Hauppauge HD-PVR & Colossus Support (6 Viewers)

[mm1352000]

It looks like it is a problem with my provider. Look at the attached screenshot from Arcsoft Showbiz (Software that comes with the Colossus.) My receiver is set to DD Only (in the box) and the audio is currently being encoded AAC (look in the left column under current settings.) The really odd thing is, NFL Network is not in DD 5.1 but does output DD 2.0. Maybe the NFL Network is broadcast that way?

Okay, so let me get this straight. You've set the Arcsoft software up in such a way that it expects to receive DD from your STB, but you think it is actually receiving AAC. How is the audio from your STB connected to the Colossus at the moment - analog lines, or SPDIF digital - and what is the line/RF mode setting?

 

[elconejito]

is there a way in MP to see if it's currently broadcasting in 5.1 or 2.0? I have mine right now connected via RCA but I'd like to get 5.1 and have a few optical cables coming in. I'll have to check and see what options my STB (Verizon FiOS) has...

 

[sjeffrey]

Hey mm,
It looks like it is a problem with my provider. Look at the attached screenshot from Arcsoft Showbiz (Software that comes with the Colossus.) My receiver is set to DD Only (in the box) and the audio is currently being encoded AAC (look in the left column under current settings.) The really odd thing is, NFL Network is not in DD 5.1 but does output DD 2.0. Maybe the NFL Network is broadcast that way?

I have not had Dish Network that long, so I am hoping Sjeffrey has some insite as to why this is not working.

BTW, I just rebooted my STB's just in case, but the problem persits.

It appears the only way to fix this issue is to stop the graph and rebuild it every time you change channels, unless SJeffrey has some ideas as to why the DD Only is not working on the STB's.

The reason you can use FFDShow for both is that it's not the decoder that is the issue but the encoder.
The graph gets built and detects either AC3 or AAC. Then MP decode the TS accordingly. Even if you use FFDshow in MP the encoder will be trying to encode the wrong stream and you won't get video.

On my end I have never had this issue so it's pretty weird. WileE, do you still have Hd-PVR to test? maybe it's a Colossus issue only? I'll have to rewire a few things to test it out but it won't be possible for a few days.

BTW, I said my issue with using the wrong audio input was gone, well today I had no audio again. It was back on SPDIF. The only thing that changed was I had a Windows Update message so probably the PC was rebooted. So it's possible that a reboot reverts back to SPDIF. I'll need to confirm once I get some free time.

 

[mm1352000]

is there a way in MP to see if it's currently broadcasting in 5.1 or 2.0? I have mine right now connected via RCA but I'd like to get 5.1 and have a few optical cables coming in. I'll have to check and see what options my STB (Verizon FiOS) has...

I don't *think* so, but try looking at the audio language and tuning details info in the TV actions menu.

 

[WileECoyote]

Okay, so let me get this straight. You've set the Arcsoft software up in such a way that it expects to receive DD from your STB, but you think it is actually receiving AAC. How is the audio from your STB connected to the Colossus at the moment - analog lines, or SPDIF digital - and what is the line/RF mode setting?

The Arcsoft Showbiz just plays what is put into it (currently Component and SPDIF.) What I was trying to show was although my STB is setup to ONLY put out Dolby Digital, its still putting out AAC audio, which is also exactly what I am seeing from the graphs in MediaPortal.

I have tried both the Line and RF settings with the exact same result (not sure what the settings are for though.)

 

[WileECoyote]

The reason you can use FFDShow for both is that it's not the decoder that is the issue but the encoder.
The graph gets built and detects either AC3 or AAC. Then MP decode the TS accordingly. Even if you use FFDshow in MP the encoder will be trying to encode the wrong stream and you won't get video.

On my end I have never had this issue so it's pretty weird. WileE, do you still have Hd-PVR to test? maybe it's a Colossus issue only? I'll have to rewire a few things to test it out but it won't be possible for a few days.

BTW, I said my issue with using the wrong audio input was gone, well today I had no audio again. It was back on SPDIF. The only thing that changed was I had a Windows Update message so probably the PC was rebooted. So it's possible that a reboot reverts back to SPDIF. I'll need to confirm once I get some free time.

I unfortunately do not have an HD-PVR to test with. But as I mentioned earlier, there was a setting in the Arcsoft Software that allowed you to change how you wanted 2.0 audio handled, the default was AC3 but you could change it to AAC. I doubt anyone ever changed it to AAC. But then again, not many were using Optical as the Dolby Digital stuttered on channel change.

There is a setting in the Arcsoft Showbiz software to choose between AAC and PCM for 2.0 audio, but unfortuantely its greyed out. Maybe a future enhancement?

Yea, I have had the same thing happen twice. My daughter brought it to my attention again the other night that the audio went out on one of the Colossus tuners. I reset it in graphedit and all was good again.

 

[sjeffrey]

The reason you can use FFDShow for both is that it's not the decoder that is the issue but the encoder.
The graph gets built and detects either AC3 or AAC. Then MP decode the TS accordingly. Even if you use FFDshow in MP the encoder will be trying to encode the wrong stream and you won't get video.

On my end I have never had this issue so it's pretty weird. WileE, do you still have Hd-PVR to test? maybe it's a Colossus issue only? I'll have to rewire a few things to test it out but it won't be possible for a few days.

BTW, I said my issue with using the wrong audio input was gone, well today I had no audio again. It was back on SPDIF. The only thing that changed was I had a Windows Update message so probably the PC was rebooted. So it's possible that a reboot reverts back to SPDIF. I'll need to confirm once I get some free time.

I unfortunately do not have an HD-PVR to test with. But as I mentioned earlier, there was a setting in the Arcsoft Software that allowed you to change how you wanted 2.0 audio handled, the default was AC3 but you could change it to AAC. I doubt anyone ever changed it to AAC. But then again, not many were using Optical as the Dolby Digital stuttered on channel change.

There is a setting in the Arcsoft Showbiz software to choose between AAC and PCM for 2.0 audio, but unfortuantely its greyed out. Maybe a future enhancement?

Yea, I have had the same thing happen twice. My daughter brought it to my attention again the other night that the audio went out on one of the Colossus tuners. I reset it in graphedit and all was good again.

Oh... I remember that setting now...
Try forcing a change using GraphEdit and then set it back to AC3. Earlier when I had no audio it said Line In but once I had the Graph open and used MP it was saying SPDIF in. So there could be a refresh issue or something.

 

[mm1352000]

The Arcsoft Showbiz just plays what is put into it (currently Component and SPDIF.) What I was trying to show was although my STB is setup to ONLY put out Dolby Digital, its still putting out AAC audio, which is also exactly what I am seeing from the graphs in MediaPortal.

Okay, I'm seriously confused. Since your connection is SPDIF, how is Arcsoft receiving AAC? My understanding was that SPDIF can only carry AC3/DD or PCM. Of course SPDIF is just digital, so I could be completely wrong. Assuming that I *am* wrong, how can changing a setting in the Arcsoft software change what your STB is providing?

I have tried both the Line and RF settings with the exact same result (not sure what the settings are for though.)

To me "select an external decoder" is like saying choose a different codec to do decoding.

Yea, I have had the same thing happen twice. My daughter brought it to my attention again the other night that the audio went out on one of the Colossus tuners. I reset it in graphedit and all was good again.

If you're losing audio in MP because of this then I don't understand why you don't set your channels as non-automatic.

The reason you can use FFDShow for both is that it's not the decoder that is the issue but the encoder.
The graph gets built and detects either AC3 or AAC. Then MP decode the TS accordingly. Even if you use FFDshow in MP the encoder will be trying to encode the wrong stream and you won't get video.

So what you're saying is that you want MP to auto-detect which audio format is being used in TS reader and rebuild/reconnect the graph on channel change as necessary?

 

[WileECoyote]

Oh... I remember that setting now...
Try forcing a change using GraphEdit and then set it back to AC3. Earlier when I had no audio it said Line In but once I had the Graph open and used MP it was saying SPDIF in. So there could be a refresh issue or something.

I gave up for the night, The Big Bang Theory is on... I can miss some shows, but not that one LOL

I will play with it some more this weekend...

 

[WileECoyote]

@mm,
Yes apparently AAC audio travels across SPDIF. I do not have the RCA cables connected at this time, and the AAC audio is coming through just fine.

Again, Im losing audio in MediaPortal simply because the STB is sending a different audio signal after the channel change. To break it down again...
If I start a DD channel it starts fine, the STB is putting out DD and MediaPortal builds a graph with FFDShow audio filter. If I then change the channel to an AAC channel, the STB is now outputting AAC and the audio doesnt play because the graph is already built with the FFDShow audio filter instead of the Monogram filter. (this is the best example I can come up with.)

No, I dont want you to change anything in MediaPortal for the small population that have Dish Network. And again, it maybe I have just not found the right settings on my STB to get it to work correctly.

When you say change the audio settings, that I should have both the RCA and the SPDIF connections at the same time? That could actually work. I could just set the channels that dont work to Line 1 and the ones that do work to SPDIF. And you dont think MediaPortal will have any issues switching back and forth between the inputs? I will try that this weekend and see if it works.

Thanks!