Solution for ALL/most Software-encoder based TV-Cards (4 Viewers)

[osksa]

If you know how to fiddle with codec merits

Haha, what was only clicking checkboxes and radiobuttons in a gui, I don't change them manually. Actually don't know much about codecs, but I'm working on it =)

Anyway, thank you for the tips, I downloaded GraphStudioNext, and clicked Graph->Insert Filter. Then I could access the property pages of all encoders, and change their setting. However, I could not get the changes to have any effect. Whenever I click OK and open the property page again, the changes are gone. When watching TV and viewing tuner details, the bitrate is always the same. Tried to start to watch TV with the property page open and bitrate changed. Also tried restarting the tv-server with properties open and changed. Nothing. I suppose I would need to connect to the encoding graph or something like that, and then change it. I connected to the MediaPortal graph, but it was only the decoding there. Encoding I suppose is done by the tv-server. And even if I could connect to a graph and change the bitrate, I still need to figure out how to make the changes stick. Any tips?

For reference, here are the default bitrates of a few codecs:
Codec: Bitrate type, average bitrate, peak bitrate for VBR
ATI: Variable, 4Mbit, 6Mbit
Mainconcept (HCW): Variable 6Mbit, 8Mbit
Microsoft: Constant, 7Mbit

Since the video encoded with ATI codec looks the same to me as video encoded with Mainconcept, I suppose ATI is doing a very efficient job. Will try to add the microsoft codec manually as described earlier in this thread to test.

 

[mm1352000]

Any tips?

It depends what your goal is.

We can't do anything to force the ATI encoder to remember its settings - it's completely outside our control.

If you're desperate, it should be possible to connect to the TV Server "encoding graph" by logging into the same Windows account that the TV service process is using. However, that doesn't seem like a very practical solution.

You may need to give up on the ATI encoders and try different ones. If you use the Intervideo WinDVR software encoders then you'll be able to control the bitrate settings using the "quality control" tab in TV Server configuration. The Intervideo encoders are the only software encoders I have tried which support the required code interface (Cyberlink, Mainconcept, ATI do not).

 

[osksa]

Ok thank you for your help. No, desperate I would not say, more like curios and interested in better tv quality. =) Intervideos encoder did not work, no picture. I will proceed to try Microsofts encoder, and if that doesn't look good I will look for a new tv card.

Sorry for hijacking the thread guys, thought it would be a simple answer and that it would be relevant to all people using software encoding =)

 

[mm1352000]

...I will look for a new tv card.

To be clear: what are you hoping to achieve by buying a new tuner?

 

[osksa]

Ok I just tried to add the Microsoft mpeg2 encoder to MediaPortal TV server. I can unfortunately not get any picture with this encoder.

I used instruction from this post to add Microsoft encoder. Took me some time figure everything out, posting some extra steps here in case anyone else want to try. This is of course if you have installed MediaPortal with default options regarding database.

1. Install Oracle SQL Developer and MySQL JDBC Connector
2. Click to open new connection, switch to MySQL tab, username is root, password is MediaPortal (note case). Click choose database, and pick mptvdb
3. Run the following commands:

INSERT INTO SoftwareEncoder (idEncoder,priority,name,type,reusable) VALUES (24,12,'Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Encoder',0,true);
INSERT INTO SoftwareEncoder (idEncoder,priority,name,type,reusable) VALUES (25,13,'Microsoft MPEG-2 Audio Encoder',1,true);

4. Optional: Check that the tables looks as specified in the sql queries above, they might have changed when you read this, just as they had changed since the last guide was written.

Proceed as original post.

To be clear: what are you hoping to achieve by buying a new tuner?

To get better quality TV, as good as my hardware decoding card. Or better. I will post in the tv card recommendation forum, perhaps you can give me a hand there if you know about analog cards! =)

 

[naibaf7]

The encoder package is at the moment available on
tingy.pw
if anyone is still looking for it.