No Audio with Emuzed Maui I tuner card (1 Viewer)

[MatchpointOK]

I am trying to install an EMUZED MAUI I card on a computer running XP SP3 and MediaPortal 1.4. MediaPortal produces clear video but no audio. All settings including CODECS are on their defaults. The log file is attached. If someone has an idea how to track down the audio problem I would appreciate the info.

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome

Can you confirm that you only have the problem with TV? In other words, no problem with video, music and/or the interface (should make noises as you navigate the menu)... just TV.
I don't see any problem in the provided log file, which suggests the issue might be on the server side. Therefore, please could you provide the TV Server logs. Might be easiest to follow these instructions:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/16_Support/3_Forums/2_Log_Files

mm

 

[MatchpointOK]

Hello and welcome

Can you confirm that you only have the problem with TV? In other words, no problem with video, music and/or the interface (should make noises as you navigate the menu)... just TV.
I don't see any problem in the provided log file, which suggests the issue might be on the server side. Therefore, please could you provide the TV Server logs. Might be easiest to follow these instructions:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/16_Support/3_Forums/2_Log_Files

mm

I was able to play a video with an mp4 extension and an mp3 audio file. Sometimes the interface clicks between screens but not every time. The zip file with the complete MediaPortal logs should be attached.

 

[mm1352000]

Thanks
That's quite an old and exotic tuner you have.
According to my research, these tuners are now distributed/supported by Luminate:
http://www.lumanate.com/aspx/home.aspx

From what I can tell, the tuner should have on-board hardware encoding for video but requires a software audio encoder.
I can see from the log files that you're using the Intervideo audio encoder. My guess is that encoder is not able to encode the audio from your tuner.
It looks like the driver/software package from Luminate may include an encoder:
http://www.lumanate.com/aspx/sptmauipci.aspx

Did you install that package?
Is the tuner working in any other software, or have you only tried MediaPortal?

Am I talking nonsense?!?

 

[MatchpointOK]

Thanks
That's quite an old and exotic tuner you have.
According to my research, these tuners are now distributed/supported by Luminate:
http://www.lumanate.com/aspx/home.aspx

From what I can tell, the tuner should have on-board hardware encoding for video but requires a software audio encoder.
I can see from the log files that you're using the Intervideo audio encoder. My guess is that encoder is not able to encode the audio from your tuner.
It looks like the driver/software package from Luminate may include an encoder:
http://www.lumanate.com/aspx/sptmauipci.aspx

Did you install that package?
Is the tuner working in any other software, or have you only tried MediaPortal?

Am I talking nonsense?!?

This was the original capture card Microsoft used when it released Widows XP Media Center. I don't know if it was ever released as a standalone product and I don't remember how I acquired the silly thing. XP installed a driver automatically and it matches the driver name on the Lumanate site. The product description on the Lumanate site seems to say it produces mpeg-1 audio which I assumed was hardware but I can't tell for sure. MediaPortal was the only HTPC software that seemed to support the card although the note I found was pretty old. (http://www.dvbcube.org/index.php?topic=8792.0;wap2) The video it produces is crystal clear so I assumed the driver was installed correctly.

I don't know how it selected the Intervideo audio encoder but that may predate the card. I need to try and change that.

Thanks.

 

[mm1352000]

The product description on the Lumanate site seems to say it produces mpeg-1 audio which I assumed was hardware but I can't tell for sure.

I can't tell for sure either. I'm just going on what the logs are telling me and on the little technical information I found in our forum like this:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/channel-scan-fails-maui-iii-xpsp3.53079/#post-382668
(different card, I know)
...and this...:
http://forums.gbpvr.com/archive/index.php/t-9247.html

MediaPortal was the only HTPC software that seemed to support the card although the note I found was pretty old. (http://www.dvbcube.org/index.php?topic=8792.0;wap2)

Yes - that is old. Like... ancient.
The architecture of our TV support has completely changed since then. To be honest, I'm surprised the card works at all and I think the chances of getting it working fully are slim.

The thing that seems strange to me is that usually MP wouldn't even start video playback without audio (we don't support video-only streams) so I'm wondering if maybe the audio level is just really quiet.

The video it produces is crystal clear so I assumed the driver was installed correctly.

I agree... but I'm not concerned directly with the driver - I'm concerned about bundled software.
Basically without writing an essay...
If I'm right and the card does not have audio encoding hardware, you need a software encoder to get audio working. That software encoder is not a driver component as such, but it would be bundled with the driver. Usually an ax file that you'd register.

I don't know how it selected the Intervideo audio encoder but that may predate the card. I need to try and change that.

I can possibly answer that.
You've probably installed WinDVR or similar.
When loading the tuner, TV Server thinks it needs an audio encoder, so it found one on your system that it thought might be compatible.
You can refer to this section of TV Server configuration to see the audio encoders that TV Server has recognised:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...onfiguration/06_General#Software_Encoders_Tab

 

[MatchpointOK]

The product description on the Lumanate site seems to say it produces mpeg-1 audio which I assumed was hardware but I can't tell for sure.

I can't tell for sure either. I'm just going on what the logs are telling me and on the little technical information I found in our forum like this:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/channel-scan-fails-maui-iii-xpsp3.53079/#post-382668
(different card, I know)
...and this...:
http://forums.gbpvr.com/archive/index.php/t-9247.html

MediaPortal was the only HTPC software that seemed to support the card although the note I found was pretty old. (http://www.dvbcube.org/index.php?topic=8792.0;wap2)

Yes - that is old. Like... ancient.
The architecture of our TV support has completely changed since then. To be honest, I'm surprised the card works at all and I think the chances of getting it working fully are slim.

The thing that seems strange to me is that usually MP wouldn't even start video playback without audio (we don't support video-only streams) so I'm wondering if maybe the audio level is just really quiet.

The video it produces is crystal clear so I assumed the driver was installed correctly.

I agree... but I'm not concerned directly with the driver - I'm concerned about bundled software.
Basically without writing an essay...
If I'm right and the card does not have audio encoding hardware, you need a software encoder to get audio working. That software encoder is not a driver component as such, but it would be bundled with the driver. Usually an ax file that you'd register.

I don't know how it selected the Intervideo audio encoder but that may predate the card. I need to try and change that.

I can possibly answer that.
You've probably installed WinDVR or similar.
When loading the tuner, TV Server thinks it needs an audio encoder, so it found one on your system that it thought might be compatible.
You can refer to this section of TV Server configuration to see the audio encoders that TV Server has recognised:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...onfiguration/06_General#Software_Encoders_Tab

I downloaded the driver from Lumanate and installed it but I don't think it changed any version numbers on the drivers. I found an old version of Snappysoft, which was listed as compatible with the card, and it plays both the video and audio streams. There is a note at Liutilities that with EvcapMaui the NTSC stream is decoded using SAP and BTSC stereo decoding. I know this is an oddball card but MP comes very close to playing it. The audio stream MP produces isn't constant static, it is garbled as if the audio decoder is misconfigured. Any last thoughts on the card before I give up and chase some other crazy project?

 

[mm1352000]

Hello again

I downloaded the driver from Lumanate and installed it but I don't think it changed any version numbers on the drivers. I found an old version of Snappysoft, which was listed as compatible with the card, and it plays both the video and audio streams.

Okay. Obviously MP is not doing something quite right.

There is a note at Liutilities that with EvcapMaui the NTSC stream is decoded using SAP and BTSC stereo decoding.

To be honest I have no idea what that means.
SAP usually means secondary audio program in HTPC circles... but I've never heard of BTSC.

I know this is an oddball card but MP comes very close to playing it. The audio stream MP produces isn't constant static, it is garbled as if the audio decoder is misconfigured. Any last thoughts on the card before I give up and chase some other crazy project?

Ahhh, I thought the audio was totally silent. Could you post a short recording - 60 seconds or so - so I can have a look? If need be you can upload to our FTP server. Details are at the bottom of this link:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/18_Contribute/4_Development/Debugging/TS_Dumps

mm

 

[MatchpointOK]

There is a note at Liutilities that with EvcapMaui the NTSC stream is decoded using SAP and BTSC stereo decoding.

To be honest I have no idea what that means.
SAP usually means secondary audio program in HTPC circles... but I've never heard of BTSC.

BTSC or MTS was the stereo audio standard used in analog TV broadcasts. I think it was replaced by AC-3 when digital TV arrived but I don't work with these issues often enough to know the difference. In the realm of speculation beyond my expertise, I think SAP was the standard used to decode the DBX noise reduction system.

 

[mm1352000]

Hmmm, okay - thanks.
Did you manage to upload that recording?