Hauppauge HD-PVR & Colossus Support (24 Viewers)

[skoka123]

toricred,

Can you post some screen shots of your problem? If this is not related to Colossus or HD-PVR may I suggest taking it with IRSS thread? There are scores of people who use IRSS and probably give you quicker solution. In most cases uninstalling and installing IRSS should do the trick.

 

[twemperor]

So I'm trying to use this guide to try to figure out how to configure IRSS to change channels with my Colossus and DIRECTV. I am not seeing anywhere to set up a command line to call. I also don't see the STB button you refer to. I am guessing it is because I'm using MP 1.2.1. Any updates for this?

I started work on an updated plugin to specifically change channels on DirecTV receivers using the serial port (which I find the most reliable, better than blasting). You can download it here https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/mediaportal-plugins-47/new-plugin-changing-channels-directv-w-serial-port-4025/index20.html#post701503

Let me know if you have any issues with it.

Supposedly there is now support in most DirecTV receivers to change the channel (and other services) over ethernet. If I had time, I'd like to support that and save some serial ports. If anyone else wants to work on that support, let me know.

 

[toricred]

Actually I am using a program to change channels over Ethernet. I got it when I was using SageTV. I need to check, but I should be able to post it here, at least a link, in the next day or so.

 

[casafossat]

Hi, every one.

I am trying to install MP1.2.1 to work with the HDPVR, but I have a few problems to get it work. I think it is more a question of choosing the right parameters after the installation, than really bugs. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find my answer in the forums.

First, I need to mention that everything works fine with WMC (except that I am fed up with their .wtv files that cannot be processed freely as .ts files are ).

Here are my problems when I tried to use my HDPVR with MP:
1. I managed to get an image in the TV plug-in, but no sound (either through the optical audio or the audio jacks)
2. I was not able to control MP through my remote (I use the HDPVR built-in remote receiver)
3. MP does not blast my set-top box (I also use the IR blaster that came with my HDPVR)

My configuration was as follows:

Windows 7 SP1
HDPVR driver: 1.6.29271, with WMC support (I checked the "use internal blaster" in the configuration tool)
MediaPortal version 1.2.1 (therefore I did not install the WMC plugin patch)
IRSS test build 1.4.2.4290
Schedule Direct plugin MPSVN27679-svn26

I set up the ServerBlaster plugin's Blaster Type parameter to "Hauppauge", and configured my "BlastCfg.exe" (the same parameters I used to have it work with WMC).

I have probably missed some steps, but I really don't know where. Has any body tried some similar configuration, and got it right? Could he or she tell me where the trick is?

Thanks.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi and welcome casafossat

Sorry to hear you're having trouble. I'll try to offer advice where I can...

1. I managed to get an image in the TV plug-in, but no sound (either through the optical audio or the audio jacks)

There are codec settings in MP configuration -->here<-- that you need to take care of for audio to work within MP. If you're using optical then I believe the audio is AC3 and the HD-PVR should pass it as-is to MP. In that case you want to try tinkering with the MPEG/AC3 codec - do *not* use the Microsoft DTV-DVD codec there because it won't work (Microsoft don't allow their codec to decode AC3/DD or DD+ outside of WMC). On the other hand, if you're using the RCA audio connectors then I believe the HD-PVR encodes the audio to HE-AAC - Monogram should work fine for that. One thing you can try as a test:

1. Open TV Server configuration.
2. Go to the "TV Channels" section.
3. Select one of the channels that the HDPVR can receive.
4. Click "edit".
5. Select the row in the lower section.
6. Click "edit".
7. Change the audio source from automatic to SPDIF #1 for optical or Line #1 for RCA.
8. Click OK and OK again.
9. Restart MP and test that channel.

If audio works after that then you may need to do the above for all of your channels. It may be tedious but it is the most reliable way to get audio working properly.

Side-note: if you're trying to test with the "preview" function in TV Server configuration then don't. It is complicated to explain but suffice to say that testing is better done within MP because you can control the codecs that are used easier.

2. I was not able to control MP through my remote (I use the HDPVR built-in remote receiver)

First what kind of remote is it - 45 button, MC...?

If 45 or 38 button then you need to install ir32.exe from Hauppauge (accessories tab -->here<--) and enable the Hauppauge remote in MP configuration -->here<--. Make sure MP detects the components (see the status section at the bottom) - you may have to uninstall and reinstall ir32 a couple of times as it doesn't register correctly sometimes.

If it is the Hauppauge MC remote then I'm not so certain since I only have the 45 button remote with an HVR-4400. I'd recommend that you start by installing ir32 though and also enable the MC remote -->here<--.

3. MP does not blast my set-top box (I also use the IR blaster that came with my HDPVR)

My understanding was that the ServerBlaster plugin doesn't work with W7 but I could be wrong. You need to choose either ServerBlaster (if it will work) *or* the TVE3 blaster plugin from IRSS for blasting - I think most people here are using IRSS but I could be wrong again. Either way I think it would be useful to see some logs so we can check if TV Server is even trying to blast.

1. Open TV Server configuration.
2. Click "open log directory" in the top left hand corner.
3. Zip up all the files you find there and post them here.

mm

 

[R300]

Server Blaster works just fine with W7, the key for casafossat is to get the remote working in MP first then setup the blasting part in TV Server.

 

[casafossat]

Thank you, mm and R300.

Since I am using the optical audio input on my HDPVR, I tried any AC3 audio codec in the list (except the Microsoft one). Unfortunately, none of them worked (I still had the video, without the audio).

For controlling MP with my remote, it worked; Thanks a lot.

However, I was not able to blast my set-top box with ServerBlaster. I tried to install IRSS, but the result was even worse, since the TV server attempts to tune a channel when I start TV, and cannot get any signal (even if it tunes my STB to a valid channel).
I uninstalled IRSS and managed to get my video back, still no IRBlast.

I attached my logs to this message.


Thank you.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again

Since I am using the optical audio input on my HDPVR, I tried any AC3 audio codec in the list (except the Microsoft one). Unfortunately, none of them worked (I still had the video, without the audio).

Okay, two recommendations:
1. Try to play the timeshift buffer in other software. The easiest way to do this is probably to install VLC, start timeshifting on any channel in MP (use windowed mode - alt+enter), and then attempt to play the timeshift buffer in VLC. According to your logs the timeshift files are in C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\. You'll need to either enable viewing of hidden and system files or paste the path into the Windows Explorer address bar since that is a hidden folder.

Does VLC play the file with audio?

2. Based on the PMT issues that I see in your logs (they are the reason it is taking 10 seconds for TV to start each time) I would recommend that you try the patch from -->here<--.
1. Stop the TV service.
2. Take a backup of the existing TVLibrary.dll in your TV Server install folder (probably C:\Program Files (x86)\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\).
3. Download and extract the linked DLL into the TV Server install folder.
4. Start the TV service.

Hopefully that should improve things.

However, I was not able to blast my set-top box with ServerBlaster. I tried to install IRSS, but the result was even worse, since the TV server attempts to tune a channel when I start TV, and cannot get any signal (even if it tunes my STB to a valid channel).
I uninstalled IRSS and managed to get my video back, still no IRBlast.

Another couple of points:
- It looks to me like ServerBlaster is sending commands. Have either ServerBlaster or TV3 Blaster plugin (IRSS) been able to actually change channels on the STB?
- When you tried IRSS, did you use the patch for MP 1.2.1?

mm

 

[Frantid]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the hard work.

I finally got around to updating my server from an old hauppauge 250 to the colossus. The picture quality is amazing, and the improvements in 1.2.1 over 1.0 are amazing. I was stuck on xp and the older version of MP because I needed to set the analog type capture to PAL though I had a NTSC tuner.

Many thanks.

 

[casafossat]

Thank you again, mm.

1. Try to play the timeshift buffer in other software. The easiest way to do this is probably to install VLC, start timeshifting on any channel in MP (use windowed mode - alt+enter), and then attempt to play the timeshift buffer in VLC. According to your logs the timeshift files are in C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\. You'll need to either enable viewing of hidden and system files or paste the path into the Windows Explorer address bar since that is a hidden folder.

Does VLC play the file with audio?

The buffered video does not play any sound in Windows Media Player (it doesn't play anything in VLC).

2. Based on the PMT issues that I see in your logs (they are the reason it is taking 10 seconds for TV to start each time) I would recommend that you try the patch from -->here<--.
1. Stop the TV service.
2. Take a backup of the existing TVLibrary.dll in your TV Server install folder (probably C:\Program Files (x86)\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\).
3. Download and extract the linked DLL into the TV Server install folder.
4. Start the TV service.

I did change the TVlibrary.dll. At first, I did not notice any significant improvement of the delay to get TV. I hadn't to much time to make testings today, though.
By the way, it may be a stupid question, but is there any other way to stop the TV Service, than restart the computer? I have tried with the Windows service manager, but I can't stop it this way, although I am logged in as an administrator.

Another couple of points:
- It looks to me like ServerBlaster is sending commands. Have either ServerBlaster or TV3 Blaster plugin (IRSS) been able to actually change channels on the STB?
- When you tried IRSS, did you use the patch for MP 1.2.1?

ServerBlaster is able to send commands to my set-top box, but I was not able to check if I could change channels with my remote. I haven't tried the IRSS patch for MP1.2.1 either, but if ServerBlaster sends commands, do I need IRSS?

Actually, I still haven't figured out why:
1. I need to open TV setup at least once after restarting my computer in order to start TVService.
2. MP TV plugin shows images only the first time I use it after a computer restart (if I close and reopen MP, I can't get any channel)
3. The TV plugin always changes my channel to channel 7 when I click on the "TV On" button.
4. It seems that the TVServer hangs up with a message "program/channel not found" right at the moment when my set-top box is tuning to channel 7.

I attach a newer version of my logfiles, in case it would be helpful.

Thanks