Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? at DVinfo.net

Kevin Janisch · May 22nd, 2013, 06:29 PM

Hey guys, anybody know of a set-top box that can play TM900 60P source files outputting 1080 to an HDTV? My PS3 chokes a tad and loses audio sync when playing from the PS3 HD. Any suggestions? I'm assuming a PS4 and/or XBox One will but I don't want to buy one of these guys just for this capability. Thanks in advance.

Jack Zhang · May 23rd, 2013, 12:44 AM

Currently an HTPC with a fast i7 is pretty much the only option. And GPU video acceleration is NOT fast enough for 1080p60 at the moment. Only CPU decoding is fast enough.

Kevin Janisch · May 23rd, 2013, 11:24 AM

Thanks for the reply Jack. I guess I'll wait and see what the PS4 and Xbox One can do.

Tom Roper · May 23rd, 2013, 08:11 PM

Actually, you just need to re-encode the tm900 h.264 source with x264 with the --no cabac option enabled. Cabac is context adaptive binary arithmetic coding, it's the best entropy encoding for squeezing quality into the lowest bitrate, but is extremely processor intensive whether it's the i7, gpu or the cell processor of the ps3.

By using the --no cabac option with x264, cabac is replaced with cavlc entropy (context adaptive variable length coding). You can thus choose a variable bitrate 28/mbps that may peak as high as 50/mbps yet play perfectly on the ps3 or the pc, without stutter, maintaining audio sync. I have a tm900 btw, do this all the time with 1080/60p.

Kevin Janisch · May 24th, 2013, 01:54 AM

Hi Tom, thank you for the in-depth response. I was hoping for non transcoding/conversion solution as I have Terabytes of home videos I would like to have easy access to on my HDTV as well as serve as a backup. The PS3 just misses the mark by a hair with onboard hd. External hd must be unbearable.

Tom Roper · May 24th, 2013, 10:46 AM

The tm900 came with a pc app called HD Writer AE 3.0 which has a very good software player for 1080/60p. It only works with TM900 files however.

I don't recall my ps3 ever being able to open native .m2ts video files from the TM900, could be wrong though.

Jack Zhang · May 24th, 2013, 07:23 PM

If you have an older model PS3 with a card reader, it can directly read AVCHD files from the SD card. Still, performance is the problem.

Kevin Janisch · October 3rd, 2014, 09:50 AM

Ok, the PS4 and Xbox One have been out a while. Can anybody comment if these guys can play the 60P HD files natively without transcoding? I am assuming they can bc the PS3 is very close as it slightly studders with these files.

Jack Zhang · June 24th, 2015, 07:46 PM

I realize it's been a year since the last reply, but the PS4 didn't come out with media playback functionality, they're ONLY introducing it in an update coming later this summer.

Xbox One I have no idea. It's media features are more app driven.

May 22nd, 2013, 06:29 PM	#1
Kevin Janisch Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 406	Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? Hey guys, anybody know of a set-top box that can play TM900 60P source files outputting 1080 to an HDTV? My PS3 chokes a tad and loses audio sync when playing from the PS3 HD. Any suggestions? I'm assuming a PS4 and/or XBox One will but I don't want to buy one of these guys just for this capability. Thanks in advance. __________________ GH4 + Voigtlander 25mm, Panasonic TM900, Vegas Pro 16, Adobe CC

May 23rd, 2013, 12:44 AM	#2
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? Currently an HTPC with a fast i7 is pretty much the only option. And GPU video acceleration is NOT fast enough for 1080p60 at the moment. Only CPU decoding is fast enough.

May 23rd, 2013, 11:24 AM	#3
Kevin Janisch Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 406	Re: Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? Thanks for the reply Jack. I guess I'll wait and see what the PS4 and Xbox One can do. __________________ GH4 + Voigtlander 25mm, Panasonic TM900, Vegas Pro 16, Adobe CC

May 23rd, 2013, 08:11 PM	#4
Tom Roper Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 1,891	Re: Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? Actually, you just need to re-encode the tm900 h.264 source with x264 with the --no cabac option enabled. Cabac is context adaptive binary arithmetic coding, it's the best entropy encoding for squeezing quality into the lowest bitrate, but is extremely processor intensive whether it's the i7, gpu or the cell processor of the ps3. By using the --no cabac option with x264, cabac is replaced with cavlc entropy (context adaptive variable length coding). You can thus choose a variable bitrate 28/mbps that may peak as high as 50/mbps yet play perfectly on the ps3 or the pc, without stutter, maintaining audio sync. I have a tm900 btw, do this all the time with 1080/60p.

May 24th, 2013, 01:54 AM	#5
Kevin Janisch Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 406	Re: Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? Hi Tom, thank you for the in-depth response. I was hoping for non transcoding/conversion solution as I have Terabytes of home videos I would like to have easy access to on my HDTV as well as serve as a backup. The PS3 just misses the mark by a hair with onboard hd. External hd must be unbearable. __________________ GH4 + Voigtlander 25mm, Panasonic TM900, Vegas Pro 16, Adobe CC

May 24th, 2013, 10:46 AM	#6
Tom Roper Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 1,891	Re: Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? The tm900 came with a pc app called HD Writer AE 3.0 which has a very good software player for 1080/60p. It only works with TM900 files however. I don't recall my ps3 ever being able to open native .m2ts video files from the TM900, could be wrong though.

May 24th, 2013, 07:23 PM	#7
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? If you have an older model PS3 with a card reader, it can directly read AVCHD files from the SD card. Still, performance is the problem.

October 3rd, 2014, 09:50 AM	#8
Kevin Janisch Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 406	Re: Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? Ok, the PS4 and Xbox One have been out a while. Can anybody comment if these guys can play the 60P HD files natively without transcoding? I am assuming they can bc the PS3 is very close as it slightly studders with these files. __________________ GH4 + Voigtlander 25mm, Panasonic TM900, Vegas Pro 16, Adobe CC

June 24th, 2015, 07:46 PM	#9
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Set-Top Box that plays 60P TM900 Files? I realize it's been a year since the last reply, but the PS4 didn't come out with media playback functionality, they're ONLY introducing it in an update coming later this summer. Xbox One I have no idea. It's media features are more app driven.