Echo wins over Xbox 360

[shortcut3d]

Let me start by saying I'm absolutely shocked by the result of this limited use case.

I am helping the good people over in the SiliconDust forums troubleshoot an issue with the Xbox 360 and FIOS MPEG4 (http://www.silicondust.com/forum2/viewt ... 41&t=15444). Apparently, the Xbox 360 is struggling with new FIOS programming in MPEG4 causing it to stutter and the like. SD sent me a clip to test on the Echo. Amazingly, the Echo played it perfectly on 304 firmware. The picture quality was great as well (although it was a short clip). Now if all my Comcast programming was MPEG4 I would be a super happy Echo customer. So Ceton has two choices here, convince Comcast to switch all programming to MPEG4 or release a firmware that works with existing MPEG2 (Comcast HBO problems for example).

[crawfish]

So Ceton has two choices here, convince Comcast to switch all programming to MPEG4 or release a firmware that works with existing MPEG2 (Comcast HBO problems for example).

I hope you're joking about the first one. My new i5-4670 gives me a black screen on all MPEG4 channels, and while my GT430 can play them, tuning most MPEG2 channels afterwards results in a black screen. When I check 411-info, Media Center indicates the channel has been changed, but it still reports the codec as H264. The only way to get Media Center out of the bad state is to tune certain other MPEG2 channels, like my locals, or to reboot or otherwise stop and restart ehrecvr. I went several rounds with SiliconDust concerning this WRT the GT430 (before I had the 4670) until I was finally convinced the Prime wasn't the problem, and it's instead basically another 29/59 type bug. Fortunately, none of the channels I watch are MPEG4, but I probably need to go ahead, bite the bullet, and call Cox.

[shortcut3d]

So Ceton has two choices here, convince Comcast to switch all programming to MPEG4 or release a firmware that works with existing MPEG2 (Comcast HBO problems for example).

I hope you're joking about the first one. My new i5-4670 gives me a black screen on all MPEG4 channels, and while my GT430 can play them, tuning most MPEG2 channels afterwards results in a black screen. When I check 411-info, Media Center indicates the channel has been changed, but it still reports the codec as H264. The only way to get Media Center out of the bad state is to tune certain other MPEG2 channels, like my locals, or to reboot or otherwise stop and restart ehrecvr. I went several rounds with SiliconDust concerning this WRT the GT430 (before I had the 4670) until I was finally convinced the Prime wasn't the problem, and it's instead basically another 29/59 type bug. Fortunately, none of the channels I watch are MPEG4, but I probably need to go ahead, bite the bullet, and call Cox.

That was a complete joke. I also know its impossible. MPEG4 protected content also has issues with the Intel HD4000. Black screen similar to your problems.

[barnabas1969]

Holy cow! Really? Are you sure that the HD4000 has problems with H.264 cable content? I don't think I have any H.264 channels on Brighthouse (yet), but I'm in the process of building a new HTPC using Intel HD4000 graphics.

Please give me more details.

Thanks.

[shortcut3d]

Holy cow! Really? Are you sure that the HD4000 has problems with H.264 cable content? I don't think I have any H.264 channels on Brighthouse (yet), but I'm in the process of building a new HTPC using Intel HD4000 graphics.

Please give me more details.

Thanks.

The Intel HD4000 would display a black screen on H.264 Copy-Once protected content. This was resolved in later driver releases for Windows 8. There is some debate if it has been resolved for Windows 7 using the latest drivers. Based on the last responses in the SD forums, I tend to believe its fixed.

[richard1980]

I'm running the latest driver and it doesn't work for me. Is there a special setting I have to enable/disable in order to make it work?

[barnabas1969]

As far as I know, all of my channels are MPEG2. But you never know when the cable company will change that. This thread says that the newer driver (as of June 20, 2013) works in Win8, but not Win7.

A few questions for those of you who are "in the know":

If at some point in the future, my cable company decides to switch to H.264, I suppose I could "upgrade" to Win8. However, I'm not 100% certain if an upgrade installation to the newer OS will break my previously-recorded copy-protected shows. I think I've read that it is possible to upgrade and still be able to play the older recordings, but I'm not sure about that.

Also, I've read several posts from JazJon talking about Win8 and the Intel HD graphics breaking the first fast-forward speed, causing it to play "herky jerk" as he puts it. He has a YouTube video showing a Win7 PC and a Win8 PC, both with the same graphics adapters, playing the same show at FFWD-1, and the difference is very apparent.

Is anyone working with Intel to get these problems fixed?

[crawfish]

The Intel HD4000 would display a black screen on H.264 Copy-Once protected content. This was resolved in later driver releases for Windows 8. There is some debate if it has been resolved for Windows 7 using the latest drivers. Based on the last responses in the SD forums, I tend to believe its fixed.

It's definitely not fixed in Windows 7 x64 for the newer 4600 graphics, at least not in my area, where I also have the strange H264 behavior with Nvidia I described in my first message. I thought Intel might improve on that, but no, the 4670 can't even produce a picture for an H264 channel, which sounds like the black screen bug I've been reading about for years. Intel has also borked XBMC's UI, but their beta driver is reported to fix that. However, it's been over 3 months since their last official driver release. Oh well, it's still a useful graphics upgrade for me, because the i5-4670 and Z87 motherboard combo works flawlessly with both Intel graphics and GT430 active, and my GT430 finally gets to downclock as it's no longer running both my monitor and TV. I also verified I can use QuickSync with a HandBrake beta. This is possible without Virtu MVP, which I understand was necessary on earlier systems and maybe even current chipsets below Z87, but I'm not sure about the latter.

[richard1980]

If at some point in the future, my cable company decides to switch to H.264, I suppose I could "upgrade" to Win8.

Blasphemy!

However, I'm not 100% certain if an upgrade installation to the newer OS will break my previously-recorded copy-protected shows. I think I've read that it is possible to upgrade and still be able to play the older recordings, but I'm not sure about that.

If you perform an upgrade, the DRM keys will be preserved, so you'll still be able to play the copy protected recordings. If you perform a clean install, the DRM keys will be erased.

[staknhalo]

I might upgrade my gaming HTPC to windows 8 once 8.1 comes along. I'll leave the secondary one (the ones the extenders connect to) on 7. Depending on how Android for the Echo goes I might upgrade that one to 8 too and ditch the DMA2100 and just keep the 2 Echos.

[barnabas1969]

If at some point in the future, my cable company decides to switch to H.264, I suppose I could "upgrade" to Win8.

Blasphemy!

He who is without sin may throw the first stone.