TBS: CI/CAM support and other improvements (3 Viewers)

[AberDino]

Hi Elof, I added a separate PCI Express USB3 expansion card to the server, which has the 3x USB TBS DVB devices connected to it. The server runs VMware ESXi 5.5 Update 2. I then pass through the USB expansion card to the virtual machine using VMDirectPath, rather than the individual USB devices. This way the Windows 7 VM has full control over the USB expansion card and connected devices, see here.

 

[Elof]

Thank you, I've thought about something like that but I have two ESX with DRS so I would prefer a solution that allows the virtual TV-server to move in the cluster.

 

[jocke4u]

Hi,
Is this CI/CAM patch included in MediaPortal 1.10.0 or do I need to apply the patch? (running TBS5880)

 

[mm1352000]

Is this CI/CAM patch included in MediaPortal 1.10.0 or do I need to apply the patch? (running TBS5880)

Not included. TV Server is under code freeze. You need to apply the patch.

 

[Syrel]

Hello,

I'm struggling with a TBS6618 DVBC card w/ CAM+CI, and cannot fix it.
The symptom is that the card works perfectly until the first Standby (S3) - Resume cycle. After resume, the card appears no longer accessible by TV Server.
Initially I had issues with BSOD upon resume, using driver 1.0.0.4, but then contacted TBS support (Steven) and they were kind enough to fix the driver for me. Now I no longer have BSODs, and the card is still there in Device Manager after resume, but TV Server is not able to use it any more. Various messages like No signal, Channel not found, etc. are thrown.

Since I've been trying to debug it for 3+ days, I've discovered the following:

• If I stop all users of the card before standby (TV Server service), and start them again manually after resume, there is no issue. (This needs to be further validated, since I've only tried this ~5 times.)
  
• When the card is unresponsive after resume, and I stop the TV Server service, go to Device Mgr and disable/re-enable the TBS card, everything starts to work properly again. (This is consistent and verified.)
  
• When the card gets 'locked' after resume (not working from TV Server's point of view), it still appears to partially work from TBS Viewer. This means that TBS Viewer does not complain about the card being unavailable or not responsive, and upon channel switch I see the progress bar gets updated, and keeps moving. It seems the card itself can tune, stream is there, and certain program info is indeed retrieved, but the filter graph cannot build properly and there is no audio/video. I'm definitely no expert on filter graphs, but it's like something in the graph does not provide video/audio.
  
• There are no exceptions reported in the TV Server's log, but the log suggests that even if the graph builds properly, there is no signal coming.

I have tried to change all settings, including delays, stopping card instead of pausing, changing the TV Server service startup to delayed, etc. As a result, now it seems that when MediaPortal is not running, just the TV Server and it's settings utility, sleep/resume works (I have yet to test this further, I did ~4 tests yesterday evening and got excited that it works). At least in the TV Server config utility I can tune in to any channel and I get video/audio after resume. But the same does not work from MediaPortal, and once I get the 'No signal' error, the card does not provide video/audio in the TBSViewer as well, and the only way to make it work properly again is to disable/reenable from Device Mgr.

I'm on Win7 x64, and MP 1.10 with the latest patch from this thread of course.

Can anyone suggest anything that I could try?

 

[mm1352000]

Can anyone suggest anything that I could try?

I would suggest that you try to remove and reinsert the CAM, and see if that helps.

Beyond that, it would be helpful if you could post full logs (MP + TV Server, using the MP debug/watchdog tool) showing what happens when the problem occurs. If I don't know exactly how the problem is occurring then I can't make good suggestions.

 

[Syrel]

@mm1352000
Thanks for the tip.
Also pls. find attached full logs.
I've tried to remove and reinsert the CAM when the card is 'locked' and it does not help. I still get "No signal" message...

 

[Syrel]

Hi mm1352000,
Have you had a chance to look at the logs?
I'd appreciate any further ideas as I don't have a clue what the solution could be...

 

[mm1352000]

Sorry, it has been a busy week.
I've had a quick glance through the logs. The latest standby/resume cycle is odd, because your attempt to tune "Hir TV" results in "no signal"... but seconds later the DVB EPG grabber is able to lock on signal for radio channel "Bartok". However, even the DVB EPG grabber hits "PMT not found" errors... which indicates that the tuner is probably not delivering any stream.

My advice would be to try to enable the "reinitialize TV controller on wakeup" option (TV Server configuration, plugins, PS plugin configuration, enable expert mode, advanced tab).

 

[Syrel]

Thanks a lot for the suggestion and support, I truly appreciate it!

Unfortunately this seems to be causing something else.
Now after resume, the stream locks up every ~5 secs for ~10-15 secs at least. So working for 5 secs, audio/video stops for 10-15 secs, working again for 5, stops for 15, etc.

Pls. find attached the TV Server log, I have yet to run it again with watchdog for full logs.