Fail to correctly record 2 channels on same tuner (1 Viewer)

[J-B-N]

MediaPortal Version: 1.1.2
MediaPortal Skin: StreamedMP
Windows Version: Window 7
CPU Type: Athlon64 3700+
HDD: Samsung SP2504C 250Gb
Memory: 2 * DDR2 1GB PC6400
Motherboard: Asus M3A78-T
Video Card: onboard Raedon HD 3300
Video Card Driver: CCC 10.7
Sound Card: Onboard
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver: Realtek
1. TV Card: TERRATEC Cinergy 2400i DT
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver: 1.0.3.255
2. TV Card: FireDTV
2. TV Card Type: DVB-T
2. TV Card Driver: 4.7
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: ffdshow
MPEG2 Audio Codec: SAF 5.0
h.264 Video Codec: SAF 5.0
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Boxer Sweden
HTPC Case: Accent HT-200 (Black)
Cooling: AMD included
Power Supply: 520W Corsair CMPSU-520HXEU
Remote: MCE
TV: LG 4700
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI


On my setup I have 3 tuners with one firedtv with CAM. When I try to record to shows that start at the same time (say at 20.00) on two channels (TV3 and Kanal5) (they are both encrypted on the same MUX) the recording file is created I can often watch a few minutes on both recordings but not the entire recording. The metadata seems correct,as the file size, but when I try to watch the shows I can't see the entire recording, nor jump in the recording. I have also tried VLC with no luck.

This has worked before but have now stopped to work, I am trying to figure out why. I have a hunch the problem started when I installed 1.1.1 but can't be sure. I have tried to uninstall and install 1.1.0 but then the error persisted. I have also tried 1.2.0 alpha with no luck. I have a feeling the problem mostly arise when I record shows that start at the same time on TV3 and Kanal 5.

Yesterday I did an experiment recording "Bones" at TV3 start 20.00 and "Vem kan slå Filip och Fredrik" at Kanal 5 start 20.00. And I can watch "Vem kan slå Filip och Fredrik" but not "Bones".

Any clues what is going on?

 

[melstig]

Hi,
I have similar problem on my system. I cannot record two channels on the same transponder but I have a TerraTec H7 tuner. I can´t even look at another channel on the same transponder without failing the recording.

If I record a show on TV3 and then switches to Kanal5 and look/record on that channel, the first recording fails. In the attached logs I started a recording on TV3 and then tuned in Kanal5. Switched between the channels, looked at the ongoing recording, turned back to Kanal5. After a while the recordning failed, the recording "icon" showed that the recordning continued but I could just watch 1 min and 27 sec. I don´t think anyone can understand this text but perhaps the logs can tell..

melstig

 

[mm1352000]

J-B-N:
Hi there

The logs show the both recordings started and stopped at the correct times, so I can't explain the problem. How much of the Bones recording could you actually watch?

 

[mm1352000]

Hi,
I have similar problem on my system. I cannot record two channels on the same transponder but I have a TerraTec H7 tuner. I can´t even look at another channel on the same transponder without failing the recording.

If I record a show on TV3 and then switches to Kanal5 and look/record on that channel, the first recording fails. In the attached logs I started a recording on TV3 and then tuned in Kanal5. Switched between the channels, looked at the ongoing recording, turned back to Kanal5. After a while the recordning failed, the recording "icon" showed that the recordning continued but I could just watch 1 min and 27 sec. I don´t think anyone can understand this text but perhaps the logs can tell..

melstig

Hi melstig

So let me confirm this:
1. You start recording on TV3 (Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Christmas) at 8:30:00.
2. You start watching Kanal 5 at 8:30:15.
3. You change to watch TV3 at 8:30:27.
4. You stop watching TV3 at 8:30:41.
5. You start watching Kanal 5 again at 8:31:27.
6. You stop watching Kanal 5 at 8:31:36.
7. You start watching Kanal 5 for a 3rd time at 8:33:03.
8. The recording on TV3 stops at 8:33:20.

If you could only watch 1:27 then the problem must have occurred at step 5. Does this sound right to you?

 

[melstig]

Hi mm1352000,
that is correct.

I have also seen more issues with the handling of the tuner. I limited the number of channels the H7 can decode to one (1) just to make sure that an ongoing recordning should not fail. Started a recordning on TV3 but I was still able to switch to Kanal5 on the same transponder. The recording then failed.

I also tried connecting to my MP-TVServer with a second client, but when the new client got a picture on TV3, the ongoing live TV3 on the Single-Seat system failed. There seems to be problems with multiple streams, both locally and with remote clients. I am not able to upload any logs at the moment, would you like me to post them here or should I open new bug-reports?

I will als try to install MP on a another system to see if the problems is the same.

br
melstig

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again melstig

I have also seen more issues with the handling of the tuner. I limited the number of channels the H7 can decode to one (1) just to make sure that an ongoing recordning should not fail. Started a recordning on TV3 but I was still able to switch to Kanal5 on the same transponder. The recording then failed.

I have had a look at the code, and I think your tuner is only able to decrypt one channel at a time. Do you think this is true?
The thing is that in the first test you were able to change to Kanal 5, back to TV3 and then stop TV and the recording continued during all of that. It was only when you tuned to Kanal 5 for the second time that the recording failed

There may well be a bug with the decrypt limit. I will look into this when I have some time and get back to you. The correct behaviour should be that once you have reached the decrypt limit of the tuner, MediaPortal should prevent you from starting live TV or recordings unless the channel is on the same transponder and is FTA.

 

[riksmith]

In the upcoming 1.2.0 we refactored everything concerning the allocation of cards (http://mantis.team-mediaportal.com/view.php?id=2850). This removed a lot of bugs (including decrypt limits). I think it is best to test this when the first public beta arrives.

Edit: We recently also solved a bug which involves tuning to a channel that is already tuned (http://mantis.team-mediaportal.com/view.php?id=3210). That bug could also be the cause of this problem.

 

[J-B-N]

mm1352000

I can't remember the exact time (but around 6-7 minutes wich is the same time as the "pre-record" time). I can test more exactly with a new recording experiment.

But if Riksmith is correct I can also wait for the 1.2.0 Beta and try that one and report back.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi folks

riksmith is correct. I was aware of that, however I still wanted to check the code. I've now had the chance to have a look and everything looks good to me, so I also suggest you wait for 1.2.0b.

That takes care of the decrypt limit issue, but it still doesn't explain how the card was apparently decoding more than one channel at once. I think a simpler test would be useful:

1. Set the decrypt limit to 0 just for safety
2. Clear your TV Server logs.
3. Start watching TV3, then click record.
4. Switch to Kanal 5, but make sure you take note of what was happening on TV3 just before you switch.
5. Check if the size of the recording is still increasing in windows explorer.
6. Try to play the recording in VLC and see if it goes past the point where you switched to Kanal 5.
7. Post your logs here and tell us what happened with step 4 (was the switch successful?), 5 (did the recording seem to continue?) and 6 (was the recording actually watchable after the switch point?).

 

[melstig]

Hi,
1. I changed the decrypt limit to 0 and cleared the logs for TVServer and MP Client.
2. Started MP in debug-mode and switched to windowed mode.
3. Switched to TV3 and started a recording of "The Tyra Banks Show" (12:22:59.064615).
4. Switched to Kanal5, "Rädda Willy" (12:25:40.215591).
5. In Windows Explorer I can see that the file size of the recording gets bigger and in MP GUI, the recording on TV3 continues as it should.
6. Stopped live TV on Kanal5 and started to play the recording from the beginning.
7. The recording started but the length showed up as 2:38 in the GUI although the recording has ben on for longer time.
8. In Windows Explorer I can see that the file size of the recording gets bigger all the time.
9. The recorded TV stopped at 2:38 in MP.
10. In MP GUI, the recording on TV3 continues and the file size of the recording gets bigger.
11. Stopped the recording on TV3, in Explorer the length shows up as 00:00:00.
12. Played the file in VLC 1.1.5 but the player stopped around the same time as MP. VLC does not show any time-codes.

To summarize, when switching to a channel on the same transponder when a recording takes place makes the recording fail. I do not know if my findings in the earlier post was correct when I stated that it worked the first channel switch.

best regards
melstig