LiveTV - Problems starting and stuttering (1 Viewer)

[doveman]

MediaPortal Version: v1.2RC
MediaPortal Skin: StreamedMP
Windows Version: Win7 Ult 64
CPU Type: Athlon II X4 630
HDD: 2TB Samsung F4
Memory: 4GB DDR2 1066Mhz
Motherboard: Biostar TA790GXBE
Video Card: HD6950 2GB
Video Card Driver: 11.7
Sound Card: onboard Realtek AC97 (ALC662)
Sound Card AC3: no AC3
Sound Card Driver: 6.01.6410
1. TV Card: Hauppauge Nova-T 500
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver: 4.3.27240
MPEG2 Video Codec: Cyberlink PDVD11
MPEG2 Audio Codec: ffdshow
h.264 Video Codec: ffdshow
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Custom
Cooling: Scythe 120mm Bottom Intake Fan, Stock CPU HSF
Power Supply: OCZ StealthStream 400W
Remote: Nova-T 500
TV: Sony XBR800 36"
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI

I'm having several problems with LiveTV since upgrading to 1.2 Final.

For example, after starting MP and going to make a sandwich (so it had plenty of time to initialise or whatever) when I tried to start TV it said "Unknown error occured" but then I tried again and it worked fine. That won't be shown in the attached logs, but during the last test I was watching BBC1, stopped it and when I tried to start it again it said something like "Unable to find channel". Again, on the next try it worked.

I was going to report that I'm getting severe stuttering for about 10 seconds the first time I start TV after loading MP, but further testing seems to show it only happens if I bring up the stats with Shift+1. If I don't do this, TV seems to play OK but as soon as I do, I get this major stuttering. I posted some screenshots of this, here, so perhaps you could refer to them to save me uploading them again.

The logs are from after a reboot.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi doveman

Please change the settings on your tuners from "pause card" to "stop card" ("when card enters idle state..." -->here<--).

mm

 

[doveman]

Thanks. I've done this now, although I don't believe I've ever needed to before.

I also just found out that I had RadeonPro set to disable Aero for MP, which wouldn't have helped

I've tested now with Aero enabled and after changing the tuners to "stop card" and I still get major stuttering when enabling the stats display (at least the first time, it doesn't seem to happen if I then disable and re-enable the display).

This happens with both the default and the DWM dshowhelper and only happens in dual-screen mode, not with a single display. If I don't enable the stats, TV playback is fine so it only appears to affect the stats display, which is no big deal.

 

[mm1352000]

So the "unknown error" should be resolved now. The stats stuff is outside my area of expertise but I expect it is related to the dshowhelper. Tourettes and Owlsroost look like they're helping you with that in your other thread, so I'm going to set this one to "no bug".

mm

 

[doveman]

Yeah, haven't had any problems starting TV since changing it to stop.

I'm a bit confused why I've had to do this though when I didn't previously, as I thought this setting was related to the TV card drivers and as far as I recall it's been OK on pause before. No biggie though, as it doesn't seem to particularly slow down anything

 

[doveman]

Just had this "Unknown channel" error occur again when trying to start BBC1 (at about 02:43:11 in the logs).

It might be because I changed the Provider on my cards from Generic to DVB-T though (I forget why now, I read some post that made me think it might be helpful!), so I'll change that back and see if it occurs again.

I'm running 1.2.1 with the dhowhelper_v0084_part_DWM at the moment.

EDIT: Well changing the Provider back to Generic seems to have stopped LiveTV stuttering when starting, which I thought might be due to the dshowhelper, so hopefully that's fixed this problem as well.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi doveman

Please read the documentation for the preferred network provider setting -->here<-- so that you know what you are doing when you change it. My strong recommendation is that you leave it alone unless you have tuning or scanning problems.

Regarding the unknown error: it was due to you fighting the EPG grabber for control over the first tuner. It can happen.

mm

 

[doveman]

Thanks for pointing me to the Wiki.

I'm a pacifist and I certainly wasn't fighting anything I think what you mean is that MP was fighting itself

If the EPG grabber was using Tuner 1, why didn't it use Tuner 2 to play TV? Shouldn't TV take priority over EPG grabbing and cancel the latter if necessary anyway? Was there any point in my changing the card from Pause to Stop mode if this is still going to happen?