No picture in Media Portal (1 Viewer)

[EL_Mojo]

TV-Server Version: 1.0.0.21149
MediaPortal Version: 1.0.0.21149
MediaPortal Skin: blue3wide
Windows Version: XP SP3
CPU Type: Pentium 4 - 3 GHz
HDD: Western Digital 150GB
Memory: 4GB Ram
Motherboard:
Video Card: ATi Radeon X550
Video Card Driver: 9.2
Sound Card: SB Audigy
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver: 5.12.1.514
1. TV Card: ATi TV Wonder 650 PCIe
1. TV Card Type: Hybrid
1. TV Card Driver: 9.2
MPEG2 Video Codec: ffdshow
MPEG2 Audio Codec: ffdshow
h.264 Video Codec: ffdshow
Remote: ATi Theater
TV: Acer
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI


I'm a newbie so please bear with me.

My Media Portal does not display a picture, however I do get audio. If I pause live tv, the I can see the channel (paused of course). Also if I play back a video file (mpg in this case) through Media Portal, I do not get a picture just audio. If I play the same file through Windows Media Player, it plays fine.

Also, I am able to "watch" the channel and get video if I use the preview option in the TV server configuration, TV channels tab. Picture is just awesome in the preview mode.

This is very puzzling to me.

Media Portal doesn't seem to be loading my video codec (ffdshow). I have the latest version of ffdshow. When I watch a video in Windows Media Player, I get an icon in the system tray for both video and audio. When I run Media Portal, I only get an audio icon.

These two errors are in my error.log file:

2009-03-20 20:31:24.562500 [ERROR][MPMain]: failed:unable to add filter:ffdshow Video Decoder to graph
2009-03-20 20:31:24.562500 [ERROR][MPMain]: failed filter:ffdshow Video Decoder not found

View attachment 37363

 

[rekenaar]

Hi there and welcome

Did you try other mpeg2 decoders? I recall reading that ffdshow is not good with mpeg2.

 

[EL_Mojo]

Rekenarr,

Yes I've tried the following decoders:
ATI CC Multiplexer
ATI MPEG Mulitplexer
ATI MPEG Video Decoder
CyberLink MPEG Video Decoder
CyberLink Video/SP Decoder
MPV Decoder Filter

By the time I got to the MPV Decoder Filter, Media Portal wouldn't even play the audio for the channel. It gave me an error message stating "Unable to Start Timeshifting". I went back in to the TV Server configuration and tried the preview in there and it wouldn't preview the channel like before. It stated "Unknown Error". I tried changing to a different decoder that gave me just audio before and I'd get the same timeshifting message.

I rebooted and was able to preview in the TV Server configuration. I opened Media Portal and turned on the TV and I got the same timeshifting message. I then went back into the TV Server Configuration and wasn't able to preview channels anymore.

This is really frustrating. This looks like some pretty cool software. I'm trying Media Portal because the s/w that came with the ATi card is junk. All my channels stuttered/jittered with that software. ATi tech support told me it was my signal, which I know is bull.

I was getting a beautiful picture through Media Portal preview (confirming my knowledge of a good signal).

I've even tried uninstalling and reinstalling Media Portal to no avail.

View attachment 37366

 

[rekenaar]

No idea what the problem is, but a few suggestions:
Look and fix for codec problems with filmerit.
Try the SAF setup.

 

[czero]

I have the timeshift problem every time I reinstall MediaPortal, because I keep forgetting what it is . Here is the fix for me for your Cannot start timeshifting problem ( I don't think it fixes your blank screen issue, but the cannot start problem is familliar to me):
You probably have a software decoding tv-tuner. So you'll need a software decoding codec. FFDshow or FFDshow-tryouts (which is considerably newer!) won't cut it here. You'll need to install a software decoding codec. This can be the NVidea decoder software, or it can be a recent version of PowerDVD (presumably 8), or the Elecard codec, or the pinnacle software codec, etc. I mostly use the Powerdvd 8 codec. You'll have to use that in mediaportal as codec for tv. Your signal is great, but your codec doesn't decode now.

Hmm, looking back I see you allready tried the Cyberlink codec, so I'm doubting my reply is helpfull here. Are you sure you've set it in the mediaportal configuration though?

 

[frenzy]

Have you enabled the "raw" decoder in ffdshow video decoder configuration? That can be a problem.
Here's what I would do.
1)Uninstall ffdshow completely.
2)set MPV for mpeg2 decoder
3)Check if it works
4)If not, set all values in ATI ccc to off or automatic
5)check again
6)If it works just reinstall ffdshow and use it as a post-processing filter in MP configuration NOT as the decoder.

 

[EL_Mojo]

Thanks Frenzy,

I was about ready to give up on this software. I did your steps a little out of order (actually I only did step 4 and 5). I had a bunch of the video driver setting set to the MAX and I set them back to the default's in ATi Catalyst Control Center (for my video card, not my TV tuner card).

I am now getting video inside the Media Portal (yeah)!

Now all I have to figure out is the TV Guide feature (but I guess that's a topic for another thread).

 

[frenzy]

Try now to set up ccc as you had before by enabling features one by one and testing MP in between. Although I'm guessing antialiasing is the culprit.

[OFFTOPIC] quickguide: Download xmltv and install it in a folder of your choice. Find a source/grabber for your EPG data. Setup the xmltv folder location and grabber-channels in xmltv plugin in tv server configuration. For the rest of the channels use dvb-epg. Do not enable both at the same time for one channel. If you have questions start a new thread.[/OFFTOPIC]

 

[EL_Mojo]

You were correct Frenzy, the anti-aliasing was the culprit causing no video to be display.

Thank you so much for your help.