HD-PVR stops working: PMT timeout. What's up. (1 Viewer)

[karhill]

I have a Mediaportal 1.3.0 server running on a windows 7 machine. There are 3 HD-PVR capture devices attached via USB. In the server configuration, these are known as cards 5, 6, and 7.

All 3 HD-PVR devices are feed from component video input from 3 different cable tuner boxes. The cable tuner boxes are channel-controlled via an USB-IR blaster.

The system was working for months. Now only 1 HD-PVR box records. Card 5 works just fine. Attempts to record using the other two boxes (cards 6, and 7) fail when the server attempts to find a free card for recording. For example, if card 5 is in use, and a 2nd recording is started, the scheduler thread will correctly find 2 available cards (see time 19:59:58.383352 in the attached log). But when trying the first available card, the system times out: "HDPVR: timed out waiting for PMT..." (see 20:00:08.495930 in the attached log). It then times out for the second available card.

What is PMT? Any idea why the 2 capture devices, which were working, are now timing out, waiting for PMT?

Thanks,

 

[mm1352000]

Hello karhill

What is PMT?

It stands for program map table. Basically it is the list of video, audio and subtitle streams that comprise the channel.

Any idea why the 2 capture devices, which were working, are now timing out, waiting for PMT?

Yep, your channel configuration is foobar:

HDPVR: Tune:-1, tv:WBRO Freq:19000000 Channel:19 Country:Antigua And Barbuda Tuner:Cable Video:Tuner Audio:Tuner

HD-PVRs don't have tuner inputs. Please set these correctly and I expect you'll find everything starts to work again.

mm

 

[karhill]

Hello karhill

What is PMT?

It stands for program map table. Basically it is the list of video, audio and subtitle streams that comprise the channel.

Any idea why the 2 capture devices, which were working, are now timing out, waiting for PMT?

Yep, your channel configuration is foobar:

HDPVR: Tune:-1, tv:WBRO Freq:19000000 Channel:19 Country:Antigua And Barbuda Tuner:Cable Video:Tuner Audio:Tuner

HD-PVRs don't have tuner inputs. Please set these correctly and I expect you'll find everything starts to work again.

mm

I believe the "tuner" parameter is basically ignored for HD-PVRs. Certainly the 1st HD-PVR (all 3 HD-PVRs are identical, and use the same channel lineup) works just fine with this channel configuration and the other two HD-PVRs used to work just fine also. The channel configuration has not changed.

I'd love to experiment with your idea, but I'm not sure what you want changed.

Attached find a log where the working HD-PVR device is tuned to channel 57 (NFL) (which is configured as having a tuner: Cable Video, like the channel 19 is above). Everything works fine in this case and there is no PMT timeout.

 

[mm1352000]

I believe the "tuner" parameter is basically ignored for HD-PVRs.

Yes and no. The behaviour will be undefined. When TV Server tells the HD-PVR to switch to those inputs, the HD-PVR may stay on the current inputs, switch to a random input, or switch to some other non-deterministic input. In any case, if the input that is selected is not correct and the HD-PVR doesn't detect audio/video you will see the PMT errors.

Note: ...that is the other possibility of course - that your second and third HD-PVRs are not receiving audio/video from the source for whatever reason.

Certainly the 1st HD-PVR (all 3 HD-PVRs are identical, and use the same channel lineup) works just fine with this channel configuration and the other two HD-PVRs used to work just fine also. The channel configuration has not changed.

I understand that. Hopefully you can understand from my explanation above that this is a sub-optimal configuration. I'd put the fact that it worked in the past down to pure chance/luck.

I'd love to experiment with your idea, but I'm not sure what you want changed.

Okay, specific instructions:

1. Open TV Server configuration.
2. Go to the TV Channels section.
3. Select any channel that is not working with the 2 HD-PVRs and click edit.
4. Select the tuning detail in the bottom area and click edit.
5. Select the correct video and audio sources according to the input mapping listed at the bottom of -->this post<--.
6. Click OK and OK again.

Now try to tune the channel with HD-PVR 2 or 3. If it works, you know you've found the problem and you have to apply the same change to all your channels.

If you created your channels with the Schedules Direct plugin there are settings in there on the advanced tab for the video and audio source. Fix them and then re-import your lineup.
Otherwise it may be possible to quickly and automatically fix all your channels by exporting your channel list, editing it, then re-importing it.
I can give you more detailed instructions... but let's confirm that fixing the source actually fixes the problem first.

 

[karhill]

Thanks for the fantastic explanation. I'll be experimenting with your suggestions this week. (I'm actually doing this remotely for someone else's Mediaportal configuration).