have need for it on both at once anyway.

Not sure if that helps with how he might want to use it though.