Different recording formats by Channel? (1 Viewer)

[skoka123]

MediaPortal Version: Media Portal 1.2 RC
MediaPortal Skin: Default Blue Wide
Windows Version: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1
CPU Type: AMD X2 5200
HDD: WD IDE 320GB
Memory: 2GB DD2
Motherboard: Asus M2A-VM
Video Card: Built in (690G)
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card: Auzentech Prelude 7.1
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Hauppauge Colossus
1. TV Card Type: Analog
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: MPC MPEG-2 Video Decoder (Gabest)
MPEG2 Audio Codec: ffdshow
h.264 Video Codec: Microsoft DTV - DVD Video Decoder
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Tata SKY
HTPC Case: Generic
Cooling:
Power Supply: Antec 430W
Remote: MCE Remote
TVanasonic Projector
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI

Hi,

I am using FTR 1.6 with MP 1.2RC with a STB. There are very few channels that are in HD.

The HD channels are telecasted in MPEG-4 Dolby Digital 7.1 (AAC I think).
The SC channels are telecasted in MPEG-2 2.0 audio.

Currently an SD recording of 36 minutes occupies 2.12GB using MPEG-2 TS.

Is there a way to
1) record in the native stream (MPEG4 to MPEG4 and MPEG2 to MPEG2)? The input source is HDMI using a Hauppauge Colossus card.
2) define bitrate and format by channel?

I am using the on-board video of an Asus M2A-VM motherboard that comes with a Radeon X1250 embedded.

I have asked the same question in FTR forums too as I am not sure who can answer this question.

Please see attached the video codecs in my system

Thanks,
Srikanth

 

[mm1352000]

Hi Srikanth

1) record in the native stream (MPEG4 to MPEG4 and MPEG2 to MPEG2)? The input source is HDMI using a Hauppauge Colossus card.

The stream already *is* recorded in native format. TS is just a "container" format like MKV - it can contain either MPEG 2 or h.264 video. In the case of the Colossus with an HDMI input: the stream is provided by the STB in digital format (either h.264 or MPEG 2 depending on the channel) so the Colossus doesn't need to do any encoding. It simply passes the stream to TV Server, and TV Server just writes the stream to the HDD. Lossless recording of the native stream.

2) define bitrate and format by channel?

You can't set the recording format with TV Server - as I've already said, we record the stream provided by the Colossus direct to your HDD without modification. Since TV Server does not re-encode, there is also no chance to define the bitrate. You could re-encode with handbrake or similar after the recording is complete if you need to.

mm

 

[skoka123]

Hi MM,

Thanks for the information. Thankfully in India HDCP is not yet implemented.

I do have lots of problems in recording with the CPU usage being in the range of 95 to 100%. For now I do not suspect MP1.2 RC and Colossus. I doubted the codecs but after you clarification that should not be the problem. I suspect a problem with the RAM. Memtest did help in identifying any problem though.

Can you please have a quick look at the first post of this thread where I mentioned my setup and let me know if the system is too under powered to record and play TV with the Colossus? I used the same system with MP 1.1 and a Leadtek WinTV2000 PVR card using s-video input and never had any problem.

A general question, if the hard disk is a problem could it result in high CPU usage and sluggish playback?

Thanks,
Srikanth

 

[mm1352000]

Thankfully in India HDCP is not yet implemented.

I do have lots of problems in recording with the CPU usage being in the range of 95 to 100%.

Hmmm, something isn't right there. If you check task manager (ctrl + alt + delete) while the recording is taking place, which process is using all the CPU? My guess would be anti-virus software or something scanning the recording folder.

Can you please have a quick look at the first post of this thread where I mentioned my setup and let me know if the system is too under powered to record and play TV with the Colossus?

Definitely not too underpowered to record - the system should use very little (< 10%) CPU when recording.
Very possibly underpowered for playback of 1080i h.264. You could try using a codec that doesn't support hardware acceleration to put the video decoding load on the CPU, but I suspect you would be better off with a video card.

I used the same system with MP 1.1 and a Leadtek WinTV2000 PVR card using s-video input and never had any problem.

This one? I can't tell for sure if that card has hardware encoding, but I suspect it does - that would mean that the recording load on your CPU would be very low. All recordings would have been encoded in MPEG 2 format which your current hardware can handle easily.

A general question, if the hard disk is a problem could it result in high CPU usage and sluggish playback?

It could do if the HDD is operating in PIO mode. You can check this in device manager by looking at the "advanced settings" tab in the properties for each IDE ATA/ATAPI controller in your system. The mode should be some DMA mode, not PIO.

mm

 

[skoka123]

Thankfully in India HDCP is not yet implemented.

I do have lots of problems in recording with the CPU usage being in the range of 95 to 100%.

Hmmm, something isn't right there. If you check task manager (ctrl + alt + delete) while the recording is taking place, which process is using all the CPU? My guess would be anti-virus software or something scanning the recording folder.


Definitely not too underpowered to record - the system should use very little (< 10%) CPU when recording.
Very possibly underpowered for playback of 1080i h.264. You could try using a codec that doesn't support hardware acceleration to put the video decoding load on the CPU, but I suspect you would be better off with a video card.

I used the same system with MP 1.1 and a Leadtek WinTV2000 PVR card using s-video input and never had any problem.

This one? I can't tell for sure if that card has hardware encoding, but I suspect it does - that would mean that the recording load on your CPU would be very low. All recordings would have been encoded in MPEG 2 format which your current hardware can handle easily.

A general question, if the hard disk is a problem could it result in high CPU usage and sluggish playback?

It could do if the HDD is operating in PIO mode. You can check this in device manager by looking at the "advanced settings" tab in the properties for each IDE ATA/ATAPI controller in your system. The mode should be some DMA mode, not PIO.

mm

May be I spoke too early on the HDCP. One of the programs (actually a movie that is still running in theaters) was broadcasted last weekend. I could only get the audio but to no video save for the last 5 minutes of the movie. I am not sure if it is problem with the STB or HDCP.

OK - I did some more research on the recording and playback.
I am using 4TR for recording. Setting up recording from the 4TR management console I see that the CPU utilization is < 10%. If I watch live TV in MP the CPU utilization is ~ 60% for SD content and ~ 100% for HD content. If I watch the live TV from a client PC, then the CPU utilization on the HTPC server is around 15 to 20%.

When I playback a recorded program on the HTPC in MP the CPU utilization is ~ 50%. The same video when I playback on WMP it is around < 15%. On VLC it is < 65%.

What seems to be the problem? Obviously Hardware Encoding is working. Doesn't Hardware Decoding also work? It seems like there is some problem with the playback codec defined in MP config. I think I should experiment with the codecs. Am I going in the right direction?

BTW, all recordings are in MPEG-2 even those in HD.

Now the questions that's been killing me is this. A 37 minute SD recording is consuming 2.05 GB and the windows file properties and also the media properties in WMP says that it is a 23 Hrs 4 min 4 secs recording. VLC just does not give any duration information. In case of HD a 20 min 23 sec recoding is consuming 1.2 GB. The windows file properties and media properties display the length correctly. VLC does not show any duration information.

Why is the SD recording consuming more than the HD recording though I am using HDMI input on the Colossus?

Thanks,
Srikanth

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again Srikanth

May be I spoke too early on the HDCP. One of the programs (actually a movie that is still running in theaters) was broadcasted last weekend. I could only get the audio but to no video save for the last 5 minutes of the movie. I am not sure if it is problem with the STB or HDCP.

Sounds like a codec issue rather than an HDCP issue. Is the Colossus audio coming from the HDMI, or some other input?

I am using 4TR for recording. Setting up recording from the 4TR management console I see that the CPU utilization is < 10%.

This is as expected and would be the same with MediaPortal's TV Server - recording simply copies the stream to the HDD without any re-encoding.

If I watch live TV in MP the CPU utilization is ~ 60% for SD content and ~ 100% for HD content.

This likely to be because your CPU is decoding the video. Are you still using the Microsoft DTV-DVD video codec for TV and video? If so, then it is possible that your integrated GPU doesn't support hardware accelerated decoding. You may need a new video card.

If I watch the live TV from a client PC, then the CPU utilization on the HTPC server is around 15 to 20%.

This is because the TV server is only streaming the TV data to the client. The client decodes the video, so the server doesn't work very hard.

When I playback a recorded program on the HTPC in MP the CPU utilization is ~ 50%. The same video when I playback on WMP it is around < 15%. On VLC it is < 65%.

Again - sounds like a codec issue.

What seems to be the problem? Obviously Hardware Encoding is working. Doesn't Hardware Decoding also work? It seems like there is some problem with the playback codec defined in MP config. I think I should experiment with the codecs. Am I going in the right direction?

Yes, I think so.
There is no encoding happening on either the server or the client. As I've already said, it seems that hardware decoding is not being used, either because the codecs or GPUs that you're using don't support it.

BTW, all recordings are in MPEG-2 even those in HD.

I don't think your CPU would be used so much if it is all MPEG 2, but I could be wrong. Can you make two short recordings - one SD and one HD, about 50 MB each - and upload them to our FTP server for me to check. The FTP login details can be found -->on this page<--.

Now the questions that's been killing me is this. A 37 minute SD recording is consuming 2.05 GB and the windows file properties and also the media properties in WMP says that it is a 23 Hrs 4 min 4 secs recording. VLC just does not give any duration information. In case of HD a 20 min 23 sec recoding is consuming 1.2 GB. The windows file properties and media properties display the length correctly. VLC does not show any duration information.

Why is the SD recording consuming more than the HD recording though I am using HDMI input on the Colossus?

As a guess: the SD recordings are in MPEG 2 format and the HD recordings are in h.264 format. MPEG 2 is not as efficient as h.264, meaning it takes more bits to store video at the same quality. Even though the quality of the SD video may be lower, it may take more space with MPEG 2. If you provide the samples then I can be more sure...

mm

 

[skoka123]

Hi again Srikanth

BTW, all recordings are in MPEG-2 even those in HD.

I don't think your CPU would be used so much if it is all MPEG 2, but I could be wrong. Can you make two short recordings - one SD and one HD, about 50 MB each - and upload them to our FTP server for me to check. The FTP login details can be found -->on this page<--.



mm

The Audio is also through the HDMI.

Should I upload the 'Dump Raw TS' output or a regular recording?

BTW, thanks for your continued and quick support.

 

[mm1352000]

The Audio is also through the HDMI.

Okay. I would have thought that the audio would also experience a dropout if HDCP was interfering, so I think it is a sign of codecs again.

Just a regular recording is fine.

 

[tourettes]

I am using the on-board video of an Asus M2A-VM motherboard that comes with a Radeon X1250 embedded.

I'm quite sure that the GPU on motherboard is not powerful enough to decode the H264 content and then render it with MediaPortal . If you have any newer GPUs to test with it would be a good starting point.

 

[mm1352000]

I am using the on-board video of an Asus M2A-VM motherboard that comes with a Radeon X1250 embedded.

I'm quite sure that the GPU on motherboard is not powerful enough to decode the H264 content and then render it with MediaPortal . If you have any newer GPUs to test with it would be a good starting point.

Me too, I just want to be sure. Also it sounds like there is a client and a server, so I was wondering which specs had been listed.