[solved] What a mess ... for no TV (1 Viewer)

[Contours]

Five more hours into this ... and nothing. I read every Wiki on setup ... and then backed up and reinstalled everything. (At least I thought. All the desktop icons went away during the uninstalls, so I thought the software and files were gone.)

In the reinstall, I accepted all the defaults. But lo and behold, all my channels were still there ... and MediaPortal acts exactly the same. Every attempt to view a channel results in "Program/Channel Not Found". But even worse, something is injecting a 20-second pause into every function ... so even attempting to carry out basic operations like selecting a channel just becomes impractical.

Anyway, before I give up, I'm attaching the oft-requested ZIP file. If anyone can spot a problem, I'll appreciate the help.

And by the way:
If, indeed, MediaPortal is ever going to be mainstream, there needs to be a decent Quick Start Guide and then a High-Level Summary of the current status of the software ... something on the order of:
[ ] Tuners exist
[ ] Channels exist
[ ] Program guides exist
[ ] MediaPortal is configured
Go!

I've spent way too long reading convoluted "details" that leave me wondering what the big picture is ... and what the missing element might be. To the developers: look at some of the software setup instructions (with screen captures, even!) on sites like HowToGeek or SevenForums (see Tutorials) for examples.

 

[mm1352000]

Hello again

Five more hours into this ... and nothing.

Oh, for goodness sake! That's 5 hours of your life you'll never get back. Why wouldn't you ask for help?

I read every Wiki on setup ... and then backed up and reinstalled everything. (At least I thought. All the desktop icons went away during the uninstalls, so I thought the software and files were gone.)

In the reinstall, I accepted all the defaults. But lo and behold, all my channels were still there ... and MediaPortal acts exactly the same.

This tells me you didn't uninstall and delete the database engine you are/were using (MySQL or SQL Server) - a common mistake.

As I say to anybody who will listen: uninstalling/reinstalling almost never helps, and often makes problems worse. If you want help to get MediaPortal working, please don't reinstall. Ask for help and wait for a response.

Every attempt to view a channel results in "Program/Channel Not Found". But even worse, something is injecting a 20-second pause into every function ... so even attempting to carry out basic operations like selecting a channel just becomes impractical.

The 20 second pause is the PMT timeout setting:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...n/TV-Server_Configuration/06_General#Scan_Tab

If you're getting the "program/channel not found" message, it indicates one of two things:

1. Your channel details are incorrect. Perhaps out-of-date.
   
2. Your tuner is not delivering a stream to TV Server.

I suggest you delete all channels and do a full rescan. If channels don't work after that, it's likely to be a different problem (ie. progress has been made, but something else has been missed in your configuration process => fresh log files required).

To the developers: look at some of the software setup instructions (with screen captures, even!) on sites like HowToGeek or SevenForums (see Tutorials) for examples.

It would be a mistake to assume that we as developers know what each individual expects/needs in terms of setup instructions. That's why anybody in this community - including you - can contribute to the wiki. Therefore I'm going to throw the ball back into your court. If you think that the guides are inadequate, please help us to improve them. It's your responsibility as much as it is ours.

Regards,
mm

 

[RonD]

AND MM was responding while I was typing

maybe @mm1352000 can take a look, but you are also seeing problems find the PMT, this happens on the 2 different channels you tried, KDTN-DT and WFAA

[2015-08-17 19:23:49,369] [Log ] [42 ] [INFO ] - subch:0 OnGraphStart
[2015-08-17 19:23:49,374] [Log ] [42 ] [INFO ] - dvb: RunGraph
[2015-08-17 19:23:53,693] [Log ] [42 ] [INFO ] - dvb: LockInOnSignal ok
[2015-08-17 19:23:53,702] [Log ] [42 ] [INFO ] - subch:0 OnGraphStarted
[2015-08-17 19:23:53,711] [Log ] [42 ] [INFO ] - subch:0 SetupPmtGrabberid 30 sid:1
[2015-08-17 19:23:53,718] [Log ] [42 ] [INFO ] - subch:0 set pmt grabber pmt:30 sid:1
[2015-08-17 19:23:53,722] [Log ] [42 ] [DEBUG] - TimeShifter.OnAfterTune: resetting audio/video time
[2015-08-17 19:23:53,727] [Log ] [42 ] [DEBUG] - WaitForPMT: Waiting for PMT 30
[2015-08-17 19:24:03,732] [Log ] [42 ] [DEBUG] - WaitForPMT: Timed out waiting for PMT after 10.005027 seconds. Increase the PMT timeout value?

another 1st time MePo user also saw that error, it somehow disappeared after they did an uninstall/reinstall
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...-tv-server-configuration.131594/#post-1146942

I don't think increasing the PMT from 10 to bigger will make a difference, but something is not working correctly, on my system the PMT wait time is less than 0.1 sec

 

[spachti]

As I say to anybody who will listen: uninstalling/reinstalling almost never helps, and often makes problems worse. If you want help to get MediaPortal working, please don't reinstall. Ask for help and wait for a response.

How about making this a sticky, in bold letters, right when you come in ?

 

[Contours]

"Stands for Program Map Table. This table contains detailed information about programs (channels). There is a single program map with its own unique PID for each program in the PAT. Program maps describe the PIDs that contain the relevant elementary streams for a program. For example, if a program contains an MPEG-2 video stream, the program map table will list its PID, describe it as a video stream, and specify the type of video that it contains (in this case, MPEG-2). The PMT may also contain additional descriptors that provide metadata for its constituent streams."

@mm: Tomorrow, I'll try the couple of things you've mention ... like deleting all channels and rescanning. But realize that nothing in the above PMT definition makes sense to me. "Elementary streams" ... "video streams" ... "constituent streams" ... they are all the jargon of a realm that neither I, nor 99.9% of the PC user population are acquainted with.

You work in the realm and these things become second nature. Just realize that there are large conceptual gaps that aren't bridgeable by "reading the Wiki", so long as the Wiki is written in the jargon. And only someone versed in the jargon can translate downward. That's the challenge that needs to be met.

 

[mm1352000]

Tomorrow, I'll try the couple of things you've mention ... like deleting all channels and rescanning.

Great.

But realize that nothing in the above PMT definition makes sense to me. "Elementary streams" ... "video streams" ... "constituent streams" ... they are all the jargon of a realm that neither I, nor 99.9% of the PC user population are acquainted with.

Sure, but please realise that I provided the link simply so that you could see where the relevant setting is. I did not expect you to read and understand the definition of PMT.

I'm a reasonable person trying to help you, not an unreasonable expert trying to overwhelm you.

You work in the realm and these things become second nature.

I'm not going to deny that I'm familiar with MediaPortal. That's just what naturally happens when you use anything for 5 years. As above: I'm simply trying to help you, and helping you does not require that you assimilate the knowledge that I have.

Just realize that there are large conceptual gaps that aren't bridgeable by "reading the Wiki"...

Of course! I never claimed the wiki is perfect. On the contrary, I know it's not. Reiterating what I said in my previous post: if you find that there are "large conceptual gaps" then you can help to point them out and fill them.

...so long as the Wiki is written in the jargon. And only someone versed in the jargon can translate downward. That's the challenge that needs to be met.

Jargon comes with the territory. It's unavoidable. Consider that TV alone (not considering video, music, radio, CDs, DVDs, remote controls and all the other things that MediaPortal encompasses) is the result of collaborations between thousands of engineers and organisations over decades. There are hundreds of relevant technical standards containing thousands of pages filled with jargon and acronyms.
The wiki does not set out to condense all of that knowledge into text that anybody could understand. That would be arrogant, because there are excellent explanations already available elsewhere. So, where it makes sense, jargon will be used. If you want to use MediaPortal, assume you'll have to learn a few things along the way.

 

[Contours]

Deleted all channels ... rescanned for ATSC ... 27 found ... moved some to the empty left column (I did) ... then ran MP.

No improvement. Same results. The ones I moved now show as Not Mapped To Card ... whatever that means. Regardless, none of the 27 work.

 

[mm1352000]

moved some to the empty left column (I did)

This makes no sense to me. As explained in your other thread, that effectively tells TV Server that those channels can't be tuned. So, why did you do this?

No improvement. Same results.

Okay. So, remembering what I said previously:

I suggest you delete all channels and do a full rescan. If channels don't work after that, it's likely to be a different problem (ie. progress has been made, but something else has been missed in your configuration process => fresh log files required).

...please provide the log files that I asked for.

The ones I moved now show as Not Mapped To Card ... whatever that means.

I explained exactly what that means in your other thread (!!!).
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/usb-tv-tuner-how-to-configure.131687/page-2#post-1148492

I'm really starting to question whether you read what I say.

 

[Contours]

A stern lecture, indeed.

For the record, I moved some of the channels in the spirit of "I wonder what this knob does". Undoubtedly, you know the meaning of "Available channels" versus "Channels mapped to card". I don't ... and Available channels sounded promising. But neither works ... so now I know that knob doesn't help me.

I performed another delete/scan sequence and fresh logs are attached.

 

[Contours]

Seems like others are seeing this kind of 'no TV' problem. For example, here's a post on the main forum:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...em-to-work-in-tv-server-configuration.131594/

He concludes:
"My only other thought was, uninstall the whole package, and start over from scratch. Willing to do, but not knowing what I did wrong, not sure that will help. What do you think?"

Well, he did. And it worked.

But, really, that's not good news for anyone. There's a problem lurking ... and now no one knows what it is.

Nonetheless, in another day or two, I'll try a full and complete reinstall ... which was my inclination, as well.