WMC Live TV Tuner

[nyplayer]

I think I got the preliminary stuff setup now just have to find my retired BM100.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

Nice! I look forward on your insights on how to make the SageTV part work better.

I tried using the hdhomerun app instead of live channels but it gave problems. The app pops up a random keyboard on screen especially when the last digit of a channel is 7 it seems. I do think that the quality of the picture using the hdhomerun tv app is better though, but that might be subjective.

Can you share your settings for your capture device ... below are mine I need to know how to setup the channel changing plugin ... If I get it working on my shield I will try a Xiaomi Mi Box and jetstream box.

sagetv.device.1508160045.channel_padding=0
sagetv.device.1508160045.consumer=opendct.consumer.FFmpegTransSageTVConsumerImpl
sagetv.device.1508160045.custom_channels=
sagetv.device.1508160045.delay_to_wait_after_tuning=0
sagetv.device.1508160045.device_name=encoder 1
sagetv.device.1508160045.encoder_listen_port=9000
sagetv.device.1508160045.encoder_merit=0
sagetv.device.1508160045.encoder_pool=generic_http
sagetv.device.1508160045.exclusive_server_address=
sagetv.device.1508160045.fast_network_encoder_switch=true
sagetv.device.1508160045.http_password=admin\t
sagetv.device.1508160045.http_username=admin
sagetv.device.1508160045.last_channel=834
sagetv.device.1508160045.pretuning_executable=
sagetv.device.1508160045.stopping_executable=
sagetv.device.1508160045.stopping_executable_delay_ms=15000
sagetv.device.1508160045.streaming_url=http\://192.168.1.168/0.ts
sagetv.device.1508160045.streaming_url2=
sagetv.device.1508160045.streaming_url2_channels=
sagetv.device.1508160045.transcode_profile=
sagetv.device.1508160045.tuning_delay_ms=0
sagetv.device.1508160045.tuning_executable=

[boukmandutty]

I am actually using a two hdpvr 2's. Never went the BM100 route. I am addicted to that 5.1 surround sound.


I suspect that the key for you is where it says tuning executable. I use got the ExeMultiTunerPlugin from the post KryptoNyte made on page 2 of this thread. His was post number 23. https://forums.sagetv.com/forums/sho...9&postcount=23
. It leads to a post by Narflex with the program.

I put ExeMultiTuner.dll into C:\Program Files (x86)\SageTV\Common\

The registry part that I mentioned comes from the package in the first post in this thread by EnterNoEscape. https://forums.sagetv.com/forums/sho...94&postcount=1

I opened up the attachment and clicked only on the file ExeMultiTuner.reg. This gives me the registry entry that SageTV looks for and executes.

Since I run a 64 bit version of windows I do a regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Frey Technologies\Common\EXEMultiTunerPlugin

There I double click on the command option on the right and edit the command with:

C:\Users\dessaliness-pc\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\platform-tools\adb.exe -s %DEVICE% shell input keyboard text %CHANNEL%

I then go to SageTV to add the new capture device and chose the option that says "Use External Cable or Satellite receiver..." ExeMultiTunerPlugin should show up under tuning plugins options for the capture device you are setting up.

Once you chose it and complete the setup process for the device you should se a folder called ExeMultiTunerPlugin appear in C:\Program Files (x86)\SageTV\Common\RemoteCodes.

Go to the folder just above that "C:\Program Files (x86)\SageTV\Common" and copy the file StubDevice.ir to the ExeMultiTunerPlugin folder.

I changed the name of that file "StubDevice.ir" to the ip-address of my shield device "192.168.1.171.ir".

I then edited that new file 192.168.1.171.ir so that the one line it contains has its name. So it now reads:

192.168.1.171 38000 400 3 400 600

I don't know if naming it this way as an ip-address is really necessary. Someone with more knowledge might be able to say. I was just uncertain about how SageTV and the ExeMultiTunerPlugin would call upon it and see it as a network device. Plus I think I saw this as way some people configured network attached stubs.

Make sure the proper config for your device is selected under Source Detail --> Tuner Control. The default after you get to the above stage will be StubDevice. Select it and you will see the option to change it to the config you have that file to. In my case the option for 192.168.1.171 was there.

Once the adb server is up and running and the android device is connected as per above SageTV should be able to talk to it.

The relevant tuner section of my config looks like this.

mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/broadcast_standard=
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/contrast=149
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/device_name=192.168.1.171
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/hue=127
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/last_channel=730
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/provider_id=-1684090972075851776
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/saturation=154
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/sharpness=0
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/tuning_mode=
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/tuning_plugin=C\:\\Program Files (x86)\\SageTV\\Common\\EXEMultiTunerPlugin.dll
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/tuning_plugin_port=0
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/video_crossbar_index=0
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/6/0/video_crossbar_type=6
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/80/0/brightness=-1
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/80/0/broadcast_standard=
mmc/encoders/-1022032098/80/0/contrast=-1

[nyplayer]

I got everything setup but the channel changing I have to work on that ... I can watch the Video in SageTV ... but have to work on the channel changing.

[boukmandutty]

Managed to get it going yet?

[EnterNoEscape]

I looked at this approach about a year ago. The issue is getting everything running reliably as you are discovering. I was able to get the box to open the needed app and then tune the channel, but sometimes the channel wouldn't make it in because of timing issues that I couldn't seem to resolve satisfactorily. Since I had no way to confirm if the channel was correct, it was a crap shoot every time.

[boukmandutty]

I have had it running perfectly for the past week with not issues. All channel changes and recordings are accurate. It works even with my system that I put to sleep when it is not recording.

The timing issue for seems to have been linked partly to the hdhomerun app and to the the ExeMultiTunerPlugin.

The hdhomerun app is full of problems. The "Enter" command which confirms the channel change brings up the software keyboard that delays the command and messes everything up. The solution I have found is the use the native Live Channels app. It leverages the hdhomerun app for DRM but there is no need to press "Enter" once you put in the channel number.

The solution I have found for the ExeMultiTuner plugin is to automatically send a restart command to my windows based SageTV server each time the machine wakes up to do its duty. I find that when it falls asleep, for some reason the plugin does not work upon its resumption.

Since I solved especially the latter problem I have had not issues with any recordings...

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

I have had it running perfectly for the past week with not issues. All channel changes and recordings are accurate. It works even with my system that I put to sleep when it is not recording.

The timing issue for seems to have been linked partly to the hdhomerun app and to the the ExeMultiTunerPlugin.

The hdhomerun app is full of problems. The "Enter" command which confirms the channel change brings up the software keyboard that delays the command and messes everything up. The solution I have found is the use the native Live Channels app. It leverages the hdhomerun app for DRM but there is no need to press "Enter" once you put in the channel number.

The solution I have found for the ExeMultiTuner plugin is to automatically send a restart command to my windows based SageTV server each time the machine wakes up to do its duty. I find that when it falls asleep, for some reason the plugin does not work upon its resumption.

Since I solved especially the latter problem I have had not issues with any recordings...

Thanks for the tip on Live Channels. Did that exist in earlier Android TV versions? I've been noticing it on my newer devices.

[boukmandutty]

It seems to have been around since 2015. I don't know exactly when it became DRM capable.

Let me know if you ever get around to trying it. I am very interested to know how fast the BMI1000-HDMI devices switch channels. I have to wait a few seconds before channel change is completed when browsing live tv and wanted to know how much of this was caused by me using hdvpr 2's.

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

The hdhomerun app is full of problems. The "Enter" command which confirms the channel change brings up the software keyboard that delays the command and messes everything up. The solution I have found is the use the native Live Channels app. It leverages the hdhomerun app for DRM but there is no need to press "Enter" once you put in the channel number.

Interesting use of the Nvidia Shield for your Live tuner.

I have looked occasionally at the hdhomerun app but running on Win10, and messing around with my laptop I finally got an AutoIt script set up that will set the channel. The app has a few quirks with trying to type the channel, but I have found a sequence that seems to work.

I'm planning to set up an older laptop and an extra HDPVR and give it a go. Not as small a solution as the Shield and using Win 10 has its own challenges, but there are some advantages to using a laptop.

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by Zogg

Interesting use of the Nvidia Shield for your Live tuner.

I have looked occasionally at the hdhomerun app but running on Win10, and messing around with my laptop I finally got an AutoIt script set up that will set the channel. The app has a few quirks with trying to type the channel, but I have found a sequence that seems to work.

I'm planning to set up an older laptop and an extra HDPVR and give it a go. Not as small a solution as the Shield and using Win 10 has its own challenges, but there are some advantages to using a laptop.

If you work out a solution you want to share, I wouldn't mind trying it out. I have a spare laptop for this purpose running WMC on Windows 7. Since Windows 7 is running out of free support at the end of the year, and I really don't like having "unpatchable" devices on my network.

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

If you work out a solution you want to share, I wouldn't mind trying it out. I have a spare laptop for this purpose running WMC on Windows 7. Since Windows 7 is running out of free support at the end of the year, and I really don't like having "unpatchable" devices on my network.

I'm going to try and test it this weekend so if it works somewhat I'll share it. It's kind of crude but seems to work though.

Basically the AutoIt script just gets passed a channel number, and the script has to click around and enter the channel twice to make sure it sticks because the app is quirky. And also the app starts up on the last watched channel, so if you start with that channel again then it goes to a DVR screen, so I had to use a little batch file to save the channel and make sure you don't pass the same channel again.

One question though, you have to send a command to start up the app and set the channel, and another later to stop it. I know Open-DCT can send these commands if using a BM-3000 type device, but if I wanted to use an HD-PVR instead then what mechanism will send a start command with channel and then later a stop command? I think using EXEMultiTuner only supports a start command.

[boukmandutty]

So I searched and haven't found a way to change the channel on the windows based HDHOMERUN app via command line as yet.

In the mean time I think I have a solution that seems to improve accuracy so you don't have to enter the channel twice the way you describe.

I am sure you notice that sometimes when you input the channel number for some channels the number shows in that column on your right above that poor excuse for a guide but there GUI does not jump to and highlight the channel number. When you press "Enter" in that case, nothing happens.

The way I found around this is to input an extra number or character like a "0" and then press the Backspace button on the keyboard to clear it. After I do that the GUI immediately jumps to and highlight the correct channel number. It is in that instance primed and ready for the "Enter" button to send the confirmation command.

Check to see if this method works for you as well. I am testing with windows 10. I am also going to see if I can replicate anything similar on my android devices.

If you can replicate this solution manually I am sure a scrip that adds an extra "0" to each channel you enter and then removes it immediately before sending the "Enter" confirmation should be easy to whip up.

Also, to get around the problem with the last watched channel where it goes to the DVR screen, what if you set it to go to a channel you never record anything from each time it starts up?

Like I said above, this app is so very cumbersome.

[boukmandutty]

Here is an example of how I might launch the hdhomerun app using adb and then tune a channel that I don't have in my SageTV channels list to be tuned by my hdpvr 2. The channel I am tuning which I actually have set for my clear qam device to handle is channel 7, a local channel. You could for example make the channel "1" or anything you like. The trick is to do all this before SageTV tries to tune the channel when the server starts. I don't think you need to worry though. The hdhomerun app carries out the command almost instaneously on the Nvidia android device. I am sure with a decent enough laptop (or nuc) the result will be the same.

adb -s 192.168.1.215 shell monkey -p com.silicondust.view -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1; input keyboard text 724; input keyboard text 0; input keyevent KEYCODE_DEL; input keyevent KEYCODE_ENTER

I will be testing this for the rest of the weekend to see how it works for me. The only problem I can anticipate is what might happen if someone is browsing live tv and accidentally enters the number for a channel already tuned. For the android the device the result seems to be a relaunch of the app and the tuning of the channel if I use the command above. I don't know what happens in windows. Will experiment a bit more though.

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

The way I found around this is to input an extra number or character like a "0" and then press the Backspace button on the keyboard to clear it. After I do that the GUI immediately jumps to and highlight the correct channel number. It is in that instance primed and ready for the "Enter" button to send the confirmation command.

I tried this 4 times manually, and it only worked once. Most times, the "Enter" button doesn't work the first time, even after doing as you suggested and entering a number like 0 and then Backspace.

What seems to work every time for me once the program has started is:

Enter (pops up the menu), Click in the channel input field, Type the channel number (or anything really), Click on the video to make the menu disappear, Enter again, Click in the input field again, Type the channel, then Enter and it should take.

I found the registry key and made a simple batch file to start the program. The program is actually a Microsoft Win 10 app from the MS Store so it doesn't have a typical path to the executable. You use this command:

explorer.exe shell:appsFolder\EF712BA7.HDHomeRunDVR_23nna27hyxhag!App

Then I pass the channel through the batch file that starts the whole thing and AutoIt will input the channel number. If you pass the batch file the channel 0 then it will kill the hdhomerun app.

I'm just not sure how to get SageTV to issue the command at the end of the recording to kill the app.

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by Zogg

I'm just not sure how to get SageTV to issue the command at the end of the recording to kill the app.

SageTV doesn't have this kind of command for natively supported devices. OpenDCT can do it only because it's a network encoder and knows when SageTV wants to stop a recording.

One of the things you'll immediately notice is that it's actually tricky to do this correctly even if SageTV had the ability. Namely because you don't always want to close the app immediately since there might be a back to back recording or just a channel change between recordings. OpenDCT has a built in delay before it executes a stop command. If SageTV tells the tuner to do anything before that delay is up the stop command is cancelled and never executes.

[boukmandutty]

I tried this 4 times manually, and it only worked once. Most times, the "Enter" button doesn't work the first time, even after doing as you suggested and entering a number like 0 and then Backspace.

I dont understand how that doesnt work for you. It works for me using windows 10. I put the extra 0 then hit backspace and the guide panel jumps to the right channel and I just hit Enter again.

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

I dont understand how that doesnt work for you. It works for me using windows 10. I put the extra 0 then hit backspace and the guide panel jumps to the right channel and I just hit Enter again.

Oh, you meant an extra 0 at the end of the channel, I was putting it as a leading number.

But, sometimes the first number I enter doesn't take, do you ever see that? And sometimes the first number is duplicated. Could be my keyboard but I never see that behavior in normal typing.

My method with the mouse clicks always works for me.

[boukmandutty]

The problem might be your keyboard if you are entering it manually for testing purposes. Does it also duplicate when you use your script to enter the channel numbers?

Anyway, I think I have the hdhomerun app on Andriod changing channels as smoothly as the Live Channels app now. I want to test it some more but for now it does not go to the recording screen in the hdhomerun app when the same channel number as the one it is running at a given moment is entered. My approach is to stop the app completely with a kill command and then restart it. There is a timer that then waits for it to start up completely before entering the subsequent commands. Hopefully this will help you figure out your script for a windows solution. This is what I use for the ExeMultiTunerPlugin registry entry.

C:\Users\dessaliness-pc\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\platform-tools\adb.exe -s %DEVICE% shell am force-stop com.silicondust.view; monkey -p com.silicondust.view -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1; sleep 5; input keyboard text %CHANNEL%; input keyboard text 0; input keyevent KEYCODE_DEL; sleep 2; input keyevent 66;

Its a long command I know but it seems to work well so far. That timing EnE spoke of is everything. I think I have it down perfectly here. If anyone running adb on their computer is willing to test it out let me know if it works for you. %DEVICE% would be the ip address of your Andriod box and %CHANNEL% obviously the channel number you want to tune.

[Zogg]

This app can be very weird. I can sometimes start it manually and press Enter and nothing happens. When it does this I have to use the mouse and click to bring up the menu, and then it will work. Also, sometimes the first digit doesn't take for some reason.

But, I modified my AutoIt script based on what you said and it seems to work every time now IF I have preset the app to start full screen and have gotten past the Enter key not working manually. I did have to put in a leading zero just to make sure, but it seems to work every time. And not using the mouse has sped up the script a bit.

So now my script starts the app and waits 10 seconds, then Enter, Zero, Channel #, Zero, Backspace, Enter (with a slight delay between each) and it seems to work.

I'm going to try to live test it later today, and I'll also post what I've done so ENE and others can play with it.