New Spectrum AVC causing playback issues - wilme2

[wilme2]

What GPU is in the Win8 PC that doesn't have the issue?

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 T1

BTW, I am thinking of making my main Win7WM headless by installing a spare Ceton Echo in my living room where we have traditionally used the PC directly. I have three other Ceton Echos around the house already. While the fast forward and rewind aren't nearly as snappy, it solves multiple issues with the GPU, this new framerate problem being the only one without a work-around. But I also wouldn't miss having to re-sync (via HDMIYo) when I change inputs on the HDMI switch and get a green screen related to PlayReady, nor the occasional grey screen when the HDMI switch doesn't recognize the PC input.

The alternative of finding an NVIDIA video card for the motherboard would itself not be a big challenge, but I don't think I have the latest supplemental power connector on the power supply - although it is a Corsair modular power supply, so I might be able to order one. [EDIT: I just realized the same NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 T1s as in my Win8MC are still available direct from Amazon for $150 and don't need external power.]

This PC <cough> was/is supposed to be retired when the SD DVR supports DRM, as that has been the plan since the original SD DVR Kickstarter to which I contributed...

[wilme2]

I installed a new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 T1 in my W7MC, and some of the video problems went away. The frame rate issue is gone - that is no longer do I see a jumble of old and new frames when transitioning between certain commercials. But I still have a pixelization problem with certain WMC videos. I have copy protected recordings that play fine on a Ceton Echo extender, but show pixelization when played on the WMC directly. This does not seem to be a hardware issue - the CPU and GPU are barely taxed. I am not sure if it is an AVC decoder issue or PlayReady or ...?

[jasonl]

If they're older MPEG2 recordings, all NVIDIA GPUs prior to the 1600 series have a hardware flaw in the MPEG2 decoder that causes video corruption on certain 1080i content from certain encoders, particularly high motion scenes like graphic wipes (see it a lot on SNF when they come out of a replay and wipe the screen with the NBC peacock logo, or during the weather segment of the local news on some stations where they wipe away one graphic to get to the next one). I haven't heard of that issue with AVC though.

[wilme2]

Well, i gave up on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 T1 in the Win7MC box, and installed a Ceton Echo at our main TV. And then I had an unpleasant surprise.

While the Echo handles linear AVC + DRM channels with no issues, for some reason the Switched Digital Video (SDV) served AVC + DRM channels either don't work at all (black screen with audio) or are highly pixelated on the Echo.

So I am now really at a cross-roads. I can't switch to my Win8MC because Win8 didn't support 3rd party extenders and I have four of the Echos (plus a spare). So I might try to find a cheap Xbox 360 to see if it handles all of the channels when paired to either the Win7 or Win8 box, and then decide if I want to continue with this pain.

What a mess with an unannounced encoding change. With no DRM support on any other DVR that can pair with the HDHomerun, and the fact I hate Spectrum anyway, this may be where it ends.

[signcarver]

Usually extenders won't handle most forms of DRM protected h.264, this even included many PCs though most work but intel integrated was the worse offender. For many years, cox was about the only provider I have seen success with on extenders but that also ceased with them about 4 or so years ago. Basically now NO extenders should be expected to work with DRM and H.264 with WMC and if it does, count your blessings (both my cetons and 360s which were the only ones to support h.264 as extenders ceased at the same time for me). I was going to mention such before but when you first mentioned it you seemed to imply such was already working for you and I know it "can" work but depends on how the provider does the encoding and most modern upgraded equipment for such switchover doesn't work well. I know a quick search to make sure I was getting my years right basically had it working for me with a ceton echo from late 2012 until at least 2015 (I want to say such ceased for me around 2019 when they started to convert everything... I know it ceased for me in the cox markets that it did work in by the time even locals were also converted around 2020).

I also never had issue with win8 and ceton extenders but that may have been because I did an inplace upgrade on that machine and I had the media companion (not sure if that works any more).

[wilme2]

Usually extenders won't handle most forms of DRM protected h.264

Thanks @signcarver, I appreciate your experience. Right now the CETON works fine for everything Spectrum AVC DRM except the SDV channels - and those channels are not particularly valuable. But last year I fought a 4 month battle with Spectrum to get their local SDV server working again, which was ultimately successful when the Tuning Adapters finally reconnected - so I am still working on a plan to have everything working again.

I am going to pickup an XBOX 360 from Movie Trading Company who has multiple in stock for $110-120, and test that paired with the Win7MC and see if it handles the SDV. If not, and since my test pairing of my Ceton Echos to my Win8MC was unsuccessful, I may switch to the Win8MC for all DVR services. I would use an HDMI splitter to deliver it to two of three locations (a former config I used with the Win7MC for years), and then use the 360 paired with the Win8MC for the final third main location (where SDV channels would not be supported). The fourth location in my office doesn't see much DVR use. This assumes the 360 can handle linear non-SDV AVC DRM at least as well as the Echos, but we shall see.

[wilme2]

I bit the bullet and moved my Win8MC into the rack mount case my Win7C had been in, added back an HDMI splitter, and did about a day's worth of configurations. Now I am back to being able to watch and record all Spectrum (linear DRM and SDV DRM) and OTA ATSC 1.0 channels without issue in my main two TV viewing areas. For the third TV location in our bedroom, I did pick up an XBOX 360 from Movie Trading Company/Vintage Sellers for $130 + tax, and it works as a Media Center Extender for all non-SDV live channels and recordings.

Obviously I have a dismantled Win7MC and 4 Ceton Echos that are facing the EWaste recycling bin, but overall this worked out. As far as cost, I only spent $130 on the XBOX 360 (after I returned the video card I tested in the Win7MC), but I spent a crap ton of time on this. I would have preferred to move to a modern DRM supporting DVR platform...

Thank you to everyone who commented on this post! @nickk, @jasonl, @signcarver