United Kingdom
I thought I'd do a summary of all the current issues I am seeing with the TV Server. I am getting these problems with all my installations (5 servers, approx 15 clients). I've been getting a lot of feedback from non-techie users recently so I thought I'd pass it on. All servers have at least 2 tuners and use MS SQL. All clients mainly use PureVideo for mpeg2 and CoreAVC or Cyberlink for h264.
- Bugs
Jumping back to beginning of timeshift buffer on channel change
Doesn't happen that much. Restarting TV fixes it.
Multiseat DVB radio broken
Completely bust. Ctrl-Alt-Del to fix.
OTA EPG grabber intermittent
If TV is used 24/7 on at least one client the 'grabbing while idle' doesn't reliably happen regardless of how many free cards there are. The grabber doesn't seem to scan based on mux/transponder - so it grabs several channels on the same mux/transponder instead of doing one then moving on. The grabber doesn't fill-in holes in the EPG as a priority, so even if your guide is perfect for the next 2 weeks there could still be a hole 2 hours from now that the grabber won’t fill-in .
Unable to launch external programs after using TV
This is almost a 'show-stopper' for some of my users. Having to restart MediaPortal before launching a browser/game/whatever is a pain.
Aspect ratio
This got introduced a month or so ago. Occasionally when changing channel to a 16:9 broadcast the resulting picture becomes letterboxed (squashed vertically). Restarting TV or changing to a 4:3 broadcast then back to the 16:9 fixes it.
- Things That Should Work But Don't
Recording from beginning of a program
If you hit the record button while watching a program (or indeed someone on another client watching it) the recording should start from the beginning of the program if it is available in the timeshift buffer.
Timeshift bar should tell the truth!
The bar should tell you what parts of the timeshift buffer relate to the program you are watching, not just how long there is in the timeshift buffer. It is counterintuitive for the average user.
I’m not complaining or trying to get the devs to prioritise looking at any particular bug. I thought it might be helpful for anyone trying a multiseat setup for the first time to know some of the pitfalls.
- Bugs
Jumping back to beginning of timeshift buffer on channel change
Doesn't happen that much. Restarting TV fixes it.
Multiseat DVB radio broken
Completely bust. Ctrl-Alt-Del to fix.
OTA EPG grabber intermittent
If TV is used 24/7 on at least one client the 'grabbing while idle' doesn't reliably happen regardless of how many free cards there are. The grabber doesn't seem to scan based on mux/transponder - so it grabs several channels on the same mux/transponder instead of doing one then moving on. The grabber doesn't fill-in holes in the EPG as a priority, so even if your guide is perfect for the next 2 weeks there could still be a hole 2 hours from now that the grabber won’t fill-in .
Unable to launch external programs after using TV
This is almost a 'show-stopper' for some of my users. Having to restart MediaPortal before launching a browser/game/whatever is a pain.
Aspect ratio
This got introduced a month or so ago. Occasionally when changing channel to a 16:9 broadcast the resulting picture becomes letterboxed (squashed vertically). Restarting TV or changing to a 4:3 broadcast then back to the 16:9 fixes it.
- Things That Should Work But Don't
Recording from beginning of a program
If you hit the record button while watching a program (or indeed someone on another client watching it) the recording should start from the beginning of the program if it is available in the timeshift buffer.
Timeshift bar should tell the truth!
The bar should tell you what parts of the timeshift buffer relate to the program you are watching, not just how long there is in the timeshift buffer. It is counterintuitive for the average user.
I’m not complaining or trying to get the devs to prioritise looking at any particular bug. I thought it might be helpful for anyone trying a multiseat setup for the first time to know some of the pitfalls.
