[Rejected] TVE DVBLink scanning tuner patch (1 Viewer)

[Neos]

The DVBLink's TVSource application provides users with 4 virtual TV tuners. I do not know whether it is by design or just a bug but the DVBLink tuners do not provided valid service ID's for channels. The service ID's for all channels, it be radio or TV, are identical. On top of is the service id a random number (I was unable to see a pattern) and identical for all channels .

Mediaportal relies on these service Id's while scanning for channels, allowing it to distinguish between Radio, TV and data services. Even when the tunning parameters are correctly specified Mediaportal will not always add the channels provided by the DVBLink tuner. And when it does it will treat Radio channels as TV Channels.

This patch sets the service ID of channels found on DVBLink's tuners to either DigitalTv or DigitalRadio based upon the hasAudio and hasVideo short's.

The latest version of DVBLink (3.2.1) was used.

 

[elliottmc]

Hi,

If DVBLink is not following DVB specifications, is it correct that we use a 'hack' to get around this? Would it not be better to get in touch with the author of DVBLink and give some advice about the problem and how to fix it?

Best wishes,

Mark

 

[elliottmc]

Hi,

I have had a quick look, and if I understand it correctly, DVBLink is software that makes cards that are not compatible work with Windows Media Center. Is this correct?

If so, which cards do you have that need this?

Best wishes,

Mark

 

[jameson_uk]

I have had a quick look, and if I understand it correctly, DVBLink is software that makes cards that are not compatible work with Windows Media Center. Is this correct?

AIUI it basically makes a TV card a remote machine appear as a local card. This allows a multi-seat type setup in WMC as it does not support this.

Given that MP does this out the box there is not a massive need for this but there will be people who want to use it so is probably worth looking at. Issue is, as you say, this is a hack. Ideally DVBLink would fix their software to work with MP and I think that should be the first port of call.

The other thing is that I think this allows for Dreamboxes to be used as tuners

 

[Jay_UK]

Hi there,

The other real "benefit" of DVBLink is that it supports encrypted cards/CAMs - where as MCE doesn't. So it allows you to watch encrypted channels from within MCE.

J. (been there done that)

 

[elliottmc]

Hi there,

The other real "benefit" of DVBLink is that it supports encrypted cards/CAMs - where as MCE doesn't. So it allows you to watch encrypted channels from within MCE.

J. (been there done that)

But MediaPortal does, so do we need to 'hack' MediaPortal to support DVBLink?

I'm not saying we don't, but I don't yet see a compelling argument (not that I will be making the decision).

Mark

 

[Jay_UK]

Hi there,

Mark, I wasnt referring/referencing the use of DVBLink with MePo, just why I used with MCE.

J.

 

[KayDiefenthal]

AW: Re: TVE DVBLink scanning tuner patch

I have had a quick look, and if I understand it correctly, DVBLink is software that makes cards that are not compatible work with Windows Media Center. Is this correct?

AIUI it basically makes a TV card a remote machine appear as a local card. This allows a multi-seat type setup in WMC as it does not support this.

Given that MP does this out the box there is not a massive need for this but there will be people who want to use it so is probably worth looking at. Issue is, as you say, this is a hack. Ideally DVBLink would fix their software to work with MP and I think that should be the first port of call.

The other thing is that I think this allows for Dreamboxes to be used as tuners

mce can be an tv card server natively but only with mce extenders
and there is the problemthe only at time available is the xbox360
Linksys have moved away from the market area

dvb link will build bridges for not natively supported cards
or different tv engines

but I think it is not an really TvServer, more an way to share the tvcards
because the recording will be make on the client where the schedule command come

that is the reason why i use Mediaportal Tv Server
i will all on the server side cards records and so long
and i try to build an mce client for Mediaportals Tv Server

 

[elliottmc]

Hi,

Well, the patch seems pretty simple, and probably safe since it looks for 'DVBLink', so the question is do we see any need to support DVBLink, and do we want such a 'hack' (even a simple one) in the code?

It needs a developer to comment.

Mark

 

[Neos]

Personally I would prefer not to use DVBLink at all. It's a hassle to setup and will probably be a nightmare to maintain. But it does have stable MDAPI support, which is lacking in Mediaportal. And yes DVBLink should probably fix their bug but at this time I do not see that happening any time soon, nor do I foresee stable MDAPI support for Mediaportal.

This hack does not impact performance during playback, is simple and thus maintainable. And atleast I can say it enhanced my Mediaportal experience .