Emulation mode testing Round II

[mvallevand]

With the recent threads on the main MVP board I see many users are experiencing problems with 99.12 that I am not seeing with emulation mode, but I am still reluctant to have them try mvpmc until I know that some users are actually using it as their primary dongle with GBPVR and I don't think that applies yet but I want to make it happen. Let me know if and when some of you decided to adopt it.

On Saturday I updated the mvpmc source base with the changes that you have identified too date and I really have appreciated the feedback so far. I will update the alpha tonight to fix a few things that I broke, and I also hope to clean up the slight delay on startup, (not the 20 second problem which I can't duplicate) and I still want to tackle the biggest problems.

If you are sending in trouble reports, I would like to know a few more details to help me out. I'd like to alway get your gbpvr logs (and mvpmc logs if you can, but this is optional for now) and I'd really like to know more about the file that you are trying to play if there is remote key malfunction, the file type being mp3, mpeg-1 or 2, YouTube, Live TV, transcoded video source (ie xvid, divx, avi, h264) and whether the file is mpeg-ts (if you know). I will assume you have a fast > 2400 Mhz server, if not also let me know.

I am also going to make the alpha dongle more gbpvr specific, by eliminating the mythtv and replay tv defaults, to eliminate as many variables as possible. Later this week I will make the mpvmc debug logs available in the browser interface to help those having the understandable difficulties with telnet and file shares.

Thanks again for all your help

Martin

[Lindsay]

Martin, I have just given your latest alpha a test on my Vista, AMD X2 3800+ machine with wired D3 MVP.

Since previous testing I think your program has come a long way. Without video inset activated, it seemed stable and reasonably responsive but with one exception. Unlike the Hauppauge dongles, yours cannot handle the mpg's produced by ProShow Gold. These are DVD quality and the log says the bitrate is 18,749. All other mpg's, and LiveTV, are fine.

The Music playback can now handle selecting another track while playing a previous track (switch tracks).

So, mostly very positive but I don't know how you can increase the effective bandwidth.

Now, with Video Inset turned on, it is another story. Signs of strain become apparent resulting in dumping back to Emulation mode and black no vid or aud on video playback. But theses strains are also apparent for the other dongle. I just can't contemplate using video inset mode. I don't know whether this is just my system doing this or not.

Keep up the good work - it is superb to have a dongle writer who is keen to get it right within living memory! (Why is it that the only responsive skilled work is done by one-man bands??).

I can help with testing on both XP and Vista if that is helpful.

(PS Chuck another 't' in the word 'attempt' in the server connect message!).

Lindsay.

[sub]

Keep up the good work - it is superb to have a dongle writer who is keen to get it right within living memory! (Why is it that the only responsive skilled work is done by one-man bands??).

More people = more meetings, eventually leading to backwards progress ...at least thats my experience from many years in the corporate rat race.

[Lindsay]

Know what you mean! But even taking that into account, it is still amazing to me how downright unresponsive and unproductive big companies are.

Anyway, I know who the good guys are

[mvallevand]

Since previous testing I think your program has come a long way. Without video inset activated, it seemed stable and reasonably responsive but with one exception. Unlike the Hauppauge dongles, yours cannot handle the mpg's produced by ProShow Gold. These are DVD quality and the log says the bitrate is 18,749. All other mpg's, and LiveTV, are fine.

Is it possible that this file has multiple audio tracks and the first one is AC3? mvpmc has the capability of selecting audio tracks that I haven't enabled in emulation mode yet. I could give you some simple steps to test this out if you'd like.

So, mostly very positive but I don't know how you can increase the effective bandwidth.

mvpmc should be able to get up to 13Mbs a second, which is higher then DVD quality.

Now, with Video Inset turned on, it is another story. Signs of strain become apparent resulting in dumping back to Emulation mode and black no vid or aud on video playback. But theses strains are also apparent for the other dongle. I just can't contemplate using video inset mode. I don't know whether this is just my system doing this or not.

Did you use the nightly or my alpha dongle from the 12th? I fixed an inset video bug last night.

Keep up the good work - it is superb to have a dongle writer who is keen to get it right within living memory! (Why is it that the only responsive skilled work is done by one-man bands??).

I can't take all the credit for mvpmc it is a team effort, but there is a lot of room for creativity.

I can help with testing on both XP and Vista if that is helpful.

The more feedback the better.

Thanks a lot,

Martin

[mvallevand]

(PS Chuck another 't' in the word 'attempt' in the server connect message!).

I thought I'd share the source to this

snprintf(buffer,sizeof(buffer),"Atempt ( %d / 10) ",attempts);

I never can get that gui component right!

Martin

[Lindsay]

Yep, that would do it!! But, hey, with a lot of eyes on it we can do the checking

Lindsay.

PS I used the alpha version. I'll try the nightly and report back. I guess it is possible that the Proshow Gold output has AC3. I am willing to try to diagnose this.

[mvallevand]

Yep, that would do it!! But, hey, with a lot of eyes on it we can do the checking

Lindsay.

PS I used the alpha version. I'll try the nightly and report back. I guess it is possible that the Proshow Gold output has AC3. I am willing to try to diagnose this.

The alpha dated the 12th is better, so no need to bother. If you could look at your mpeg with MediaInfo or GSpot it should tell you about the various streams. I do have some logic ready if you have MP2 and AC3 audio in the same file.

Note that tonight's (0314) dongle should try and find an MPEG stream it is in the file.

Martin

[Lindsay]

Martin, I have now tested the latest nightly and the problem with my ProShow mpg's has disappeared! I looked at the mpg with GSpot and the audio is mpeg1-Layer 2 stereo so nothing fancy there. This version, with no video inset, looks really good to me.

With video inset true I get all sorts of problems, still.
-The 'Next Recording' notification message overwrites the inset video.
- Played music then pressed Menu. Music was stop and go after that.
- Image in bottom left window doesn't fit window.
- Got an error "Object in use elsewhere" when choosing another video.
After that all turned to custard with video stopping etc resulting in a restart.

Is it normal for the dongle to take 1min 12sec to load?

Cheers,
Lindsay.

[mvallevand]

Martin, I have now tested the latest nightly and the problem with my ProShow mpg's has disappeared! I looked at the mpg with GSpot and the audio is mpeg1-Layer 2 stereo so nothing fancy there. This version, with no video inset, looks really good to me.

Just to avoid confusion the nightly is the mvpmc term for the automatic build made nightly from all the developer's code. I do an alpha build as I feel like it, and then I build code to the nightly when I feel the alpha is better then the mvpmc build. Which do you mean?

With video inset true I get all sorts of problems, still.
-The 'Next Recording' notification message overwrites the inset video.
- Played music then pressed Menu. Music was stop and go after that.
- Image in bottom left window doesn't fit window.
- Got an error "Object in use elsewhere" when choosing another video.
After that all turned to custard with video stopping etc resulting in a restart.

The Next Recording problems sounds like the nightly, and not the alpha.

I tried what you did the only odd thing was that if I selected audio, the inset video windows stayed with the nice green no video window but the audio played. Afterwards the next video started in the tiny window. Trying to play a video while a video is playing does crash mvpmc. I will have to see what Hauppauge does here. I now I had some problems downloading a YouTube video while playing in inset mode and this might be related.

Is it normal for the dongle to take 1min 12sec to load?

A couple of your errors sound like you haven't stored some of your setting into flash using one of the later versions of the Hauppauge software. I can load a dongle in 15/20 seconds via tftp or the windows share.

Also, is it possible you have turned your router to half- duplex because of Hauppauge problems. mvpmc prefers full duplex.

Martin