H.264 Support?

[Outvit]

Is H.264 support a planned SageTV feature?

[justme]

You mean as a supported playback format? If so the real question becomes will(most likely when) will Sage support the AVC(specifically Nero's version) of h.264. Since it works in WMP, it shouldn't be too hard to make work in Sage. I can't imagine the fact that sage isn't Dolby(or whatever sound spec.) certified is whats keeping the DShow filters from working in Sage. Unless Nero has the audio/video filters combined. I'm just guessing as I know little about DShow and have only now seriously started playing with Nero's AVC. I've held off specifically because of lack of Sage playback, but for some CGI anime it's the only codec that gives good results at a smaller file size than normal DVD.

Eventually Sage will have to support AVC, as it has a huge/fast following on most of the AV forums. Many people say it's even better than Xvid and says something considering Xvid has almost become a religion for some.

[Outvit]

H.264 is way better than xvid. I saw a demo of the thing in action and they were resizing the movie very quickly to full screen to very large to just any size and nowhere in the process was any quality lost. It was a very cool thing. I believe it is supposed to be used by both BluRay and HD-DVD. So I don't think it even matters which new DVD standard wins, H.264 is here to stay.

And I certainly hope SageTV supports Dolby Digital Surround Sound or THX...I have surround sound here and I don't want to be without it.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Outvit

And I certainly hope SageTV supports Dolby Digital Surround Sound or THX...I have surround sound here and I don't want to be without it.

It already does, S/PDIF output works just like a STB DVD Player, my Processor decodes DD/DTS from DVDs just fine. If you want the PC to do the decoding, all you need are the right decoders, Sonic, Intervideo, and Cyberlink all have decoders that can decode AC3. Also AC3 Filter and the Dscaler5 audio decoders can decode AC3/DTS, only you must strip the encryption first for those.

The only decoder that doesn't work now (decoding only, passthrough works fine) is nVidia's, and if you want that to work, I suggest you write Frey and request they get Sage Dolby Certified so the nVidia decoders will be allowed to decode in Sage.

[Outvit]

Originally Posted by stanger89

It already does, S/PDIF output works just like a STB DVD Player, my Processor decodes DD/DTS from DVDs just fine. If you want the PC to do the decoding, all you need are the right decoders, Sonic, Intervideo, and Cyberlink all have decoders that can decode AC3. Also AC3 Filter and the Dscaler5 audio decoders can decode AC3/DTS, only you must strip the encryption first for those.

The only decoder that doesn't work now (decoding only, passthrough works fine) is nVidia's, and if you want that to work, I suggest you write Frey and request they get Sage Dolby Certified so the nVidia decoders will be allowed to decode in Sage.

How about using my SoundBlaster Audigy drivers directly?

[stanger89]

If you mean your Audigy decoding, just get a DVD decoder (needed for DVD Playback anyway) and set it to S/PDIF output, IIRC your Audigy should decode it automatically then.

[Outvit]

Originally Posted by stanger89

If you mean your Audigy decoding, just get a DVD decoder (needed for DVD Playback anyway) and set it to S/PDIF output, IIRC your Audigy should decode it automatically then.

Cool. I'm sure it will work right away then.

Thank you.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Outvit

Cool. I'm sure it will work right away then.

Thank you.

Just kidding, I've trained myself, not to expect things to work right away, and be happy when they do

BTW, I've never done what you describe myself (I hate Audigies ) but from what I gather, that's how they work.

[korben_dallas]

Using Microsoft Graphedit, I could not make a successful link using the standard DirectShow file source (async) on an AVC .mp4 file. Only the Nero Digital File Source would work, but then I could only get audio playback with the 3ivx codec.

Even though WMP can figure out the correct DS chain and plays the AVC .mp4 files just like Nero Showtime, WMP isn't a normal media player - it's highly integrated and even controls parts of Windows. So this may be a little bit both a Nero and SageTV problem, though Sage probably wouldn't want to get into the business of catering to every codec under the sun.. that would get out of hand, there are like 1000 different codecs.

[nielm]

Originally Posted by korben_dallas

Using Microsoft Graphedit, I could not make a successful link using the standard DirectShow file source (async) on an AVC .mp4 file. Only the Nero Digital File Source would work, but then I could only get audio playback with the 3ivx codec.

This is the problem: Sage's client/server streaming architecture cannot use the file source filters, because the playback part (client) is not given files to read: it is given data streams from the server. Therefore it needs decoders that accept the streams that Sage generates...

So, there needs to be an intermediate filter, which does not appear to exist.

This is also why other media players (which access the files directly) can play back AVC's

[Cayars]

Going along with what Nielm just posted. This is also the reason why SageTV doesn't support WMV file formats. It too needs would need an intermediate filter which doesn't exist.

[dvd_maniac]

I use Cayars ultimate STV to play my AVC files through it's External Player feature. It works flawlessly on Server & Client. Showtime was a little hard to setup to use the Hauppauge remote but Opus4 was great in lending a hand and now all is perfect.

The only problems I have with Nero's AVC is the audio and encode speeds. It encodes audio way too low, they need to add gain to there encoding process. As far as there encode speeds, Doom9 (from www.doom9.org) has done a great codec comparison but he was given a more mature version of the Nero/Ateme codec to encode with. It is suppose to have a 20% speed increase as well as more advanced b-frames for slightly better quality encodes. And Nero was suppose to release it with 3.0.1.18. 6-8 hours is just too long for most movies.
I still use AVC for intense action, Sci-Fi and some of my all time favorites, but still use Xvid for slow moving, romance and kids movies.