(Apparent) ongoing issues with TV Server on Windows 10? (1 Viewer)

TBacker

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Let me start by asking if anyone has TV Server running PROPERLY on a Windows 10 machine, and if so are you using RTSP or UNC share mode?

I've been reading forum posts for hours now and have only seen a couple of people who finally got it to work but only in the advanced UNC mode.

I had TV Server running on a Windows 7 virtual machine on my home server for a long time. Worked fine (RTSP mode). Needed more horses under the hood, so I set up a physical I7 machine running Windows 10 Pro x64 and moved everything to that.

TV Server configs are identical and working (all tuner / record tests work, channel config and mapping is perfect, rights to folders are correct and work). As with all other similar cases in the forums here, an MP client on-server works, but nothing can connect properly or work outside of the server box.

I've disabled IP6, Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, and my AV software on the server and my test client to no avail. In MediaPortal Configuration on the client, I get a green success when I test the connection. When the client is fired up, guide data is populated, and I attempt to tune a TV channel and it times out with "Lost connection to tv server", followed by the "some ports seem to be blocked" dialog. UNC mode results in the same thing.

The werid thing is, most times the tune command gets to the server and gets executed before the client decides that the server no longer exists. The server actually puts up the stream for the client to ingest. I can even access that RTSP stream using VLC from the client machine while MP says it can't connect.

I.T. is part of my job, so I'm pretty good at tracking down issues, and this one has me nearly stumped. I'm guessing that it's some kind of hidden "feature" in Windows 10 that isn't deactivating (how far you've fallen, Microsoft) or a weird issue in the network stack, but both server and client have no other issues with network/internet access or speeds.

Feeling like I need to (try) to install a dusty copy of Win 7 on this server to see if everything suddenly works.
 

catavolt

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    Here TVServer works perfect (RTSP) Windows 10 Pro x64 - even Insider Preview ;)

    Gesendet von meinem CMR-W09 mit Tapatalk
     

    TBacker

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    Well, that's both good to know and frustrating at the same time :)

    I am running x64 20H2 on both the server and the client. The test client, by the way, is my main home office PC, which was working with the previous server, so at least I know it's definitely something on the new server box / OS.

    I'll keep digging....
     

    CyberSimian

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    As with all other similar cases in the forums here, an MP client on-server works, but nothing can connect properly or work outside of the server box.
    I have a recollection that there is a problem with SMB support in Windows 10. Something along the lines of Windows 10 no longer enabling a setting that was previously enabled by default. I still use Windows 7, so I cannot be more specific.

    Note: it is quite possible that this recollection is with respect to some other piece of software that is not MediaPortal. :eek:

    Personally, I find that networking is: "A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma". Winston Churchill said that about Russia, but he would have said it about networking, had networking existed when he said it. :)

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    TBacker

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    I have a recollection that there is a problem with SMB support in Windows 10. Something along the lines of Windows 10 no longer enabling a setting that was previously enabled by default.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK

    Yeah, Microsoft disabled SMB v1 a while ago, and when they did that people with shares on older versions of Windows / Linux suddenly couldn't access them. This is different (I have full network access and shares are fine).

    The puzzling thing about my case is everything else installed on either machine works fine. It's just TV Server that's raining on my parade. And it's acting like it's communicating partially / intermittently / slowly. As I said, sometimes the client request to stream a channel actually reaches TV Server and it starts and does it's thing, but the client then suddenly says it lost contact before even trying to display anything (I don't even think it sees the stream / builds a graph before it blows up).

    I have an instance of Plex on that server to get my movie collection to my Roku's, and it's fine. And before anyone throws a flag on the field, no, Plex isn't causing the problem - it was installed on my last server as well without issue, and besides the MP TV Server issues happen whether Plex is running or not.

    I may have to run wireshark to see exactly which end is sending / receiving what. This is more time I'd prefer not to be spending debugging a home theater system right now...
     

    Mr. Bean

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    Jes, in Win10 you have to be to enable the SMB Functions: write Features in the search box ... Then klick "activate Features"


    I have on both HTPCs that the TV-Server is to restart many times. One is a 1,19 and the oher a 2,27. Both on Win10. One 32Bit and the other 64Bit

    It's frustrating!
     

    TBacker

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    Just to document my journey, I found this error which I think confirms my suspicion that the clients make a successful control request to the server, then don't / can't follow up....

    Code:
    [2021-05-14 11:32:06,002] [Log    ] [SetupTv  ] [ERROR] - Exception   :System.Net.Sockets.SocketException (0x80004005): A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond
    
    Server stack trace:
       at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Receive(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size, SocketFlags socketFlags)
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.SocketStream.Read(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size)
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.SocketHandler.ReadFromSocket(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 count)
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.SocketHandler.Read(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 count)
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.SocketHandler.ReadAndMatchFourBytes(Byte[] buffer)
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpSocketHandler.ReadAndMatchPreamble()
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpSocketHandler.ReadVersionAndOperation(UInt16& operation)
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpClientSocketHandler.ReadHeaders()
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpClientTransportSink.ProcessMessage(IMessage msg, ITransportHeaders requestHeaders, Stream requestStream, ITransportHeaders& responseHeaders, Stream& responseStream)
       at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.BinaryClientFormatterSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

    And yet after the client connection fails, I can watch the requested stream from TV Server on the client machine with VLC. Ugh.

    I have the firewall and defender completely disabled, and no third party AV software installed at the moment (for testing). Not sure what is left that could be blocking or slowing MP network comms.
     
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    CyberSimian

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    I found this error
    I would suggest that you try MP 1.27 instead. There is another thread relating to MP 1.28 that details a problem that looks similar to yours. I encountered this problem myself this morning when I tried to install MP 1.28 over a working installation of MP 1.27.

    The problem is currently unresolved. :(

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    TBacker

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    Just an update to conclude this thread...

    After spending piles of time on this issue with no resolution, I am giving up on client/server and just installing single seat on my living room PC. I can't keep TV Server on Windows 7 until the end of time, and it refuses to communicate properly from this Windows 10 host with machines outside of the host. This is for .27 and .28. The moment the client requests a channel, server accepts then slams the control port connection closed.

    I'm glad others are able to make this work. I probably could too, but just don't have days of time to figure it out.
     

    TBacker

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    P.S. - Strangely, the TV Server my single seat setup (1.27 on a modest machine running Windows 10 Pro x64) is working from my office machine MP client. Same exact network, firewall, Defender settings. It's a slightly older version of Win 10 though - I haven't updated to 20Hx on it yet. Maybe I shouldn't (or maybe I should image it first). I have no clue otherwise why MP TV Server is working on that one.
     

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