no playback of recordings made post-Win7 install

[johnsonx42]

I just formatted my HTPC and installed Windows 7 RC 32-bit (I got suddenly fed up with some problems that had cropped up on my XP install, and the RC was all I had on hand). Most things went pretty well, video decoding is MUCH improved - no tearing, no stuttering, perfect de-interlacing.

However I have a very weird problem which I think must be a GB-PVR bug; it's very similar to what Hoborg reported here: http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=43610

I'm recording DVR-MS files, and all the recordings made since the switch to Win7 play with no audio or video - however, the recording itself is actually fine as you'll see in a moment (the timeline is present, and comskip was able to mark the commercial breaks just fine). Any DVR-MS file recorded with XP still plays fine.

I looked in the pvrx2-native log, and for a file recorded with Win7 I see GB-PVR building the graph like this:

Code:

2009-09-13 12:51:42.313    VERBOSE    Graph contains the following filters:
2009-09-13 12:51:42.313    VERBOSE     - Default DirectSound Device
2009-09-13 12:51:42.313    VERBOSE     - MPEG Audio Decoder
2009-09-13 12:51:42.313    VERBOSE     - Video Renderer
2009-09-13 12:51:42.313    VERBOSE     - AC3Filter
2009-09-13 12:51:42.313    VERBOSE     - Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder
2009-09-13 12:51:42.313    VERBOSE     - GB-PVR Flow Status
2009-09-13 12:51:42.313    VERBOSE     - F:\Recordings\Mister Rogers Neighborhood\Mister Rogers Neighborhood_20090913_09000930.dvr-ms

And for a file recorded with XP, which plays fine, it's like this:

Code:

2009-09-13 12:52:34.009    VERBOSE    Graph contains the following filters:
2009-09-13 12:52:34.009    VERBOSE     - Default DirectSound Device
2009-09-13 12:52:34.009    VERBOSE     - MPEG Audio Decoder
2009-09-13 12:52:34.009    VERBOSE     - Video Renderer
2009-09-13 12:52:34.009    VERBOSE     - AC3Filter
2009-09-13 12:52:34.009    VERBOSE     - Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder
2009-09-13 12:52:34.009    VERBOSE     - GB-PVR Flow Status
2009-09-13 12:52:34.010    VERBOSE     - F:\Recordings\The Simpsons\The Simpsons_20090912_19302000.dvr-ms

(the above entries are from the pvrx2.exe-native-1 log attached; in the log I attempt to play all 4 recordings made with Win7, and then finally the last one made with WinXP(simpsons) which plays fine)

It's exactly the same, so why does the newer file not play?

Seeing the "GB-PVR Flow Status" filter in there reminded me of Hoborg's post, and I recalled he was able to get playback by setting all the decoders to System Default. So I did the same, and sure enough all recordings play fine now:

Code:

2009-09-13 12:57:28.270    VERBOSE    Graph contains the following filters:
2009-09-13 12:57:28.271    VERBOSE     - Default DirectSound Device
2009-09-13 12:57:28.271    VERBOSE     - Video Renderer
2009-09-13 12:57:28.271    VERBOSE     - Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder
2009-09-13 12:57:28.271    VERBOSE     - AC3Filter
2009-09-13 12:57:28.271    VERBOSE     - F:\Recordings\Mister Rogers Neighborhood\Mister Rogers Neighborhood_20090913_09000930.dvr-ms

(this is from the pvrx2.exe-native log)

Note it only hooks up one Audio decoder, and the GB-PVR Flow Status filter is absent.

Now, so far, everything seems to be working OK with the decoders set to System Default, so my immediate crisis is averted. But this is obviously a problem...

(yes, to answer the question someone is prepping to ask, I did try also with the ATI MPEG-2 Decoder (from the AVIVO download), same result, so I really don't think this is at all codec-related).

[whurlston]

Does it work if you use the "TS Mux"?

[johnsonx42]

Haven't tried the TS Mux yet... if I have a chance in the next day or two I'll try a quick test with it. I switched to DVR-MS for comskip, which has become the killer feature around here, so I wouldn't want to switch back permanently unless of course comskip works much better with TS files than it did before.

For the rest of the night tonight though, and for the bulk of the evening tomorrow, there are continuous recordings running that I dare not interrupt lest I be tarred and feathered.

[whurlston]

I keep forgetting about the comskip issue. I use TS Mux specifically for the multi-record feature.

[sub]

I havnt personally tested DVR-MS in a long time. I use TS Mux here.

I wouldnt be surprised if it was somehow related to of Microsoft's protected path DRM scheme, not wanting components snooping data between demux->decoder->renderer. Could be way wrong though...

[johnsonx42]

I don't think that's it sub. Why? Because tonight I tried playing back one of the new Win7 DVR-MS recordings with a GB-PVR client still running 1.3.11 and Windows XP Home SP3 (file sharing mode). Any attempt to do so crashed out to the desktop (and as a sanity check, I then tried a DVR-MS recorded with XP, and that played fine). So I went into config and put all the decoders to System Default. Lo and behold, the recording played back perfectly.

I'm assuming this protect path DRM was not present in XP? Or was it? Is the Win7 DVR-MS setting a flag in the file that blocks the graph GB-PVR creates even on an older version of Windows? Perhaps somewhere on your long to-do list you could find out whether the GB-PVR Flow Status filter is in fact the problem, and then add an option to not include that in the graph? I don't even know what the GB-PVR Flow Status filter does... nothing seems different playing back without it.

On the other hand, maybe I shouldn't be using DVR-MS after all... I was always big on using .TS, since it's clearly where your dev focus is, but finally gave up a few weeks ago for three reasons:

1. despite improvements in .TS playback, it still didn't respond too well to the occaisional stream glitches I get with OTA ATSC. I have a good, strong signal, but it's not perfect. As discussed in various threads, it would often freeze the picture and then start fast-forwarding through the file. DVR-MS seems far more tolerant of such glitches.

2. comskip: comskip seems able to process .TS files well enough, but during playback the actual skip-points were way off... some kinda close, others not even in the ballpark. With DVR-MS, comskip is just about perfect. once you've experienced comskip working well, it would be really hard to give it up.

3. no need for Multi-rec on ATSC. it works, but there's rarely a practical application for it. someone did point out once that it also allows pre- and post-padding of consecutive shows on the same channel with one tuner; nice, but not enough to outweigh 1 and 2.

I've not used TS Mux since upgrading to 1.4.7. Are there any improvements beyond 1.3.11 w/survival guide patches that should make me want to try again?
Likewise, it's been quite a few months since I experimented with comskip and .ts files. Any changes there to make the skip points more accurate?
Should I look at an MPEG-2 Mux instead? that seems like a whole new can of worms...

I suppose for now I'll just call myself lucky that everything works ok with the decoders set to System Default.

[whurlston]

So I went into config and put all the decoders to System Default. Lo and behold, the recording played back perfectly.

Which decoder did you specify as your MPEG 2 decoder and which one was used to play the file when set to system default?

[johnsonx42]

ffdshow was selected originally, and ffdshow must have been used when I switched to System Default... the only other decoder that system has is the useless Microsoft MPEG decoder, and I know that decoder could not have played back that file - it was 720P HD.

edit: just to be certain I'll pull the logs when I get a chance; that system is off and unavailable now.

[whurlston]

If what I'm thinking is correct, the "Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder" was used when playing back using "System default". This means that either ffdshow is not connecting to the new DVR-MS demuxer properly (MS may have changed the pin information) or there is some DRM that prevents any decoder other than the MS one from being used.

[hoborg]

Win7 have build in prefered filters "sheme", so even when you select for example PowerDVD MPEG-2 decoder in GB-PVR, win 7 will use MS video decoder (same for lot other audio/video formats).

You need to modify registry to change that, you can use this tool: http://www.codecguide.com/windows7_prefe...weaker.htm

BTW: SAF will do it automatically for you.