Windows XP Problem With Replay Media Catcher

[criggs]

As many of you probably know, for years Replay Media Catcher had a significant problem downloading files properly. At least half the time, it would unpredictably convert downloaded files to mpg files instead of downloading them un-converted/un-transcoded/un-re-processed. When that happened, it would also change the video and audio tracks. As most of you probably also know, the industry standard with most video streams and files these days is h.264 video and AAC audio. Well, when RMC would go on this mpeg jag, it would change the video to mpeg 1/2 and the audio to mpeg 1/2; in fact, after such conversion, the audio would frequently suffer from some distortion.

I've found quite a few references to this problem going back several years. For example, there is a reference to this problem in the course of the discussion posted in 2013 at http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/archive/index.php/t-1961.html ; the specific person in that thread who discusses this problem call him or herself TheBang.

Anyway, recently, Replay Media Catcher finally fixed this problem. They created a toggle-able parameter which turns all HLS streams into one of these poor-quality mpeg files, and the way to prevent the mpeg corruption from happening is to switch the parameter to the off position.

Now the problem is not completely solved, as there are still sites which have material which RMC insists on converting to mpeg. But, for the most part, turning off this newly available parameter fixes the problem about two-thirds of the time now.

I have a Windows XP computer where I've been suffering from this problem for many years. When they finally fixed this problem, I jumped at the chance to install the new version so that I would no longer have to deal with this headache.

Well, the upgraded version installed fine. Moreover, for normal file/stream capture, RMC's new upgraded version operated precisely as promised, accurately downloading, with no mpeg change whatsoever, files and streams which it had heretofore insisted on converting to the mpeg file format, to the mpeg 1/2 video codec and the mpeg 1/2 audio codec.

So I was a happy camper.

Until I went to schedule my first recording, and received the nasty message that this version of RMC could not work with Windows XP's Task Scheduler 1!

I did a System Restore back to the older version of RMC, and once again I could schedule recordings, no problem; but, of course, now I was back with the hassle of not being able to download many files/streams accurately because RMC insisted on converting/degrading so many of them to mpg/mpeg 1/2 vid/mpeg 1/2 audio.

So it occurred to me that maybe there was an interim version of RMC between the old one I had, which worked with the Windows XP scheduler but screwed up certain files/streams, and the new one, with its mpg fix but which was unable to work with Windows XP's Task Scheduler.

I looked and it turns out there were no fewer than fourteen such versions (the old one where the scheduler works on my Windows XP computer is version 6.0.0.66 and the new one, which downloads files/streams accurately but refuses to schedule any items, is version 6.0.1.27).

But that's where I got stuck. I couldn't find out any way to download some of those intermediate versions to see if any of them 1) had the mpg fix but also 2) were compatible with the Windows XP Task Scheduler.

So my question to anyone who may be familiar and knowledgeable about this stuff is the following

1) Is there a place I can go to download old versions of Replay Media Catcher? I don't mind paying for it.
2) Is there a way I can upgrade the Task Scheduler on my Windows XP computer so that it is compatible with the latest versions of RMC?
3) Is there any place I can go where it would be possible to obtain a portable version of the new RMC? I'm thinking I might be able to have BOTH versions of RMC available to my on my Windows XP computer, and I'd simply use the older one for scheduling items and the newer one to play or capture those streams where the old version is subverting them into mpg files/codecs.

I hope all of the above makes sense, and I hope someone has some ideas about what I can do here. Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to hearing helpful information from all of you very soon.

[Krispy Kritter]

Go here: http://applian.com/replay-media-catcher/download

middle of the page "previous version downloads"

[criggs]

Go here: http://applian.com/replay-media-catcher/download

middle of the page "previous version downloads"

Thanks very much for the suggestion. I had no idea there was such a link.

Unfortunately that's not every version. It's merely one previous version for RMC 6, one previous version for RMC 5, one previous version for RMC 4, etc. etc.

In my case, the Windows XP version I currently have is 6.0.0.66, as indicated in my previous message, and that version has a Windows XP-compatible scheduling component but also has the mpg problem. The latest version, 6.0.1.27, fixes the mpg problem but is incompatible with the Windows XP scheduler.

In other words, I need to access a version that's BETWEEN those two versions. Unfortunately, the only RMC 6 version posted on that page is 6.0.0.66, which is the Windows XP-compatible version I already have, which does not have the mpg fix.

I hope the above makes sense.

Which means I'm still looking for a place where I can download some versions of RMC 6 that are BETWEEN version 6.0.0.6.6 and 6.0.1.27.

Thanks again for any help, and I look forward to whatever feedback you can provide.

[DB83]

Well you could only 'officially' download ANY versions direct from applian.

The changelog on the software page - https://www.videohelp.com/software/Replay-Media-Catcher/version-history#changelog - shows most versions and 'fixes' but even there are potentially versions missing.

If scheduling is important for you, you might be better to try other software such as Jaksta. No idea if the newer versions are fully compatable with XP

[criggs]

Well you could only 'officially' download ANY versions direct from applian.

The changelog on the software page - https://www.videohelp.com/software/Replay-Media-Catcher/version-history#changelog - shows most versions and 'fixes' but even there are potentially versions missing.

If scheduling is important for you, you might be better to try other software such as Jaksta. No idea if the newer versions are fully compatable with XP

One odd thing I notice on that list. There is no mention of when they implemented the HLS/MPG fix. I know that that fix had not been implemented for 6.0.0.66; I know that the fix is present in 6.0.1.27. So it happened in one of those fifteen versions, beginning with 6.0.0.70. Unfortunately, since they don't admit it, at this time, I still do not know which version it was that implemented that bug fix.

So my next port of call is to find out which version of those fifteen implemented the fix.

[Krispy Kritter]

Assuming you hold a valid license, have you simply contacted them? I'm sure they have access to all versions. There is no real reason to keep all versions available to the public.

[criggs]

Yes. They've taken a very skeptical attitude, telling me they're "sure" that the scheduler won't work on any of the "newer" versions, not bothering to specify that there may be a "newer" version which was still using the older scheduler. Nor will they tell me when they switched from the old to the new scheduler. Reading between the lines, I think they simply don't know, and they don't want to get caught looking stupid recommending an older version that they say has the mpg fix but turns out to use the older scheduler but also doesn't have the mpg fix or that turns out to be on the new scheduler, so their solution is to stonewall me; not very helpful.

[Krispy Kritter]

Hmm. I didn't see any mention of those items in the fix logs (also on the above link), but that doesn't mean anything. Or they could be referencing it by a different name.

[DB83]

Like I said earlier, why not try other software.

I mentioned Jaksta and according to their site it is compatable with XP whereas RMC, as noted on the Applian site is not. In fact the changelog even mentions in one place that XP is not officially supported. Just one thought in that direction. Is your install of XP fully upgraded with all service packs ? You really can not blame Applian here. They have to provide software for currently supported OS's (XP is not). Clearly M$ changed something under the hood and they have to go along with that or the software fails for nearly everyone.

By all means try and find that magical version that may work but I guess you are wasting your time.

Of course, if you were to upgrade your OS then RMC should then work fine since they do claim that for all versions from Win7.

[apis4]

Anyway, recently, Replay Media Catcher finally fixed this problem. They created a toggle-able parameter which turns all HLS streams into one of these poor-quality mpeg files, and the way to prevent the mpeg corruption from happening is to switch the parameter to the off position.

Having just run into to this problem, which setting exactly do you mean by this?