TV-Server on WHS - Collection of fixes and workarounds (1 Viewer)

[vvulture]

Re: AW: TV-Server on WHS - Collection of fixes and workarounds

Then you have to change the line with the Datu1 parameter:

Old

Datu1=right("00"&month(datu0),2)&"/"&right("00"&day(datu0),2)&"/"&year(datu0)

new:

Datu1=right("00"&day(datu0),2)&"/"&right("00"&month(datu0),2)&"/"&year(datu0)

That did it !! You are a legend Larry... Seems like it is working ok now

If you wrere here, i would kiss you ! LOL

Will do some more testing over the days and report any problems if any...

Thank you very much for your time and effort Larry. Much appreciated.

 

[yhoogi]

Just wanted you guys to know, I used your guide to get tv server running on my WHS machine with success. The only changes I followed were to use the pdvd 9 trial. I could not find the pdvd8 trial without resorting to warez sites. Didn't want to go there

Anyway, I did have to rename the config files as described in the thread, also I do get errors when going into the config for tvserver, saying it is an unsupported configuration. However it works fine.

Other than live tv anyway.

When viewing live tv after about 2 minutes the video and audio both start to freeze and restart about every 4 or 5 seconds like clockwork. The strange thing is I can record the same file and go into recorded tv and play from there while the file is still recording and it plays without issue.

I am not using rtsp streaming as I have the 4tr plugin for tv with the use ts option selected.

Sorry, I can't help you here as I am not using 4tr. So no experience how this is working within the WHS environment.
Still some clarifications are required:

1. Did you tried if this behaviour also occurs with the standard rtsp?
2. I assume, you use WHS as TV server only; right?
3. Are there any power managment features (e.g. HDD power down modes) enabled? HDD Spin ups may cause an interrupt of the streaming service
4. You may have to check if the logs identify any misbehaviour (e.g. dropped packets)

In case the standard rtsp is working fine it may be that 4tr is the cause for the misbehaviour and would propose you ask the author. In case there is a fix/workaround please be so kind and post the approach as it could be of interest for other WHS users as well.

Please bear in mind that the WHS is not a full Windows, as there are critical services, funtions and patches are missing.
As tourette stated on several occassions; Thats the reasons why there is no offical support for the Windows Server versions (including WHS)



Cheers,

 

[mguebert]

Just wanted you guys to know, I used your guide to get tv server running on my WHS machine with success. The only changes I followed were to use the pdvd 9 trial. I could not find the pdvd8 trial without resorting to warez sites. Didn't want to go there

Anyway, I did have to rename the config files as described in the thread, also I do get errors when going into the config for tvserver, saying it is an unsupported configuration. However it works fine.

Other than live tv anyway.

When viewing live tv after about 2 minutes the video and audio both start to freeze and restart about every 4 or 5 seconds like clockwork. The strange thing is I can record the same file and go into recorded tv and play from there while the file is still recording and it plays without issue.

I am not using rtsp streaming as I have the 4tr plugin for tv with the use ts option selected.

Sorry, I can't help you here as I am not using 4tr. So no experience how this is working within the WHS environment.
Still some clarifications are required:

1. Did you tried if this behaviour also occurs with the standard rtsp?
2. I assume, you use WHS as TV server only; right?
3. Are there any power managment features (e.g. HDD power down modes) enabled? HDD Spin ups may cause an interrupt of the streaming service
4. You may have to check if the logs identify any misbehaviour (e.g. dropped packets)

In case the standard rtsp is working fine it may be that 4tr is the cause for the misbehaviour and would propose you ask the author. In case there is a fix/workaround please be so kind and post the approach as it could be of interest for other WHS users as well.

Please bear in mind that the WHS is not a full Windows, as there are critical services, funtions and patches are missing.
As tourette stated on several occassions; Thats the reasons why there is no offical support for the Windows Server versions (including WHS)



Cheers,

I could not get the RTSP to work at all, I was getting unable to play stream errors.

I am using WHS as TVserver only, I am migrating from Sagetv which also used WHS as a recorder only.

I think I know what is causing the stuttering, I used a 32g OCZ ssd as a timeshift buffer drive. I remember when I used it as a OS drive for vista there were periodic pauses in writes to the drive. If I remember correctly early ssd drives such as this one did have small buffers, and were prone to this behavior. I am going to try some things to remedy this situation, however I am on a business trip for the week so any testing will have to wait until the weekend.

I will post any relevant logs when I get a chance to test my theory, and I definitely will post my results.

I wanted to use my WHS as a TVserver, because it is fairly powerful with a C2Q processor and 4gigs ram and it is always on. Didn't make sense for me to need another computer on all of the time, I do all of my comskip processing and computer backups, and raid synch (flexraid) at night.

 

[vvulture]

Hi Larry... just an update.

Everything seems to be working ok. Thank you again for the great help.

Two things :
- When looking at the WHS_LO_Erw task, it say : " Last Result 0x4001004 " Is that an error of some sort ?
- Would it be possible to run the above task as a service ?

Lastly, is there a way to limit the size of the log file ? It gets really big after several days of running..

Cheers

 

[mguebert]

Well I said I would post my results. It definitely was not the SSD drive, I disabled the use ts file in 4tr and checked the option to reduce stutter in the tv client setup. All of the live tv problems have gone away. As an additional note I needed some more hd space to I sent my timeshift buffer and recordings folder to the whs pool, so I could add the standalone drive back into the pool. It is working great, even with the 2 hdpvr tuners.

Now if I could just get reliable serial channel changing on the Directv boxes..... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

 

[yhoogi]

Just a moment:
Did you said WHS-pool?

SO you use a whs-share folder for all records?

If that's the case:
This is a very bad idea, as the pool-shares are quite loaded with background processes from WHS.
I recommend you install a dedicated HDD, completely unused by the pool. This can be done via the Windows HDD manager as a new partition.
If you want to have network access to the HDD, this can be done as normal network share.


And as a side-note: Try to avoid power management for the HDD's in WHS. My experience is that this is also disturbing smooth playback/records. When checking afterwards recorded files, there were a significant number of bad sections. Windows (not only WHS) seems to be unable to buffer sufficient data when a HDD (and this could be any HDD, not only the one for recording) spins up and stalls data transfer.


Cheers,

 

[mguebert]

Just a moment:
Did you said WHS-pool?

SO you use a whs-share folder for all records?

If that's the case:
This is a very bad idea, as the pool-shares are quite loaded with background processes from WHS.
I recommend you install a dedicated HDD, completely unused by the pool. This can be done via the Windows HDD manager as a new partition.
If you want to have network access to the HDD, this can be done as normal network share.


And as a side-note: Try to avoid power management for the HDD's in WHS. My experience is that this is also disturbing smooth playback/records. When checking afterwards recorded files, there were a significant number of bad sections. Windows (not only WHS) seems to be unable to buffer sufficient data when a HDD (and this could be any HDD, not only the one for recording) spins up and stalls data transfer.


Cheers,

I have tried it both ways, I had a separate drive but I needed the space, so I tried it. It works fine, no problems with multiple streams. I was even watching live tv while moving a few blu ray rips over the network to the server. For now I am going to leave it alone.

The only outstanding issue is the channel changing on the directv boxes.

 

[winniwinter]

hi is anyone using the 5,7beta drivers of the floppydtv on his WHS? I am just wanted to know if I could update without any problems...

 

[Zinu]

Anyone else had that their HTPC wouldnt go back to sleep after backing up during backup hours (at night in my case)? It worked fine before on my XP install but since I did a clean install with Windows 7 it doesn't go back to sleep... I've checked windows logs but nothing noticable there.

I was hoping maybe someone here had the same thing and could tell me how to fix it

 

[Kermit1974]

MP, Lights Out And 4TR

Hi everyone.
I have been following this thread with big interest as I have a TV-server setup on a WHS box as well.
The only issue I have left, is using Lights Out in combination with For the Record.
The script mentioned in this thread is only working with the native TV-service, and I can't find workarounds with Lights Out and 4TR.

Please, did anyone manage to do this?

Cheers