HTPCInfo plugin v1.15.0 for MediaPortal 1.3.0 and higher (10 Viewers)

mardup

Portal Pro
October 24, 2007
153
8
Toulouse
Home Country
France France
Re: HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v0.9.1

OK !
All is prefect now. your plugin works very well

:D
 

Micropolis

Portal Pro
July 22, 2009
1,588
1,796
Bavaria
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HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v1.0.0

Dear community,
the HTPCInfo plugin was updated to its final release v1.0.0, HTPCInfo TVServerMonitor was updated to version 0.4.0.

More information for users (HTPCInfo):
  • Since this release, different plugins for menu and background mode does not longer exists. You can define the type now inside the configuration dialog.
  • It is now possible, to monitor power/battery settings. This option is helpful for users, who don't use desktop HTPC's.
  • The new functionality "Flush Caches" was added, it can be used to delete temporary internet files and DNS/ARP caches.

More information for users (HTPCInfo TVServerMonitor):
  • New functions to restart your TV Server or the see specific details for each TV card added.

More information for skinners:
  • Button “Flush Cache” (ID 8) added inside HTPCInfo.xml
  • blue3wide skin files can be found here

Thanks:
  • Thx to catavolt for beta testing.
  • Thx to each member, who gives cosntructive feedback and suggestions to improve this plugin.

Cheers, Micropolis ;-)
 

drascom

New Member
December 19, 2008
4
0
Re: HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v1.0.0

hi i have strange problem both owerview and gauges screen there is lot of info over screen it's like on picture
how can i solve it?
 

Micropolis

Portal Pro
July 22, 2009
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Bavaria
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Re: HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v1.0.0

Hi drascom,
this is a skin related problem, I cannot help here, sorry.
Please post this issue directly in the PureVision thread and/or ask catavolt directly. For missing properties please make sure, Speedfan is running and harddisk properties are setup correctly.

Thx and cheers, Micropolis ;-)
 

Micropolis

Portal Pro
July 22, 2009
1,588
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HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v1.0.1

Dear community,
the HTPCInfo plugin is updated to version v1.0.1, a small bugfix was required for TV Server related routines. Skin changes are not required.

Happy easter and cheers, Micropolis ;-)
 

joz

Portal Pro
March 17, 2008
1,353
306
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Netherlands Netherlands
Re: HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v1.0.1

Hi Micropolis,

First of all :D again for this release! You are a busy guy, maintining all these nice MP additions ;)

For a while now I am unable to use HTPCInfo on my main HTPC/Webserver (see my system specs for the system that this problem occurs in). Why you ask? Cause of frame rate drops in MP GUI. I fiddled with the priority settings (update time, threat prio etc) but that did not help me. I noticed the framedrops (going from normal 50 to ~40fps) are directly related to the refresh timeout of htpcinfo. If I set it to 1 second, the frame drops will occur every one second, if to 5s it will happen every 5s and so on.
This is with background mode disabled as well (although I disabled bg mode it still seems to do stuff, because of the framedrops) and directly from first startup of MP. Also noticable when playing video (although I have checked the appropriate boxes for no updating while playing).

just on a side note this problem is only a problem on the PC refered too.
If I run a (almost) identical setup on an intel E8400 (@ 3.7GHz), P35 chipset, 4GB of RAM @ ~1000MHz, then there's no issue at all

Besides all that, I still have this error you find below logged. This has been there for a while now and it seems more likely to be caused by a bug inside windows (that's my feeling, in combination with standby or some other specifics), so then there's nothing for you to do about.

[collapse]
2010-04-04 14:14:25.238600 [ERROR][MPMain(1)]: HTPC Info: Frequency Performance Counter Initialization Error. (Error Code: System.InvalidOperationException: Category does not exist.
at System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounterLib.CounterExists(String machine, String category, String counter)
at System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounter.Initialize()
at System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounter..ctor(String categoryName, String counterName, String instanceName, Boolean readOnly)
at System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounter..ctor(String categoryName, String counterName, String instanceName)
at HTPCInfoPlugin.HTPCInfo.InitPerformanceCounters(), Category does not exist.)
[/collapse]
Hope you can do something about it if you find time. My hunch is that this might be related to certain system specifics, as chipset drivers (that's my biggest hunch).
I changed motherboards a while back and switched from an AMD chipset (which sucked big time in different ways) to an NVidia one.
That is a while back (not sure which HTPCInfo version I was using back then) and since then other stuff has been changed in this system as well (no tv card anymore, was casuing sporadic 15 minute or greater boot times as well as other headaches). Used to work great though on this baby. Oh right even swapped CPUs from E4850 to X4 605E
 

Micropolis

Portal Pro
July 22, 2009
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Bavaria
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Re: HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v1.0.1

Hi joz,
nice to hear you after a long time.
Regarding your issues, some short statements:
  • Dropped frames: Since version v0.9.1 I've introduced some more performance options (e.g. prevent refresh if plugin window is not in foreground, fullscreen TV or video is playing). Do you have tried these options? Some users reported me, that this can fix the issue.
  • Performance counter error: Some weeks before, I've discussed this with a C# evangelist. He gives me the following information: "The performance counter category list will be recreated periodically by windows. If you want to create a pointer to this list (or a respective entry), you must wait until the internal processes are completed. Otherwise, you get the described error when using .NET routines." The startup routines of HTPCInfo are time critical, because of this I don't create a loop to have a stable category list state. Ok, what's the message here? The problem can came up and maybe not. As a workaround I've introduced the refresh functionality of all HTPCInfo variables. To force a reinitialization of the plugin without restarting, use the key combination “Shift + i” inside the HTPCInfo main screen.

Hope, that helps.

Cheers, Micropolis ;-)
 

joz

Portal Pro
March 17, 2008
1,353
306
Home Country
Netherlands Netherlands
Re: HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v1.0.1

Hi Micropolis,

Thanks for the reply. I was just testing and fiddling again, Regarding your questions see below.

Hi joz,
nice to hear you after a long time.
Regarding your issues, some short statements:
  • Dropped frames: Since version v0.9.1 I've introduced some more performance options (e.g. prevent refresh if plugin window is not in foreground, fullscreen TV or video is playing). Do you have tried these options? Some users reported me, that this can fix the issue.

  • Yep, I have fiddled with all of these and configured it in the most performant way. Did not change anything unfortunately;
    - Checked "plugin window is not in foreground" in performance
    - Checked "MP isn't in foreground"
    - Checked "Fullscreen or tv is playing". This one is a bit weird especially, since when I have this plugin disabled I have no issues during playback, if I do have it enabled it stutters everytime the refresh timeout has expired for HTPCInfo. So it seems to be still doing something over here that causes stutter
    - Refresh period (any setting tested that's higher then 1)
    - Refresh prio set to low
    - Unchecked "enable background mode"

    now my system is not the most powerful of the bunch but it's not lowend either. I think you have already done as much as you can regarding performance, but wanted to get back to you anyways.
    I can live with MP having a sluggish moment every HTPCInfo refresh round but video playback is just not done this way, to annoying especially when camera panning.
 

bodiroga

Portal Pro
January 1, 2008
241
46
Home Country
Spain Spain
Re: HTPCInfo plugin for MediaPortal v1.0.1

Hi Micropolis!

I've done the spanish translation of the plugin, so I'm going to upload it if you want to include it in the next release of the plugin ;)

Many thanks for all your hard work and best regards,

Aitor
 

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