MP2 - V2.4.1 ** Help Please ** Problems recording Freeview BBC1, BBC2, ITV2 and ITV4 (1 Viewer)

[groovybaby]

Hi, Everyone in MP land.
A few days ago, I was quietly thinking how reliable my MP2 HTPC has been over the last 18months.
Well you know what they say....
Does anyone else have/had these issues?
How do I solve it?

Problems recording Freeview BBC1, BBC2, ITV2 and ITV4:
So, over the last few days, programs that I regularly record on these channels have started to cause a variety of problems.

It started with: ITV2 and ITV4
Generally, the programs appeared to record OK, because the program titles appeared in the index.
But on closer inspection, either no duration was shown, or the correct duration was shown, or the duration shown, was less than the full program length.

Some programs would play, but those with no duration wouldn't play, as there was no actual program content, but even so, these were still 'recording' continually, and the first time I spotted this it had been 'recording' for over 10 Hours !
And the only way to stop that recording was to reboot Windows!

The problem has now spread to BBC1, BBC2:
With some not recording at all, or recording for less than the full program length, or not including the excess time added to the start & end of the recording.

** Help Please **
Many Thanks.

 

[CyberSimian]

With some not recording at all, or recording for less than the full program length, or not including the excess time added to the start & end of the recording.

One possibility could be a problem with your TV signal. If the signal strength has become marginal, it might be varying between just receivable and not receivable. This could be caused by:

• Maintenance at the transmitter which is currently broadcasting at a much lower signal strength than normal. Action: look online to see if maintenance is scheduled for your transmitter.
• Your aerial has become misaligned. Action: check visually the orientation of the aerial to see if it has changed. Is it pointing in the same direction as the aerials on neighbouring houses?
• Corrosion/oxidation at the connections. Action: unplug and replug all co-axial cables and check connections which are screwed (this latter might be quite difficult if the aerial is on the roof).
• An HDMI cable that is too near the aerial cable. Poorly-screened HDMI cables have a reputation for emitting RF radiation that can interfere with DVB-T MUXes at certain frequencies. Action: don't bundle HDMI cables with aerial cable. Move them apart, and if they have to cross, make them cross at a 90-degree angle.

Do you have a TV fed by the same aerial as the HTPC? Does the TV show more pixelation than previously? TVs usually have tuners that are more sensitive than those in PCs, so absence of a problem with the TV does not exclude the possibility of a problem with the signal strength, but it is worth checking.

To make further progress, you need to submit a TV Server log that was generated at the DEBUG level of detail (you set this in the "General" section in "TV Server Config".

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[ge2301]

Further questions:

• Which version of MP2 are you using?
• Did you change anything in the time problems started? E.g. update of MP2

Generally please submit problem reports always with log files, because they contain all the infos we need to ask for otherwise.

 

[groovybaby]

Yesterday, more programs failed on more channels.

I'm using MP2, not sure of the version, where should I find it?
Version: (as shown on the first window of the client) 1.23.100.0

I haven't changed anything.
Picture quality is still good, even when watching Live TV via MP.

So I enabled debug logging, and then I set the following 5 programs via the EPG:
NB: The final recording should have an extra 2min at the start & extra 3min at the end,
so the program length is increased by 5min.

I've attached the Log.

Hope you can help.
Many thanks.

 

[ge2301]

I'm using MP2, not sure of the version, where should I find it?
Version: (as shown on the first window of the client) 1.23.100.0

You are using

[2022-09-04 00:23:06,869] [72 ] [Main ] [INFO ] - ApplicationCore: Version: 2.3.2010.13341
[2022-09-04 00:23:06,869] [72 ] [Main ] [INFO ] - ApplicationCore: Source: MP2.3_Final-bd2b8b

At first you should update to MP2.4.1, there were several changes in between, also some related to TV.
Your logs are full of:

[2022-09-04 16:43:44,944] [58857340] [230 ] [DEBUG] - at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.FindEntry(TKey key)
at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.TryGetValue(TKey key, TValue& value)
at MediaPortal.Common.Services.Settings.SettingsCache.Get(Type type)
at MediaPortal.Common.Services.Settings.SettingsManager.Load(Type settingsType)
at MediaPortal.Plugins.ServerSettings.ServerSettingsImpl.Load(String settingsTypeName)
at MediaPortal.Plugins.ServerSettings.ServerSettingsImpl.OnLoad(DvAction action, IList`1 inParams, IList`1& outParams, CallContext context)
at UPnP.Infrastructure.Dv.DeviceTree.DvAction.FireActionInvoked(IList`1 inParams, IList`1& outParams, CallContext context)
at UPnP.Infrastructure.Dv.DeviceTree.DvAction.InvokeAction(IList`1 inParameters, IList`1& outParameters, Boolean checkSignature, CallContext context)
at UPnP.Infrastructure.Dv.SOAP.SOAPHandler.HandleRequest(DvService service, Stream messageStream, Encoding streamEncoding, Boolean subscriberSupportsUPnP11, CallContext context, String& result)
[2022-09-04 16:43:44,947] [58857343] [230 ] [ERROR] - Warn.: SOAPHandler: Error invoking UPnP action 'Load'
[2022-09-04 16:43:44,947] [58857343] [230 ] [DEBUG] - Exception: System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.

Let's first see, if some changes after performing the update.

 

[groovybaby]

You are using

At first you should update to MP2.4.1, there were several changes in between, also some related to TV.

So what's the correct update proceedure, do I just download it and click to install or do I need to remove anything?
Will this mean I have to do the setup again ? And will I loose any programs?

Your logs are full of:

So what does that info in the log actuall mean ?

Many thanks.

 

[ge2301]

So what's the correct update proceedure, do I just download it and click to install or do I need to remove anything?

Best is to uninstall MP2 from programs and then execute the new setup.

Will this mean I have to do the setup again ? And will I loose any programs?

All settings and plugins are kept. Important is. that you keep TVE3 during the setup and do not select TVE3.5 or TVMosaic

So what does that info in the log actuall mean ?

I don't know exactly, a developer could perhaps tell more (I'm a designer). It tells where in the code a problem occured. As mentioned it seems, that some settings can not be loaded, but I'm not sure.

 

[groovybaby]

Best is to uninstall MP2 from programs and then execute the new setup.

So do I uninstall MP via Windows, eg: Start > Settings > Apps

 

[ge2301]

So do I uninstall MP via Windows, eg: Start > Settings > Apps

Yes

 

[groovybaby]

Best is to uninstall MP2 from programs and then execute the new setup.

All settings and plugins are kept. Important is. that you keep TVE3 during the setup and do not select TVE3.5 or TVMosaic

OK, Ive installed that new version, but the same problems still exist!
So what now?