[confirm] "No free card available" after idling for hours (3 Viewers)

[K24A3]

I see, so debugging mode basically gathers additional system info.

Here are the logs. I removed the outdated TSWriter logs.

 

[mm1352000]

I see, so debugging mode basically gathers additional system info.

Debugging mode gathers the logs, MediaPortal configuration and additional system information. If you use option 1 then it gets more detailed information than normal [for MP, not TV Server] and only gathers logs from the session, otherwise you can use option 3 to grab all logs that are present (note that the MP logs may not be debug-level logs, but that wouldn't matter in a case like this where the problem is a TV Server problem).

Here are the logs. I removed the outdated TSWriter logs.

Cheers.
Okay so something is seriously messed up in terms of the subchannels on your system. At the time TV Server attempted to start the recording, we see that the tuner states are:

2011-08-06 08:24:40.046875 [scheduler thread(9)]: Scheduler: Time to record ELEVEN 8:24 AM-9:00 AM Everybody Loves Raymond
2011-08-06 08:24:40.046875 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: find free card for channel ELEVEN
2011-08-06 08:24:40.046875 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: find card for channel ELEVEN
2011-08-06 08:24:40.046875 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: got 1 tuning details for ELEVEN
2011-08-06 08:24:40.046875 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: channel #1 DVBT:tv:Ten Sydney ELEVEN Freq:219500 ONID:4116 TSID:1538 SID:1576 PMT:0x107 FTA:True LCN:11 BandWidth:7
2011-08-06 08:24:40.046875 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: card:1 typevbIP is disabled
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: card:3 typevbT can tune to channel
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: card:3 typevbT users: 1
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: card:4 type:RadioWebStream is disabled
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: card:2 typevbT can tune to channel
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: card:2 typevbT users: 0
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: found 2 card(s) for channel
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: AdvancedCardAllocation.GetAvailableCardsForChannel took 4 msec
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: card:2 typevbT is available
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Controller: found 2 free card(s)
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: AdvancedCardAllocation.GetFreeCardsForChannel took 5 msec
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: scheduler: try max 2 of 2 FREE cards for recording
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Scheduler : record, first tune to channel
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: tvcard:FreeSubChannel: subchannels count 2 subch#0 keep graph=True
2011-08-06 08:24:40.062500 [scheduler thread(9)]: tvcard:FreeSubChannel :0 - is timeshifting (skipped)

So apparently one of your tuners was being used. What did you do on the previous evening when you stopped using MP? Something must have gone wrong then, and that is the underlying cause of the recording problem. I mean, what I'm seeing in the logs is that channels are successfully tuned but the user management (tuner <--> user co-ordination, AKA subchannel) has been thrown for a loop:

2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: card: Tuner locked: True
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: **************************************************
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: ***** SIGNAL LEVEL: 100, SIGNAL QUALITY: 60 *****
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: **************************************************
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: card: tuned user: scheduler352 subchannel: 11
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: user:scheduler352 add
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Scheduler: MakeFileName() using "seriesformat" (_isSerie=True)
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Scheduler : record to D:\Recordings\Everybody Loves Raymond\Everybody Loves Raymond - SE -_1.ts
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: scheduler: recording failed, lets try next available card.
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: Scheduler : record, first tune to channel
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: tvcard:FreeSubChannel: subchannels count 1 subch#0 keep graph=True
2011-08-06 08:26:14.187500 [scheduler thread(9)]: DVB subch:0 Decompose()

Unfortunately your tv.log doesn't go far enough back...

mm

 

[K24A3]

I'm getting a new Core i7 Win7 notebook this week so hopefully that will resolve the problem. Maybe it's an XP thing or the USB ports have issues, but we'll see what happens...


Here are the logs anyway:

 

[K24A3]

I don't see the "No free card" error now on the new 64bit Win7 SP1 Notebook. It records fine now after idling overnight. Both tuners are in an Idle state with no users attached.

I'm using the same Tuner, same hauppauge driver, same MP version and settings, same channels, same schedules.. so the subchannel problem may have been caused by the XP installation/configuration, the hardware or drivers in the previous notebook, or perhaps corruption of the MP registry settings/files or stray files/settings from previous MP versions. I doubt it was an SQL problem but you never know..

MP is more snappier and smoother now after upgrading from a SantaRosa Core2duo with Intel Graphics to a Calpella Quad Core i7 with an nVidia 330M.

But now I have a new problem where it can take up to 12 seconds to change a channel. It's random and doesn't depend on the channel itself. For example if I jump back and forth on the same two channels, sometimes it takes 2-3 seconds, other times it just sits there with a black screen and eventually changes 10-12 seconds later, despite the reception being excellent. But that's a different issue...

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again K24A3

I don't see the "No free card" error now on the new 64bit Win7 SP1 Notebook. It records fine now after idling overnight. Both tuners are in an Idle state with no users attached.

Great.

But now I have a new problem where it can take up to 12 seconds to change a channel. It's random and doesn't depend on the channel itself. For example if I jump back and forth on the same two channels, sometimes it takes 2-3 seconds, other times it just sits there with a black screen and eventually changes 10-12 seconds later, despite the reception being excellent. But that's a different issue...

I suspect this is MP failing to tune channels on one of your tuners, then moving on and trying the next tuner. You can reduce the "12 seconds" by reducing the PMT timeout on the "scan" tab in the "general" section of TV Server configuration. A safe setting might be around 5 seconds - trial and error is always good. If it were me though, I'd consider prioritising a tuner that is more reliable at tuning.

mm

 

[K24A3]

Hi mm,

I tried changing the PMT to 5 and that seemed to help a bit. Some channel changes takes 5 seconds now, but occasionally it takes 8 or more seconds. Below is an example:

2011-08-14 13:43:31.154532 [(13)]: dvbubmiting tunerequest Channel:ONE subChannel:-1
2011-08-14 13:43:31.154532 [(13)]: dvb:Getting new subchannel
2011-08-14 13:43:31.155532 [(13)]: dvb:GetNewSubChannel:0 #0
2011-08-14 13:43:31.156532 [(13)]: TvDvbChannel ctor new subchIndex:0
2011-08-14 13:43:31.156532 [(13)]: dvbubmit tunerequest size:1 new:0
2011-08-14 13:43:31.157532 [(13)]: subch:0 OnBeforeTune
2011-08-14 13:43:31.158532 [(13)]: dvbubmit tunerequest calling put_TuneRequest
2011-08-14 13:43:39.151989 [(13)]: dvbubmit tunerequest done calling put_TuneRequest

Update:

The channel change delay is happening in WinTV as well so it's not a MediaPortal problem (MP TV Service is stopped). Sometimes it takes less than 2 seconds, other times 10-20 seconds, and sometimes it just gives up saying there is no signal. But when I re-attempt that channel, it's fast and works perfectly. Very strange..
I'll try reinstalling the tuner and chipset drivers, try different USB ports, etc..

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again K24A3

Just to confirm: the only possible cause for that delay is entirely related to your tuner. At the code level there is a single line of code between the two log entries:

              Log.Log.WriteFile("dvb:Submit tunerequest calling put_TuneRequest");
              int hr = ((ITuner)_filterNetworkProvider).put_TuneRequest(tuneRequest);
              Log.Log.WriteFile("dvb:Submit tunerequest done calling put_TuneRequest");

That code literally tells the tuner to tune a specific frequency. Nothing more. If your tuner takes that long to do that then I'd suspect configuration, driver or signal problems. There are a few things I'd suggest:
- try using the DVB-T network provider instead of the generic one (see "preferred network provider").
- if you're using MP 1.2.0b, try using "stop card" instead of "pause card" (see "when card enters idle state...")
- try the latest driver for the tuner (if you're not already using the latest driver) or older drivers (if you're using the latest driver)
- check your chipset USB drivers
- try a different USB port
- check your cabling and aerial alignment

I'd be interested to know how you get on...

mm

 

[K24A3]

Problem solved! It was the Network Provider setting in the Tuner properties. Changing it from "Generic" to "DVB-T" did the trick. Now all channels change in 2 seconds without fail.
Thanks for your help mm.

Last thing I need to do is fix a bug where the 45 button Hauppauge remote very intermittently sends an an extra button press (pressing Mute also changes the channel for example). Maybe it just needs fresh batteries

 

[mm1352000]

Problem solved!

Fan-flippin-tastic!
I wasn't expecting it to be quite so simple.

Last thing I need to do is fix a bug where the 45 button Hauppauge remote very intermittently sends an an extra button press (pressing Mute also changes the channel for example). Maybe it just needs fresh batteries

Quite possibly fresh batteries. Also, make sure the IR receiver is as far as possible from any sources of interference - you might want to experiment with placement.

mm

 

[K24A3]

I wasn't expecting it to work either since WinTV was also doing it. I wander how WinTV users get around the problem.

Batteries are measuring 1.6v but I'll try different ones anyway, and try turning off fluorescent bulbs etc..