Can't play MPEG TS file recorded in Argus (1 Viewer)

[Owlsroost]

OK, I'll put it on the 'ToDo' list

Tony

 

[meesham]

Was the recording taken from an encrypted channel?

Thanks heaps to everyone for taking a look at this problem, I spent most of yesterday trying different things (including multiple versions of tsreader) and was quite frustrated by the end.

@mm1352000 - yes it's an encrypted channel, the capture was taken from "theBox" on Telstraclear Cable (I notice you're also in NZ). Is there any chance I could get a copy of the TSReader.ax with that line commented out, it would improve the WAF since turning off the cable box considerably

The CAM I'm using is one of these (I should have gone for an Alphacrypt), in Argus it just works but whenever I try to do a tuning test in TV Server it keeps saying that the channel is scrambled, I'm guessing maybe the tuning test runs it through TSReader?

 

[mm1352000]

Thanks heaps to everyone for taking a look at this problem, I spent most of yesterday trying different things (including multiple versions of tsreader) and was quite frustrated by the end.

I can imagine!

@mm1352000 - yes it's an encrypted channel, the capture was taken from "theBox" on Telstraclear Cable (I notice you're also in NZ). Is there any chance I could get a copy of the TSReader.ax with that line commented out, it would improve the WAF since turning off the cable box considerably

Since you're a NZer and you ask so nicely...
TsReader is attached. I'd recommend you take a backup of the standard one, but other than that just copy it into the MP client install folder and you should be away laughing.

The CAM I'm using is one of these (I should have gone for an Alphacrypt)...

And you're running the latest firmware for it?

...in Argus it just works but whenever I try to do a tuning test in TV Server it keeps saying that the channel is scrambled, I'm guessing maybe the tuning test runs it through TSReader?

Tuning shouldn't run through TsReader, but it will run through TsWriter so perhaps TsWriter also has a similar issue? Is there any chance you could get me some TV Server logs? I know it would be a pain, but I'd really like to see if we could get this working for the TC customers out there who are bending the rules on TC's t&c's!

mm

 

[meesham]

Since you're a NZer and you ask so nicely...
TsReader is attached. I'd recommend you take a backup of the standard one, but other than that just copy it into the MP client install folder and you should be away laughing.

Thanks, all my previously recorded programs are working now, awesome work!

And you're running the latest firmware for it?

I believe so, but I can't find an update option in the CI menu and the downloads section of the Smit website is empty. I'm tempted to buy an Alphacrypt CAM as this one does seem to be a little flaky, it takes about 10 seconds for it to figure out what it's doing so I can't flick through the channels, only recording stuff seems to work.

Tuning shouldn't run through TsReader, but it will run through TsWriter so perhaps TsWriter also has a similar issue? Is there any chance you could get me some TV Server logs? I know it would be a pain, but I'd really like to see if we could get this working for the TC customers out there who are bending the rules on TC's t&c's!

Attached is the logs while trying to preview & timeshift "the Box". I turned off the Argus recording service while doing this test so that shouldn't be conflicting with it. If you have a process you'd like me to go through just let me know.

Oh and I'm not bending this rules of TCL's terms & conditions, this is all for a *ahem* friend Oh and for anyone having trouble finding channels on TCL cable the symbol rate is 6956, it tooks me ages to find that.

 

[mm1352000]

Thanks, all my previously recorded programs are working now, awesome work!

I believe so, but I can't find an update option in the CI menu and the downloads section of the Smit website is empty. I'm tempted to buy an Alphacrypt CAM as this one does seem to be a little flaky, it takes about 10 seconds for it to figure out what it's doing so I can't flick through the channels, only recording stuff seems to work.

10 seconds seems quite a long time. According to your logs it only takes about 2.5s to tune the channel and start descrambling. How are your clients connecting to the server?

Attached is the logs while trying to preview & timeshift "the Box". I turned off the Argus recording service while doing this test so that shouldn't be conflicting with it. If you have a process you'd like me to go through just let me know.

*Thank you* - the logs are helpful.
Like I said above, it looks like it only takes about 2.5s to tune the channel. There are a couple of exceptions in the log, but they're related to the previewing function:

2011-06-12 16:14:58.899507 [SetupTv(1)]: Exception ystem.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.
at DirectShowLib.IFileSourceFilter.Load(String pszFileName, AMMediaType pmt)
at SetupTv.Sections.Player.Play(String fileName, Form form)
at SetupTv.Sections.FormPreview.ShowDialog(IWin32Window owner)
at SetupTv.Sections.TvChannels.mpButtonPreview_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

I'm sorry but I have no idea what that means. I have always advised people that it is best to test by trying to actually view the channel in MP. The reason I say that is that preview is *slow* and uses the codecs with the highest merit in the system, *not* the codecs that you specify in MP configuration. That could *easily* result in using codecs that don't work (or cause problems like what you've seen) if you have "codec soup" and/or haven't set your codec merits properly with something like FilMerit. Are you able to test viewing and/or channel changing with MP client rather than preview? I wouldn't be surprised if things just work with the patched TsReader and you get *much* faster channel changing (<<5 seconds)...

Oh and I'm not bending this rules of TCL's terms & conditions, this is all for a *ahem* friend

No comment!

Oh and for anyone having trouble finding channels on TCL cable the symbol rate is 6956, it tooks me ages to find that.

Unfortunately I'm not able to subscribe to TC in my area, but thank you for sharing the info. I'll be directing any TC subscribers to this thread in the future.

 

[Owlsroost]

Hi meesham,

Attached is my take on the patched TsReader.ax - this should behave exactly as mm1352000's patched version in your situation, it's got the same one-line hack but combined with more through checking of the data later on to try and make sure that actually scrambled data is discarded before it gets too far (at least that's the theory ). (The mod I suggested earlier isn't needed since the TS headers (which contain the PCR) are never scrambled - only the payload can be scrambled.)

Because this is based on my current dev version code, it's also got the FFDShow video decoder A/V sync fixes incorporated - see https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-support-51/live-tv-audio-video-sync-82475/, but these only make a difference if FFDShow is in the filter graph.

Tony

(Ignore the .patch file - it's for people compiling the source code)

 

[meesham]

Attached is my take on the patched TsReader.ax - this should behave exactly as mm1352000's patched version in your situation, it's got the same one-line hack but combined with more through checking of the data later on to try and make sure that actually scrambled data is discarded before it gets too far (at least that's the theory ). (The mod I suggested earlier isn't needed since the TS headers (which contain the PCR) are never scrambled - only the payload can be scrambled.)

Thanks very much for that, sorry about the delay in getting back to you but I was without power for about a day after the latest aftershock in Christchurch, inconsiderate earthquakes are getting in the way of my TV viewing!

I'm planning on building a new HTPC in the next month or so and will try using TV Server as the backend again, for the moment everything seems to be working so I'm hesitant to mess with it too much

 

[tourettes]

I think it would be better to fix the Argus to provide correct TS content. Making TsReader code more complex as a workaround for some 3rd party created issue is not the optimal way.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi Tourettes

I'm not sure that it is an Argus issue. We'd only know for sure if meesham is able to test with TV Server...

mm

 

[tourettes]

I'm not sure that it is an Argus issue. We'd only know for sure if meesham is able to test with TV Server...

True, it could be an broadcaster issue as well. In that case it is highly unlikely that the 3rd party will do any changes - so we should add the workaround