KODI client live TV - error "cannot access <path name>" (1 Viewer)

[alexeix]

Hi,

I have Media Portal TV Server running on a Windows 7 machine and my client is KODI, on an Amazon Fire TV box.
I'm trying to view live TV and also to access my recordings, however, I'm getting the following error on the client when I try to do so:

"MEDIAPORTAL PVR CLIENT
Cannot access: C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal....".

The path is for the time shifting directory.
I get the same error, but with the path for my recordings, when I try to view recorded TV.

These paths are shared to Everyone on my network, so I don't understand why I can't access them from the client.
I can see the TV Guide and the actual file names in the Recordings directory.

I've researched this issue and found some references saying that UNC path names had to be used, but I can't see how they could be specified in TV Server Configuration on the server machine. I only got an option to browse and select my path for recordings.

Is there something else that I need to set up?

Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance!

 

[mm1352000]

Hello

I've researched this issue and found some references saying that UNC path names had to be used...

Yes, that's probably true... unless there's some kind of option in the Kodi plugin that enables it to use RTSP like MediaPortal.

...but I can't see how they could be specified in TV Server Configuration on the server machine. I only got an option to browse and select my path for recordings.

You can select a UNC folder by browsing through "My Network Places" -> "Entire Network" -> "Microsoft Windows Network" -> <work group name> -> <PC name> -> <shared folder name>. Note I'm using XP. The path on Vista and newer may vary.

Regards,
mm

 

[Owlsroost]

I've researched this issue and found some references saying that UNC path names had to be used, but I can't see how they could be specified in TV Server Configuration on the server machine. I only got an option to browse and select my path for recordings.

I suspect it means that you need to specify the timeshift and recording paths in the client configuration in UNC path format e.g.

\\<TVserver_PC>\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer

(for the live TV timeshifting) - note the format of the path names may be different on a non-Windows OS.

 

[alexeix]

Many thanks for the replies.

I specified UNC paths on the Server and it didn't solve the problem, but I got a different error:
"PVR client has no RTSP support...".

I then rooted around in the KODI add-on configuration settings and found a 'Streaming Method' setting.
It was set as TSReader, so I changed it to ffmpeg.

The good news is that I can now view my recordings - nice!

The only down side is that I can't view live TV as the picture breaks up too much.
Any ideas?

 

[pünktchen]

The UNC-path should be visible in green in the Kodi plugin settings of the TVServer if you have shared your folders.

 

[pünktchen]

Taken from Kodi's Wiki.

 

[alexeix]

Thanks, but I've checked and I've already got the correct UNC PATHS specified in the plugin.

Any other suggestions?

 

[JackTramiel]

Did you check if you can browse the share via kodi? You probably need to add the login data ( Windows user name AND password ) inside kodis smb settings, even you shared for everyone.
This is needed for all smb shares, not only for tv. Everyone still need to be "someone"
Keep ts reader usage for the tv add on.

( You could add a dedicated file share user to windows if you dont want to add a password to your own account. )

EDIT:

http://www.regurge.at/stuff/htpc/raspberry/screen-04.jpg

Please post a screenshot of this menu. Best would be to post all pages.

 

[alexeix]

I made some changes, trying to get this working and I now an even stranger result.
I can watch live TV, but the picture has a lot of artefacts.
Additionally, when I try to view old recordings (made before the change), I get the following warning:
"Cannot access C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\..." (my timeshift folder).
Since making the change, I have made one recording and I can view it without issue - although again, the picture quality is poor, with artefacts.

The changes I made in the MediaPortal PVR Client addon, after reading the last suggestion, are as follows:
set Streaming Method=TSReader (changed from ffmpeg), and
set Use RTSP streaming=No.

I have my windows login and password specified in the Mediaportal PVR Client addon.
I can see all my recordings (old and new) in Kodi.
I think there may be 2 different problems here: the quality issue with TV (network speed seems fine, so I don't know what could be causing it), and the problem viewing my old recordings.

I don't know how to get screenshots off my Amazon FireTV, so here are the relevant settings in the addon...

Connection:
Mediaportal Hostname=<IP address of server>
Mediaportal Kodi plugin port=9596
Connect Timeout(s)=20
Windows user account (SMB)=Guest
Windows password (SMB)=<blank>

Playback:
Streaming Method=TSReader
Use RTSP streaming=No
Fast channel switching=No
Wait time after tuning a channel (ms)=0


UPDATE:
having typed up this response, I've made a discovery; for some reason my recordings were in 2 different folders (possibly an old Media portal bug) - one set in the correct Public folder and another set in the timeshifted folder (although they were recorded by timer).
I've moved all the files from the timeshift folder to the correct Public Recordings folder, but the moved recordings still don't play and I still get the error ("Cannot access C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\...").

I think I may need to re-index the database.

Also, I'm not sure about the timeshift folder, after reading this:
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=206641

 

[pünktchen]

Because of your artefacts:
Disable "libstagefright" decoder in Kodi's video settings, make sure to have set your AFTV to 50hz and reboot the FireTV!