STB Firewire (IEEE-1394) Support

[jadkar]

Not heard of that one but be sure you're not using VMR and DXVA is enabled although you would of course have high CPU immediately once attempting to view any HD material with VMR and no DXVA.

For starters if not already checked, check the OS event log for any clues and see if Sage is logging and error files. Which app is grabbing the 100% CPU in task manager?

You know something.....one thing I didn't mention. I'm not using SAGE yet, this is just while testing with GraphEdit.

[ChuckvB]

Could some one send me a copy of what filters and stuff you needed in Graphedit to make it work? Great guide but I havn't used Graphedit in years. Send to Chuckvb@gmail.com.

Thanks

[jriskin]

So is this purely for cable set top boxes? What about Satellite boxes that have firewire outputs? Or are there none that come stock that way?

This company seems to be retrofitting satellite boxes with firewire for recording to standalone DVHS, etc...
http://www.169time.com/index.html

Looks like the least expensive one is still $599. Would you be able to record with a sage box with this?

I still haven't figured out what exactly their AVX1 (which is a PC) is doing, but in theory should you even need one? Wouldnt whatever PC you're running sage on be able to do the same thing?

I was planning on getting new service soon and I haven't decided on Sat. or Cable yet but I wanted to go HDTV either way...

[DFA]

Theoretically, the modified Sat STB's with Firewire as part of the mod should work. The modded and custom boxes are the only ones that have Firewire. Firewire is not offered directly by the SatCo's.

DFA

[jriskin]

I still have to check pricing on cable. But i'm leaning towards it because of the no-cost compared to a modded sat box and since they don't provide the local HD channels on sat. Where as chartercom gives you the locals... I would do OTA HDTV + Sat. but that seems like trouble since Sage doesn't support the OTA cards yet and two sources just seems like trouble.

Now I just need to figure out which STB charter uses and pricing. Then figure out what the system requirements are for the playback. Its just putting the program stream straight to disk right? That shouldn't take up huge amounts. I think I saw someone say like 100MB/min which is only 1.6MB/sec which isn't hard for a HD at all. But playback of a 1.6MB/sec MPEG2 stream is a set up from SD content.

Has anyone worked out the minimum system requirements yet?

[taltman]

I can't see the UNE as another video source in the Setup Wizard. I've followed the instructions from the PDF file that Spaceghost put together...

What am I doing wrong? I am using the latest released version of sage.

/Tal

[spaceghost]

You had sage (and any sage service) disabled and shut down while you edited the properties file to input the tuner info for sgraphrecorder?

You have sgraphrecorder running/loaded before you load sage? If you start sgraphrecorder after sage is loaded, it takes a few minutes (too long) for sage to see it.

I think as long as you followed STEP 9 &10 correctly you should at least "see" the tuner in sage.

Oh, make sure any firewall software you may have is not blocking the connection.

[taltman]

Network Encoder doesn't work still. I can't see another tuner listed. I copied and pasted the text from your postings and Sage doesn't see the tuner. I opened a web browser to http://myHTPC:6969 and the UNE debug showed an http session opened. So I know UNE is listening, and if I do a netstat -an I see 0.0.0.0:6969 is listening so I think the problem is sage related.

How can I debug Sage to see what it doesn't like? How should the network encoder be listed in the properties file? I tried copying and pasting the code into Sage.properties and when that didn't work I tried the other properties file.

Any ideas? P.S. Windows XP SP2 firewall is turned off for debug purposes.

/Tal

[turak]

If running as a service, make sure the service is stopped before editing the properties file. If not running as a service, make sure you completely close sagetv (alt F4) before editing the properties file. After editing the file go to settings and use the setup wizard. Add a new source. You should see the network encoder listed.

[mjknoops]

Well, I took the plunge and hooked up my Moto 6200 to my firewire port and I can set recordings all day long. They work great! I just have to use a seperate viewer to actually watch the files. SageTV won't view them. I also can't watch any channels over the firewire live. Sage just hangs for a minute or two, then shows a blank screen and errors with an audio device error. I've tried every possible combo of audio/video decoders in the Sage settings. Thoughts?

Mike
mjknoops@hotmail.com

[turak]

Originally Posted by mjknoops

Well, I took the plunge and hooked up my Moto 6200 to my firewire port and I can set recordings all day long. They work great! I just have to use a seperate viewer to actually watch the files. SageTV won't view them. I also can't watch any channels over the firewire live. Sage just hangs for a minute or two, then shows a blank screen and errors with an audio device error. I've tried every possible combo of audio/video decoders in the Sage settings. Thoughts?

I have the same problem. I messed around with it for a month or two and couldn't get sage to play back the files. They play fine if I watch them with any other player.

[olyar15]

What media player are you able to use to play back the Mpg files? Is there any way in those media players to see what audio codecs you are using?

I am using the Nvidia video and audio codecs from Theatertek. I have the advanced audio pack since I have my HTPC hooked up via my M-Audio Revolution 5.1 thru the analog outputs rather than SPDIF.

What sound card do you have, and are you sending audio via SPDIF or analog outs? Since most HD shows have a DD encoded audio, if Sage isn't properly set up to do SPDIF passthrough of audio, then that might explain the audio error.

[turak]

Originally Posted by olyar15

What media player are you able to use to play back the Mpg files? Is there any way in those media players to see what audio codecs you are using?

I am using the Nvidia video and audio codecs from Theatertek. I have the advanced audio pack since I have my HTPC hooked up via my M-Audio Revolution 5.1 thru the analog outputs rather than SPDIF.

What sound card do you have, and are you sending audio via SPDIF or analog outs? Since most HD shows have a DD encoded audio, if Sage isn't properly set up to do SPDIF passthrough of audio, then that might explain the audio error.

I can play them back with windows media player or graphedit. I used radlight filter manager to enable SPDIF out in my nvidia and intervideo audio decoders on my main client. I get the same error on my other client that uses analog out. I've tried NVDVD platinum, intervideo, sonic, cyberlink and default.

[turak]

Originally Posted by olyar15

What media player are you able to use to play back the Mpg files? Is there any way in those media players to see what audio codecs you are using?

I used graphedit to "render media file" and then to play it back. It played back fine. I'll attach a jpg of the graph.

[spaceghost]

Turak,
Couple of questions for you:

Does the NVDVD Platinum decode DD 5.1? I thought the lowest package couldn't handle 5.1.

Is your NVDVD a trial or did you buy it? I had issues with the trial. Did not always decode 5.1 inside Sage. Would run fine using graphedit. In fact, I still have problems trying to use this audio driver inside Sage. I use the Intervideo audio decoder without issue. I bought the platinum windvd 6.

Is the file encoded with 5.1 or 2.0 DD? If you don't know, you can view that info with media player classic. Goto-File-Properties. It will tell you how many audio channels are there.

Your graph-I demoted the sagetv splitter to below the microsoft mpeg2 demux. WMP, MPC, and sage all seem to work better.

[turak]

Originally Posted by spaceghost

Turak,
Couple of questions for you:

Does the NVDVD Platinum decode DD 5.1? I thought the lowest package couldn't handle 5.1.

Is your NVDVD a trial or did you buy it? I had issues with the trial. Did not always decode 5.1 inside Sage. Would run fine using graphedit. In fact, I still have problems trying to use this audio driver inside Sage. I use the Intervideo audio decoder without issue. I bought the platinum windvd 6.

Is the file encoded with 5.1 or 2.0 DD? If you don't know, you can view that info with media player classic. Goto-File-Properties. It will tell you how many audio channels are there.

Your graph-I demoted the sagetv splitter to below the microsoft mpeg2 demux. WMP, MPC, and sage all seem to work better.

The platinum is the highest package. I bought it. It handles DD 5.1 and DTS passthru to SPDIF when watching DVD's without a problem. My intervideo handles DD 5.1, but has trouble with DTS. Crap...Just had a molar extracted and the novacane is wearing off..need to get to the drug store...need pain meds...

[mjknoops]

Originally Posted by olyar15

What media player are you able to use to play back the Mpg files? Is there any way in those media players to see what audio codecs you are using?

I am using the Nvidia video and audio codecs from Theatertek. I have the advanced audio pack since I have my HTPC hooked up via my M-Audio Revolution 5.1 thru the analog outputs rather than SPDIF.

What sound card do you have, and are you sending audio via SPDIF or analog outs? Since most HD shows have a DD encoded audio, if Sage isn't properly set up to do SPDIF passthrough of audio, then that might explain the audio error.

When I play with Windows MP, I get video, no sound (NVIDIA Decoders, paid-for). When I play with Moonlight player, the recordings work fine. However, I can't watch anything over the firewire live. It works if I use the capture device feature of VLC player, just not live in Sage.

[pcuoco]

Someone's cracked channel changing over Firewire at The Green Button.

Read all about it.

http://www.thegreenbutton.com/commun...oApprove=false

[spaceghost]

I tried the channel.exe command sending a "channel -v 1 610" and it BSOD/rebooted the HTPC. Using the modified .inf by DFA.

here's what "channel -v" returns:
Device 1 Channel 1
1 "FireBus MPEG2TS Tuner Subunit Device"
'Motorola AV/C Tuner Device'
"@devicenp:\\?\avc#motorola&dct-6412&typ_5&id_0#2011ddfeff1a1100#{65e8773d-8f56-11d0-a3b9-00a0c9223196}\global" 0
2 'Hauppauge WinTV PVR PCI II Capture'
"@devicenp:\\?\pci#ven_4444&dev_0016&subsys_40090070&rev_01#4&3b1d9ab8&0&3840#{65e8773d-8f56-11d0-a3b9-00a0c9223196}\hauppauge wintv pvr pci ii capture" 0
3 'Hauppauge WinTV PVR PCI II Capture'
"@devicenp:\\?\pci#ven_4444&dev_0016&subsys_40090070&rev_01#4&3b1d9ab8&0&5040#{65e8773d-8f56-11d0-a3b9-00a0c9223196}\hauppauge wintv pvr pci ii capture" 0
Device Id ""
Device Version "2.1.0"


I think I'm supposed to be sending these commands to the AV/C panel, but it's disabled and I can't get any drivers to work. I don't really want to remove it and use the avsforum .inf right now.

it would be great if we could tie channel.exe into sgraphrecorder for this! We would need a couple of more options in the .ini.

[Naylia]

yeah, it seems to use a mess of other drivers to control it so i'm not sure what could be done to either bring that functionality into dfa's inf file or to modify those and clean them up, it would be cool although i have the usb-uirt working now