TV Server and card trouble (1 Viewer)

[mores369]

Hey y'all. MediaPortal was working happily until I bought a new smart TV this past week. All of a sudden MP keeping telling me that no free cards are available. The HD HomeRun watch TV program shows everything perfectly, so I know things are fine on that end. Could my problem be somehow related to the new smart TV? The TV inputs section does show HD Homerun, but the problem is still there when I disconnect the smart TV from the router. Attached are the log files, as usual. Am I missing anything obvious?
Thanks,
~Mike

 

[mm1352000]

Hello Mike

I can't tell you if the problem is related to the new TV. All I can comment on is what the TV Server log files show.

When you try to use the tuners, the earlier parts of the log file show:
[collapse]
[2016-11-06 14:48:10,795] [Log ] [scheduler thread] [ERROR] - Exception :TvLibrary.TvExceptionGraphBuildingFailed: DRI CC: tuner appears to be in use
at TvLibrary.Implementations.Dri.TunerDri.BuildGraph()
at TvLibrary.Implementations.Dri.TunerDri.BeforeTune(IChannel channel)
at TvLibrary.Implementations.DVB.TvCardATSC.Tune(Int32 subChannelId, IChannel channel)

[2016-11-06 14:48:10,806] [Log ] [scheduler thread] [ERROR] - Exception :TvLibrary.TvExceptionGraphBuildingFailed: DRI CC: tuner appears to be in use
at TvLibrary.Implementations.Dri.TunerDri.BuildGraph()
at TvLibrary.Implementations.Dri.TunerDri.BeforeTune(IChannel channel)
at TvLibrary.Implementations.DVB.TvCardATSC.Tune(Int32 subChannelId, IChannel channel)
at TvService.CardTuner.Tune(IUser& user, IChannel channel, Int32 idChannel)[/collapse]

In other words, TV Server thinks it can't use the tuner because some other "agent" (program, TV... whatever) is using the tuner. That other agent could be the HDHR software that you mentioned, or the TV, or a lot of other things. The log file can't tell.

Later, TV Server completely loses contact with the tuner:
[collapse]
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,970] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - UPnP device HDHomeRun DRI Tuner 131C5A26 removed
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,971] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - remove HDHomeRun Prime Tuner 131C5A26-1 uuidA1E13E0-26BB-35D0-A04E-84CA171362BF
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,989] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - Controller: remove device HDHomeRun Prime Tuner 131C5A26-1 uuidA1E13E0-26BB-35D0-A04E-84CA171362BF
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,989] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - DRI CC: remove source filter
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,990] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - remove HDHomeRun Prime Tuner 131C5A26-2 uuid:8A8738A8-569A-3A60-9E76-5E703CA444FC
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,990] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - Controller: remove device HDHomeRun Prime Tuner 131C5A26-2 uuid:8A8738A8-569A-3A60-9E76-5E703CA444FC
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,990] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - DRI CC: remove source filter
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,990] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - remove HDHomeRun Prime Tuner 131C5A26-0 uuid:89FC4096-0367-3D71-9A4A-69B44F679AC0
[2016-11-06 14:49:08,991] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - Controller: remove device HDHomeRun Prime Tuner 131C5A26-0 uuid:89FC4096-0367-3D71-9A4A-69B44F679AC0[/collapse]

Both of these scenarios would cause TV Server to report that "no free cards are available".

The HD HomeRun watch TV program shows everything perfectly, so I know things are fine on that end.

Having seen similar reports in the past, I'm not inclined to be so confident.
As above: the use of other agents like this may even have triggered or contributed to the problem.

If I were you, I would do the following:

1. Stop the TV service (TV Server Configuration -> manual control section).
2. Close all "agents" (PC programs, apps on TVs and phones etc.) that may be using the tuners.
3. Power cycle the HDHR.
4. Start the TV service.

All things being equal (network, firewall config etc.), the tuners should now work again. If they don't, please provide fresh log files.

Kind regards,
mm
P.S. I recommend avoiding TV Server stress tests (TV Server Configuration -> test channels section). If you want to check whether TV Server and/or certain channels are working correctly, it's almost always best to use TV Server Configuration -> manual control.

 

[mores369]

Thanks again, MM. I tried what you suggested and shut everything off; I even unplugged the smart TV from the network. The HD homerun player has always worked fine, so I suppose it's possible that something is messing up MP. Attached are new log files. In skimming them, it looks like the tuner is still being used. Is there any way to figure out what's doing it? Hopefully you notice something new.
I really appreciate it,
~Mike

 

[mm1352000]

Attached are new log files.

Thanks.

In skimming them, it looks like the tuner is still being used. Is there any way to figure out what's doing it? Hopefully you notice something new.

These log files are quite different. Now what you're getting is:
[2016-11-06 18:52:47,007] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - Controller: find free card for channel WMTVDT
...
[2016-11-06 18:52:47,050] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - Controller: found 3 card(s) for channel
...
[2016-11-06 18:52:47,055] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - Controller: try max 1 of 1 cards for timeshifting
...
[2016-11-06 18:53:10,753] [Log ] [23 ] [DEBUG] - WaitForPMT: Timed out waiting for PMT after 10.000572 seconds. Increase the PMT timeout value?
...
[2016-11-06 18:53:11,314] [Log ] [23 ] [INFO ] - Controller: Timeshifting failed, no more cards available.

Previously TV Server was locked out of even attempting to use the tuners. So yeah - very different now, even though the end result looks the same to you.

Please refer to my post -->here<-- for info about PMT time-outs with CableCARD tuners.

 

[mores369]

That's interesting. I tried that suggestion, with the smart tv still unplugged from the network, and everything seems to have recovered just fine. Then, I plugged the TV back into the network, and MP stalled out again and had card problems. The network tuner and the smart tv were both plugged into a network switch, and when I plugged the smart tv directly into the router, the problem seems to have vanished. I restarted the PC a few times to check that everything was okay, and it seems to be. If it happens again, I'll send new logs and we'll try again.
Thanks again for your continued help.
~Mike

 

[mm1352000]

Indeed, very interesting. If true, this would be the first report I've seen of a TV causing trouble with a CableCARD tuner.

Anyway, I'm glad you found a solution, and I hope it sticks.

 

[John David]

I'm having difficulty with TV Server also. I'm new at this, but been using MP1 (1.15.0) for a few months. Today after a power surge/drop I found I was unable to delete recorded tv shows, record shows, etc. I can watch previously recorded shows only. At one point, I got the following message:

***
Failed to startup tvserviceSystem.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Server stack trace:
at TvService.TVController.get_Cards0
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.
SyncProcess Message (IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]:
at
System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.Real Proxy
HandleReturnMewssage(IMessage regMsg. IMessage ret Msg)
at
System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.
Private Invoke (Message Data & msgData, Int 32 Type
at
Control.IController.get_Cars0
at Setup TvStartup.Main (String [] arguments)
***
I've attached my logs but am not sure how to attach my Computer info: Intel i3CPU ** Win10 ** etc.

I'd be grateful for any help you might be able to give.
~John David

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome John David

The wiki explains your problem:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...figuration_Fails_To_Start_-_get_Cards()_error

As shown in the log file, the IP address of your computer has changed:
[2016-11-07 05:06:18,432] [Log ] [TVService] [INFO ] - Controller: started at Sight_and_Sound
[2016-11-07 05:06:18,448] [Log ] [TVService] [INFO ] - Controller: local ip address:192.168.1.3

[2016-11-07 17:36:51,104] [Log ] [TVService] [INFO ] - Controller: started at Sight_and_Sound
[2016-11-07 17:36:51,104] [Log ] [TVService] [INFO ] - Controller: local ip address:192.168.1.5

Presumably this happened because your network switch/router lost power during the surge/drop and subsequently assigned a different IP address to your computer.

You ought to configure your computer with a static IP address (192.168.1.3):
https://www.supportrix.com/kb/how-to-set-a-static-or-fixed-ip-address-in-windows-10/

Regards,
mm

 

[John David]

You are awesome. I'll work on this tomorrow. What you're writing makes a lot of sense. I have high hopes now.
And thanks for the links. They'll help as well. I'll give it a shot.

Thank you!

 

[John David]

Here it is tomorrow. Thanks to "mm" I'm a happy camper. Your response was spot on.
Again, thanks!