No video/audio error (possible timeshifting problem) (1 Viewer)

[gfszw]

• System Type:TV-Server only
  MP-Version:1.5.0
  Windows Version:Windows 7 SP1 (x86)
  CPU:Virtual: QEMU Virtual CPU 1.1.2 (2 x 3.1 GHz) Physical: AMD FX 8120
  Mainboard:F: Asus M5A97 EVO
  RAM:V: 3 GB, F: 8GB
  HDD:V: 120GB + 500GB
  1. TV Card:Mygica (Genitech) X8507
  1. TV-Card Tuners:Analog + Digital (hybrid)
  Video Codec: h.264:Cyberlink
  Video Codec: mpeg2:ATI + Cyberlink
  Audio Codec: ac3:ATI + Cyberlink
  Display Connection:VGA

Hello, I am having this error (No video/audio detected) when I start timeshifting or when I test channels. From what I read in the forums and logs (I've spent many hours trying to figure out what is causing this error) I think it's a timeshifting problem (it could be a software encoder problem, too). I read many people had issues with permissions but I set the permissions of the timeshifting folder to Everyone has Full access. But, one thing I observed (it's attached in a screenshot) is that the minimum drive space needed text is in red (indicating that there is not enough space even when I tried different partitions and folders with many GBs free).
The time for each action is:

• 19:16:28 = Manual Control / Start TimeShift
• 19:17:41 = Test Channels / Start test

A relevant fact is that it's a virtual machine with qemu/kvm as hypervisor with a PCI passthrough (TV tuner).
Any help will be highly appreciated.

Happy Xmas!

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome gfszw

Thank you for providing such full information about the problem.

From what I read in the forums and logs (I've spent many hours trying to figure out what is causing this error) I think it's a timeshifting problem (it could be a software encoder problem, too).

You're read correctly. With a digital tuner it usually means that the tuner is not delivering a stream (or maybe that the stream is encrypted); with an analog tuner it means that the tuner is not delivering a stream or that the software encoders being used are not compatible with the tuner or with TV Server.

I read many people had issues with permissions but I set the permissions of the timeshifting folder to Everyone has Full access. But, one thing I observed (it's attached in a screenshot) is that the minimum drive space needed text is in red (indicating that there is not enough space even when I tried different partitions and folders with many GBs free).

I don't think there is a problem with your HDD or with free space. The "minimum drive space needed" is always in red:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...ation/TV-Server_Configuration/08_Timeshifting

A relevant fact is that it's a virtual machine with qemu/kvm as hypervisor with a PCI passthrough (TV tuner).

Yes, this could definitely be relevant.

Are you able to confirm whether the tuner works in other software?
Are you able to confirm that the frequencies/channels that you're tuning are correct? (I think it would be unusual for adjacent channels to be used. You're testing with channel 2 and 3. In other words, I think one or even both may be wrong...)

Merry Christmas!
mm

 

[gfszw]

Thanks for answering so quickly!

I don't think there is a problem with your HDD or with free space. The "minimum drive space needed" is always in red:

Are you able to confirm whether the tuner works in other software?

Sadly, no. I wasn't able to set up video drivers in the Windows guest and passing-through the PCI-e GPU is not very straightforward to me... So, the only thing I was able to do is the channel scan from within the software that came with the TV tuner (TotalMedia 3.5). When I try to actually see a channel it shows nothing at all (black, no errors which I assumed it is because of not having proper video drivers configured). The idea for this guest was to run the back-end software for watching tv so the video drivers were not as much important to me (neither the sound drivers).

Are you able to confirm that the frequencies/channels that you're tuning are correct? (I think it would be unusual for adjacent channels to be used. You're testing with channel 2 and 3. In other words, I think one or even both may be wrong...)

Well, the reason because there are only two channels is because I prematurely stopped the channel scan after many tests to see quickly if the changes I was trying resolved the problem. In fact, MediaPortal and TotalMedia channel scan showed the same number of channels (77).
It appears, however, that MediaPortal is assigning "0" to channel frequency based on what I recently saw both in the TV Server configuration interface and logs ([2013-12-23 19:16:29,094] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: channel #1 tv:3 Freq:0 Channel:3 Country:Argentina Tuner:Cable Video:Tuner Audio:Automatic ), so I will check on that.

Thanks!

 

[mm1352000]

Thanks for answering so quickly!

No problem - happy to help.

Sadly, no. I wasn't able to set up video drivers in the Windows guest and passing-through the PCI-e GPU is not very straightforward to me... So, the only thing I was able to do is the channel scan from within the software that came with the TV tuner (TotalMedia 3.5). When I try to actually see a channel it shows nothing at all (black, no errors which I assumed it is because of not having proper video drivers configured). The idea for this guest was to run the back-end software for watching tv so the video drivers were not as much important to me (neither the sound drivers).

Hmmmm, okay.
I asked this question because I wanted to see if we could narrow the problem to MP/TV Server, the VM, the tuner, or configuration.
If you're not able to test the tuner inside the VM, are you able to test it in the native environment? (Sorry in advance if that is a stupid question - I only have very limited experience with VirtualBox.)

Well, the reason because there are only two channels is because I prematurely stopped the channel scan after many tests to see quickly if the changes I was trying resolved the problem. In fact, MediaPortal and TotalMedia channel scan showed the same number of channels (77).

Ahhh, okay. So is the behaviour the same with all channels?

It appears, however, that MediaPortal is assigning "0" to channel frequency based on what I recently saw both in the TV Server configuration interface and logs ([2013-12-23 19:16:29,094] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: channel #1 tv:3 Freq:0 Channel:3 Country:Argentina Tuner:Cable Video:Tuner Audio:Automatic ), so I will check on that.

That is correct behaviour for Windows analog TV tuning. MS has tables to lookup the frequency from the channel number:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd407182(v=vs.85).aspx

If you enter the frequency, it will apply an "override" as described here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd375809(v=vs.85).aspx

Usually I wouldn't recommend that unless it is really necessary.

From the first link above I think the "Unicable" frequency table is used for Argentina, so unfortunately we can't see the full mapping in MS documentation. However from the log files we can see the tuner is tuning ~61.25 MHz for channel 3:

[2013-12-23 19:16:29,359] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - analog: Tune:tv:3 Freq:0 Channel:3 Country:Argentina Tuner:Cable Video:Tuner Audio:Automatic
...
[2013-12-23 19:16:39,561] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Analog: Tuned to country:54 video:61250000 Hz audio:65750000 Hz locked:True

...and ~55.25 MHz for channel 2:

[2013-12-23 19:18:15,226] [Log ] [19 ] [INFO ] - analog: Tune:tv:2 Freq:0 Channel:2 Country:Argentina Tuner:Cable Video:Tuner Audio:Automatic
...
[2013-12-23 19:18:17,582] [Log ] [19 ] [INFO ] - Analog: Tuned to country:54 video:55250000 Hz audio:59750000 Hz locked:True

Do you think those frequencies are used in your area?

One last question: are the ATI software encoders the only ones you have available?
You can check the installed-and-compatible-with-TV-Server software encoders in TV Server configuration here:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...onfiguration/06_General#Software_Encoders_Tab

mm

 

[gfszw]

So is the behaviour the same with all channels?

Yes, when I ran the test with full channel list, the result was the same.

Do you think those frequencies are used in your area?

Yes, because I was able to compare the frequencies with the values provided by a another (working) tv software (different tuner, different machine).

are the ATI software encoders the only ones you have available?

I tried: Cyberlink and MainConcept (with this one I got "Nothing found" at the channel scan). I could try WinDVR...

are you able to test it in the native environment?

I will try! As soon as I get some results I'll have them posted here.

Thank you!
Merry xmas!

 

[gfszw]

Hi, I have some news!

I have successfully tested the passing-trough of the PCI TV Card: in the exact same virtual machine I dual-booted Mythbuntu (MythTV didn't work) and played (and even streamed) live analog TV (pretty decent image quality but not sound due to a bug in VLC)! The software encoder that Linux uses is Video For Linux (version 2).
So, this means that the PCI card works (at least the analog part) and the passing-trough of the card is also working. This leaves the cause of the problem being either the driver; the software encoder; MediaPortal.

I saw that MediaPortal 1.6 has been released, so I will give it a try to see if the problem persists with that version...

 

[mm1352000]

I have successfully tested the passing-trough of the PCI TV Card: in the exact same virtual machine I dual-booted Mythbuntu (MythTV didn't work) and played (and even streamed) live analog TV (pretty decent image quality but not sound due to a bug in VLC)! The software encoder that Linux uses is Video For Linux (version 2).
So, this means that the PCI card works (at least the analog part) and the passing-trough of the card is also working.

So to be clear...

You have a virtual machine. Inside that virtual machine you created a Mythbuntu virtual machine. Inside the Mythbuntu virtual machine you were able to get analog TV working.

Have I understood correctly?

This leaves the cause of the problem being either the driver; the software encoder; MediaPortal.

My pick is the software encoders... as usual.

I saw that MediaPortal 1.6 has been released, so I will give it a try to see if the problem persists with that version...

There were no changes to analog tuner support in MP 1.6. I expect exactly the same behaviour as MP 1.5.

 

[gfszw]

You have a virtual machine. Inside that virtual machine you created a Mythbuntu virtual machine. Inside the Mythbuntu virtual machine you were able to get analog TV working.

It's much simpler than that: a single virtual machine with two OS (dual-boot), one being Windows 7 and the other Linux (Mythbuntu).

My pick is the software encoders... as usual.

I recently saw a new post in this thread with a package including InterVideo's software encoder (among others) so I guess I'll give it a try (I tried MainConcept's, ATI's and Cyberlink's but I had difficulties finding the others listed in MediaPortal)...


Thank you!