TS Playback and Comskip issues

[ceandra]

As noted in another thread, I changed from DVR-MS to TS to solve a recording failure isse. It seems to record ok, but playback has a few issues:

1. If I pause, it will either not restart at all (just stays frozen), or it will restart at the beginning of the recording. Pause is important. Sometimes if it does not start at all, pressing play another time or two strats it jumpy, and then it synchs up again.

2. Fast Forward in some cases actually moved the pointer back toward the beginning of the file.

3. Comskip worked apparently OK on NCIS, but has issues with Without a Trace. It shows plenty of commercial breaks, but they are all scrunched up at the beginning of the time line. I think I had that problem once before with DVR-MS, and you had me turn on EDL. I upgraded GBPVR and Comskip both this week to latest version. Not sure if maybe some setting did not carry through. Interesting that one worked, one did not.

Perhaps the Comskip issue is related to the DVR-MS problem. If the timeline is corrupt, perhaps it could affect both. The txt file seems to properly distribute teh commercials throughout hte show, but on playback they are scrunched. Seems it ha something to do with the timeline or frame size or something changing near the beginning of the show.

If we can get TS to work right in these two areas (comskip and pause/play), then I can say good riddance to DVR-MS.

Thansk again
Chuck

[sub]

TS playback is pretty new in GB-PVR, and is still a bit flakey. I dont know if this accounts for all you mention above, but it might be worth trying installing the haali splitter and set <UseBuiltInTSReader> to false in config.xml.

[ceandra]

OK, I'm game. Been frustrated on occasion with DVR-MS.

Where do I find the haali splitter?

Thanks
Chuck

[sub]

google

[ceandra]

OK, loaded it, set to false on the internal TS reader. Is there any config that needs to be set? Could not find any.

Tried running. Looks a little better, but still hangs about half the time on play when paused. FF at least seems to move it forward, but leaves it paused. Hit play a few times, it might work, or migh thave to exit out to menu and play again. How can I tell if I am using the haali now, or is it automatic if I installed it and turned off internal?

Comskip timeline is still messed up, though.

Thanks
Chuck

[ceandra]

BTW, on the NCIS, where the comskip timeline looks good, the pause/play seems MUCH better, so I guess the Haali is working.

Not sure what to say about the other one. Perhaps something strange in the TS timeline, and that may explain prior DVR-ms issues too. It is 8GB. Should I even think about sending it anywhere to have it looked at?

Chuck

[sub]

BTW, on the NCIS, where the comskip timeline looks good, the pause/play seems MUCH better, so I guess the Haali is working.

You can tell by looking at the pvrx2.exe-native.log file.

Its worth noting you can only use the Haali splitter on files that are already recorded (ie, not playing in-progress recordings).

Not sure what to say about the other one. Perhaps something strange in the TS timeline, and that may explain prior DVR-ms issues too.

This could easily be the case. Broadcasters do all sorts of funny things with timestamps in the transport streams they broadcast, all depending on the the muxing hardware they use, the source material etc. I've seen many broken transport streams.

[ceandra]

I turned on output_timing in comskip. I saw where that might tell about timing issues in the TS file. However, I do not know how to interpret it. I am attaching one that works and one that does not. NCIS works, Without a trace does not. In WAT, it finds the commercials, but in GBPVR it compresses teh commercial timescale to teh first third or so of the show, when in fact they should be spread throughout. If I drop the .txt file onto the Comskip_gui, it looks like that puts the commercials in the right places, spread across the while time line. (Note I had to trim teh csv files to fit the forum limits. I can post them elsewhere if the full file helps, or I can extract something helpful...)

So, is the problem in GB or Comskip, or Comcast? I would appreciate if you coulod take a look, or perhaps Erik could chime in. The fact that comskip seems to see it correctly is encouraging. I suspect whatever is messing this up also messes up the positioning upon pause/play.

On the haali issue, I still cannot confirm if it runs. In the native log, I get:

2008-07-29 23:36:50.973 INFO DirectShowPlayerBase::playVideoFile(C:\Temp\NCIS\NCIS_20080729_19002000.ts)
2008-07-29 23:36:50.973 VERBOSE Creating new graph
2008-07-29 23:36:50.973 VERBOSE getSetting(PreferredAudioRenderer)
2008-07-29 23:36:50.973 VERBOSE getSetting(TvShape)
2008-07-29 23:36:50.973 VERBOSE 16:9 television
2008-07-29 23:36:50.973 VERBOSE getSetting(UseBuiltInTSReader)
2008-07-29 23:36:50.973 VERBOSE doing default rendering
2008-07-29 23:36:50.973 VERBOSE getSetting(PreferredMpegPlaybackDemux)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.551 VERBOSE Allocator shutdown...
2008-07-29 23:36:51.551 VERBOSE DeleteSurfaces
2008-07-29 23:36:51.551 VERBOSE Allocator shutdown...
2008-07-29 23:36:51.551 VERBOSE DeleteSurfaces
2008-07-29 23:36:51.582 VERBOSE Allocator shutdown...
2008-07-29 23:36:51.582 VERBOSE DeleteSurfaces
2008-07-29 23:36:51.598 VERBOSE DeleteSurfaces
2008-07-29 23:36:51.614 VERBOSE Creating video texture: 1920x1080
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE setVideoWindowPos(0,0,1864,1036)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE Checking if inset mode
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE not inset mode
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE getSetting(HorizontalZoom)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE getSetting(VerticalZoom)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE getSetting(ListGraphFilters)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE Graph contains the following filters:
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - Default DirectSound Device
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - Video Renderer
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - MPA Decoder Filter
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - ffdshow Video Decoder
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - C:\Temp\NCIS\NCIS_20080729_19002000.ts
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE getSetting(SaveGraphFiles)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.707 VERBOSE setSourceAspectRatio() using autoAspectRatio
2008-07-29 23:36:51.707 VERBOSE video resolution is 1920 x 1080
2008-07-29 23:36:51.707 VERBOSE unknown source aspect ratio...showing full frame
2008-07-29 23:36:51.707 VERBOSE getSetting(HorizontalZoom)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.707 VERBOSE getSetting(VerticalZoom)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.723 INFO DirectShowPlayerBase::playFile() done
2008-07-29 23:36:51.723 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:etPlaybackRate(1.000000)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.723 VERBOSE Restoring audio
2008-07-29 23:36:51.832 VERBOSE setVideoWindowPos(0,0,0,0)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.832 VERBOSE Checking if inset mode
2008-07-29 23:36:51.832 VERBOSE not inset mode
2008-07-29 23:36:51.832 VERBOSE getSetting(HorizontalZoom)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.832 VERBOSE getSetting(VerticalZoom)
2008-07-29 23:36:51.879 VERBOSE SetRenderList creating new texture
2008-07-29 23:36:54.598 VERBOSE SetRenderList creating new texture
2008-07-29 23:37:08.364 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:etPlaybackRate(1.000000)
2008-07-29 23:37:08.364 VERBOSE Restoring audio
2008-07-29 23:37:13.285 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:etPlaybackRate(1.000000)
2008-07-29 23:37:13.285 VERBOSE Restoring audio
2008-07-29 23:37:21.317 VERBOSE NativeUtilities::MediaHelper:top()
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top@2 (skipping window positioning)
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top@3
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top@4
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top@5
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top@6
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top@7
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top@8
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE Allocator shutdown...
2008-07-29 23:37:21.332 VERBOSE DeleteSurfaces
2008-07-29 23:37:21.410 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerBase:top finished

This indicates it is getting the setting for builtinTSreader, but it does not say what it found. I see no reference to Haali in the entire log. I downloaded and installed haali, but it is not obvious to me as to how to get gb to "see" it. It is also not obvious it is running though it is installed. What am I missing?

[sub]

This indicates it is getting the setting for builtinTSreader, but it does not say what it found. I see no reference to Haali in the entire log.

This isnt using the built in TS Reader, otherwise the Microsoft MPEG2 Demultiplexer would also be listed in the filter list. I can only assume it is using the haali splitter. You'd probably also get an extra tray icon when the haali splitter is being used.

2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE Graph contains the following filters:
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - Default DirectSound Device
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - Video Renderer
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - MPA Decoder Filter
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - ffdshow Video Decoder
2008-07-29 23:36:51.692 VERBOSE - C:\Temp\NCIS\NCIS_20080729_19002000.ts

[ceandra]

Thanks for the interpretation. I guess I can run in window to see the tray. No extra tray when GB not running.

NEW REVELATION:

On the Without a Trace issue, I now note that the comskips ARE in teh right place. The issue is that the length of the program is showing as 3:32:14, when the program is indeed only 1 hour long (plus padding). There is nothing to play after the end padding, and if I click out there, it hangs.

If I pause/Play, click on a position, FF, or skip a commercial, it take a LONG time to start playing agin, but eventually does (10-15 seconds). In NCIS, where the end lenght is proper, response is now fast (presumably with Haali).

I am attaching the pvr logs in case you can see something in there as to why the end time is way off.

Chuck