[PATCH] Improvements for analog cards (3 Viewers)

[juhubruhu]

I installed ATI Avivo encoders as you suggested, it works just fine now (I guess one could loose a filter or two in the graph, but for that I'll have to get in the code, right? - from ATI encoders there's mux->demux->mux, one could loose the first two).

Thanks again!

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again

mm1352000, thanks!

The graph does not work even with setting any filters' properties. I managed to get tweaked version running (see image), but it crashes graphedit when stopped. Can I connect MediaPortal to this graph somehow, or how can I check if something gets to the tsfilewriter?

No you can't just connect MediaPortal to any old graph. Further, MP does things a certain way to try and be compatible with as many tuner cards as possible. It always automatically adds the Cyberlink MPEG muxer just before the TS writer because the vast majority of cards can work like that. This means that the goal is not just to be able to connect to the TS writer - rather, it is to be able to connect to the Cyberlink muxer. Testing this is difficult because MP uses filters that aren't available in GraphStudio and sets things up programmatically in a way that also just can't be done in GraphStudio.

It looks like your Avermedia card provides a video encoder, audio encoder and muxer all in one. I think that encoder *should* be supported. Did you try to add it to the DB? If not, try to add it as a video encoder and see what happens. Make the priority:
1. Combined Avermedia encoder.
2. Separate Avermedia encoders.

I'd be interested to see logs...

Also, in GraphStudio please right click->properties on the output pin (connection) of the combined Avermedia encoder and tell me what it says for "majortype" and "minortype" under "current media type".

I have Intervideo encoders installed (WinDVR3), but those can not connect to any avermedia filters (analog capture). I have that in tvserver logs and graphedit.

Will try to find other encoders I guess...

Yes, sometimes that is just the way it works with encoders. It is frustrating!
You could try the ATI AVIVO encoders. I think they are only allowed to be installed if you have an ATI graphics card...

 

[mm1352000]

I installed ATI Avivo encoders as you suggested, it works just fine now (I guess one could loose a filter or two in the graph, but for that I'll have to get in the code, right? - from ATI encoders there's mux->demux->mux, one could loose the first two).

Thanks again!

Looks like you beat me to it!
So the tuner works in MediaPortal now? If so, I wouldn't worry about the extra filters as long as it works - that is just the way MediaPortal does things for tuner compatibility. Yes you would have to dig into the code. There doesn't seem much point though.

I'd still be interested to know if you can get the combined Avermedia encoder working...

 

[juhubruhu]

I did try the combined encoder (giving it highest priority), but it didn't work. I deleted the logs as I went, and I think I only set it for video encoder (i.e. AverMedia MCE MPEG Encoder was set to be video encoder). I can try tomorrow if you're interested, and paste logs.

Interestingly, when I added ATI encoders, I added them with lowest priority and it worked. I was thinking, wait, I have to set highest priority after I began channel scan, and then just tried preview and it worked... Funny.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again

Sounds like MP failed to set up the graph with the higher priority [Avermedia, Intervideo?] encoders so resorted to using the lower priority ATI ones. That is exactly why this patch is so important

You don't have to try the combined encoder again, but now that you've mentioned the thing with the ATI encoders I would be even more interested to see what happens if you set the Avermedia encoders as high priority and set the ATI encoders as lowest priority. Completely up to you...

Got to run!

 

[misterd]

Combined software encoder filters are not supported by TvServer in general. Only combined hardware encoders are supported but this is handled completely different than software encoders.

MisterD

edit: Forgot to mention that the additional mux is required in order to have a better compatibility with our MPFileWriter as some muxers don't produce always good MPEG streams that can be handled by it.

 

[mm1352000]

Combined software encoder filters are not supported by TvServer in general. Only combined hardware encoders are supported but this is handled completely different than software encoders.

Is this something that you think would be difficult to add?
Not worth it?

 

[misterd]

It depends on how you would integrate it The right solution is very difficult. I had to learn this, while I tried to implement it. This would mean that we won't have hard coded lists and use the categories of Directshow filters instead.

It is absolutely worth to add it, but I would like to see the final solution and not always a workaround until the next one is ready.

MisterD

 

[juhubruhu]

I tried as suggested, the combined encoder does not connect to muxer (as its output is supposed to be muxed already), tvserver config says "tv card not supported" and that I should contact you

If I then remove combined encoder from the list, graph is built with avermedia a + v special encoders and the channel scanning works, but no preview (as I reported yesterday). So I have to move ATI encoders up and voila...

A question for developers: couldn't there be an option to use manually built graph? One would just check if tsfilesink is there and try to use it...

 

[mm1352000]

I tried as suggested, the combined encoder does not connect to muxer (as its output is supposed to be muxed already), tvserver config says "tv card not supported" and that I should contact you

Thank you for trying this again and posting logs
You're absolutely correct - TV Server tries to use a muxer when really a demuxer should be used. That would be the first thing to fix if we were to try and add support for that encoder...

If I then remove combined encoder from the list, graph is built with avermedia a + v special encoders and the channel scanning works, but no preview (as I reported yesterday). So I have to move ATI encoders up and voila...

Yes, that is expected. Scanning works because the graph is successfully built and runs. Preview fails because the encoders or de/muxers don't pass audio/video through to the TS writer. It is a little confusing for users when that happens ...

A question for developers: couldn't there be an option to use manually built graph? One would just check if tsfilesink is there and try to use it...

I think providing this functionality would be extremely difficult. That would be like making GraphEdit/GraphStudio all over again!!!
Are you aware of the configuration XML in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\AnalogCard? This allows you to specify some of the preferences that you might want to set by building a graph yourself. Of course it doesn't give you control of the muxers (these are required for the reasons that MisterD already explained) or TS writer connections, but it is better than nothing. Do you really think you need more than that?