New encoding technique breaks TiVo HD playback

[davelinger]

Crosspost from here: http://revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39469

Basically, new episodes of most Revision3 shows will no longer play back properly on TiVo HD boxes. The audio plays fine, but the video will freeze for a few seconds, play for a few seconds with heavy mpeg artifacts, freeze for a few seconds, etc. - for the whole length of the video. It first started happening with Scam School, but as of this week, it also affects Film Riot and App Judgement. Diggnation is unaffected thus far. I can't comment on any others.

It's worth mentioning also that I'm subscribed to these shows using TiVo's built in "Video on Demand" "Free Web Videos" feature - no third party anything.

Other TiVo HD (Series 3 only, it seems) users have reported the same issue.

[austin-dude]

I'm having the same problem. Freezing and macro blocking. Audio works fine.

AppJudgement
Lifehacker
Tekzilla

I have a TiVo HD box. Not Series 3. Don't think it really matters though.

[davelinger]

all TiVo HD boxes are Series 3.

See here for updates: http://revision3.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39516

[rylab]

We're in the process right now of re-encoding all the files used for Series 3 Tivos and apologize for the macroblocking issues experienced with some shows. They should all be resolved going forward, and within a few hours for affected episodes from the last couple weeks.

[davelinger]

We're in the process right now of re-encoding all the files used for Series 3 Tivos and apologize for the macroblocking issues experienced with some shows. They should all be resolved going forward, and within a few hours for affected episodes from the last couple weeks.

Thanks!

[k0d3g3ar]

Running a Buffalo Link Theater here (older version of Popcorn Hour) and it was playing WMV files from Rev3 no problem for years. But about 6 weeks ago, they all started being flaky. Some would play, others audio only (no video), others nothing at all.

Guys, I know codecs are a serious pain in the butt for all of us. But I just wanted to let you know that any encoding changes over the past 6 weeks has broken me too. Hoping that this is a temp issue, as I love your content.

K

[thompsoe85]

I haven't received any Tekzilla shows on my TiVo for several weeks now. It worked well since I started watching but suddenly stopped. I tried to manually force the Tivo to download and play, but got the message that the TiVo could not read the format. Has something changed?

[rylab]

thompsoe85, what series/model Tivo box do you use?

[mjwedeking]

I have a TiVo HD and am still having problems with GeekBeat.TV and Hak5. I get pops and loud scratching as well as a lot of mpeg artifacts.

[flyer213]

After months, this problem continues across multiple platforms. What gives??

[mathwhiz]

I'm happy in a way to see other people have this problem - just so I know it is not just me - count me in as to one having problems with the bad encoding playing back on my TiVo HD XL. It was going good for awhile, and now back to having problems. Wish we could get consistent high quality.

Rich

P.S. I have noticed this on GeekBeek.tv and now the latest episode of Diggnation.

[rylab]

Hey Mathwiz,
A couple encodes unfortunately slipped through with old "bad" Tivo settings around that time, including the mentioned episodes. But those files were replaced relatively quickly with the better, newer encode settings. If your box downloaded the "bad" versions before they were replaced, that is probably the only issue.

Do even more recent episodes work well? If so, just forcing Tivo to re-download the affected episodes should make them work fine. Let me know if it doesn't!

[rschwarz_jr]

Is anyone else still seeing a version of this problem? I have pixelation for the first 5 seconds on every episode of Tekzilla. It's just during the logo so it isn't really a problem just more of an annoyance and I thought revision3 should know.