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[nwboater]

We recently switched from using SageTV for all but Audio to MC17. For all video playback we are overjoyed. Live TV watching, recording and playback is working for us but still has some problems to be worked out.

The following are issues for us. Some are minor nuisances while others really limit our overall enjoyment of TV in MC.

1. Can't use Comskip with files recorded in MC. With the HDPVR MC can only record in their proprietary .jtv file format. Comskip does not recognize .jtv. This is from the Comskip website:

"Comskip can operate on 3 types of files. The first file type is an MPEG file. The extension must be mpg, mpeg (for mpeg Program Streams), ts (for mpeg Transport Streams) or dvr-ms for DVR-MS). Maximum resolution is 2000 by 1200 and the content must be MPEG2 video and MPEG2 or AC3 audio as recorded by most mpeg encoders."

I should point out that MC is doing a great job of skipping commercials with all the imported SageTV files that were marked in Sage. In fact it seems to be doing a better and smoother job of skipping than Sage did.

Not being able to have Comskip function on recordings done by MC is the biggest issue for us right now.

2. Time Shifting required to have audio and video in sync for Live TV. When selecting a program to watch from the Guide the audio is out of sync. The workaround for this issue is to start time shifting. This is done by hitting Pause, Pause again, then wait for the picture to appear. The picture is then still so Play has to be hit.

When stopping Live TV Stop has to be hit, then wait for Time Shifting to Stop and hit Stop again. You are then returned to the Guide.

All this extra button pushing each time a channel is started and stopped is not very user friendly.

3. Can't use ROHQ for files recorded in MC. If I do MC crashes at the start of playback. Our computer is fast enough for HQ and it works fine for other than recordings done in MC. That includes our imported SageTV recordings.

We plan to get more Blue Rays and would really like to be able to use ROHQ. But switching between Standard and HQ based on what we are watching is not an option.

Edit Dec 1 2011 - Followed instructions from Sandy B Ridge to use LAVVidio with Additional Filters and we can now use ROHQ on .jtv files. See post #7 below. Thanks a bunch SBR!

4. Is a recording taking place and if so on what channel? Say we want to watch Live TV. We spend a good bit of time searching the Guide for something good to watch. Select it and THEN find out that our only tuner is busy recording on another channel. Frustrating!

It has been suggested that we buy another tuner for this issue. If we do there is a fair bit of expense for us. I believe that with our Cable Provider that not only would we have the cost of another tuner, but also another Cable STB. And then what if we had a recording going on both tuners - something I think many folks do. We would have the same original problem.

I think the best answer is if the Guide showed that a recording(s) was taking place and on what channel. Then before spending a lot of time in the Guide we could decide if we wanted to cancel the recording or not.

5. What time is it? Before starting a Live TV program it would be nice to know if it is about to begin, just beginning, or almost over. A simple clock on the Guide would solve that problem. Yeah I know I should just look at my watch! But I haven't had one in over 30 years. And in a darkened HT room a watch can be difficult to see.


Some of the above may be considered nit-picking and some serious. But they all add up to an affect on the user experience that is less than desirable.

Countering this I know that a lot has been done with TV in a very short period of time. And I'm hopeful that lots more is in the works. As I mentioned in another thread my wife and I are very pleased that we switched from SageTV. We have gone from a basically dead product to one that is being constantly improved and whose owner and developers participate with their users in some of those improvements. We have faith in the future of MC.

Rod

[Sandy B Ridge]

3. Can't use ROHQ for files recorded in MC. If I do MC crashes at the start of playback. Our computer is fast enough for HQ and it works fine for other than recordings done in MC. That includes our imported SageTV recordings.

We plan to get more Blue Rays and would really like to be able to use ROHQ. But switching between Standard and HQ based on what we are watching is not an option.

Rod,

Have you an NVIDIA card and 'use hardware acceleration' checked in the Video options?

I find that this causes a crash with jtv files for me.

If you have, try either unchecking 'use hardware acceleration' (will load ffdshow filter rather than LAVCUVID) or try ROHQ plus additional filters and add in LAVVideo (you'll need to download and install these from doom9/nevcairiel) for the jtv option. Either of these work fine for me.

If you use LAV Video you'll get hardware deinterlacing.

SBR

[nwboater]

Rod,

Have you an NVIDIA card and 'use hardware acceleration' checked in the Video options?

I find that this causes a crash with jtv files for me.

If you have, try either unchecking 'use hardware acceleration' (will load ffdshow filter rather than LAVCUVID) or try ROHQ plus additional filters and add in LAVVideo (you'll need to download and install these from doom9/nevcairiel) for the jtv option. Either of these work fine for me.

If you use LAV Video you'll get hardware deinterlacing.

SBR

Sandy,

I do have an Nvidea card - it's an Asus GTX 550 Ti. And I do have 'Use hardware acceleration' checked in MC.

It does sound like your second option using LAVVideo should be the better choice for picture quality, right? Also just to confirm, if I use LAVVideo I can keep using Hardware Acceleration, right?

Thanks very much for these suggestions - I'll try the LAVVideo option with ROHQ later and report back here. Anything I need to know about installing it?

BTW do you also use an HDPVR?

Rod

[Sandy B Ridge]

I do have an Nvidea card - it's an Asus GTX 550 Ti.

Nice card, very jealous! I have a lowly GT430. But actually does the job quite well. 

It does sound like your second option using LAVVideo should be the better choice for picture quality, right? Also just to confirm, if I use LAVVideo I can keep using Hardware Acceleration, right?

Erm, I believe so -  yes. I still have 'use hardware acceleration' checked when I use this option, and I have CUVID selected in LAV Video (right click -> directshow filters -> LAV Video etc.). So I'm assuming that it does indeed use the card for acceleration/deinterlacing.

Anything I need to know about installing it?

Only to make sure you've enabled CUVID in the LAV Video options window as above.  IIRC it was already enabled and I didn't have to change it.

BTW do you also use an HDPVR?

No, I have a PCIe card which does DVB (terrestrial,sat & cable - only the terrestrial bit works at the moment in MC)

SBR

[nwboater]

..... or try ROHQ plus additional filters and add in LAVVideo (you'll need to download and install these from doom9/nevcairiel) for the jtv option.

I still have 'use hardware acceleration' checked when I use this option, and I have CUVID selected in LAV Video (right click -> directshow filters -> LAV Video etc.). So I'm assuming that it does indeed use the card for acceleration/deinterlacing. Only to make sure you've enabled CUVID in the LAV Video options window as above.  IIRC it was already enabled and I didn't have to change it.

I've downloaded and installed the LAVVideo on my office machine to take a look at it. I don't see a "jtv option" anywhere. Also searched the Doom9 thread and found very little on jtv. Did I misunderstand something from your first quote above?

Thanks for the setup tips.

It may be awhile before I get a chance to try this out on our HTPC with ROHQ. I guess when I do it shouldn't break anything that wouldn't allow RO Standard to still run okay?

Thanks again.

Rod

[Sandy B Ridge]

I've downloaded and installed the LAVVideo on my office machine to take a look at it. I don't see a "jtv option" anywhere. Also searched the Doom9 thread and found very little on jtv. Did I misunderstand something from your first quote above?

Yes, probably me not being particularly clear about which menu's and where. Apologies.

1. Install LAV Video - done!
2. Go to MC Options (either from the top menubar or Ctrl-O).
3. Select Video on the left hand side
4. Select Red October HQ with Additional filters (under Advanced ->)
5. This splits the right hand pane, in the lower pane, you'll find a list of video types in one of the boxes.
6. Select jtv - I can't remember the exact name for the filetype - JRiver TV or MediaJukebox TV or somesuch. In the next box select the JRiver with directshow or whatever sounds similar (doing this from memory!)
7. In the middle of the three boxes underneath select LAV Video, the o ther two should say 'automatic'
8 . Click on OK

this sets the LAV Video filter to be used only with jtv. The rest of the RO/ROHQ settings and filters will be unaltered.

Try it up to here and see if it works. I think LAV Video will auto-set itself to use Nvidia CUVID. You can bring the LAV Video menu up in the same way as the madvr menu to check the settings.
 

I guess when I do it shouldn't break anything that wouldn't allow RO Standard to still run okay?

I think RO Standard is pretty bombproof which I guess is why Jim usually (daily?!) recommends people start off with it if having problems. The above will only change playback for jtv (hopefully for the better!). If you change back to ROHQ (without the additional filters) the change will be ignored.

Good luck!

SBR

Edit: changed to ROHQ+additional filters

[nwboater]

SBR,


Thanks a lot for the very detailed instructions!

The JRiver team has done a great job with RO and it's various options. Before that it could be very frustrating to make any changes with FFDShow, etc. Not always an easy way to go back to what previously worked. It's comforting to be able to do some playing with this stuff in ROHQ and know that I can still get back to a workable system without a lot of fuss for our evening shows.

Rod

[nwboater]

Yes, probably me not being particularly clear about which menu's and where. Apologies.

1. Install LAV Video - done!
2. Go to MC Options (either from the top menubar or Ctrl-O).
3. Select Video on the left hand side
4. Select Red October with Additional filters (under Advanced ->)
5. This splits the right hand pane, in the lower pane, you'll find a list of video types in one of the boxes.
6. Select jtv - I can't remember the exact name for the filetype - JRiver TV or MediaJukebox TV or somesuch. In the next box select the JRiver with directshow or whatever sounds similar (doing this from memory!)
7. In the middle of the three boxes underneath select LAV Video, the o ther two should say 'automatic'
8 . Click on OK

this sets the LAV Video filter to be used only with jtv. The rest of the RO/ROHQ settings and filters will be unaltered.

Try it up to here and see if it works. I think LAV Video will auto-set itself to use Nvidia CUVID. You can bring the LAV Video menu up in the same way as the madvr menu to check the settings.
  
Good luck!

SBR

SBR,

I just tried it and it works great. Now we can leave MC set on ROHQ.

BTW in your step 4 I selected ROHQ with additional filters.

Thanks again for your detailed help.

Rod

[Sandy B Ridge]

BTW in your step 4 I selected ROHQ with additional filters.

Yes!
That's what I meant. I'll edit the post.

I'm glad you're sorted.
SBR