Can't turn off during timed record (1 Viewer)

[andrewm]

I have Mediaportal 1 front end with Argus TV as the TV server.

If I configure a timed recording all works fine. The media centre silently turns on at the right time, records the program and then turns off again. No audio, nothing on the screen.

If I turn it on with the remote during the recording the screen comes on as does the audio and I can use it as I would expect.

The problem comes when I come to turn it off again with the remote. It will do what I expect, turn of the screen and the audio but about fifteen seconds later it comes back on again. This happens every time.

I don't even know where to start looking for the cause. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Andrew

 

[andrewm]

Over a hundred views and no replies. Is this in the wrong section?

Andrew

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Hello Andrew,

Is this in the wrong section?

The section is fine .

I don't even know where to start looking for the cause. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

It is for this reason that we require users to provide debug logs together with their problem reports. Otherwise anything we say will be just guessing.

• Please start MediaPortal with the Watchdog icon on your desktop (or from the start menu), select option "Report a bug to Team MediaPortal", reproduce the problem and the close MediaPortal. Upload the zip file on your desktop here.
• Alternatively run the Watchdog, chose option "Collect all available logs" and upload the zip. As this will really colelct all logs, please indicate date and time of occurence.

Most likely you have not set your MediPortal client to debug level yet, hence the second option will most likely not show sufficient information.

 

[andrewm]

Not had a chance to delve any deeper but not a good start. Started MediaPortal with the Watchdog and it starts with the basic Titan shell. This is, I think, as expected. From the main menu selecting TV brings up the subMenu of TV options but none of these work. Selecting anything returns to the home screen. I cannot get into TV, TV Guide or schedule a new recording. Existing recordings shows an empty directory.

Logs are attached for this if they are of any use. MediaCentreInfo.zip contains the windows .nfo file.

Andrew

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Hi Andrew,

I just realized that you are using Argus TV as backend. Apologies, but I can't tell much about such a setup and it may very well be that the observer issue relates to Argus and not MediaPortal.

From this perspective there is no point in running Watchdog with "Report bug to Team MediaPortal". But you could repeat the whole operation and select the option "Report bug to plugin developer". In this case your Argus server should be visible.

 

[andrewm]

No problem. I shall give that a try this evening.

 

[andrewm]

OK, some logs.

Started up at about 7:00am this morning and set a scheduled recording for a programme on BBC2 at 7:15.
Turned off with the remote immediately afterwards. No problems.
Recording begins at 7:15 or just before. Unit remains off, no sound, no display.
At approximately 7:40am turned the unit on with the remote and selected playback of live TV for the programme being recorded.
Returned to home page and powered off. Screen goes blank and no audio. As expected.
A short while later screen comes back on again but no audio. Hitting any key resumes audio as well.
Repeat, turn off, wait, automatically turns on, several times.
Exit MediaPortal and save logs.
One interesting observation is that when I restarted MediaPortal, with Argus still recording in the background, I was able to turn it off without it coming back on again.

Hope the logs are of some use.

Andrew

 

[mm1352000]

Hi Andrew

I'm not sure if what you're expecting is supported or realistic. Can we try to clarify?

At approximately 7:40am turned the unit on with the remote and selected playback of live TV for the programme being recorded.
Returned to home page and powered off. Screen goes blank and no audio. As expected.

I'm okay following you up to here.

At this point the PC has gone into away mode:
[2016-06-22 07:39:57,085] [Log ] [MPMain ] [DEBUG] - Main: WM_POWERBROADCAST (PBT_POWERSETTINGCHANGE)
[2016-06-22 07:39:57,092] [Log ] [MPMain ] [INFO ] - Main: The computer is entering away mode
[2016-06-22 07:39:57,732] [Log ] [MPMain ] [DEBUG] - Main: WM_POWERBROADCAST (PBT_POWERSETTINGCHANGE)
[2016-06-22 07:39:57,746] [Log ] [MPMain ] [INFO ] - Main: The display is off

It's key to note that the recording hasn't stopped playing, because I think (not 100% sure):

1. That's an ARGUS-specific thing.
2. The fact that playback hasn't stopped is what's triggering the subsequent funky screen and audio behaviour.

A short while later screen comes back on again...

...which is unexpected, right?

If yes, we're mostly on the same page still. Note again as mentioned above: I think this happens because you haven't stopped playing the recording before powering off. The obvious follow-up question is: what did you expect to happen with the player when you "powered off"? Did you expect it to stop, pause, keep going but not cause the system to wake...? Whatever your answer is, I'm almost certain that it's the ARGUS TV plugin that would have to implement that behaviour. Therefore you'd need to report this to whoever is maintaining the ARGUS TV plugin.

If no, I fully don't understand. You'll need to explain in more detail.

... but no audio.

If the answer to the above "...unexpected, right?" question was "yes" then my response would be that this is a side-effect of side-effects, and therefore probably not worth focusing on. Rather, let's focus on keeping the system and screen "off" (in away mode).

Otherwise if the answer to the above question was "no", I'll have to wait for your clarification.

One interesting observation is that when I restarted MediaPortal, with Argus still recording in the background, I was able to turn it off without it coming back on again.

Ummm, well... it's not clear if you restarted MediaPortal and started playing the recording again and then the system didn't come back on. The distinction between whether something is playing or not when you attempt to power off is critical.

 

[andrewm]

Many thanks for the detailed analysis - it is largely correct and it does seem that if something is playing then the unit will turn back on.

I have just checked and if I specifically switch the TV off before powering down while a recording is in progress then it will indeed turn off and stay off (or at least stay in away mode). And it explains the shutdown working after a restart because that involved starting Mediaportal and then hitting the power button without starting anything first. So, at least I now know how to do a shutdown while there is a recording in progress. Perhaps I should make stopping things first my standard operating procedure - it would be more effort but at least consistent.

You ask what I would expect to happen. At its simplest; that the user experience is consistent whether there is a recording taking place or not. This is because the recording action is largely hidden from the user.

So, with no recording I would expect to turn on the unit, select a TV channel, watch that channel and at any point power off. This will stop anything currently running like a TV channel, recording or video and put the unit into sleep mode. If I am turning off then I have finished watching TV or whatever video I was playing.

If there is a recording going on in the background then obviously it cannot go into sleep but I would expect (or at least would like) anything currently running like a TV channel, recording or video to be stopped first before the unit goes into 'away' mode. That way the user experience is the consistent across the two modes of operation.

Is this a reasonable expectation? Of course I realize that running Argus TV might be causing problems of its own.

Andrew