1.37 Seeking within a program after changing channels does not work while watching live TV (1 Viewer)

[Gcarr]

When I first start watching a TV program the timeshift functions works perfectly. I can shift back and forth in time and it works like it's supposed to.
However, If I switch to another channel the timeshift function does not work at all. Something happens and it never recovers unless I stop viewing TV and start the program over. If I look at the Timeshifting folder, I can see that the timeshift buffer is still saving and building files but for some reason MP cannot seek in them.

I am using 1.38 currently, This started in 1.37 but, possibly earlier. (I've put it off for a while due to other stuff going on)

 

[CyberSimian]

If I switch to another channel the timeshift function does not work at all.

I have just tried this on my MP 1.37 production system, and I cannot reproduce your results. After changing the channel, I can use the FAST_BACKWARD or JUMP_BACKWARD buttons on the remote control to return to the parts of the previous channel that are still in the buffer.

I have looked at your logs, but as usual they are pretty much unintelligible.

I cannot think of anything that might cause the behaviour that you observe. This behaviour does occur when a "reminder" is used to change the channel by default (see this post) but you have not reported that you were using that.

Perhaps someone else has an idea?

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[Gcarr]

@CyberSimian Thanks for your response, I was searching for that post you linked so I could post there but I couldn't find it again. I have used reminders in the past but I haven't done so in several days and when I do use them, I don't set it change the channel.

I'm curious though, what is different between changing the channel manually and changing the channel with a reminder that causes this behavior?

 

[CyberSimian]

I'm curious though, what is different between changing the channel manually and changing the channel with a reminder that causes this behavior?

Logically there is no difference (i.e. they should behave the same). So the difference is caused by the implementation. Presumably the processing for reminders is done in a different place in the code, and whoever implemented it did not follow the existing behaviour (perhaps they were not aware of the existing behaviour).

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[Gcarr]

Thanks, that sounds likely. I can imagine that's hard to keep up with.

 

[Gcarr]

@CyberSimian As it turns out, I switched my skin to DefaultWide skin yesterday and this problem went away. I had been using MPStreamed prior to that.

 

[CyberSimian]

I switched my skin to DefaultWide skin yesterday and this problem went away. I had been using MPStreamed prior to that.

Strange . I did wonder whether the skin used would affect the outcome, but from my knowledge of skin programming I could not see how the skin would affect seeking.

I think it is the case that the author of the "StreamedMP" skin no longer maintains it. This is also true for many other skins.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[Gcarr]

Well, I was mistaken. Not sure what convinced me it was working, (probably because my brain is frazzled) but, it's still doing the same thing. I checked my other MP client last night and it's doing the same thing. I run the server headless but using VNC viewer it does the same thing. I did try relocating the timeshift folder from D: to C: with no improvement. I'm assuming that the timeshift function is performed solely on the client (other than the location of the TS buffer) so it's really weird that all of them do the same thing. I may try setting up a clean MP client on a laptop with an earlier version in the next day or two.

 

[CyberSimian]

I checked my other MP client last night and it's doing the same thing. I run the server headless but using VNC viewer it does the same thing.

The live TV buffer resides on the TV Server system. So when you use the JUMP_BACKWARD function on the MP client, the client must send a message to TV Server asking for the playback point to be moved backwards. So it seems to me that it is TV Server that is refusing to move the playback point earlier than the most recent channel change.

So is there a TV Server setting that would affect this? Nothing occurs to me at the moment. Are you using any TV Server plugins that might affect this? There are relatively few plugins that run on TV Server.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[Gcarr]

I've not made any changes in the server in a long while, other than adding new stations. But I will reexamine my config. Nothing unusual with plugins, Pwr scheduler, xmltv, MP iptv and comskip launcher. Gonna take a break from this for a little while and come back when I have a clear head again. Thanks for your help!