[Videos] offline network video folders leads to MP freeze (1 Viewer)

[arneman]

TV-Server Version: 1.1.0 beta
MediaPortal Version: 1.1.0 beta
MediaPortal Skin: Blue3 Wide
Windows Version: XP Prof SP3
CPU Type: AMD X2 5600+
HDD: Samsung HD753LJ
Memory: 2GB
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-M56S-S3
Video Card: Geforce 8600GT
Video Card Driver: GeForce 181.20
Sound Card: Onboard
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: PCTV Sat Pro PCI
1. TV Card Type: DVB-S
1. TV Card Driver: 09/12/2006,4.1.1.0
2. TV Card: PCTV Sat Pro PCI
2. TV Card Type: DVB-S
2. TV Card Driver: 09/12/2006,4.1.1.0
3. TV Card: Terratec Cinergy PCI S2 HD
3. TV Card Type: DVB-S2
3. TV Card Driver: 1.1.1.301
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: PowerDVD 8x
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA
h.264 Video Codec: PowerDVD 8x , Core AVC
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Astra 19.2
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: X10, Keysonic Wireless Mini Keyboard
TV: Toshiba 42Z3030D
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI to HDMI, Audio: optical SPDIF

First of all I want to thank the dev team for creating this nice program.

One of my Video folders is on another PC in the network. Alpha reconized very quick when this pc is offline, but Beta waits/try to reach it for about 10 sec - so MP freezes for this time. And this freeze happens again each time the video folder list is shown.

Regards

Arne

 

[infinite.loop]

And where are the logs of such an freeze?

I do not understand why i have to read such incomplete Bugreports everyday here in the Bugreports forums....
Is it really so hard to follow the ::guideline:: and provide us with the _required_ informations?

You guy's might not understand this, but that is _very_ frustrating to see literally everyone ignoring the ::guideline::.
Don't be surprised if soon noone from the team will even look in here because all we receive is "it does not work", without proper logs.

 

[arneman]

I thought this is a very clear problem and that the logs are not needed. Now I repeated it and created log files. I could not see anything in the logs, there is just no entry for about 21 sec (the time MP freezed).

One video folder is in a Windows Network ("\\192.168.1.20"). This folder was not available (PC was offline) while I made this test.

What I did:
22:54:09 : Clicked on My Videos
MP FREEZE
22:54:30 : Video folders are displayed

Mediaportal.log:

2009-09-01 22:54:09.187500 [Info.][MPMain]: open folderdatabase
2009-09-01 22:54:09.453125 [Debug][MPMain]: TextureManager: CleanupThumbs()
2009-09-01 22:54:09.562500 [Debug][MPMain]: GUIVideoFiles: DVD folder detected - E:\VIDEO_TS
2009-09-01 22:54:30.625000 [Debug][MPMain]: GUIVideoFiles: SelectCurrentItem - nothing to do for item -1

MP 1.1 Alpha recognized when a network folder is not available and showed the other folders immediatly (not after a 20sec freeze).

Regards

Arne

 

[infinite.loop]

I thought this is a very clear problem and that the logs are not needed.

Please just follow the guideline. logs are ALWAYS NEEDED EVEN IF THEY DO NOT SHOW ANY ERRORS!
Simply because the provide some critical infos about your system/setup.

In your case i need more infos.

One video folder is in a Windows Network ("\\192.168.1.20"). This folder was not available (PC was offline) while I made this test.

1. do you use the "remember last used folder" option, so that MP opens the folder you were in when closing MP?
2. is that networkfolder which was offline the _default_ folder of my videos? (checkbox in configuration infront of the folder)
3. how do you map the folders?
   • UNC path's -> \\PC1\videos\
   • mapped networkdrive -> U:\videos
4. what happens when der is no DVD in the drive? (since the 21 sec delay occurs after the DVD was deteced.)
   

 

[arneman]

Hi!

do you use the "remember last used folder" option, so that MP opens the folder you were in when closing MP?

No I don't use this function.

is that networkfolder which was offline the _default_ folder of my videos? (checkbox in configuration infront of the folder)

No

how do you map the folders?
UNC path's -> \\PC1\videos\
mapped networkdrive -> U:\videos

via \\IP-Adress (connection: gigabit lan, ping 1ms)

what happens when der is no DVD in the drive? (since the 21 sec delay occurs after the DVD was deteced.)

As soon as I delete the network folder in MP Config, the freeze is away. I just tested it, without DVD it is the same freeze as before (if the network folder is offline)



Regards

Arne

 

[infinite.loop]

so you actually have no folder which MP enters by default when you go to MyVideos.
you just see the list of all shared folders + drives.
and in case that one of these shares is "offline", MyVideos hangs for 10+seconds, right?

if yes, then i will try to reproduce that in a few hours.

 

[infinite.loop]

okay, i have just tested this.
got 2 shares configured on 2 different pc's which are both bowered down.
there is absolutelly no delay when entering MyVideos without an default share assigned.

but i use hostnames in the UNC path's not IP adresses. you might try that as well.
tested on w7 64bit german rtm

 

[arneman]

If I use the name of the PC instead of the IP address it works. So the problem is solved for me, but I think this is still a bug.

I took a look at the backuped mediaportal.xml from 1.1.0 Alpha. I used the IP address (not the PC name) with Alpha and there was no freeze.

Apart from this, it should not matter if you use IP or Host name. I both cases MP should check, whether the address is online or not (as it did before in 1.1.0 Alpha) to avoid a 20 sec. freeze.

Kind Regards

Arne

 

[infinite.loop]

Please be aware that we only support hostnames for configuration of:
- UNC paths for shares
- multiseat MediaPortal Client setups

using IP might work, but no guarantee.

 

[arneman]

Please be aware that we only support hostnames for configuration of:
- UNC paths for shares
- multiseat MediaPortal Client setups

Nice Information, but wich user does expect that?! It is a standard in windows that you are able to use IP or Hostename, like f.e. not case sensitive paths/files are standards, too. That is like you for example only accept case sensitive foldernames but do not tell the user when he should enter a path... Sorry, but this is not userfriendly and I'm wondering why the behavior changed between 1.1.0 Alpha and 1.1.0 Beta without changing anything else on my PC than the MP version. In my opinion this is a bug because it is not conform with windows standards and there is no explanation/hint for the user who should enter a path in MP Config.

Your tip solved the problem for me (THX), but it takes me about 1 hour of time (and your time, too). I'm using MP for a long time now and I'm really happy with it, but problems like this are really annoying. That should not be a blame! I know, this is not commercial, but I think the aspiration is (or should be) to create a software wich satisfies the users needs. And usability is definitely an important user need for this kind of software. I predict, that new users won't be so patience with problems like this. They will delete MP and try other software.

If you don't want to change the code, you should at least add a little hint below the path text box in the MP config, that only hostnames are accepted.

Regards

Arne