TBS 6984 Can't use more than 1 tuner (1 Viewer)

[metropolis]

OK, here is the response from TBS:
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It seems to me like some MediaPortal bug. actually, i believe that MediaPortal is doing something that cuts the LNB power on the other tuners and that's why for example when you watch one channel and start recoding another the one you watch freezes, as MediaPortal sends instructions to 6984 driver that results in LNB power to be cut to the other tuner.
so, it's up to be investigated by us too, but i believe that is what happens and then it's interesting what difference in MediaPortal what you described here makes and workarounds the problem. maybe MediaPortal need to update their software to do the same initialization every time automatically.
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So where do I go from here?

Cheers.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Well you could see if it works with Windows media centre, if your system does not have access to that, then try Argus TV as a frontend for controlling tuning.

If as they said, somehow power is being removed from lnb, pretty sure we would have had a lot more reports of multiple tuner cards not working.

 

[porky996t]

@Paranoid Delusion - I have to agree Ray, if this was the case then surely it would happen with all installations of MP & the Quad Sat card and not just metropolis setup.

I'm stumped, this is far beyond my technical knowledge.

 

[metropolis]

Well you could see if it works with Windows media centre, if your system does not have access to that, then try Argus TV as a frontend for controlling tuning.

If as they said, somehow power is being removed from lnb, pretty sure we would have had a lot more reports of multiple tuner cards not working.

OK, I have just tried Windows 7 Media Centre, and sorry to report that the 6984 works fine.
Reboot PC, start watching BBC1, whilst watching BBC1 start to record Channel 4, then start to record BBC2, BBC1 still continues to play fine, recordings are all good also.

Perhaps there is an issue with MediaPortal?
I am using DJBlus version, so do have specific settings set.
I would of course be more than happy to assist in supplying tests, logs, anything else to get to the bottom of this.

Kind regards.

 

[porky996t]

@metropolis,

Just a quick update here. I have been playing around at my end and have changed the priorities of my TBS Quad DVB-S card so that the four tuners are at the top of the priority list in the TV Server (they were at the bottom with the TBS Quad DVB-T/T2 card being higher originally). I started watching BBC one as live TV and then started recording on BBC 2 and BBC Four - the picture on BBC1 froze and the signal and quality dropped right down as indicated in the 'Manual' section of the TV Server config. It appeared that the two other channels BBC2 & BBC Four continued recording OK. This looks to be the same problem as you are experiencing.

There is another forum user @Vic Thornley who has the same card, maybe he can also confirm if he is getting this behaviour too.

 

[metropolis]

FIXED!!!!!
I can now watch and record on all 4 tuners at the same time!
I needed to enable 'Allow this card to be preloaded' in the TV Server\Edit Card Properties (disabled by default).
Once I enabled this setting on each tuner, rebooted, now all works perfectly.
Many thanks for everyones help.

Kind regards

 

[porky996t]

Hey metropolis...great news! Well done for your persistence.

I'll try those settings on my card and report back (when the GF has stopped watching her Saturday morning sh!te)

It may be worthwhile to post an update on the TBS Forum too as there is quite a bit of MP related stuff on there.

 

[JoeF]

sorry to hijack your thread but im experiencing similar issues to yourself. I have followed all that you have and even thought I would have the same outcome as you once i allowed both cards to be preloaded. My issue is very random, recording ITV HD, cannot view any other channel as i get the no signal message. However earlier this morning, i was recording C4 HD and it allowed me to view many channels apart from sky 1 hd, sky sports hd. I got the message unable to start timeshifting or no free card available, tv froze and i wasn't able to view any channel until i physically restarted MP.

All cards are mapped correctly, this issue has just randomly appeared and when recording, i check in the tv server config, and the other tuner is sitting there idle yet when i try to timeshift it tells me no signal. I can however record SD channels and view others as normal :s

Using a TBS 6981 Dual Tuner. Again, sorry to hijack.

 

[porky996t]

Hi Joe,

Can you try and replicate and post logs up. I'll have a look through them, although do bear in mind I am no expert.

I thought the TBS 6981 was just a Freesat only compatible?

 

[JoeF]

Hi,

Please find attached the logs, if you need any others let me know. I have tried to replicate each problem which should show in the logs. I just now was watching ITV HD and it froze and said "no free card available". I am not recording anything or doing anything else. What i dont understand is, it was working fine and dandy last week, seems i have started getting issues when i updated to service pack 1 for windows 7.

Also, whether this is related, when i change channels, it takes an age and if for example im watching ITV HD and switch to BBC HD, it will do the switch but for 2 seconds will show a frozen ITV HD on BBC HD before realizing and switching to the relevant picture, kind of like a delay yet randomly last night i was flicking through channels and its the fastest its ever been for about 6 changes before going back to its sluggish old ways.