CableCard ATSC Music Channels (1 Viewer)

[kdschlosser]

OK,
So here goes, Been fighting a couple of problems but I seem to be down to this one now. Couple of things.
Little background first. 5 Rooms. 2 Servers and to start off with one HDHomeRun Prime. all "STB's" have Middle of the road ATI video, SSD's and 16GB Ram on Dual Core CPU's. Server #1 8 Core with 32GB Ram and 8TB split 2 Raid 5 Arrays Expandable to something like 500TB (Don't ask did it a long time ago I know i should have done a single Raid 6, But i have the 2 arrays on 2 separate IOP cards) ok. 2nd server 6 Core 32GB Ram with 500 GB Raid (Mysql Server) and i use 1/2 of the ram in the form of a ram drive for the sql database. and for the TimeShift. all of which is tied to a nice gigabit network that has 10GB bandwidth through the switch. So knowing that i do not suffer for any kind of performance problem. I will get with what i am having a problem with.

I have tried 3 different ways to add the Music Channels. First, Just using them through the "TV" side of MP. That is where my Tuners had planted them. I am guessing that MP has no way of know what is a regular channel and what is a music channel. Black Screen. No Sound. (I was notas well versed in the dynamics of MP 3 days ago as I am now. But I wish I would have noticed what the problem was then and saved me some time.

Way # 2. Manually write down the settings and enter them 1 at a time into the radio side (not 100% knowing at this point that is functions exactly as the TV's do. Except one thing. For some reason when the virtual Tuners (MP's IPTV tuner and the WebStream one) when the were active it would make my HDHomerun go to a status of unknown. and because of that I was not able to map the channels to the tuner on the radio side (not sure as to why.) So i spend a day. Uninstalling and reinstalling and and tinkering. (I still haven't put 2 and 2 together as far as the problems with the Virtual Tuners) So Looking at the radio Channel windows again. Dreding having to enter these channels again. I see the Button that says "IMPORT PLAYLIST" Spent more time researching what exactly that meany and how it worked (there is no documentation on it really. little bits and pieces) so I was able to add my channels in a different way. Again lack of documentation wasn't working. then the lightbulb when on. the virtual tuner!!!! someone needs to put that somewhere in writing that you have to have the WEBStream Tuner active for the Radio to work. Now i know the Links work. VLC works fine. Nope not in MP. see it connect to the Tuner. then disconnects says it can't connect. and not a thing in any log file and they are all set on Verbose.

*SIGH* Back to the drawing board. (Oh yeah it only appears to be the IPTV Virtual tuner that causes a problem with HDHomerun with them showing up as unknown. alotta people with that problem. i just disabled it.) Don't know if it might be causing my problems or not but I wouldn't have been able to do anything with it enabled. Now i added a couple of channels. and Now i get sound. 5 seconds worth. woohoo. if i stop and then restart it. it is jumping all over the place. like FF and REW at the same time. for maybe 10 seconds.

Look in the logs on the server No problems. It is still streaming the station to me. I look on the client Side. and low and behold. HUGE Log files. filled with Demuxes and Video and Audio Flushes (Scores of them a second) and also MPEG pts Jumps and upon looking deeper i find alot of Buffer Throttling I do not have this problem with WMP or VLC plays just fine. I even tried ditching the LAV codecs. . still no go same thing .It is doing the Same thing on 3 of my machines. so it's not a machine problem any ideas on what it could be would be very helpful. I am just short of finding a util to strip out all of the codecs in windows and installing only a few (these are new installs of windows)

And please for the love of god will someone tell me how to import the channel lists that i can export. or please give me the syntax of the "Playlist" to be able to add an ATSC stations and not just a webstream.

Also. I do what to say that I do like the system thus far except one thing. It is lacking a centralized Collection management. or the means to connect to the vast number of them out there. I really do love the management of MyMovies But they have no tuner support a front end. They do have the ability to dump the whole database into an XML file with paths to the art and movies in it. Only one collection management Plugin I have found that comes close to it working. But says there are no movies in the XML file upon import. Centralized Database and File storage that MP-Sync is broken. all kinds of errors on install and running it. alot of the plugins are that way. listed as stable and working but don't

Thanks Again. I hope this works out for me as I am looking forward to coding something in the way of a collection management for it.

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome

Little background first...

Pretty powerful systems.

First, Just using them through the "TV" side of MP. That is where my Tuners had planted them. I am guessing that MP has no way of know what is a regular channel and what is a music channel. Black Screen. No Sound.

Who is your cable provider?
If it is Comcast then the discussion starting here is probably relevant:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...ound-ceton-comcast.124274/page-3#post-1104472

A short summary:

• the radio/music channels are actually TV channels
• you need the patch from -->here<-- to make them work

(I was notas well versed in the dynamics of MP 3 days ago as I am now. But I wish I would have noticed what the problem was then and saved me some time.

The most important and helpful thing you could have done to save you time is post log files 3 days ago:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/16_Support/3_Forums/2_Log_Files

Without log files it is quite hard to help you.

Way # 2. Manually write down the settings and enter them 1 at a time into the radio side (not 100% knowing at this point that is functions exactly as the TV's do.

This may have worked if you copied the settings 100% correctly, and if the channels are really audio-only channels... but nobody can be sure of anything without log files.

Except one thing. For some reason when the virtual Tuners (MP's IPTV tuner and the WebStream one) when the were active it would make my HDHomerun go to a status of unknown. and because of that I was not able to map the channels to the tuner on the radio side (not sure as to why.) So i spend a day. Uninstalling and reinstalling and and tinkering. (I still haven't put 2 and 2 together as far as the problems with the Virtual Tuners)

Unfortunately you probably wasted that day. If you'd asked for help earlier I could have told you straight away that it is impossible for the virtual tuners to have any effect on your HDHR. Rather, I suspect you simply haven't installed a patch for CableCARD tuner detection, so your tuners take awhile to be redetected each time the TV service restarts (which happens on reboot and when certain settings are changed).

I strongly suggest you read this post:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/cablecard-tuner-support-for-mediaportal-1.112585/

...and install the patch linked/described in the first section.

So Looking at the radio Channel windows again...
And please for the love of god will someone tell me how to import the channel lists that i can export. or please give me the syntax of the "Playlist" to be able to add an ATSC stations and not just a webstream.

The "import playlist function" is for use with standard m3u playlists (-->syntax<--). It is of no use for importing anything other than webstream channels. Again and in other words: you cannot import "ATSC stations" with the import playlist function.

Now i added a couple of channels. and Now i get sound. 5 seconds worth. woohoo. if i stop and then restart it. it is jumping all over the place. like FF and REW at the same time. for maybe 10 seconds.

Look in the logs on the server No problems. It is still streaming the station to me. I look on the client Side. and low and behold. HUGE Log files. filled with Demuxes and Video and Audio Flushes (Scores of them a second) and also MPEG pts Jumps and upon looking deeper i find alot of Buffer Throttling I do not have this problem with WMP or VLC plays just fine. I even tried ditching the LAV codecs. . still no go same thing .It is doing the Same thing on 3 of my machines. so it's not a machine problem any ideas on what it could be would be very helpful. I am just short of finding a util to strip out all of the codecs in windows and installing only a few (these are new installs of windows)

As above:

1. Install the CableCARD tuner detection patch linked in the CableCARD tuner thread (third link above).
2. If your cable provider is Comcast, try the TsReader patch (first link above).
3. If neither of these patches help you then post log files using the watchdog (second link above).

Also. I do what to say that I do like the system thus far except one thing. It is lacking a centralized Collection management.

MediaPortal 2 has that; MediaPortal 1 does not.

Centralized Database and File storage that MP-Sync is broken. all kinds of errors on install and running it. alot of the plugins are that way. listed as stable and working but don't

Lots of people are using MP-Sync and other plugins successfully. With the greatest respect, chances are you're doing something wrong... but nobody can tell what is wrong without log files.

Regards,
mm

 

[kdschlosser]

Thank You for the Reply and yes i am using comcast. and no it is not an audio only stream. Now being that i am running version 1.11 you would think all relevant patches are incorporated into the build. I wouldn't be expecting to look for a patch for a tuner card i do not have. I am not upset about the time I have spent. I do enjoy the challenge. I kinda figured it may have been because of the still frames. and all i am doing with MP-SYNC is installing it. and it errors. there are alot of patches that do saying they are missing files. and none of them are saying they are missing the same file. they are all different. so unless there is something I am not installing that is needed and not told in the first blurb about the plugin I have not spent the time to investigate that problem yet.

I will take a look see as far as those patches and see if they work. Thank You once again.[DOUBLEPOST=1424933088][/DOUBLEPOST]And with the Tuner Patch for the detection. Do i need to apply that since i do not have a problem since I have disabled the IPTV, or does the IPTV need to stay active? and if so what does it do?

 

[mm1352000]

Thank You for the Reply

No problem.

and yes i am using comcast. and no it is not an audio only stream.

Okay.

Now being that i am running version 1.11 you would think all relevant patches are incorporated into the build.

TV Server is under code freeze, and has been since MP 1.6. That means no opportunity for patches to be incorporated. Hence the situation.

I wouldn't be expecting to look for a patch for a tuner card i do not have.

If you're referring to the CableCARD tuner patch: it is applicable for all CableCARD tuners, including network attached CableCARD tuners.
If you're referring to the TsReader patch: it is completely tuner agnostic. In other words, anybody could benefit from it. The question/thread just happens to reference Ceton tuners...

...but you're 100% right in that it is difficult to find such a patch if you don't know what you're looking for. That's why people like me are around to help.

and all i am doing with MP-SYNC is installing it. and it errors. there are alot of patches that do saying they are missing files. and none of them are saying they are missing the same file. they are all different. so unless there is something I am not installing that is needed and not told in the first blurb about the plugin I have not spent the time to investigate that problem yet.

I can only repeat my suggestion to post log files if you would like assistance. No need to spend days investigating by yourself (unless you prefer to do that).

I will take a look see as far as those patches and see if they work. Thank You once again.

Cool. Please let us know how you get on. Hopefully everything will just work once those patches are in place.

 

[kdschlosser]

and another question. is there a centrally located spot where all the patches are?? or does one have to thumb through the forums to locate them?

 

[mm1352000]

and another question. is there a centrally located spot where all the patches are?? or does one have to thumb through the forums to locate them?

No, there's no central location as such.
There is a development section:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/categories/development.323/

...which is where patches are often posted.
However, there aren't particularly many patches. The two that you've been pointed to are the only two that I can think of off the top of my head that would probably benefit you.

 

[kdschlosser]

and what is the purpose to the Virtual IPTV tuner? I have it disabled and it seems to have taken care of the slow detection problem without a patch. What is it's exact function?[DOUBLEPOST=1424934252][/DOUBLEPOST]Sorry for bombarding you. I want to know all that I can about how this system functions and works or doesn't for that matter. Because when i push this through the house if it has a problem I need to fix it right away. otherwise I will have the angry wife on my ass about it. (she is already pissed i spent the money Automating the house. and I know exactly how the conversation will do.. lol. So sorry if i am pickin yer brain to much.

 

[mm1352000]

and what is the purpose to the Virtual IPTV tuner?

It is for receiving IPTV; TV from your internet service provider. For example, AT&T's Uverse service delivers IPTV... though unfortunately I think it is encrypted, and therefore not compatible.
Another thing that some people are able to use it for is pulling in feeds from their home security (closed circuit) cameras.

I have it disabled and it seems to have taken care of the slow detection problem without a patch.

As I said previously, I think that's impossible. The act of enabling and disabling the tuner will cause the TV service to need to restart (to apply the change)... and that (the TV service restart) will require your tuners to be redetected. In other words: the act of fiddling with the setting may have been making the problem more apparent to you.

If you're wondering whether you can leave the tuner disabled: the answer is yes. It really doesn't matter unless you have a use for it.

 

[mm1352000]

Sorry for bombarding you...

There is absolutely no need to apologise. Answering questions is what I'm here for. I'm happy to be able to help.

otherwise I will have the angry wife on my ass about it. (she is already pissed i spent the money Automating the house. and I know exactly how the conversation will do.. lol.

LOL

 

[kdschlosser]

I noticed that i didn't have the problems with the my Cablecard tuners being "unknown" after reboots and restarts with that disabled. once i disabled that tuner the problem seemed to stop. and at that time i wasn't messing with anything else because i was trying to figgure out as to why my tuners weren't working. well at any rate i applied the patch. I am just suprised that the patch isn't built into the installer as an option or something seeing that it is a knows problem. Not a biggie. I like doing the legwork on trying to fix it. even if I am unable to and I spent a week before asking. I know i leared alot in that week. and I take huge pride in learning things for myself without being taught. lived that way my whole life.when't it's all put together and working proper. I will enjoy it all that much more.[DOUBLEPOST=1424936041][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh 1 more thing. will make it easier for me to ask then to just try. that Patch for the Radio channels. Now how will the channels have to be added? as web streams? or do I have to leave them as ATSC in the TV Tuner Section? During this process I educated myself on the workings of the MP Database in MySQL. I know what to change inside the database to be able to have the channels show up in the Radio section. Bringing the EPG with them. and does that patch turn off the Video? because I was thinking about moving all of the music stations into the radio section (MTV VH1) you know. there wasn't any discussion in that thread about how this patch functions. and what the limitations are of there are even any.

Thanks yet again.[DOUBLEPOST=1424936497][/DOUBLEPOST]I will tell you this tho. i was trying to figure out how to make the channel changes faster, and I am old school back in the day of Dos, you wanted something to run faster it was a RamDisk (Ghetto version of an SSD) with a snot load of scripts to move things about during boots and shutdowns and Replication. by putting the SQL Database up there and sweaking it for the innoDB as well as having any disk related buffers to MediaPortal and the TimeShift. less than a second to to change channels. and I do not have the feature turned on where is uses the same timeshift files even if you change channels turned on (I am pretty sure thats what that setting does don't remember the name of it tho)