CableCARD tuner support for MediaPortal 1 (2 Viewers)

[mm1352000]

Now that concerns me too...

Let's not be too hasty...


Thanks for the new logs and answers to questions.
Things generally look better.

I see what you're talking about with the continuity error thing.
Are you running any firewalls?
If so, please disable them temporarily and re-run the test. Based on what you said about successful scans, trying a different timeshift folder location and PBDA mode being fine (ie. I assume signal strength/quality is okay) I think the difference in results for native and PBDA modes must be something to do with network access...


One other note: you can't use "pause mode" for the native tuners.
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...nfiguration/02_TV_Servers#Edit_Tuner_Settings

Please set "when card enters idle state..." to "stop card".
Sorry, I forgot about that detail. Think I may update the patch to prevent using pause mode...

 

[twemperor]

@mm1352000, unfortunately I don't have Windows Firewall enabled, or any other type of network access control. This is the PCIe version of the InfiniTV4, and I can see approximately the same network performance behavior (in Task manager) when running in either PBDA or UPNP mode. I've gone through all my other network applications (web servers, SQL Server, etc) and tried to make sure that they aren't listening or interfering on this network interface. I even killed them all, with no different behavior.

The logs report an error of not being able to find a synchronization byte. Is there something else I can look at? Perhaps some other timeout? I've rescanned multiple times (in UPNP mode and PBDA mode), and it's always successful. Do you have any ideas?

 

[mm1352000]

Do you have any ideas?

Ahhhh, yes I do!
I had seen the synchronisation byte thing in MPIPTVSource.log, but your comment prompted me to take another look... and I see lots of "[Warning] MPIPTVSourceStream: LoadPlugins(): configuration file not loaded, using default values". So you are missing the IPTV source config file, which is critical as there is a parameter that has to be set different than default.


Did you do this?

Configuring

1. Open TV Server configuration (click "yes" when you're asked if you want to start the TV Service).
2. Click "open log directory" in the top left corner, then go up one folder level.
3. Extract and copy MPIPTVSource.ini file into the folder, then close Windows Explorer.
4. In TV Server configuration navigate to the "TV Servers" ==> <your server name here> section.

I'd wager you didn't and that once you do that (and restart the TV service) everything will work beautifully.

 

[mm1352000]

...and it looks like @karthikeyan mohan has the same issue.
Folks, I know there is a lot of text in that first post but it really does pay to read the instructions carefully.

 

[bryan123]

I was really excited to see this active development to get live tv on Media Portal! Thanks so much for your hard work mm!

I've installed a fresh version of Media Portal 1.4 and followed all the directions for the 1.2 patch on your initial post of this thread, and I'm almost there...

When I run the Test Channels, I'm getting either the two following events:
- Unknown error occurred
- All cards are busy

Looking at the TVService.log, I find the following error for every channel that the test is running against:

[2013-07-19 09:48:17,776] [Log ] [27 ] [ERROR] - Exception :TvLibrary.TvException: Unable to start graph
at TvLibrary.Implementations.DVB.TvCardDvbBase.RunGraph(Int32 subChannel)
at TvLibrary.Implementations.DVB.TvCardDvbBase.DoTune(Int32 subChannelId, IChannel channel, Boolean ignorePMT)
at TvLibrary.Implementations.DVB.TvCardATSC.Tune(Int32 subChannelId, IChannel channel)
[2013-07-19 09:48:17,778] [Log ] [27 ] [ERROR] - Exception :TvLibrary.TvException: Unable to start graph
at TvLibrary.Implementations.DVB.TvCardDvbBase.RunGraph(Int32 subChannel)
at TvLibrary.Implementations.DVB.TvCardDvbBase.DoTune(Int32 subChannelId, IChannel channel, Boolean ignorePMT)
at TvLibrary.Implementations.DVB.TvCardATSC.Tune(Int32 subChannelId, IChannel channel)
at TvService.CardTuner.Tune(IUser& user, IChannel channel, Int32 idChannel)

Attached are the log files

Thanks for any assistance!

- Bryan

 

[twemperor]

@mm1352000, that did it!!

I feel like an idiot, copying files is not usually my problem. I took a quick look in the TsWriter logs and TVService logs (and of course the error logs), but did not look in the MPIPTVSource.log. Now I see the warnings you saw. Should they be errors, for this configuration?

My mistake was this part in bold:

1. Open TV Server configuration (click "yes" when you're asked if you want to start the TV Service).
2. Click "open log directory" in the top left corner, then go up one folder level.
3. Extract and copy MPIPTVSource.ini file into the folder, then close Windows Explorer.
4. In TV Server configuration navigate to the "TV Servers" ==> <your server name here> section.

I thought it was odd that a configuration file needed to be in the logs directory, but I knew that MP switched over to a new log format and thought that maybe it was for debug. The fact that it needs to be in the ProgramData folder makes a lot more sense. Maybe this instruction could be re-worded?

I need to say though, I know how hard it is to find time to contribute open source when you have a real life, so I really appreciate not just your hard work, but your contributions to the forum to help us all out. This is what makes MediaPortal a first rate product.

Thanks again!

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome bryan123!

Thanks so much for your hard work mm!

No problem. The biggest reward for me is having people such as yourself use what I've done, so thank you for stepping up and trying the patch.

I've installed a fresh version of Media Portal 1.4 and followed all the directions for the 1.2 patch on your initial post of this thread, and I'm almost there...

Excellent.

Looking at the TVService.log, I find the following error for every channel that the test is running against...

Yep, I see it.
So what that means is that TV Server is unable to start streaming from the tuner.
I've seen this behaviour before with the PRIME.
Did you catch this message from the first post?

The following CableCARD tuners have been tested and are compatible:

• Silicondust HDHomeRun PRIME*
• Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCIe
• Ceton InfiniTV 6 ETH

*Latest beta firmware required.

If you don't have that beta firmware then expect to get the exact errors that you're getting.
If you do have that firmware then my suggestion would be disable all firewalls and try again.
I will need to log into your PC to investigate if the two tips above don't help.

mm

 

[mm1352000]

mm1352000, that did it!!

Fantastic, I thought it might.

I feel like an idiot, copying files is not usually my problem.

Don't. It is such an easy mistake to make.

I took a quick look in the TsWriter logs and TVService logs (and of course the error logs), but did not look in the MPIPTVSource.log. Now I see the warnings you saw. Should they be errors, for this configuration?

No I don't think so. The IPTV filter is designed to be able to operate on defaults (ie. even when the config file is missing). What I probably need to do is work with georgius to ensure the defaults are compatible with CableCARD tuners. The other thing is that once this patch is merged that config file will be put where it needs to be automatically (or replaced with settings stored in the database). In other words I think these issues will go away in time.

I thought it was odd that a configuration file needed to be in the logs directory, but I knew that MP switched over to a new log format and thought that maybe it was for debug. The fact that it needs to be in the ProgramData folder makes a lot more sense. Maybe this instruction could be re-worded?

I avoided mentioning ProgramData because it is a hidden directory and I suspected people would have trouble finding it, but I can definitely add a comment.

I need to say though, I know how hard it is to find time to contribute open source when you have a real life, so I really appreciate not just your hard work, but your contributions to the forum to help us all out. This is what makes MediaPortal a first rate product.

Thanks! As I said to bryan123, I also really appreciate everyone here who has taken the time to try and use the patch. Your feedback has been particularly awesome, so thank you.


One thing I've been wondering: did you manage to get the channel sharing between your clear QAM and CableCARD tuners working? It didn't work with the first version of the patch, but it should work now with a bit of configuration...

mm

 

[mm1352000]

Maybe this instruction could be re-worded?

Done. Better? (Please feel free to be nitpicky. )

I also meant to ask - how does the tuning speed compare for you with PBDA vs. native/DRI. Is it better, worse, roughly the same? I'm terminally curious.

 

[twemperor]

Maybe this instruction could be re-worded?

Done. Better? (Please feel free to be nitpicky. )

Sorry for seeming 'nitpicky,' but the instructions are clearer now. Really, this needs to be merged into the trunk ASAP. This is a killer feature.

I also meant to ask - how does the tuning speed compare for you with PBDA vs. native/DRI. Is it better, worse, roughly the same? I'm terminally curious.

To be honest, the tuning with PBDA with the second patch already seemed faster than the 1.3alpha patch (sorry, I never tried the 1.3 final patch since I was waiting for this). I don't have measurements from 1.3a. The native/DRI tuning is slightly faster, around 1.5-3 seconds. This is amazing, after struggling with the HD-PVR to get high-def cable channels, this CableCard just blows it away.

One thing I've been wondering: did you manage to get the channel sharing between your clear QAM and CableCARD tuners working? It didn't work with the first version of the patch, but it should work now with a bit of configuration...

Yes, I just got that set up tonight. It was pretty straight-forward (now that I read all your instructions, compiled here in the event it's useful for someone else):
1) I enabled my clear QAM tuners and set the Tuning Mode to "Clear QAM Cable"
2) For my channels that I know are clear over-the-air, I went through and edited their properties to indicate that they are "Free Over the Air". This changed the channels icon from red (encrypted) to green (not encrypted).
3) I mapped my clear channels to my clear QAM tuners.

In the process now of running Clear QAM scans...