DVBViewer Recorder: Network encoder

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by gianpieroizzo

I've the same problem of iammike, it seems that your plugin allows only to register on C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Videos, even if on SageTV I set a different recording dir (D:\SageTVRecs). Is there a way to configure this behaviour ?

This SageTV that set the recording directory. You can verify this by taking a look at the trace file produced by DVBViewer Recorder in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\LM Gestion\DVBViewer Recorder (or C:\ProgramData\LM Gestion\DVBViewer Recorder if you are using Windows Vista).

You'll find some entry like this : 20080608 20:45:01.927 - Info - Satellite - Recording started: C:\Documents and Settings\HTPCUser\My Documents\My TV\Torn-4356848-0.ts. The file path here is what is requested by SageTV. If the recordings produced by DVBViewer Recorder are not recorded in this folder, then there is a problem, otherwise all is as expected.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[apt1506]

Originally Posted by krikkit

the .dll from the link above allows me to make recordings with dvbviewer + softcam even when the audio/video is disabled...

...but not when doing the same via sage network encoder... can anyone approve this?

same thing here, works in dvbviewer even when i click on disable a/v, but when used w/ sage, i get a couple of seconds of video and that's it....

[damian.flynn]

Hi There,

I have what maybe a very dumb question so please forgive me. I have got a clean new machine, which I have for now just installed a FireDVT S2 card into [i have 3 more cards to add later, another S2 and two C cards].

I installed the BDA drivers for the FireDTV card, and then installed DVBViewer 3.9.4.0 on the system and scanned the satalite [Astra 28.8] and can see all the clear standard and HD channels [Including ITV HD]. So Happy camper.

I next installed current Java Build, and Sage 6.4.3 Media Center, and ran the application for the first time, to answer the configuration questions, but ignored the source cards etc. then finally exited the applicaiton

Next - Downloaded and installed DVBRecorder [Full] 1.6 on the system, and added a network encoder, and selected to edit; then i saw DVBViewer start and was then offered the channels in the channels.dat file, I located 10 - 15 of my fav clear channels and assigned them random 3 digit channel numbers.
I clicked send to sage and got a pop-up saying that i should start sage and add the tuner. Then i closed the dialoge and cliced Restart recoder and exit.

Back to Sage, i got the option to add Soruce, and can see my network tuner, with the correct ip address [using phycial address not loopback on same machine], and followed the steps in the guide. when i get to program guide i can really only select not to use the guide, as there is no source for astra listed for now; the problem is that i can not see my channel numbers etc. right now the list is empty, and even the channel numbers i enetered in the dvbrecorder wizrd are not appearing in sage.

What do you think my issue is?

thanks
Damian

[apt1506]

Originally Posted by krikkit

the .dll from the link above allows me to make recordings with dvbviewer + softcam even when the audio/video is disabled...

...but not when doing the same via sage network encoder... can anyone approve this?

so i tried the following and it worked:

download softcsa from pikachu's site, place it in dvbviewer's folder
then put vplug's files in the MDPlugins directory, instead of the Plugins one
then download and register the other plugin from pikachu's site
everything should work now, both in dvbviewer and in dvbviewer recorder service mode for sage

[apt1506]

Originally Posted by damian.flynn

What do you think my issue is?

thanks
Damian

u either have to use an xml importer to use as a guide, or for testing purposes, u can just manually add the channel numbers.... after selecting "do not use epg" in sage, it takes u to the channel list, which should be empty.... when it asks if u wanna scan, click on "no," then scroll down and click on "add channel" and make sure each channel u add has the number u used when u were configuring ur network dvb recorder.... should be able to work....

[damian.flynn]

Thanks,

To manually add a channel i am prompted for a channel name, channel number and then some kind of channel ID. How much of these are important?

What i done was put the same name 'UTV' on both the first and last dialogue and in the channel number i entered the 3 didgit number 104 which is the number i also added on the dvbrecorder wizard dialogue.

I know this is a stupid question but is that correct
-d

[apt1506]

Originally Posted by damian.flynn

Thanks,

To manually add a channel i am prompted for a channel name, channel number and then some kind of channel ID. How much of these are important?

What i done was put the same name 'UTV' on both the first and last dialogue and in the channel number i entered the 3 didgit number 104 which is the number i also added on the dvbrecorder wizard dialogue.

I know this is a stupid question but is that correct
-d

since u are just testing for now, only the channel number is important... the name can be whatever, and the id can be left blank.... but when u wanna move to full epg functionality, u should consider an xmltv importer: stephane's (lmgestion) is a really great tool....

[damian.flynn]

argh - thanks -

Ok, so i matched up channel 105 for UTV, and i can see in the monitor when i change to go to live TV, that recorder is attempting to create a file with the name 105-date-time format on my c:\...vidoes folder but when i go there the file is not being created, and sage just times out with no video feed responses.

its late - i must just be more stupid than normal.

cheers
d

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by damian.flynn

Ok, so i matched up channel 105 for UTV, and i can see in the monitor when i change to go to live TV, that recorder is attempting to create a file with the name 105-date-time format on my c:\...vidoes folder but when i go there the file is not being created, and sage just times out with no video feed responses.

It's be for now to leave the Monitor minimized (otherwise the monitor is flooded with messages and this can lead to threading problems), just review the log files (in C:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data\LM Gestion\DVBViewer Recorder).

Back to your issue: you have to make sure that you indeed have a channel in DVBViewer Recorder Lineup whose channel number is 105. When DVBViewer Recorder cannot find a channel with the same number it doesn't do anything but return an error to SageTV (that's why you don't see anything recorded). Otherwise, the file would get created (SageTV create it anyway) even if DVBViewer is not able to record anything.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[damian.flynn]

ok - im must be going bannans

this is what i see in the folder for C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\LM Gestion\DVBViewer Recorder\recorders.xml

so you can see my few channels I mapped, 105 and 110 for UTV and SKY News, both clear and both showing in DVBViewer ok.

  <?xml version="1.0" ?> 
- <recorders dvbviewer-path="C:\Program Files\DVBViewer\dvbviewer.exe" dvbviewer-debug="False" disable-audio-video="True" use-service="True" autostart-monitor="True">
- <recorder id="fd7b59b1471547cba0d721d9ca08aad8" name="DVB-Stream-01" ip="172.16.1.238" port="9090" restart-delay="15" recordTS="1" fastChannelSwitching="false">
  <channel id="1224919847|Fashion TV" name="Fashion TV" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="300" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1225006162|bid tv" name="bid tv" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="701" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1115951513|Sky Cust Ch" name="Sky Cust Ch" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="999" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1115689568|Sky News" name="Sky News" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="450" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1427708192|BBC 2 NI" name="BBC 2 NI" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="104" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1227105270|Channel 4" name="Channel 4" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="106" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1421154476|BBC FOUR (eng)" name="BBC FOUR (eng)" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="107" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1225336197|TV3" name="TV3" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="108" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1227761654|UTV" name="UTV" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="105" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1226447644|BBC HD (NAR)" name="BBC HD (NAR)" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="101" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1226318835|Channel 4" name="Channel 4" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="111" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  <channel id="1115689577|Sky News" name="Sky News" root="Astra/Eurobird 28.2°E" type="ttSatellite" group="0" number="110" ttxsubpage="" /> 
  </recorder>
  </recorders>

Now, these are 'Added to SageTV' and I exit the DVBRecorder with restart and exit option. Then Launch SageTV, I am instantly greeted with the Physical Tuner and this logical tuner, I add this logical one, and dont link to an EPG, so instead i add a channel;

I offered
Channel Name: Sky News
Channel Number: 110
Chaanel ID: [Left Empty]

now done with channel setup and go to tv guide on main screen
Highligth the current time for the channel 110 Sky News and then i get a wheel saying connecting to No Data, that sits for about 60 seonds and then i get a black screen and nada else...

Back to logs - this time trace_20080610 and i can see recorder listening....

20080610 03:06:37.921 - Info - DVBViewer Recoder Service Started
20080610 03:06:44.312 - Info - Recorder 'DVB-Stream-01' listening on 172.16.1.238:9090
20080610 07:56:47.031 - Info - DVBViewer Recoder Service Started
20080610 07:56:53.281 - Info - Recorder 'DVB-Stream-01' listening on 172.16.1.238:9090
20080610 15:07:02.968 - Info - DVBViewer Recoder Service Stopped
20080610 15:07:03.218 - Info - DVBViewer Recoder Service Started
20080610 15:07:04.546 - Info - Recorder 'DVB-Stream-01' listening on 172.16.1.238:9090

i do see DVBViewer and DVBViewerRecorderSrv both running as System user, with the montior running as my htpc user [loacal admin which im logged in as]

Monitor says 1 active recorder, but there is no media file in C:\Documents and Settings\htpc\My Documents\My Videos\SageTV and sage sits for the 60 seonds on tuning into no data

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by damian.flynn

20080610 03:06:37.921 - Info - DVBViewer Recoder Service Started
20080610 03:06:44.312 - Info - Recorder 'DVB-Stream-01' listening on 172.16.1.238:9090
20080610 07:56:47.031 - Info - DVBViewer Recoder Service Started
20080610 07:56:53.281 - Info - Recorder 'DVB-Stream-01' listening on 172.16.1.238:9090
20080610 15:07:02.968 - Info - DVBViewer Recoder Service Stopped
20080610 15:07:03.218 - Info - DVBViewer Recoder Service Started
20080610 15:07:04.546 - Info - Recorder 'DVB-Stream-01' listening on 172.16.1.238:9090

i do see DVBViewer and DVBViewerRecorderSrv both running as System user, with the montior running as my htpc user [loacal admin which im logged in as]

Monitor says 1 active recorder, but there is no media file in C:\Documents and Settings\htpc\My Documents\My Videos\SageTV and sage sits for the 60 seonds on tuning into no data

It seems that DVBViewer Recorder has not even seen the tuning request.

So my best guess would be that the recorder definition in the sage.properties file is outdated. You'll have to stop SageTV (GUI and Service) and verify that the recorder definition currently points to the right IP and port.

For example:

mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/available_channels=
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/brightness=0
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/contrast=0
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/device_name=
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/encode_digital_tv_as_program_stream=false
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/hue=0
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/last_channel=157
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/provider_id=3
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/saturation=0
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/sharpness=0
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/tuning_mode=Air
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/tuning_plugin=
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/tuning_plugin_port=0
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/video_crossbar_index=0
mmc/encoders/123456/100/0/video_crossbar_type=100
mmc/encoders/123456/audio_capture_device_name=
mmc/encoders/123456/audio_capture_device_num=0
mmc/encoders/123456/broadcast_standard=DVB-T
mmc/encoders/123456/capture_config=36864
mmc/encoders/123456/default_device_quality=
mmc/encoders/123456/device_class=
mmc/encoders/123456/encoder_merit=0
mmc/encoders/123456/encoding_host=127.0.0.1\:9091
mmc/encoders/123456/encoding_host_login_md5=
mmc/encoders/123456/forced_video_storage_path_prefix=
mmc/encoders/123456/last_cross_index=0
mmc/encoders/123456/last_cross_type=100
mmc/encoders/123456/live_audio_input=
mmc/encoders/123456/multicast_host=
mmc/encoders/123456/never_stop_encoding=false
mmc/encoders/123456/video_capture_device_name=TNT1
mmc/encoders/123456/video_capture_device_num=0
mmc/encoders/123456/video_compressor=
mmc/encoders/123456/video_encoding_params=Best

You may also want to review the channel list in sage.properties, mine look like this:

epg/channel_lineups/1=49245,20;67305,41;75544,7;77529,44;78275,31;87303,130;90020,22;91855,124;94612,27;101281,23;102364,223;105149,142;109820,2;109937,3;110172,5;110761,30;111505,21;113632,46;114190,141;114763,140;119239,65;123440,4;127300,60;127931,66;128044,51;129171,33;130770,24;131100,42;136980,37;137024,129;137028,157;137428,35;143574,26;149796,34;161557,25;166098,40;175963,11;176839,36;179510,63;181164,10;183225,12;193983,55;197601,76;200913,127;209700,53;210103,32;223658,9;226632,13;227424,64;227859,61;256669,52;
epg/channel_lineups/2=114805,33;142765,25;
epg/channel_lineups/3=75544,7;77529,44;78275,31;87303,130;109739,38;109820,2;109937,3;110172,5;110761,30;114805,6;129171,33;137028,157;137428,35;142765,1;166098,40;176839,36;

The first number in the coma separated list is the Channel ID, followed by the channel number. However this is how it looks like when you use a XMLTV data source.

When manually creating channels I suppose that you have overrides, so actual numbers should be on a epg/lineup_overrides line.

You may also want to use debug logging in SageTV to see what is happening on SageTV side when trying to tune the channel.

Also if you have a firewall: be sure that the firewall is not blocking the recorder service.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by damian.flynn

i do see DVBViewer and DVBViewerRecorderSrv both running as System user, with the montior running as my htpc user [loacal admin which im logged in as] Monitor says 1 active recorder, but there is no media file in C:\Documents and Settings\htpc\My Documents\My Videos\SageTV and sage sits for the 60 seonds on tuning into no data

Another idea, if you leave the monitor open, you'll see the tuning SageTV tuning request and immediately after the "ERROR" response from DVBViewer Recorder. If this is the case, here are the two reasons for the "ERROR":

* DVBViewer Recorder is not connected to DVBViewer
* There is no channels corresponding to the channel number requested by SageTV in the DVBViewer Recoder lineup (from your config files this doesn't seems to be the case).

So maybe you should use the Standalone recorder at first for troubleshooting purposes : this way both the Recorder and DVBViewer will be running on the console (this is to exclude any weird error that would be hidden by running the service).

Note: don't use Remote Desktop to set up the recorder, some third party security software/firewall may display message on the console that you will not see in your RDP session.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[damian.flynn]

sorry for the dealy - my sage file did not resmeble your sample so rather than mess up more, i have opted to rebuild clean again. I should be back with more details once the computer is reconfigured.

thank you
d

[Whitey]

Stephane

I have a strange issue with H.264 HD channels. They start of playing fine with the recorder service using about 5% CPU on my server. But after a couple of minutes, the CPU usage starts to creep up until it's using about 15% and then the picture on the client starts stuttering. If I change channels to another H.264 HD channel, it starts off again fine but then again after a few minutes it starts to stutter. At first I thought it was the codec or the network but recording playback perfectly.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Whitey

[gianpieroizzo]

Hi Stéphane,

sorry to bother you again, but I tried to follow your hints and here are my conclusions (probably wrong )

SageTV is configured to record on D:\SageTVrecordings
DVBViewer is configured to record on D:\SageTVrecordings (even if it should not matter)
I (probably) set up correctly your plugin.
If I use Sage asking to watch a channel, I see in the DVBViewer recorder monitor the path D:\SageTVrecordings, but the file is created and grows instead in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documenti\Video

Am I doing something wrong ???

thanks again
Gian Piero

Originally Posted by StephaneM

This SageTV that set the recording directory. You can verify this by taking a look at the trace file produced by DVBViewer Recorder in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\LM Gestion\DVBViewer Recorder (or C:\ProgramData\LM Gestion\DVBViewer Recorder if you are using Windows Vista).

You'll find some entry like this : 20080608 20:45:01.927 - Info - Satellite - Recording started: C:\Documents and Settings\HTPCUser\My Documents\My TV\Torn-4356848-0.ts. The file path here is what is requested by SageTV. If the recordings produced by DVBViewer Recorder are not recorded in this folder, then there is a problem, otherwise all is as expected.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by Whitey

I have a strange issue with H.264 HD channels. They start of playing fine with the recorder service using about 5% CPU on my server. But after a couple of minutes, the CPU usage starts to creep up until it's using about 15% and then the picture on the client starts stuttering.

Try to pause the show for a minute or so when it starts stuttering, are you able to recover normal playback after a pause?

If this is the case, then you might want to play with these properties in the sage.properties (or the client one) file :

* videoframe/network_encoding_to_playback_delay (default is 1500)
* videoframe/time_behind_live_to_disable_skip_forward ( default is 4000)

I know for a fact that for me to have reliable subtitles extraction from the live recording (so inside the DVBViewer Recorder process) I must always stop the parsing of the recorded file when there are less than 2 MB of bytes left for me to read. Basically this means that (in my tests for MPEG2 SD) the last two MB of the file do not always contains valid video / audio content (when I was not doing this, I was having error in the TS or subtitles extraction was stopping early).

The same thing may happens when viewing the live stream => the decoder attempt to decode information that it shouldn't yet (because DVBViewer has only written dumb bytes into the file to reduce fragmentation on the HDD)

Regards,
Stéphane.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by gianpieroizzo

DVBViewer is configured to record on D:\SageTVrecordings (even if it should not matter)

It does matter a little. If you remove this path, my plugin should add it back. So even if you have not added it to the path in DVBViewer my plugin should have.

I see in the DVBViewer recorder monitor the path D:\SageTVrecordings, but the file is created and grows instead in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documenti\Video

I'll have to verify this with only one root folder. Could you please try to use another directory under "SageTVRecordings" and see if it works.

Otherwise I know that if DVBViewer cannot record to the target folder, it will default to another one.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[logsvp]

I am also now experiencing this problem of recording in the wrong directory.
I have done a brand new install of SageTV (latest beta version) and added two network encoders as sources. When I add the sources I get what I think is anticipated behaviour in thet the recorder monitor window shows a scrolling number of msg buffer messages as you set the source up.

I have one recording directory set up on a separate drive [M:] in SageTV. This same directory is setup in DVBViewer.

I start the recorders and also open the DVBViewer recording statistics window whre I can see the pie chart and that the recording directory is as previously set.

In sageTV I start a recording on a network encoder channel and the Start recording message appears in the monitor window and that is all. The DVBViewer recording statistics window now shows the recording location as being on the C: drive i.e. it has changed. There are none of the normal msg buffer messages appearing.

If I stop the recording in SageTV, SageTV thinks it has stopped (eventually) but DVBViewer carries on recording.

I have scanned the SageTV properties file (I am running it as a service) and the only recording file mentioned is on the separate drive [M:].

I figure it must be something in the setup but I haven't been able to pin it down yet.

So at the moment I have lost my SageTV satellite viewing

However, given that a couple of others have this problem maybe we can work to pinning down the cause

Edit - NB: If I do a recording to a non-Network encoder channel (i.e. from my DVB-T card) the recordings correctly go into the specified recording directory set up on the separate drive [M:].

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by logsvp

However, given that a couple of others have this problem maybe we can work to pinning down the cause

I have made a quick test here and it seems that DVBViewer (3.9.4) no longer add the requested directory when I'm asking it to do, I still have to do further testing to be 100% sure.

So, you have to add the directory for yourself but with the last "\" included. However DVBViewer won't let you do this, so you have to manually add the terminating \ in the setup.xml file you'll find in DVBViewer directory (C:\ProgramData\CMUV\DVBViewer for Vista, C:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data\CMUV\DVBViewer)

Regards,
Stéphane.

[logsvp]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

I have made a quick test here and it seems that DVBViewer (3.9.4) no longer add the requested directory when I'm asking it to do, I still have to do further testing to be 100% sure.

So, you have to add the directory for yourself but with the last "\" included. However DVBViewer won't let you do this, so you have to manually add the terminating \ in the setup.xml file you'll find in DVBViewer directory (C:\ProgramData\CMUV\DVBViewer for Vista, C:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data\CMUV\DVBViewer)

I have just implemented the change and it is now working

Thanks for the quick fix