OpenDCT: An open source digital cable tuner.

[waylo]

Hi @ENE,

I was wondering if you could comment on CCExtractor's implementation into Opendct.

On some channels, AMC in particular, the extracted subtitles are often gibberish or with typos. Searching, this seems to be an inherent issue with ccextractor?

Is it valid to simply exchange the ccextractor.exe in the opendct directory with a newer version Windows executable?

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by rxnelson

So it took a while but I read through the whole thread. First of all allow me to suck up and say kudos to you and Fuzzy for keeping this thread alive, opendct, and the docker version. I will say since it appears the windows version and docker version are supported on the same thread sometimes it got muddy.

For instance, your quote above. I can’t tell if this is executable from the Unraid server. In the context of the discussion (multizone in unraid) it seems possible but following another thread on the docker sub forum it seems that it isn’t possible? Maybe it doesn’t “just work” and the script is a workaround so both things are true?

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide. I’m working on building a VM in Unraid with the sole purpose of tuning the HDPVRs. If I can avoid that and have a single point of failure I’d be happier.

On a side note, what’s the deal with the BMI devices? Like an external Colossus? It was insinuated it could tune all channels but only stereo audio, is that correct? My biggest worry is I get this all set up and they start setting the copy flags.

The main issue is that Fuzzy created a Docker container and issues with related to that container keep coming back into this thread when in reality, that Docker container should have become it's own thread. Those users often have issues no one else would run into for various reasons.

I think that was talking about using a USB-UIRT IR codes. Those work on Windows and Linux and don't really have much to do with OpenDCT since most people are driving them using the SageTV plugin. OpenDCT doesn't drive HD-PVR's either.

The BMI devices are great. I use two of them and they have been very reliable. You have the right idea about how they work and their limitations.

Originally Posted by waylo

Hi @ENE,

I was wondering if you could comment on CCExtractor's implementation into Opendct.

On some channels, AMC in particular, the extracted subtitles are often gibberish or with typos. Searching, this seems to be an inherent issue with ccextractor?

Is it valid to simply exchange the ccextractor.exe in the opendct directory with a newer version Windows executable?

You can, but you will lose some of the changes I made to the source code just for OpenDCT. My changes are mostly to do with how it deals with outputting two .srt files. If you only output one .srt file, it probably won't matter to you.

[rxnelson]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

I think that was talking about using a USB-UIRT IR codes. Those work on Windows and Linux and don't really have much to do with OpenDCT since most people are driving them using the SageTV plugin. OpenDCT doesn't drive HD-PVR's either.

I was thinking you could tune the USB-UIRT with this part of OPENDCT.
sagetv.device.<unique_id>.tuning_executable=
I thought you were talking about having used uutx as the executable or calling on it through a batch and getting it to work that way.
I have the HDHR prime working with OPENDCT (thanks) but now trying to tune the HD-PVRs (multizone) and was hoping to leverage the above mentioned piece of OPENDCT.

Sorry if I’m way off in my interpretation of the previous thread statements.

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by rxnelson

I was thinking you could tune the USB-UIRT with this part of OPENDCT.
sagetv.device.<unique_id>.tuning_executable=
I thought you were talking about having used uutx as the executable or calling on it through a batch and getting it to work that way.
I have the HDHR prime working with OPENDCT (thanks) but now trying to tune the HD-PVRs (multizone) and was hoping to leverage the above mentioned piece of OPENDCT.

Sorry if I’m way off in my interpretation of the previous thread statements.

You're not wrong. I've used uutx for IR blasting in the manner you described in conjunction with a batch file. It's just that you don't really need to go that route since SageTV already natively supports the USB-UIRT even for network encoders.

[rxnelson]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

You're not wrong. I've used uutx for IR blasting in the manner you described in conjunction with a batch file. It's just that you don't really need to go that route since SageTV already natively supports the USB-UIRT even for network encoders.

Is that the case even in Linux/UnRaid? I plugged the USB-UIRT in to the machine and see it under devices in UnRaid but I don’t see it as an option when adding a source in Sage. Also, assuming that works and my system is just having issues multizone isn’t natively supported in Linux, at least that is what I’ve read. What am I missing?

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by rxnelson

Is that the case even in Linux/UnRaid? I plugged the USB-UIRT in to the machine and see it under devices in UnRaid but I don’t see it as an option when adding a source in Sage. Also, assuming that works and my system is just having issues multizone isn’t natively supported in Linux, at least that is what I’ve read. What am I missing?

I'm not sure about it in the context. Someone else hopefully can clarify if it's supported by SageTV in Linux too.

[tomdomm]

Need help from someone smarter than me. Started receiving an EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION (0xc0000005) from Java in the OpenDCT Logs. Will attach log to bottom. can clear fault by cycling OpenDCT service and SageTV service. Works for a while then all 6 tuners fail. Problem started while on vacation, so no updates or changes to system to cause problem. No Windows updated listed in time frame problem originates.
Currently running:
Windows 10 Pro v1709
SageTV V9.1.8.770
Java 1.8.0_161
OpenDCT_0.5.28_x86.msi
Ceton InfiniTV(x64) PCIe drvr pckg 13.6.3.1088
Cincinnati Bell Fiopics Cable

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by tomdomm

Need help from someone smarter than me. Started receiving an EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION (0xc0000005) from Java in the OpenDCT Logs. Will attach log to bottom. can clear fault by cycling OpenDCT service and SageTV service. Works for a while then all 6 tuners fail. Problem started while on vacation, so no updates or changes to system to cause problem. No Windows updated listed in time frame problem originates.
Currently running:
Windows 10 Pro v1709
SageTV V9.1.8.770
Java 1.8.0_161
OpenDCT_0.5.28_x86.msi
Ceton InfiniTV(x64) PCIe drvr pckg 13.6.3.1088
Cincinnati Bell Fiopics Cable

I'll need a little more context. Where are you seeing the error? Is it in a log you can share? This sounds like something you're seeing in event viewer.

[scoful]

I'm setting up a new 2016 server and I'm trying to get OpenDCT to work. I've tried adding the BDA components but get a number of errors. Any ideas?

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by scoful

I'm setting up a new 2016 server and I'm trying to get OpenDCT to work. I've tried adding the BDA components but get a number of errors. Any ideas?

OpenDCT doesn't need the Silicondust BDA drivers to work. The first thing I would do to troubleshoot would be temporarily disable the firewall.

[tomdomm]

Thank You for the response. The error was in the ProgramData/OpenDCT/Logs Directory. I thought I attached the log file but obviously it did not happen. I get to use the past tense because reinstalling Java seems to have fixed the problem. I do need to get smarter on SageTv as I am recommending it to those interested in dumping cable DVRs.

[rickgillyon]

I'm getting problems viewing my IPTV streams in Sage via OpenDCT. Setup is:
Channels set up in TVHeadend using IPTV source
Channels working from TVHeadend via e.g. VLC
Some channels working in Sage via OpenDCT, some not. In the attached log, "Premier League Football - 23092156-0.ts" opens fine in Sage, "Live The Masters, PGA Tour Golf - 23102438-0.ts" just hangs, and as you can see the log says "The consumer appears to be stuck at 0". If I look at the streams in VLC, they show the same formats, i.e. H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10) (h264) with mp4a audio.

Any ideas? This was all working until the last few weeks, now doing my head in.

[egeller]

I see in your config file you are using the Dynamic Consumer. I think that takes the streams as-is and passes them to SageTV.

The internet can be a wild and wooley place. I am not sure you can trust the streams as-is (I also had problems with Comcast for the same reason).

I set up Ace Player as a source and found that I had to use the FFmpegTransSageTVConsumerImpl consumer to reliably interface with SageTV for all the sources I was using via Ace (Ace is a modified version of VLC).

You might try the FFmpeg consumer and see if it works for you.

Erv

p.s. I just began looking at IPTV. I may examine your config file for "other" reasons.

[rickgillyon]

Originally Posted by egeller

I set up Ace Player as a source and found that I had to use the FFmpegTransSageTVConsumerImpl consumer to reliably interface with SageTV for all the sources I was using via Ace (Ace is a modified version of VLC).

Thanks, I'll give it a try. Does that use much overhead on the server?

Weird thing is that it was working a few weeks ago and still works for some channels from this source.

Still, providers change their own sources I guess.

[Zogg]

I've been seeing some oddities the past couple of weeks, and it came to a head last night when I manually started a recording that should have gone to one of the three tuners on my HDHR Prime #1, but instead was using a tuner on Prime #2. Except I don't have OpenDCT configured to use any of the Prime #2 tuners as they are reserved for WMC Live TV.

Turns out with the pool feature enabled, OpenDCT decided to latch onto Prime #2 and redirect requests to Prime #2 tuners, even though Prime #1 was sitting idle and should have been used. Needless to say this made my WMC Live tuners very unhappy as they are configured to use a specific tuner only.

Pooling is now disabled, as I expected it to only pool amongst configured tuners, not whatever it can find, and then to put the discovered tuners at a higher priority than those that were configured.

This isn't a rant or complaint, just a warning that this feature may not work exactly as you would expect.

[tomdomm]

Looks like I was to fast to to call it fixed. SageTV System Messages shows 4 'Halt Detected in Recording' messages last night. The 'ProgramData/OpenDCT/logs' Directory shows 12 hs_err_pidxxxx.log files for last night. I'm hoping I attached the Log(txt) file correctly this time. See NO Error entries in Windows Event Logs.

[egeller]

Originally Posted by Zogg

I've been seeing some oddities the past couple of weeks, and it came to a head last night when I manually started a recording that should have gone to one of the three tuners on my HDHR Prime #1, but instead was using a tuner on Prime #2. Except I don't have OpenDCT configured to use any of the Prime #2 tuners as they are reserved for WMC Live TV.

Could the excluded tuners be inadvertently members of the same pool as the included tuners?

When I first set up pooling I inadvertently included my WMC tuner in the same pool as the non-WMC tuners and my results were similar to yours. Now, my WMC tuner IS defined in OpenDCT, but it is in its own pool. Also, it is NOT defined to SageTV.

Check the sagetv.device.-nnnnnnnnn.encoder_pool value for each tuner. Tuners in the same pool should have the same values. Excluded tuners need to be different.

[rickgillyon]

Originally Posted by egeller

I set up Ace Player as a source and found that I had to use the FFmpegTransSageTVConsumerImpl consumer to reliably interface with SageTV for all the sources I was using via Ace (Ace is a modified version of VLC).

I managed to find time to do this tonight. I set up a couple of new tuners to set up the IPTV streams differently in OpenDCT (cast1 and cast2) and set them to FFmpegTransSageTVConsumerImpl. See attached properties and log. Made absolutely no difference, I just now have it logging that the different consumer can't see any video - yet I know there is bandwidth, and viewing the video via another player is fine.

Any ideas?

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by egeller

Could the excluded tuners be inadvertently members of the same pool as the included tuners?

When I first set up pooling I inadvertently included my WMC tuner in the same pool as the non-WMC tuners and my results were similar to yours. Now, my WMC tuner IS defined in OpenDCT, but it is in its own pool. Also, it is NOT defined to SageTV.

Check the sagetv.device.-nnnnnnnnn.encoder_pool value for each tuner. Tuners in the same pool should have the same values. Excluded tuners need to be different.

Yep, this is exactly what happened. Thanks for pointing that out.

For now I'm going to run with pooling disabled, but I'll be sure to change these if I enable pooling again.

[tomdomm]

OpenDCT crashing due to Java EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION.
Reading error log in C:/ProgramData/OpenDCT/Log/Hs_err_pid8020.txt see threads for 'JavaThread "SageTVRequestHandler-130:Unknown & FFmpegTransSageTVConsumerImpl-101CT-Ceton InfiniTV PCIe'.
Reading C:/ProgramData/OpenDCT/Log/Wrapper.log in the time frame of the error: Multiple entries for 'Error h264' before crash. at crash show 2 tuners active.
Seeing multiple IP addresses being referenced confusing but assume OK as was working before crash. Verified InfiniTV, OpenDCT, Java, & SageTV not blocked by Firewall.
Reinstalled Java but wondering if latest version is cause of problems.
Reinstalled OpenDCT because 'OpenDCT Run as Console' froze when running.
Also had an entry in Windows Event Viewer showing OpenDCT crashing Service Control Manager with "SageTV OpenDCT" as param1 in EventData. This was 8hrs after hr_err_pid..txt
will send any log files or screen shots of info as needed to troubleshoot.