OpenDCT: An open source digital cable tuner.

[UgaData]

I should indicate that my versions of OpenDCT were very close between Windows and the docker.

[BobbyDing]

Originally Posted by UgaData

I should indicate that my versions of OpenDCT were very close between Windows and the docker.

I may try updating my windows install to match the docker and try again then.

Thanks!!

[tmiranda]

Every few days I start getting errors from OpenDCT and then the tuners disappear from Sage. Attached are some logs. Ideas?

[hb4]

Trying OpenDCT for the first time, (my first open source improvement attempt) following this post and I believe "OpenDCT Run as Console" is failing; I do not see anything in the "Command Prompt" window (W7) that looks like "Download of Channel Lineups". Reviewing the OpenDCT Logs, I see three errors and presume these are the download attempts. The Wrapper Log is attached.

Also confused by the line " Edited and Saved Sage.properties and changed network_encoder_discovery=false to network_encoder_discovery=true." It's not clear what else gets edited beyond the 'false->true' line above.

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Every few days I start getting errors from OpenDCT and then the tuners disappear from Sage. Attached are some logs. Ideas?

While this doesn't happen to me, I've noticed this can happen if OpenDCT comes under a lot of stress over a few days or a straight 8 hours. The problem has to do with some caching I was doing with the buffer and somehow too many buffers become allocated, but no buffers are ever returned when they are requested from the queue. The latest code removes this optimization completely since it doesn't help as much as I has hoped and it's causing issues for a few users such as yourself. I'm hoping to have a new build uploaded today. A lot of my dev environment has been out of commission for the past week and a half, but I just got things starting working again today.

[EnterNoEscape]

• Removed assumption that the channel 5000 existing causes the lineup provided by the HDHomeRun to be ignored.
• Removed buffering optimizations from FFmpeg. They were creating OutOfMemory issues for a few users and don't actually speed things up at as much as expected.
• Channels are now sorted when a complete list is requested. This results in the channels being checked in order when doing channel scans and when the available and unavailable channels are written to the lineup file.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

While this doesn't happen to me, I've noticed this can happen if OpenDCT comes under a lot of stress over a few days or a straight 8 hours. The problem has to do with some caching I was doing with the buffer and somehow too many buffers become allocated, but no buffers are ever returned when they are requested from the queue. The latest code removes this optimization completely since it doesn't help as much as I has hoped and it's causing issues for a few users such as yourself. I'm hoping to have a new build uploaded today. A lot of my dev environment has been out of commission for the past week and a half, but I just got things starting working again today.

OK, I'll upgrade when it's available.

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by hb4

Trying OpenDCT for the first time, (my first open source improvement attempt) following this post and I believe "OpenDCT Run as Console" is failing; I do not see anything in the "Command Prompt" window (W7) that looks like "Download of Channel Lineups". Reviewing the OpenDCT Logs, I see three errors and presume these are the download attempts. The Wrapper Log is attached.

Also confused by the line " Edited and Saved Sage.properties and changed network_encoder_discovery=false to network_encoder_discovery=true." It's not clear what else gets edited beyond the 'false->true' line above.

I can tell from your logs that it is at least finding the capture devices, so you should be able to add the capture devices as long as SageTV has network encoder discovery enabled.

1. Close the console.
2. Start the OpenDCT service.
3. Stop the SageTV service if it is running.
4. Edit the line network_encoder_discovery=false in Sage.properties. Change false to true.
5. Start the SageTV service.
6. You should now be able to add the capture devices. CableCARD devices will start with DCT-.

[hb4]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

I can tell from your logs that it is at least finding the capture devices, so you should be able to add the capture devices as long as SageTV has network encoder discovery enabled.

1. Close the console.
2. Start the OpenDCT service.
3. Stop the SageTV service if it is running.
4. Edit the line network_encoder_discovery=false in Sage.properties. Change false to true.
5. Start the SageTV service.
6. You should now be able to add the capture devices. CableCARD devices will start with DCT-.

I've done all that; double-checked that Sage.properties network_encoder_discovery=true.

Followed this process:
1) Downloaded OpenDCT 0.3.14-beta.
2) Stopped SageDCT Service, Changed Startup Type to Disabled.
3) Stopped SageTV Service.
4) Made Backup Copy of Sage.properties and Wiz.bin.
5) Installed OpenDCT 0.3.14-beta.
6) Ran "OpenDCT Run as Console".
7) CTRL-C on OpenDCT Following Download of Channel Lineups.
8) Ran "OpenDCT Start Service" - Success!
9) Edited and Saved Sage.properties and changed network_encoder_discovery=false to network_encoder_discovery=true.
10) Started SageTV Service.

except that I did step 9) after step 4).

Then stopped SageTV Service and looked for the new devices in the Sage.properties 'mmc/encoders' list and they are not there. In previous attempts I've seen the same thing and then started Sage and confirmed that the new video sources are not there.

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by hb4

I've done all that; double-checked that Sage.properties network_encoder_discovery=true.

Followed this process:
1) Downloaded OpenDCT 0.3.14-beta.
2) Stopped SageDCT Service, Changed Startup Type to Disabled.
3) Stopped SageTV Service.
4) Made Backup Copy of Sage.properties and Wiz.bin.
5) Installed OpenDCT 0.3.14-beta.
6) Ran "OpenDCT Run as Console".
7) CTRL-C on OpenDCT Following Download of Channel Lineups.
8) Ran "OpenDCT Start Service" - Success!
9) Edited and Saved Sage.properties and changed network_encoder_discovery=false to network_encoder_discovery=true.
10) Started SageTV Service.

except that I did step 9) after step 4).

Then stopped SageTV Service and looked for the new devices in the Sage.properties 'mmc/encoders' list and they are not there. In previous attempts I've seen the same thing and then started Sage and confirmed that the new video sources are not there.

Can you post the opendct.log file?

[hb4]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

Can you post the opendct.log file?

Sure can!

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by hb4

Sure can!

Thanks. Something odd is happening. It's finding the capture devices, but it's not trying to do anything with them. I suspect somehow a filter has been applied to the discovery process. Stop the OpenDCT service, then delete opendct.properties, then start it again.

[hb4]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

Thanks. Something odd is happening. It's finding the capture devices, but it's not trying to do anything with them. I suspect somehow a filter has been applied to the discovery process. Stop the OpenDCT service, then delete opendct.properties, then start it again.

Uninstalled OpenDCT, deleted opendct.properties, and reinstalled and started Console and Service. Still no devices in Sage.properties.

[EnterNoEscape]

I can see what's not happening in your logs. My best guess is the tuner count isn't being reported by the device. This has been seen before. The result is a silent failure because OpenDCT doesn't try to work with the device if it doesn't report that it has any tuners. This problem is fixed in 0.5. If you are not running the latest firmware for the Prime, I recommend updating the firmware. If that doesn't fix anything, reboot. If that doesn't get you working, install the latest beta.

[hb4]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

If you are not running the latest firmware for the Prime, I recommend updating the firmware. If that doesn't fix anything, reboot. If that doesn't get you working, install the latest beta.

Concerned that if that doesn't work, I can't go back to SageDCT which, at least now, does work. I seem to remember a problem like that....

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by hb4

Concerned that if that doesn't work, I can't go back to SageDCT which, at least now, does work. I seem to remember a problem like that....

If you don't want to upgrade the firmware, you'll want to just install the beta. If my assumption about the tuners is correct, the stable version will not be able to support your device in its current state.

[hb4]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

If you don't want to upgrade the firmware, you'll want to just install the beta. If my assumption about the tuners is correct, the stable version will not be able to support your device in its current state.

Great! I'll try it and report back.

[CptKirk]

Is there any dependency between OpenDCT and SageTV 9 (to use all the features of OpenDCT)?

i.e. In order to use OpenDCT 0.5.x you must be using SageTV 9.0.x.xxx (or later)

In the release notes the only one I saw mentioned was 0.5.7 needing 9.0.4.252

[EnterNoEscape]

You only need to be running v9 if you want to use SageTV's built in remuxer instead of raw or FFmpeg.

[reggie14]

Would there be any advantage to using OpenDCT with my HDHR Connect? (And does that even work?)

For background, I've noticed major AV sync problems with Plex on my HDHR Connect recordings, while Plex does a lot better with my HDHR Prime recordings. The main difference is that the HDHR Prime records transport streams through OpenDCT, while the HDHR Connect records program streams through Sage.