[solved] Away mode problem (1 Viewer)

[joecrow]

In the past my HTPC used to wake up for a scheduled recording in Away mode.
Recently (possibly since 1.21+ but prior to and with Win 10 1903) the HTPC, AVR and TV all now all wake up for an unattended recording which is a waste of power and a nuisance at night. If left alone the screensaver will be actioned after its idle timeout but the sleep timout does not start till the recording finishes. If I press the power button on my remote Away mode is actioned immediately, i.e. the AVR and TV go into standby and the recording continues on the HTPC. I looks to me like Away mode is available and working but is no longer being actioned correctly. Logs are for a recording scheduled at 8.45, short timeouts for screensaver and standby are for testing only. HDMI/CEC control is using the CEC Remote plugin.
All help and suggestions much appreciated.

 

[CyberSimian]

In the past my HTPC used to wake up for a scheduled recording in Away mode.

From previous posts in other threads, I have got the impression that you normally leave the MQ client running when you put the HTPC to sleep. When the HTPC system that houses "TV Server" wakes to perform an unattended recording, its MQ client will resume execution. So the problem might be that the MQ client is waking the AV amplifier and TV, or it might be that it is a recent update to Windows that is causing Windows to wake the AV amp and TV.

One test to perform would be to close the MQ client before sleeping the system when a recording is due in the near future (e.g. 10 minutes in the future). Then observe what happens:

(1) If the AV amp and TV still wake up, it must be caused by a Windows update (since the MQ client is not running).

(2) If the amp and TV do not wake up, it points to the MQ client as the cause.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[joecrow]

One test to perform would be to close the MQ client before sleeping the system when a recording is due in the near future (e.g. 10 minutes in the future). Then observe what happens:

Many thanks for your help but I can't find MQ client on my system (Win 10 x64, single seat), also nothing in the registry under IBM, is it called something else?

Also noted the following error in the logs at the time the recording should start, could this be significant?

[2019-07-09 08:42:31,309] [Log ] [TvClient-TvHome: HeartBeat transmitter thread] [ERROR] - TvServer: Failed to execute remote TV server operation (IsAnyCardRecording) The operation has timed out after 3000.

 

[CyberSimian]

I can't find MQ client on my system (Win 10 x64, single seat)

The convention amongst team members seems to be to call "MediaPortal.exe" the "MQ Client", because it can be installed on multiple systems in your home network. In contrast, "TV Server" can be installed on only one system in your home network. I have always found the term "MQ client" to be somewhat mystifying, not having used client/server systems in the past.

I was guessing that you have a "single seat" setup (another weird name!), with TV Server and MediaPortal.exe on the same system. I further guessed that you sleep your system with MP displaying one of the MP panels fullscreen. The test would be to close MP and exit to the Windows desktop before sleeping your system (note: not minimise MP to the Task Bar).

I don't know the significance of the error message, but I thought that the recording started and ended successfully? We need a TV expert...

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[joecrow]

was guessing that you have a "single seat" setup (another weird name!), with TV Server and MediaPortal.exe on the same system. I further guessed that you sleep your system with MP displaying one of the MP panels fullscreen.

That is all correct, with main GUI (Home screen) displayed.
Closing MP before the recording starts means that neither the AVR and TV go into standby with the HTPC since it is MPs CEC Remote plugin that controls that but the display is blanked and the TV will display "No Signal" if power cycled. When the HTPC wakes for the recording, the screen will remain blank until there is user activity (button press) after which the desktop is displayed, so it does appear that win 10 is correctly activating Away mode. I also noted that with MP running fullscreen in focus it will not go into Sleep/Away mode on idle timeout when a recording is in progress, the screen saver does get actioned but not the idle timer to sleep which only starts when not recording, I believe that is also different to previous behaviour.

The recording does start and complete without any apparent problems so I am mystified by the error.

I believe I can roll back to MP 1.20 without any issues so will give that a try later or tomorrow.

 

[CyberSimian]

the display is blanked and the TV will display "No Signal" if power cycled. When the HTPC wakes for the recording, the screen will remain blank until there is user activity (button press) after which the desktop is displayed, so it does appear that win 10 is correctly activating Away mode.

Yes, I agree. When Windows enters away mode, it stops the video output. I think that a PC display would switch itself to standby if there is no video signal for a period of time, but I don't know whether TVs do this (so the TV may remain powered up but displaying a blank screen).

I also noted that with MP running fullscreen in focus it will not go into Sleep/Away mode on idle timeout when a recording is in progress, the screen saver does get actioned but not the idle timer to sleep which only starts when not recording,

There is an "MP Config" setting that prevents sleep if MP is not on the "Home" panel. It will still action the screen saver, but the system won't sleep. Could this be confusing the observations?

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[joecrow]

I think that a PC display would switch itself to standby if there is no video signal for a period of time, but I don't know whether TVs do this (so the TV may remain powered up but displaying a blank screen).

My TV definitely does not but that is beside the point if Away mode does not get actioned when MP is running.

There is an "MP Config" setting that prevents sleep if MP is not on the "Home" panel. It will still action the screen saver, but the system won't sleep. Could this be confusing the observations?

That setting is not enabled.

I have now tried MP 1.19 (I had it to hand), did a full uninstall of MP 1.22 and deleted all MP folders, also uninstalled MySql and deleted its folders. Did a bare-bones install of 1.19, no plugins etc just scanned the tuners but things seem to have gone from bad to worse. The HTPC will not wake up to do a scheduled recording and will go into standby when a recording is in progress. I have enabled the Power Scheduler plugin in the TV config. but it does not show anything in the "Next wakeup time:" when a recording is scheduled, looks like some disconnect there. I can't recall any setting that would inhibit this but maybe I forgot something.

HELP

 

[CyberSimian]

did a full uninstall of MP 1.22 and deleted all MP folders, also uninstalled MySql and deleted its folders.

In the era of "the Registry", one can never be quite sure whether uninstalling an application will return the system to the condition that it was in before the application was installed. Registry keys often seem to remain, and who knows whether they will have an adverse effect on a subsequent re-install.

My custom is to create a drive image of the OS immediately after a fresh install of the OS, but before any applications are installed. This gives me a clean OS image that I can restore to a spare partition so that I can perform a genuinely fresh install of MP and its associated software.

The HTPC will not wake up to do a scheduled recording

This sounds familiar. I think that one or more corrupt entries in the "Task Scheduler" can have this effect. Check the entries in "Task Scheduler" and delete any relating to MP (and maybe any others that don't look right).

will go into standby when a recording is in progress.

Was this a standby initiated by you (e.g. pressing the POWER button on the remote), or did the system do it all by itself? A user-initiated sleep should not do this, but a user-initiated hibernation or a user-initiated shutdown will terminate recordings that are in progress. Has the power plan changed, or the meaning of the POWER button on the remote changed?

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[joecrow]

Had to get the HTPC up and ready for viewing/recording tonight so did a full OS image restore from a backup taken just before the uninstall and roll back to 1.19 of yesterday, so all back to square 1.

This sounds familiar. I think that one or more corrupt entries in the "Task Scheduler" can have this effect. Check the entries in "Task Scheduler" and delete any relating to MP (and maybe any others that don't look right).

Nothing found.

Was this a standby initiated by you (e.g. pressing the POWER button on the remote), or did the system do it all by itself? A user-initiated sleep should not do this, but a user-initiated hibernation or a user-initiated shutdown will terminate recordings that are in progress. Has the power plan changed, or the meaning of the POWER button on the remote changed?

It was me with a press of the remote power button, hibernation was not enabled and it certainly was not shut down, no change in the power plan everything was as before.

My custom is to create a drive image of the OS immediately after a fresh install of the OS, but before any applications are installed. This gives me a clean OS image that I can restore to a spare partition so that I can perform a genuinely fresh install of MP and its associated software.

Good advice, I have the feeling my OS is long overdue for a clean install, those major updates seem to leave a lot of dross around, so that will be a good opportunity to do the same. I can have another play with MP 1.19 again tomorrow and Friday but if I make no further progress then a clean OS install maybe the way to go.

Any further suggestions are most welcome.

 

[joecrow]

Troubleshooting progress:-

Disabled CEC Remote plugin and with MP running in full home screen, scheduled a recording and put the HTPC to sleep, no signal on TV (Away mode), on wakeup for the recording TV still has no signal, so it looks like the problem is with the plugin but:-

Restored an image backup from November last year (Win 10 1809, MP 1.20) to failing original setup. Tested all working perfectly, TV and AVR stay in standby when a scheduled recording wakes up the HTPC.
With no other changes updated to MP 1.21, tested all working perfectly.
With no other changes updated to MP 1.22, tested all working perfectly.
Updated AMD video driver to same version as failing setup, tested all working perfectly.
Using MP Backup plugin I saved the settings etc from this working setup, also did a full image backup so I can return to it if necessary.
Restored the failing setup from image backup taken 2 days ago, confirmed still failing.
Imported the settings from the working setup which seems to have blown away the EPG so not able to schedule a recording, will update when repopulated.