Help me optimize MP (4 Viewers)

[mm1352000]

Tried again and no luck, it wants to use the cable channel number.

Then can't you just untick the "rename existing channels and logos to new name format" option and set the names yourself? Once the EPG is mapped you can name the channels however you like.

Can I use the guide data from another channel, similar to wm7?

If you mean can you use the same guide data for two channels then I think the answer is "no". Best to describe what you're trying to do though. There may be another way to do it.

Where else can I get guide data from?

Pretty much the only other option that I know of is mc2xml. I'm told that mc2xml may not have guide data available for local lineup channels. Best to stick with SD for the moment.

I have another issue with choppy video on my atsc channels. Codecs? I am using the Microsoft dtv codec.

Might be - I can't possibly guess with the information you've given me. Check your CPU utilisation to confirm that the GPU is being used to decode the video, and check GPU utilisation if possible to confirm that the GPU is not being overloaded. The 430 isn't particularly powerful and nor is your CPU, so if you're dealing with h.264 then your system may be working quite hard.

mm

 

[joshuasdad]

ok these channels are really starting to frustrate me, i have tried everyway to set them up, via the way i name them, manual, scan, and they always grab the wrong guide data.

logical channel, broadcast channel, callsign
2-1, 41, cictdt
5-1, 49, ckaldt
9-1, 21, cbrtdt

they way i setup the other three was, channel name 2-1 cictdt, then add all the info in the atsc inpit box, and they worked. i have tried with just cictdt as the channel name. i will try with channel name next, cict-dt as per schedulers direct.

in windows media center, if you have a cbale channel with the same guide info, you can map that guide info to another channel. can media portal do this.

do you see any issues with my system as to why i would have choppy video on the atsc channels

Current system:
Asus m4a77d mb
Amd athlon II x2 250 3ghz 2mb cache
Evga geforce gt430 1gb ddr3
Patriot 4 gb pc2 6400 ddr2
Corsair 430cx ps
Running windows 7

CPU usage is 25-35 percent while watching atsc, the odd bump over 50 percent

thanks

I used cbrtdt, cbrt-dt and cbrt and it maps the guide to PBS.

Channel, frequency, major, minor, etc for setup.
21, -1, 9, 1, 8vsb, 0, 16407, 3, 48, OTA and check free to air

 

[joshuasdad]

I now have 4/6 with correct guide data. I have even tried accessing the database to correct, but it doesn't update with the new xmlid, not sure how to force it.

Another issue has come up, when I click on videos it takes to to music share.

Netflix plugin always takes me to a unavailable page, but I can use it to find a video.

Thanks

Ok I got 6/6, I manually edited the mysql database with mysql workbench.

On to fix the rest.

 

[mm1352000]

ok these channels are really starting to frustrate me, i have tried everyway to set them up, via the way i name them, manual, scan, and they always grab the wrong guide data.

As I've said before: my only experience with SD is looking at the code. From that, I am certain that if you name the channels in MP by the *exact* call sign in SD and untick all the mapping by channel number options in SD then it should work. Once a channel is mapped though, SD won't change the mapping so nothing you do except deleting the channel and scanning it in and re-linking it again (except editing the DB manually) will fix it.

logical channel, broadcast channel, callsign
2-1, 41, cictdt
5-1, 49, ckaldt
9-1, 21, cbrtdt

they way i setup the other three was, channel name 2-1 cictdt, then add all the info in the atsc inpit box, and they worked. i have tried with just cictdt as the channel name. i will try with channel name next, cict-dt as per schedulers direct.

You have *got* to use the name *as per SD* for it to work. Use "cict-dt".

in windows media center, if you have a cbale channel with the same guide info, you can map that guide info to another channel. can media portal do this.

In this case it would not be about whether MP can do it but whether SD can do it. You have a few options:
1. Name the two channels the same temporarily when setting up the mapping.
2. Manually edit the DB to set the externalId (TV Server does not give direct access to the externalId field).
3. Merge the channels (details).

At the end of the day, if you don't merge the channels it would simply be a question of whether SD will allow you to assign two channels with the same xmlid. This works with other plugins like the built in XMLTV plugin. Not sure with SD...

do you see any issues with my system as to why i would have choppy video on the atsc channels

Current system:
Asus m4a77d mb
Amd athlon II x2 250 3ghz 2mb cache
Evga geforce gt430 1gb ddr3
Patriot 4 gb pc2 6400 ddr2
Corsair 430cx ps
Running windows 7

CPU usage is 25-35 percent while watching atsc, the odd bump over 50 percent

It depends. As I've said before, your CPU and GPU aren't particularly powerful so they *might* struggle with h.264 video. You haven't given me logs or told me what video format this is so it is a little hard to guess. Also, have you ensured that virus scanners are not monitoring your timeshifting and recording folders?

I used cbrtdt, cbrt-dt and cbrt and it maps the guide to PBS.

I don't know whether this is good or bad. I find the ATSC and cable systems in Canada and the US *incredibly* confusing.

I now have 4/6 with correct guide data. I have even tried accessing the database to correct, but it doesn't update with the new xmlid, not sure how to force it.

You set it in the SD settings. The option is labeled "force guide update on next TvService startup" ("if this is checked then a guide update will be forced when the TvService next starts"). You tick that then restart the TV service either in the manual control section of TV Server configuration - "stop service"... wait... "start service" - or in the Windows service management area (screenshot -->here<--).

Another issue has come up, when I click on videos it takes to to music share.

Is this a problem because:
1. You didn't expect the music share to be listed in the video section.
If so, did you add the music share as a video folder?

2. You want all shares to be listed by default when you first enter the video section.
If so, go to the video folders section in MP configuration and ensure all the folders/shares are unticked, and also untick "remember last used folder".

Netflix plugin always takes me to a unavailable page, but I can use it to find a video.

I have no idea what this means - sorry. Best to ask the Netflix plugin developer (WileECoyote). Remember we can't get Netflix in the rest of the world.

mm

 

[joshuasdad]

I have all channels working, thanks for the help.

When I go into pictures, I see picture shares. When I go into music, I see music shares, but when I access video I see music shares, and my videos are gone. I have looked at the ticks in the setup, and they are correct. I've tried to resetup, and it goes to music.

I'll keep trying.

 

[joshuasdad]

here is a log of watching a few secongs of dwts on a atsc hd channel. i noticed i have the same issues with watching hd content over the web.

watching mpeg2 videos i have no issues.

still have no idea what happened to my videos, it is just linked to music now. might have to uninstall and reinstall as i have tried resetting the database and setting up again, seems to have no link to videos.

thanks

 

[mm1352000]

here is a log of watching a few secongs of dwts on a atsc hd channel.

I can't find any reference to "dwts" in the entire set of logs, nor are there any references to you viewing any channel in the MP log... which is a little strange. I can tell you that in all the logs from the last 24 hours or so there is not one time where an ATSC channel that you've viewed is h.264. I guess that means ATSC is MPEG-2 only and HD must mean high bitrate MPEG-2 video with AC3 audio...

On that topic: one thing that I do see that you need to change is the audio codec that you're using. Microsoft doesn't allow their DTV-DVD audio decoder to be used for DD/AC3 or DD+ outside of WMC (reference). I'd recommend you either use the LAV Audio Decoder or FFDShow Audio Decoder which you already have installed. That may actually make a difference to this problem as who knows what audio codec is being used instead of the Microsoft one behind the scenes...

mm

 

[joshuasdad]

I switched the audio to ffdshow right after I made that post. No difference in video. Yes our atsc is a Hightower bit rate mpeg 2.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again

Yes our atsc is a Hightower bit rate mpeg 2.

What does "hightower" mean in terms of the resolution and bitrate? I've never come across that term before.

i noticed i have the same issues with watching hd content over the web... watching mpeg2 videos i have no issues.

The "choppy video" issue makes absolutely no sense to me now because the ATSC video is also MPEG 2 and HD content on the web will usually be encoded as h.264 to conserve bandwidth.

Why are you using VMR 9 as your video renderer instead of the EVR? Is this your solution to the issues you were having earlier with 23.96 fps videos? I don't know much about the differences between EVR and VMR but from what I'm told you should *always* use the EVR on Vista or 7, so I think that is totally the wrong approach.
Did you try enabling the refresh rate changer as I suggested?

As I said, the logs didn't show me anything that I needed to see so everyone is still guessing here. Starting a new thread without posting logs or filling in your system specs won't get you any further help either - nobody can guess the cause of such problems without information.

mm

 

[joshuasdad]

I had switched to vmr9 because of my issues with playing video. I have now switched back, and so far seems ok.

I started a new thread to locate my video path. When I select videos on the main screen it takes me to my music, not my videos, the path says music shares, not video shares.

I have tried setting up the database again, or a new path, and no go.


Scanning videos again.

Hightower was a apple auto correct. Our atsc is a high bite rate mpeg 2. Seems be ok right now, biggest issue was sports, only on the weekends.