Can't always change channels, card (driver) bugged? (1 Viewer)

[iSP]

TV-Server Version: 1.2.100.377 Snapshot build
MediaPortal Version: 1.2.100.377 Snapshot build
MediaPortal Skin: Default Wide
Windows Version: Windows 8 Pro
CPU Type: Intel i3-3225
HDD: Crucial M4 mSATA SSD 64GB
Memory: 8GB 1.35v Kingston
Motherboard: Intel DH77EB
Video Card: HD4000
Video Card Driver: 9.17.10.2867
Sound Card: Onboard
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver: 1.35
1. TV Card: Digital Device Duoflex DVB-C/T PCI-e
1. TV Card Type: DVB-C/T
1. TV Card Driver: 2.4.0.60
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Ziggo
HTPC Case: Streacom FC5
Cooling: Passive
Power Supply: Openframe 80 Watts, passively cooled by case
Remote: Philips SRM-9100
TV: Philips 9606
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI


Like mentioned on IRC I have some more trouble with this specific RC card.
Either one of the following happens once changing channels:

1. Successful
2. Last frame is displayed and hangs there, not changing channels
3. Like 2 but now it plays the audio from the newly chosen channel and displays the frame from last one.

While looking in the tswriter logs I see a lot of bad signal errors and continuity errors, which I can't tell make head or tails from the logs.
However if I try to timeshift manually to any given channel it works without problem.
What I suspect is it tunes in at one tuner (first channel is always successful) and then randomly picks either the same one or the 2nd available one.
Right there might be something wrong with how MP uses this card, or a driver issue.
Anyway I'm just guessing here and have hardly any evidence for this theory, but would be grateful if the bigger minds can have a look at the logs =)

Edit: Worth mentioning; changing channels is also extremely slow, like 5 seconds at times.

 

[mm1352000]

Hello iSP

Either one of the following happens once changing channels:

1. Successful
2. Last frame is displayed and hangs there, not changing channels
3. Like 2 but now it plays the audio from the newly chosen channel and displays the frame from last one.

The second and third problems sound like either codec or CAM problems.

While looking in the tswriter logs I see a lot of bad signal errors and continuity errors, which I can't tell make head or tails from the logs.

Continuity errors usually mean one of two things:
1. Bad signal.
2. Stressed HDD.

I hope you understand the first situation.
The second situation is when real time scanners or virus protection are constantly scanning the HDD. Maybe even only the MP/TV Server program folder, settings folder or timeshift/recording folders. In this case the HDD can't respond fast enough.
There are also other reasons for continuity errors (like CAM issues, overheating etc.) but the two above are the most common.

However if I try to timeshift manually to any given channel it works without problem.
What I suspect is it tunes in at one tuner (first channel is always successful) and then randomly picks either the same one or the 2nd available one.
Right there might be something wrong with how MP uses this card, or a driver issue.
Anyway I'm just guessing here and have hardly any evidence for this theory, but would be grateful if the bigger minds can have a look at the logs =)

I'm finding it really hard to make any sense of your log files without the MP logs and without a specific example of a problem (time + date + channel).
Please could you try to follow the instructions for reproducible problems here:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/16_Support/3_Forums/2_Log_Files

When asked to reproduce, simply attempt to zap between 5 or 10 channels, then close MP. The zip file produced by the debug/watchdog tool will include the MP logs, which will help to diagnose the problem.
When you upload the zip file, please also describe what you tried to do. For example:
1. At 8:05pm tried to tune channel A, succeeded.
2. At 8:06pm tried to tune channel B, failed. The audio worked but the video frame was frozen.

Thank you,
mm

 

[iSP]

It's neither a bad signal nor stressed hd, I ruled those out.
The signal is really great (100%) and my old setup with my FloppyDTV also has no problems.
The TV buffer is placed on a 5GB ramdisk, and either on the hd or ramdisk makes no difference, also checked the reads and writes to both and it's really low.
No virus scannes has been installed, yet, as this is still a test setup to replace my old one.
The CPU and other parts aren't hot, CPU only 45C with MP running after several hours, and the tuner is as warm to the touch as the floppydtv, I can attempt to put a fan on it to see if it changes anything.

Will make a test + update post as you requested + other logs as well in a bit (+/- 30 minutes).
Because it happens all the time I'm sure it was sufficient like this.

 

[iSP]

Couldn't upload a file to the previous post so made a new one.
Did half an hour of channel switching with 2 minute intervals to make it easy to spot what is what:

A: 23:31 tried to tune to channel RTL5 from RTL4: Sound from RTL5 but last still frame from RTL4, sound stopped after like 10 sec

B: 23:32 tried to tune to channel RTL4 from RTL 5: Sound from RTL4 but last still frame from RTL5, sound stopped after like 10 sec

C: 23:33 tried to tune to channel RTL4 from RTL 5: Sound from RTL4 but last still frame from RTL5, sound stopped after like 10 sec

D: 23:35 tried to tune to channel RTL5 from Nederland 1: Sound from Nederland 1 but only 1 frame from Nederland 1 and sound stopped after 10 sec

E: 23:37 tried to tune to channel BBC1 from Nederland 1: Fast switching: Successful

F: 23:39 tried to tune to channel BBC2 from BBC1: slow channel switching but successful

G: 23:42 tried to tune to channel Discovery HD from BBC2: Fast switching: successful

H: 23:44 tried to tune to channel NGC HD from Discovery HD: Last frame from Discovery HD but sound from NGC HD, sound stopped after 10 sec

I: 23:46 tried to tune to channel VH-1 from NGC HD: Somewhat slow channel changing but successful

J: 23:48 tried to tune to channel MGM from VH-1: Fast switching: Successful

K: 23:50 tried to tune to channel BBC2 from MGM: Unsuccessful: last frame from MGM, no sound

Here MP was a bit unresponsive when trying to change to BBC1

L: 23:53 tried to tune to channel BBC2 from BBC1: Unsuccessful: last frame from BBC1, no sound

M: 23:54 tried to turn on the tv plugin but black screen, according to mini guide tuned to BBC2

N: 23:56 tried to tune to channel BBC HD from BBC2: Fast switching: Successful

O: 23:58 tried to tune to channel Nederland 2 from BBC HD: Slow switching: last frame from BBC HD, sound from Nederland 1 and stopped after like 10 sec

P: 00:00 tried to tune to channel Nederland 1 from Nederland 2: Fast switching: Successful




These are also channels I often watch so it's pretty much like normal use.
This time the Logs include everything, didn't omit anything.

 

[mm1352000]

Aside from the continuity errors there is nothing obviously wrong on the server side. I think the problem may be on the client side... and it looks like only with h.264 video.
Have you configured your TV codecs?
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...nfiguration/9_Codecs_and_Renderer/1_TV_Codecs

From the MediaPortal.xml it looks llike you've configured video and blu-ray codecs, but not TV?

 

[iSP]

MPEG-2 Video: LAV Video Decoder
H.264: LAV Video Decoder
MPEG / AC3 Audio: LAV Audio Decoder
LATM AAC Audio: LAV Audio Decoder
DD+ Audio: LAV Audio Decoder
Audio Renderer: Default DirectSound Device

It works perfectly like this with both my FloppyDTV and terratec H7.
Previously I was using the cyberlink codecs but they don't appear to work on win8 anymore.



Edit: Reinstalling the codecs + intel gfx drivers have helped and channel switching is stable now, so I suspect it was related hardware acceleration due to the intel drivers. Still the channel switching is way of with up to a total of 5-6 seconds and it's not constant, leaving me to guess what's causing it. If it happens a lot of times after another it's annoying (maybe driver?). The reception errors are noticeable less but still present as well, as it's not my cable (works flawlessly with a floppydtv with no errors for years) it might be driver related as well but again not sure.