[Bug] [RC2]Switching HD channels fails random (2 Viewers)

[benjerry]

I've tested SD and I can confirm that I also have that problem on those channels, but much less frequent. about 1 in 30.

 

[arion_p]

Hi. I've tested the last dll. I still get the problem, but perhaps with a slight improvement. I would say about 1 in 10 switches going wrong.

The logs below contain a test with the failure in the last channel switch.

Just a reminder: always post full logs. This also means either remember to change log level in MediaPortal configuration to Debug, or just use "MediaPortal Debug mode" (see Forum/How_to_post_logs - MediaPortal Manual Documentation). Your logs are missing MediaPortal.log because your logging level is set to Error.

 

[benjerry]

Hi. I've tested the last dll. I still get the problem, but perhaps with a slight improvement. I would say about 1 in 10 switches going wrong.

The logs below contain a test with the failure in the last channel switch.

Just a reminder: always post full logs. This also means either remember to change log level in MediaPortal configuration to Debug, or just use "MediaPortal Debug mode" (see Forum/How_to_post_logs - MediaPortal Manual Documentation). Your logs are missing MediaPortal.log because your logging level is set to Error.

Yes, I forgot to change back to debug mode again. :sorry:

Here are new logs.

 

[arion_p]

I have added an extra check for PAT version changes to ignore backward changes (e.g. 2->1) which I believe only happens due to seeking behind the channel change. Try the attached TsReader to see if it helps. Test that the issue does not happen anymore, but also test that everything else is still working properly. Some tests to consider:

1. Zapping
2. Watching live tv while program changes video and/or audio format
3. Spice it up with audio selector various preferences (e.g. new show starts that has a preferred audio that did not exist in previous show)
4. do all of the above and seek back and forth across format/channel changes.
5. other I might have missed.

This is only a hack but a proper solution would require big reworks in TsWriter, StreamingServer and TsReader, and frankly I don't think we can afford such big changes in MP1 anymore.

 

[MacGyver2k]

First i'd like to describe my problem with switching channels.
Very similar except it only applies to SD/MPEG2 Channels. When doing that about every 5-10th time i get a black screen, channel changes and i see the last frame of the previous channel. when skipping forward everythin works fine again.
I never had the problem with changing channels to 720p/MPEG4 streams ( or between those streams ).

Tried several codecs, Cyberlink, MPC-HC, ... alway the same.

With Arions latest TsReader.ax i was able to change channels about ~70 times bevor i got a freeze, so this may be an improvement.
Attached the logs. I pressed "RIGHT" @ 20:12:09.579400, so the channel change was right before that.

Just for the record: had the same problems with RC1 and earlier SVNs.

 

[arion_p]

Please post your server logs as well.

 

[benjerry]

I have added an extra check for PAT version changes to ignore backward changes (e.g. 2->1) which I believe only happens due to seeking behind the channel change. Try the attached TsReader to see if it helps. Test that the issue does not happen anymore, but also test that everything else is still working properly. Some tests to consider:

1. Zapping
2. Watching live tv while program changes video and/or audio format
3. Spice it up with audio selector various preferences (e.g. new show starts that has a preferred audio that did not exist in previous show)
4. do all of the above and seek back and forth across format/channel changes.
5. other I might have missed.

This is only a hack but a proper solution would require big reworks in TsWriter, StreamingServer and TsReader, and frankly I don't think we can afford such big changes in MP1 anymore.

Hi. I'm not sure about 2&3, but did 1 and some 4 for sure.
Result is that nothing seems to have changed here.

 

[arion_p]

Please test newer version. I fear that it will break skip steps but try it anyway.

 

[benjerry]

Please test newer version. I fear that it will break skip steps but try it anyway.

First impression, no real test/logs -
This version made a big difference! I couldn't produce again the problem when switching live tv.

However -
1) sometimes after the black screen, shortly video of the previous channel was played before starting with the new channel.
2) replaying by going back in buffer seems to give now 100% channelswitch fail.
3) one time after I think a format change during watching ITV1 HD I had largely out of sync audio.

 

[MacGyver2k]

tried your new tsreader.ax, but at least no improvement here.
maybe one time: i got the frozen frame of the last channel, but then i got artifacts and the new stream continued.
but still about 10% of the channel changes lead to the frozen frame.

the last channel change was to "RTL TELEVISION" @ 19:48:25, i pressed "right" on the remote about 15 seconds later.


some other stuff i tested yesterday:
- on another client i changed channels for about 300 times, i never got a frozen picture.
- in UNC mode i never got a frozen picture on both machines, but a constant stuttering on both clients.
- the client i have the frozen pictures is a win7 32bit ION System ( Geforce 9400 / 2x1.92 Ghz Atom CPU / Indilinx SSD / 4 GB Ram )
- the client i have no problems is a Win7 64Bit System ( Geforce 7600GS / 4x 2.7Ghz Intel Q6600 / Intel SSD / 4GB Ram )
- both machines running same codecs and MP RC2 with same plugins
- network is gigabit // tv server should be fast enough ( athon dual core 5050e )

:edit:
i do think the problem is less frequent with this version.
this time i changed channels for about ~70 times, 2 times i got a frozen channel but then a continuing stream, and only one time it stopped completely. ( the attached logs are from the first test )...