MVP Client 1.3.0 (2005/08/16)

[mcragoe]

I started both sagetvclient.exe files and powered off both units. Do I need the -multi for both files?

Also, should this be done for both client folders?
In the SageTVMPV2 folder you need edit the SageClient.properties by remove the line "load_at_startup_runnable_classes=ch.streams.sage.m vp.MVPBaseServers" and change the line mvp/mvp=MVP1 to MVP2 and saving the file.

Thanks Matt,
Mike

[Matt]

Hi Mike,

First of all, sorry for all the confusion about mulit-MVP support. The complexity is coming from the fact that SageTVClient doesn't support multiple instances in one process easily. I'm still thinking about how to make multiple MVPs simpler. That's why I haven't documented it properly yet (I prefere simple solutions over lots of documentation to workaround complex solutions ).

-multi is only needed for the second (third, ...) instance of SageTVClient.exe but it doesn't hurt to use it for both. It just tells SageTV to open a new Client instead of just activating the first instance.

Only the second MVP Client needs the line "load_at_startup_runnable_classes=ch.streams.sage.m vp.MVPBaseServers" removed. This is the MVP bases services (BOOTP, TFTP, Service Locator) and should run only once in the network.

By setting mvp/mvp=MVP2 in the second MVP Client sagetvclient.properties you tell it indirectly which ports to use. See mvp/mvp.properties for the MVP2.*.port entries and make sure these ports are all open in your personal firewall should you have one.

Hope this helps,
Matt

[mcragoe]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your help!

I finally got both working. I deleted the second client folder and copied it from the first. I also made the changes to the SageClient.properties and the SageClient.properties.autobachup. I am not sure if this was changing my file back when I was having the trouble. I also removed the -multi from the first shortcut and only had it in the second one.

Now that they are both working i have a question: Do the MVP's connect to the same client each time? If I make changes to one client, will the same MVP connect to it each time or is it a first to connect gets the MVP client 1, second gets MVP2?

Here is the install info from SHS with my additions:

1: First thing you need to do is get one MediaMVP going and all setup using Matt MVP Client 1.0 for SageTV.

----------------------------
Mat's info:

Install a fresh SageTV Client on the PC the SageTV server is
running (you can use a different PC but it has to have the same drive
mappings for the video folders as the server)
2. Unpack the Zip into the SageTV folder of the new Client installation
3. Set the mmc/video_format_code=8 in SageTVClient.properties if you are in
PAL-land (like me in Switzerland ;-). Default is NTSC.
4. Stop all running MVP applications, e.g. the Hauppauge services MVPMedia
and MVPMediaSvc, GBPVR etc.
5. Unplug the power from the MVP
6. Execute SageTVClient.exe (use the -multi command line argument if you are running more than one SageTVClient instance on one PC or SageTVClient will just activate the first instance)
7. Power up the MVP
---------------------------------

2: Create new directory folder in C:\Program Files\Frey Technologies\ like SageTVMPV2.

3: Copy from the directory SageTV folder all of the *.dll , Sage.jar, SageClient.properties and SageTVClient.exe then you need copy to sub folder ch and mvp to SageTVMPV2 folder.

Mike Note: Just copy the SageTV and Common folders in the new directory.

3: In the SageTVMPV2 folder you need edit the SageClient.properties by remove the line "load_at_startup_runnable_classes=ch.streams.sage.m vp.MVPBaseServers" and change the line mvp/mvp=MVP1 to MVP2 and saving the file.

Mike Note:I also did this to the SageClient.properties.autobachup in the SageTVMVP2 folder.

4: Make a shortcut for SageTVClient.exe rename the shortcut to SageTVMPV2 next you need add "-multi" command line parameter to allow it to run another instance by rigth click on the shortcut and going to properties under Target add "-multi" so it should look something like this "C:\Program Files\Frey Technologies\SageTVMPV2\SageTVClient.exe" -multi

Mike Note: Make a shortcut to both client folders and only use the -multi on the second and up folders and not the first one.

You will need to start both client installs from each folder.

Note if want do more MediaMVP just copy SageTVMPV2 folder some where and change the folder name to SageTVMPV3 and move back in the C:\Program Files\Frey Technologies\ and "edit' change the line mvp/mvp=MVP2 to MVP3 and save and yes you need to do step 4.

Thanks again Matt for your great work!!!
Mike

[Matt]

Originally Posted by SprDtyF350

Seeing something I think is similar. I also am running 2 MVP's. If I only launch the client for one MVP it will work fine. Channel changes fine. Running both MVP's isn't always so good though. One of them seems to grab the tuner and doesn't want to let go. I am only running a single tuner and expect that with both MVP's going but I would think that turning off 1 of the MVP's would let the other one have control. Doesn't seem to want to let go until I also stop the Client program for one of them.

I have also noticed the right stretched display. If I go into detailed setup and switch to anything besides "Fill" I get a dark overlay over the picture. Looks sort of like my TV is wearing sunglasses. Switch back to "Fill" and the picture becomes normal again. Same sort of dark screen as you get when the OSD is up.

Yep, I currently do not stop playing if an MVP disconnects, e.g. because it is turned off. I'll fix this for the next version. In the mean time, pressing Stop before turning off the MVP should work fine as a workaround.

Changing the aspect ratio is not supported because I have no control over it. The fact that the screen stays dark is a bug, but then again, there is no point of changing the aspect ratio because it doesn't really do anything.

I'll do my best to find a solution however.

Originally Posted by mcragoe

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your help!

I finally got both working. I deleted the second client folder and copied it from the first. I also made the changes to the SageClient.properties and the SageClient.properties.autobachup. I am not sure if this was changing my file back when I was having the trouble. I also removed the -multi from the first shortcut and only had it in the second one.

Now that they are both working i have a question: Do the MVP's connect to the same client each time? If I make changes to one client, will the same MVP connect to it each time or is it a first to connect gets the MVP client 1, second gets MVP2?

Yes, the MVPs will reconnect to the same client, but only until the MVP Client with the base services (Client 1) is restarted. I'm thinking about how to run all MVP Clients from one folder. If I get this working, setup would be greatly simplified, but all MVP Clients would share the same SageClient.properties file. Would this be a problem?

Originally Posted by mcragoe

Here is the install info from SHS with my additions:

...Mike Note: Just copy the SageTV and Common folders in the new directory....

You only need the SageTV folder, i.e. you can copy the content of SageTV directly into SageTVMPV2.

Enjoy!

-Matt

[mcragoe]

Originally Posted by Matt

Yes, the MVPs will reconnect to the same client, but only until the MVP Client with the base services (Client 1) is restarted. I'm thinking about how to run all MVP Clients from one folder. If I get this working, setup would be greatly simplified, but all MVP Clients would share the same SageClient.properties file. Would this be a problem?
-Matt

It really would not matter unless each MVP would always connect to the same client. Then you could customize each MVP allowing for different TV's and settings. Maybe using the mac address for each MVP as in the Hauppauge MVP software?

Originally Posted by Matt

You only need the SageTV folder, i.e. you can copy the content of SageTV directly into SageTVMPV2.

Thanks for clearing this up!

Let me know if you get a new version that you want tested with multiple MVP's.

Mike

[kennethadams102]

Hi Matt, FANTASTIC work !!!

Frey should hire you or buy rights to your work to include MVP support natively in SageTV.

Now that the final release of 2.1 has shipped today, is your MVP Client compatible with it ? Have you tested it yet ?

[SprDtyF350]

Originally Posted by Matt

Yep, I currently do not stop playing if an MVP disconnects, e.g. because it is turned off. I'll fix this for the next version. In the mean time, pressing Stop before turning off the MVP should work fine as a workaround.

Changing the aspect ratio is not supported because I have no control over it. The fact that the screen stays dark is a bug, but then again, there is no point of changing the aspect ratio because it doesn't really do anything.

-Matt

Thanks. Your workaround is what I have been using. Works ok as long as my kids remember to push stop. What do you figure the odds are of that happening consistently? Anyway, the client is working fine, if the next version will stop playback when the MVP is turned off that will be great. The aspect ratio thing is not real bothersome. I really don't notice it normally. Sometimes I think I see the fast playback thing you mentioned awhile back. Sometimes have to hit pause for a couple of seconds or the playback tries to overrun the recording. Gives you a stutter. Not hard to hit pause for a couple of seconds to give the server a little head start.

Thanks, Randy

[natesneat2000]

What about responsiveness: is it just about as responsive as a fat client? Do new menus pop up right away?
Also, anyone know of place that has bulk (about 5) discount?
Thanks Matt, look forward to trying it!

[JasonJoel]

The menus are noticeably slower than a 'fat' client, but pretty quick. Better than I expeted them to be anyway.

I would say 0.5-1 second delay. Just estimating though.

Jason Bottjen

Originally Posted by natesneat2000

What about responsiveness: is it just about as responsive as a fat client? Do new menus pop up right away?
Also, anyone know of place that has bulk (about 5) discount?
Thanks Matt, look forward to trying it!

[linkster99]

Wow, I just put this on my MVP and had it running in about 5 minutes - very nice! One thing I have been noticing is an inconsistency in the time it takes to bring up and play a channel selected from the guide (may also happen with recordings, but I've only been using the guide). Sometimes it takes only a second or two, and sometimes is takes around 10-15 seconds. Anyone else see this?

[spanky]

I just wanted to publicly thank Matt for all of his PM help getting my problems sorted. As is usually the case in situations like this the real problem lied between my keyboard and my chair Well done Matt, keep up the excellent work.

Oh, and thanks as well to JasonJoel for your suggestions, much appreciated.

[dgage]

Hello everyone.

First, of course thanks to Matt for all of the great work to get this working!

I am having one issue that I believe is with Sage and the fact that I don't have buttons mapped correctly. I am using the MVP with the excellent SageMCE skin. The problem I am having is that the Back/Exit button takes me to LiveTV (I think/assume) instead of going back a menu. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can solve this? I have not used SageTV for anything more than a back-end PVR so I very well might not have it setup correctly. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

David

[Matt]

David, you can remap buttons under Setup>Detailed Information>Command, in your case Back -> Back instead of TV. My defaults are exactly those SageTV used for the PVRx50 cards.

-Matt

[srothwell]

Matt,

Did a little more digging into the "overscanned" problem I brought up a few days ago.

If you do a cold-boot of the MVP (unplug it), everything will go back to normal and, for lack of a better term, MVP understands it's dealing with rectangular pixels again. However, something makes it stupid and that happened to me even before your client.... when using the MVP software from Hauppauge.

For no reason, all of a sudden, the MVP will just soft-boot and you'll get the "Contacting Servers". It'll take a couple of seconds and the main menu (whether yours or Hauppauge's) will come up. Catch with yours is that the Sage Client software doesn't know MVP has disappeared and it's either still playing the program, or worse, it sometimes will set the flag that the show has been watched all the way through (the % bar will be all the way at the end) then when you try to play again, it will take you to the beginning.

I haven't figured a rhyme or reason yet for the re-boots. They just happen.

Back to the aspect ratio problem..... sometimes, about 1 in 3, after one of these re-boot episodes, the MVP will come back and think it's dealing with square pixels. That's when the upper left of the picture is correct, but the right-hand side is now off-screen becuase of the 0.9:1 properties of SDTV.

Doing a cold-boot (unplug) will correct the problem every time.

I did notice another thing, too....... How can I change the length of time the FF, FF2, REW and REW2 buttons are set for. I tried to set them in Sage, but MVP seems to ignore. The FF and REW seem to be 10 seconds, but it seems like REW2 (bottom left on Hauppage remote) and FF2 (bottom right) are something like 2:30, which is way too much. I have FF2, REW2 set to 1:00 in Sage.

Best regards,

Stacy

[mikejaner]

For no reason, all of a sudden, the MVP will just soft-boot and you'll get the "Contacting Servers". It'll take a couple of seconds and the main menu (whether yours or Hauppauge's) will come up. Catch with yours is that the Sage Client software doesn't know MVP has disappeared and it's either still playing the program, or worse, it sometimes will set the flag that the show has been watched all the way through (the % bar will be all the way at the end) then when you try to play again, it will take you to the beginning.

I get these random reboots of the MVP also. I have tried on RC6 and 2.1 final, with both a Server, and a Client machine and get the same results. Other than that, I love the client. I think it works very well considering all of the other possibilities.

Mike

[EJDeHaemer]

Can the SageMVP client operate without the Hauppauge MVP software intstalled on the server? Or does the client use some of the Hauppague files to execute properly?

[dgage]

The installer that Matt has contains everything needed. You must make sure the standard default MediaMVP services are turned off for Matt's Sage MVP Client to work.

David

[jptaz]

Mike,

It sounds like Stacy has the problem even with the hauppauge software. I suspect a bug report needs to be filed with Hauppauge.

John

[mikejaner]

I do have the latest beta installed for the MVP

Does anybody have a version number for the Hauppauge software which is rock solid?

[fidget]

Originally Posted by mikejaner

I do have the latest beta installed for the MVP

Does anybody have a version number for the Hauppauge software which is rock solid?

A friend of mine said that the one two versions prior to the latest works the best. I will be getting a copy of those files on Monday, when my MVP arrives.