Problem with recording on multiple tuners (1 Viewer)

[wjw]

Hi,

I am having an intermittent problem with multiple simultaneous recordings. I'll try to describe briefly. I have three tuners. From time to time I notice that a recording has not completed successfully. There is no particular pattern to this and the amount of time "chopped off" at the end varies. I usually only discover this several weeks (sometimes months!) too late to be able to relate it to any particular event.

This morning I tried to set up a test. I retuned all three tuners to the same satellite then tried to record 2 channels on different transponders and then watch a third. Failed - third channel got me "no free card". However, trying other channels and then coming back to to the original did work. I had 2 recordings going and watched a third live channel.

So, I am now wondering whether there is some timer somewhere that is interfering (Please Note - I'm just guessing here!) and that this has prevented recording finishing because the tuner in use has been switched to something else.

I have attached a TVServer log file from this morning (created after a restart before setting out on the test.).

Problem starts with the line beginning:

[2015-12-15 11:17:54,661]

and the recording starts OK.

Second event is at line:

[2015-12-15 11:18:12,992]

and second recording start OK.

I then tried to watch Channel 4, starting around line beginning:

[2015-12-15 11:18:20,254]

Next significant event (at least it seems to me is the line:

[2015-12-15 11:18:20,524] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: StartTimeShifting failed:AllCardsBusy

As I said, sometime after that I could watch the channel.

Help would be much appreciated. I can set up different tests into a new log file if that will help.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

It appears that you have not mapped all channels to all cards. For example ITV HD is mapped to three tuners but Channel 5 and BBC One are only known for two tuners. .

 

[mm1352000]

Hello

I'd be happy to try to answer your queries.

I then tried to watch Channel 4, starting around line beginning:

[2015-12-15 11:18:20,254]

Next significant event (at least it seems to me is the line:

[2015-12-15 11:18:20,524] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: StartTimeShifting failed:AllCardsBusy

Yes, I see what you mean.

In short, the reason this happened is that TV Server was still in the process of starting the second recording. The full explanation is quite complex so please bear with me.

When TV Server tunes, it reserves two tuners so that tuning can be successful even if tuning with the first tuner fails. Once a tuner is reserved, it can't be used to tune another channel unless the tuning user has higher priority than the original reserving user... or until the reservation is removed. User priorities are configured in TV Server Configuration as shown here:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...n/TV-Server_Configuration/10a_User_Priorities

I'll explain what happened in your test to [hopefully] help you understand what I mean:

1. Reservations are created for tuners 1 and 2 to record "BBC ONE 11:17-12:00 Oxford Street Revealed". Now tuner 1 and 2 are occupied and tuner 3 is free.
   
2. Recording starts successfully with tuner 1; the reservation on tuner 2 is removed. Now tuner 1 is occupied and tuners 2 and 3 are free.
3. Reservations are created for tuners 2 and 3 to record "ITV HD 11:18-12:30 This Morning". Now all 3 tuners are occupied.
4. You try to start viewing "Channel 4 HD". This fails because all tuners are occupied, and the priority of your user ("Loungepc") is lower than the priority of the scheduler. Hypothetically, if "Loungepc" were configured with higher priority than the scheduler user then starting "Channel 4 HD" would have succeeded.
5. Recording starts successfully with tuner 2; the reservation on tuner 3 is removed. Now tuner 1 and 2 are occupied and tuner 3 is free.
6. You try to start viewing "Channel 5".
7. A reservation is created for tuner 3. Now all 3 tuners are occupied.
8. Tuning is successful, so all 3 tuners remain occupied.

As I said, sometime after that I could watch the channel.

Yes, as explained above: once the second recording starts, you're then able to use the third tuner to view Channel 5. The reason you couldn't tune Channel 4 HD was due to your timing. If you'd waited approximately 2 seconds more before trying to start Channel 4 HD then it would have succeeded.

 

[mm1352000]

It appears that you have not mapped all channels to all cards. For example ITV HD is mapped to three tuners but Channel 5 and BBC One are only known for two tuners. .

I'm not sure where you're seeing that.

All of the tested channels have at least 2 tuning details (1 or 2 DVB-S/S2 for Freesat and/or Sky, and 1 DVB-T/T2 for Freeview) so you have to read carefully.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

All of the tested channels have at least 2 tuning details (1 or 2 DVB-S/S2 for Freesat and/or Sky, and 1 DVB-T/T2 for Freeview)

I had put "informative" to your explanaitons above. However, in the log there are channels displaying "found 3 tuning details" and others with 2 only. So without really looking at the details if two tuners are already occupied and the third channel has only two details, then it might just not be available anymore.

 

[mm1352000]

@HTPCSourcer
Okay, we can take Channel 4 HD (which is where wjw saw the error) as an example.

Two tuning details:
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,271] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: got 2 tuning details for Channel 4 HD

Tuning detail 1 (Freesat/Sky DVB-S/S2) is mapped to all satellite tuners as expected:
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,281] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: channel #1 DVBS:tv:BSkyB Channel 4 HD Freq:11126000 ONID:2 TSID:2068 SID:21200 PMT:0x103 FTA:True LCN:10000 SymbolRate:22000 Modulation:ModNotSet Polarisation:LinearV InnerFecRate:Rate5_6 DisEqc:None band:Universal Pilot:NotSet RollOff:NotSet
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,301] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:18 typevbS can tune to channel
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,301] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:18 typevbS users: 0
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,311] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:19 typevbS can tune to channel
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,311] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:19 typevbS users: 1
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,311] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:17 typevbS can tune to channel
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,321] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:17 typevbS users: 0

Tuning detail 2 (Freeview DVB-T/T2) is mapped to all terrestrial tuners as expected (...though all of them are disabled):
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,321] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: channel #2 DVBT:tv: Channel 4 Freq:754000 ONID:9018 TSID:8206 SID:8384 PMT:0x44C FTA:True LCN:4 BandWidth:8
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,331] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:16 typevbT is disabled

The "AllCardsBusy" error occurs due to the reservation behaviour I explained:
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,508] [Log ] [7 ] [DEBUG] - CardReservationBase.RequestCardTuneReservation: placed reservation with id=7, tuningdetails=DVBS:tv:BSkyB Channel 4 HD Freq:11126000 ONID:2 TSID:2068 SID:21200 PMT:0x103 FTA:True LCN:10000 SymbolRate:22000 Modulation:ModNotSet Polarisation:LinearV InnerFecRate:Rate5_6 DisEqc:None band:Universal Pilot:NotSet RollOff:NotSet
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,508] [Log ] [7 ] [DEBUG] - CardReservationBase.HasUserHigherPriorityThanBlockingUser: False - user 'Loungepc' with prio=2 vs blocking user 'scheduler459416' with prio=100
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,508] [Log ] [7 ] [DEBUG] - CardReservationBase.RequestCardTuneReservation: failed reservation tuningdetails=DVBS:tv:BSkyB Channel 4 HD Freq:11126000 ONID:2 TSID:2068 SID:21200 PMT:0x103 FTA:True LCN:10000 SymbolRate:22000 Modulation:ModNotSet Polarisation:LinearV InnerFecRate:Rate5_6 DisEqc:None band:Universal Pilot:NotSet RollOff:NotSet, res id blocking=5, state=Tuning
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,524] [Log ] [7 ] [DEBUG] - CardReservationBase.HasUserHigherPriorityThanBlockingUser: False - user 'Loungepc' with prio=2 vs blocking user 'scheduler459416' with prio=100
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,524] [Log ] [7 ] [DEBUG] - CardReservationBase.RequestCardTuneReservation: failed reservation tuningdetails=DVBS:tv:BSkyB Channel 4 HD Freq:11126000 ONID:2 TSID:2068 SID:21200 PMT:0x103 FTA:True LCN:10000 SymbolRate:22000 Modulation:ModNotSet Polarisation:LinearV InnerFecRate:Rate5_6 DisEqc:None band:Universal Pilot:NotSet RollOff:NotSet, res id blocking=6, state=TunePending
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,524] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:19 typevbS users: 1
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,524] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: card:19 typevbS is not available, tuned to different transponder
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,524] [Log ] [7 ] [DEBUG] - CardReservation.CancelCardReservation id=7
[2015-12-15 11:18:20,524] [Log ] [7 ] [INFO ] - Controller: StartTimeShifting failed:AllCardsBusy

 

[mm1352000]

To be really clear...

However, in the log there are channels displaying "found 3 tuning details" and others with 2 only.

This is absolutely fine and normal. Tuning details are not mappings. Even if the channel had only one tuning detail, that one tuning detail could be mapped to all tuners... or none... or whatever.

So without really looking at the details if two tuners are already occupied and the third channel has only two details, then it might just not be available anymore.

It seems like you're confusing tuning details and mappings.
It's fine if the third channel has only two tuning details. As long as at least one of them is compatible with the tuner (ie. DVB-S tuning details for DVB-S tuners etc.) then it doesn't matter.

 

[wjw]

Wow! Thanks for the very fast responses and the level of detail. At least I can understand what happened this morning. Unfortunately though, I don't think it helps with the problem that caused me to look into this (i.e. the recordings that stopped before their scheduled finish times) since it seems most unlikely that the timing issue you describe would arise under those circumstances.

Given that I usually only find these well after the event I will need to think a bit deeper.

(PS I carefully checked the mappings and all the channels I used are definitely mapped to all three cards).

One further question if I may. In order to ensure complete consistency of tuning details across all three cards for all the channels I use, I am considering deleting all the current mappings and tuning details and starting again from scratch with empty mapping tables. Any special precautions I should take before doing this? I'm think particularly of possible effects on any scheduled recordings.

 

[mm1352000]

Unfortunately though, I don't think it helps with the problem that caused me to look into this (i.e. the recordings that stopped before their scheduled finish times) since it seems most unlikely that the timing issue you describe would arise under those circumstances.

Correct, it's impossible for the circumstances I described to affect recordings.

One further question if I may. In order to ensure complete consistency of tuning details across all three cards for all the channels I use, I am considering deleting all the current mappings and tuning details and starting again from scratch with empty mapping tables. Any special precautions I should take before doing this? I'm think particularly of possible effects on any scheduled recordings.

If you delete all your channels then all your schedules that refer to specific channels (eg. "every time on this channel") will also be broken. That is, if they're not automatically deleted at the same time the channels are deleted. Therefore if I were you I wouldn't do this.


If you don't restart your PC and/or TV service then some of the TV Server logs may cover up to 10 days. Would that be enough time for you to pick up that something had gone wrong?
When a recording is cut off, do you think there are always other recordings scheduled at or around the same time? ...or is it possible that a recording that runs by itself (with the other tuners idle) may also be cut off? (If you answer yes to this then the problem is most likely either the accuracy of your guide information, the accuracy of the start/stop times on the schedule, or signal strength/quality.)

 

[wjw]

As ever, thanks for your time and help.

I know it might be hard to understand - but we can (and often do) watch things recorded months ago. The programme that caused me to post the original query had been recorded on Sept. 9th - rather more than 10 days ago. I looked for old logs to see if I could work anything out myself, but nothing from then of course.

It's not a guide info issue either. In this particular instance the .xml file for this programme was correctly showing the description and scheduled time (1 hour plus 7 pre and 15 post minutes) but the actual length of the recording was 53 minutes.

Would a break in signal strength cause a recording to simply stop?