Guide: Installing SageTV V7

[George L. Schmauch Jr.]

[quote=”babgvant”]
Do you have a link to the updated file?

If you have ffdshow encode audio it will handle PCM and output AC3.
[/quote]

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?p=456838&postcount=13

[flips]

This is a great guide, and the timing is perfect for me.  After just getting a new ATI card, 5450 and a new reciever, I struggled with bitstreaming for way too long only to find out it isn’t supported in XP.  Installing windows7 now and planning to follow this guide step by step. 

One question though…  If you have a HDMI 1.3 receiver, is there a need to isntall AC3Filter for the older codecs?  It seems like ffdshow sends both new and old to the receiver.

Thanks,
flips

[Andrew Van Til]

[quote=”flips”]
… is there a need to isntall AC3Filter for the older codecs?  It seems like ffdshow sends both new and old to the receiver.

[/quote]

AC3Filter isn’t required, but in my experience AC3Filter is more reliable with AC3/DTS than ffdshow.

For e.g. skipping around a lot in a file can lose audio when using ffdshow.

[skirge01]

Andy,

I have my new 5570 (thanks, Naylia!) installed and working and I’m now trying to get bitstreaming going.  I followed a bunch of your guides, but I’m getting severe stuttering during playback.  The receiver is quickly switching between “DTS-HD MSTR” and “stereo”.  Each one displays for only a split second and it just keeps switching.  I’ve noticed that the CPU usage is peaking at about 60%, as well, but not pegged… it’s more in line with the stuttering.

Any ideas where to start?

Thanks!

[babgvant]

Sounds like a video codec issue, but if the files aren’t local it could also be the network.

Can you repro the problem in GraphStudio if you build the optimal graph yourself?

[skirge01]

I’m not sure what the optimal graph would look like, but I was able to find the right settings in SageTV to make it do precisely what Graph Studio is doing.  I copied the file locally and it played exactly the same, so it’s not the network.  I also played it in VLC (granted, that’s only DTS) and it played okay.

[skirge01]

Any ideas?  If not, I think I’m going to reinstall Windows and start from scratch again this weekend.

[babgvant]

[quote=skirge01]

I’m not sure what the optimal graph would look like, but I was able to find the right settings in SageTV to make it do precisely what Graph Studio is doing.  I copied the file locally and it played exactly the same, so it’s not the network.  I also played it in VLC (granted, that’s only DTS) and it played okay.

[/quote]

Best place to start is with the MPC-HC standalone filters + ffdshow.  There are source and decoder filters for pretty much everything.

Also, might be worth seeing what the graph looks like when you drop the file into graphstudio.

[skirge01]

First, I attached the standard graph.  Second, is what I believe you meant with the MPC-HC filter.  I didn’t see another video decoder for MPC-HC, even though I installed MPC-HC just yesterday, long after your Antipack.  Both have the exact same result I mentioned earlier.

[babgvant]

Try using the EVR instead of “Video Renderer”.  Perf will suck with the default VR, it doesn’t support DXVA2.

[skirge01]

I got no audio at all with that, then I noticed that it was using the Microsoft DTV Audio Decoder, so I switched that out to ffdshow and then the Default Directsound Device wouldn’t link up.  I swapped that out to the ATI HDMI Output and that linked up, but still no audio.  Video played back quite smoothly, though.  🙂

[babgvant]

Yeah the MS Audio decoder should have a lower merit.  What version of the MPC splitters (the one in AntiPack is outdated) and ffdshow do you have?  If you disable bitstreaming in the filter can you connect and playback decoded PCM?

[skirge01]

I uninstalled the Antipack, MPC-HC, and ffdshow so that I could sort of start over.  I reinstalled MPC-HC and ffdshow, but I don’t see any MPC filters at all in GraphStudio.  Is there something special I need to do to make them show up?

I’m not sure how I go about disabling the bitstreaming part.  Is that just by unchecking the passthrough options in ffdshow?

[babgvant]

In ffdshow make sure that all of the DD (AC3, E-AC3, True HD, MLP) and DTS variants are enabled, then in the output uncheck all of the “Pass-through” options.

You’ll need to dl the MPC-HC standalone filters.  The application compiles the filters into the exe.

[skirge01]

I changed the options in ffdshow as you suggested and downloaded the MPC-HC standalone filters.  However, since the filters were only .ax and a couple of .dll files, I wasn’t sure where to put them.  I placed them into the MPC-HC folder and ran MPC-HC, then ran GraphStudio, but I didn’t see any of those.  When you say the application compiles those into the exe, what exactly did you mean I need to do in order to make that happen?  Or, do I need to put them in a Windows directory?

BTW… thanks for all the help so far!  It’s very much appreciated.

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