lost connection, MP to TV (2 Viewers)

[infinite.loop]

So your issue is not related to the TV-Server in any way. Because that is actually like selecting the video inside Windows Explorer.

OK - and you mentioned before that MP should report the fact if TVserver connection doesn't work (which it does not in this case).

Yes - you can test by running MP in windowed mode, and then stop the TVService. Just if you want to see what happens - not required for this bughunt.

MP just accesses the file directly and plays it.

How is that different than what happens when TVserver is asked by MP to play a recording? (maybe this is pointless, in view of MP direct playback not working - but I still wonder about no TVserver response, in the logs, when MP supposedly asks for a playback))
Since you've established that 'the problem' is all with MP --what could it possibly be? Some codec or renderer not working - just guessing?

I do not know the exact code details, but in that case the TVClientPlugin might just look directly into the database. Or there is just no logging for that case.

At this point it sounds as if DirectShow (windows system for the entire playback) would be in a noneworking state for some reason - maybe as result of "too many" resumes from S3.
Because if the issue would be inside MP, then a restart of MP must fix the issue - which it does not as you said.

I have never heard about such an issue like you encounter it - that direct file playback fails with little to none info in the logs about it.

When this issue occurs:

* does a plain restart of MP fix the issue?
* or do you have to reboot your PC to get playback of this file working?

Just restarting MP does not fix the problem -- only a reboot. (I could try stopping TVserver and restarting, but that doesn't seem to be involved anyway.)
Next time this happens, would it help to get a log file while using VIDEOS to try a direct playback?

Great!
Let us follow this since that might be the right lead.
When the issue happens again:

1. restart TVService
2. start MP
3. try again to play the file inside TV->recordings

if that still fails:

1. try and play the file inside the Videos section

if that also fails:

1. go to windows exlorer, doubleclick the recorded *.ts file and tell windows to play it with the Windows MediaPlayer

If that fails as well, then we are looking at an issue inside your windows installation / problem with too many resumes from standby/etc. - maybe that put directshow is in a noneworking state.​

 

[cewillis]

At this point it sounds as if DirectShow (windows system for the entire playback) would be in a noneworking state for some reason - maybe as result of "too many" resumes from S3.

Don't think that's it, because, as stated, I have a scheduled reboot every day at 5:00 am, and sometimes the problem occurs the first time I resume (only 1 standby for no activity after reboot, and 1 resume).

Because if the issue would be inside MP, then a restart of MP must fix the issue - which it does not as you said.

Sounds reasonable -- but I'm not completely convinced. Maybe MP messed up windows function during the failure ---

Let us follow this since that might be the right lead.

Will do as you suggest.
Many thanks for your help.

Cal

 

[infinite.loop]

Because if the issue would be inside MP, then a restart of MP must fix the issue - which it does not as you said.

Sounds reasonable -- but I'm not completely convinced. Maybe MP messed up windows function during the failure ---[/QUOTE]
I dare to say that it is impossible for MP to mess up the DirectShow Framework.
So it is not caused by "too many resumes" - yet something is terrible wrong in that situation when the issue happens.
Question is what, and why.

 

[cewillis]

good thing Backup plugin works!

I looked at the updates offered by MS. As expected, most were so-called 'security fixes' - probably needed to 'fix' the last 'security fix'. I declined those.
I did install 5 that looked like they could possibly apply. (attachment)
Unfortunately, MP/TV no longer worked after that!!! Trying to watch or record TV produced 'No valid encoder present'.
I tried various things, which just made the situation worse. Finally (before reaching for the WXp disk) I did a COMPLETE MP/TV uninstall and reinstall, and used BackupSettings to reload all the saved settings. That worked perfectly, so far as I can tell. Many thanks to huha.

Time will tell if the updates made any difference to my problem.

Cal

 

[cewillis]

Spoke too soon. Still getting 'No software encoder installed' and other random 'Unknown error occurred' errors.
I do not need a software encoder; my Hauppauge tuner has hardware encoding for the analog channels.
Also, recording two digital channels at the same time no longer works, and sometimes a an analog channel doesn't record.
Clearly one or more of those so-called updates broke something.

May need a complete OS re-install.

 

[infinite.loop]

Spoke too soon. Still getting 'No software encoder installed' and other random 'Unknown error occurred' errors.
I do not need a software encoder; my Hauppauge tuner has hardware encoding for the analog channels.
Also, recording two digital channels at the same time no longer works, and sometimes a an analog channel doesn't record.
Clearly one or more of those so-called updates broke something.

May need a complete OS re-install.

The amount of strange issues you encounter is very, very strange.

 

[cewillis]

The amount of strange issues you encounter is very, very strange.

The 'strange' issues started after some MS 'updates', as noted above.
The original nuisance problem has been there since the first (and only) MP install last Aug or Sep, and (until the recent MS 'updates) was the only problem I've had.
I noticed that Hauppauge had an updated driver for my tuner card, so I installed that (before starting a complete rebuild). At least I can again record two digital channels at once.

 

[infinite.loop]

The amount of strange issues you encounter is very, very strange.

The 'strange' issues started after some MS 'updates', as noted above.

The original issue was also very strange.

The original nuisance problem has been there since the first (and only) MP install last Aug or Sep, and (until the recent MS 'updates) was the only problem I've had.
I noticed that Hauppauge had an updated driver for my tuner card, so I installed that (before starting a complete rebuild). At least I can again record two digital channels at once.

I have installed WinXP yesterday here on an old Core2Duo 6600 system. Installed SP3 + all WindowsUpdates. And applied the DVB-Fix files.
It runs as an singleseat system, with 1x Hauppauge Nova-T and 1x Hauppauge Nova-S2 HD - installed the latest drivers (only select teh small drivers package - no need for the CD version).
As codecs I use MPC-MPA, MPC-MPV for mpeg2 and coreavc for h.264.
So far, I did not encounter any issues.

Will keep it running and see if I can reproduce any of the issues you reported.

 

[cewillis]

And applied the DVB-Fix files.

Humm -- maybe I needed to do that again after one or more of the recent 'updates' -- but I didn't, until this morning.

 

[cewillis]

Ahem -- apologies seem to be in order on my part.

First, reinstalling the DVBfix cleared up all the new strange problems (so far at least).

When the original problem recurred, all parts of Mr. Loops test sequence (below) failed.

Let us follow this since that might be the right lead.
When the issue happens again:

1. restart TVService
2. start MP
3. try again to play the file inside TV->recordings (start - 12:48:10.515625, stop - 12:48:22.468750)

if that still fails:

1. try and play the file inside the Videos section (start - 12:49:00.062500, stop - 12:49:15.515625)

if that also fails:

1. go to windows exlorer, doubleclick the recorded *.ts file and tell windows to play it with the Windows MediaPlayer

If that fails as well, then we are looking at an issue inside your windows installation

Just for the 'fun' of it, I'm attaching debug log files. The times noted in the test sequence are when I tried to start and stop playback in MP.
(I forgot to save the logs before rebooting, so the MP .bak files have these times)

I looked at all the MS suggestions for Wmp problems, but no luck.

Needless to say, if anyone has any ideas as to what could fail that breaks both MP and Wmp, I would be grateful. This is after working for from zero up to several days, and from 1 up to dozens of standby/resume cycles after a reboot. What common thing do they both use to playback? Codec? Render?
I would really hate to do a complete rebuild, and still have the same problem.

I dare to say that it is impossible for MP to mess up the DirectShow Framework.

'Impossible' is a pretty strong endorsement of MS software -- not that I have any reason to think otherwise, in this case.

Thanks again,
Cal