Just wanted to start by saying out of the 3 I have played with so far, MVPServer, VDR-MediaMVP and Vomp, this is by far the better looking and seems to be more stable application. Thanks for the time and effort into the project.
My questions are, that I haven't found out yet, is do you plan on implementing MPlayer support like the other Plugins/Servers have so that we can play back AVI's etc though the plugin by chance, even incorporate with the MP3/MPlayer plugin or whatever. I am no programmer so I don't know how involved it would be. And lastly, where does the plugin pull its channels.conf list from? I see channels, but they aren't all there. Was just curious to know where it gets the information from.
Also I am like the others, that my VDR Recordings are blotchy every few seconds. If you need any information on debugging that let me know.
Thanks again for your great product.
Hoochster
http://www.hoochvdr.info
The channel list comes from VDR's channels.conf.
Which version of VDR are you using? Version 1.3.x actively maintains the channel list (by default), so Vomp only displays those channels which actually have data (ie where VDR has set a non-zero vpid and apid in channels.conf). With VDR version 1.2.x the channels.conf is static.
Dave
Running VDR-1.3.29. I will check into the VPID's to see why it isn't picking up the rest of the channels. It is possible a patch I run for AC3 might be changing it so that it isn't picking them up. Not sure.
Thanks.
Hoochster!
Hoochster, thanks for the comments, it's nice to hear. Unfortunately I'm going to have to disappoint on the general media player for the time being. My focus for this project is a clean set top box style thing, being able to play general video files from network servers is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay down the bottom of the list. (Though I am more interested in playing DVDs through VOMP, so one day!) Anything other than MPEG1/2 content is a big problem for the MVP anyway because it only has a hardware MPEG1/2 decoder and not enough processing power to decode anything else.
There is a fix in the pipeline for the corrupted video problem, though I am delaying making another dongle at the moment because the fix caused some other problems. The demuxer developer is working on the problem :)
Thanks for your reply. Isn't playing regular video files what the MVP was for? I again note I am no programmer, so I haven't a clue what all is involved. I just know the default server it comes with etc plays them, just didn't know if you had planned on implementing them. Thanks for the insight. Glad to hear on the recordings, hoping to see it progress. Still have issues with my channels.conf still trying to hash that out. Reversed the AC3 patch I use for the current Firmware for the Nexus card in VDR. But no avail on more channels, so it is more involved with probably the channels I have compared to what you use in your part of the country. I will keep working on it.
Again I note yours by far has the nicest look to it compared to all the others, I am very pleased, looking forward to possible guide sharing etc, looks like you plan on implementing it being as you do have some OSD in the channels.
Thanks again.
The code for VDR 1.3.x says that if vpid !=0 and apid !=0 then it's a valid TV channel, if vpid=0 and apid !=0 then it's a radio channel. Are your missing entries lurking in the radio list?
Post your channels.conf if you can't work it out. The 1.3.x code has AFAIK only been tested with DVB-T in the UK; other countries and other systems such as DVB-S may have quirks which haven't been taken into account.
Dave
Removed since all is fixed now.
Your non-working channel has a non-zero value in the "Conditional Access" field - that's the '1810,1801,1800' value. Vomp with vdr 1.3.x currently ignores any non-Free-To-Air channels which is why you don't see it in the list.
There are two possibilities: either this is a valid channel which you are able to view with some kind of CA card, in which case a rethink is needed (a user-set option?) or the channels.conf is corrupt. I've never seen vdr used with encrypted channels so I'm not sure which is correct.
To see the documentation for channels.conf enter "man 5 vdr".
Dave
That is correct. I use my VDR for my subbed receiver due to its pvr capabilities. I was just hoping to be able to use the MVP as a secondary device. The other servers function with it, they just aren't as nice looking in GUI as VOMP and also for their streaming technique you have to back out of your streamed channel and choose another as where VOMP you can just punch the Channel # in or channel up or down. It acts more like a true Streamdev Client. I assumed VOMP could do this. Since nobody else is using it as such it might not be the case. I appreciate the hash out on trying to figure it out. Maybe there will be more interest in VOMP for others that use VDR as their main receivers and we can figure out a way to accomplish this.
Thanks again for all your assistance.
Hi, I have changed the plugin to send CA channels to the MVP. I don't really know if this works as I don't have any CA channels or VDR 1.3... If this works I'll code a user option client side to specify whether to show CA channels or not, if necessary. Personally I just deleted them all out of my channels.conf when I made it. The change will be available when SourceForge CVS updates.
I truly appreciate the efforts in trying to solve my issue. If I am the only one with the issue then by all means don't go to lots of trouble, I just figured surely more people use it as such but I guess not. Being as both the MVPServer and the MediaMVP plugin both work with it I can just use them, I just preferred yours. So thank you kindly for the efforts. I just updated, and now when I click Live TV it just goes to a black screen. I will clear my previous plugin and reget all together, all I saw it update was the mvpclient.c So maybe there is more. Thanks again for all the effort.
Hi, I assume since you have CA ability that you have a fully featured card in that it does video out as well as signal in. Could you try setting this main card to a channel and then trying to play live tv with vomp on the same channel or a channel from the same mux. Let me know what happens. If that does not work then I'm at a loss... :)
Would love to try, but not sure how to go about it. How can I force VOMP to go to a specific channel if I can't get a channel list from it? Now I can't even get that. I used to get the list of channels available just none of my CA channels. Is there a way I can try forcing it to a certain channel? Before your fixes I got the list and tried manually tuning VOMP to a channel but no luck. Since latest changes I get just a black screen when I do Live TV instead of the channel list. Thanks again for your efforts.
No channels at all, hmmmmmmm.... Right, I will fix this later today.
Just wanted to itterate again, how much I appreciate the efforts for just 1 person having this issue! That is awesome support! Will keep my eyes open for the next CVS and let you know!
Well we might have a little problem here :) I had assumed that my attempt to get CA channels listed had broken VDR 1.3 channel list support entirely, but I've just compiled up 1.3.28 and vompserver from current SF CVS and it works-for-me... I have no CA channels but all my usual channels showed up. So errr hmmm. Anyone any ideas?!
Works for me with vdr 1.3.29 and last night's CVS, but then I'm using UK DVB-T and I suspect Hoochster is not.
How about turning up the log level in vompserver to see what is happening in mvpclient.c? I've been meaning to ask how the new logging system works - presumably a config file setting determines the level?
A black screen sounds like the client crashing because of unexpected data.
Dave
Just tell me what ya need from me and I will provide. I appreciate the help from both of you!
Ok... Hoochster, just to clarify, you press OK on Live TV from the main menu, expecting it to then go to a list of channels but instead you get a black screen? If so, the client is defintely crashing out entirely. In answer to an earlier question, no you can't force it onto a channel if you can't get the channels list, because there is no way to enter Live TV mode without going through the channel list. I think we should try going back to when you had a working list of non-CA channels and then work forward from there... I know you said you're no programmer but if you do this it will be quicker than going through SF CVS. :) Look for line 373 in mvpclient.c and change the following:
// Re-enable later with some client side option
//#if VDRVERSNUM < 10300
// if (!channel->GroupSep() && !channel->Ca())
//#else
// if (!channel->GroupSep() && !channel->Ca(0))
//#endif
// {
if (!channel->GroupSep())
{
to:
// Re-enable later with some client side option
#if VDRVERSNUM < 10300
if (!channel->GroupSep() && !channel->Ca())
#else
if (!channel->GroupSep() && !channel->Ca(0))
#endif
{
// if (!channel->GroupSep())
// {
That is disabling 6 lines of code and enabling two others.
Then go to the vdr directory and do "make plugins" as normal. That reverses what I did to try to get CA channels listed. If the MVP still crashes after doing this then there must be some change to VDR or its channels.conf that is the problem. If so you could post the channels.conf and I could see if I can run VDR with it and diagnose the problem.
As for logging, you could turn that on by editing mvpserver.c, line 51, and change the log.init line from:
log.init(Log::DEBUG, "/tmp/vompserver.log", 0);
to
log.init(Log::DEBUG, "/tmp/vompserver.log", 1);
And edit the file name for the log file if you wish.
davep: The logging system is a module borrowed from another project, its level and filename are just hard coded in here. The Log::DEBUG parameter determines the logging level - Log::DEBUG is everything. I doubt setting it to anything else would be very useful at the moment, I probably havn't set the individual logging lines to useful levels. I added the third parameter for this project to enable and disable logging entirely.
Definately no programmer, but very adept to patching and working with code! :) So I will do this when I go home for lunch and let you know what happens. I create patches all the time for others! :) You can say I am the VDR Wiki for North America! :)
http://www.hoochvdr.info
Thanks again for the help, and will be happy to do anything I can for you on this.
Excellent, and thank _you_ for persevering with this!
So, you have a NTSC MVP? And live tv did work at some point? I ask because if so I can check off the NTSC detection and implementation. What outputs are on it? And how do the tv connection types in the options relate to what you have?
Yes mine is NTSC, and LiveTV did work before I got you to start changing just for me! :) It just wasn't showing any of the CA channels. On outputs, I assume that maybe PAL is different? But it has the standard Composite Video Output, and also SVideo Output. I for testing purposes am only using the Composite, haven't tried SVideo yet, but I wanna say in options that it was available. Will be happy to test it at lunch for you. And has the standard Left/Right RCA Audio Outputs. No S/PDIF or Optical bah! :)
And you are the one to thank, there is no reason for you to pursue this being as it is your time and it works fine as is for you! So thank you for working so hard to make it function for others.
I don't know if it will help, as I said I am no programmer, just know how to manipulate and work with the code, but is there a way to compare how the original MediaMVP Plugin handles things or the standalone MVPServer does it? They do give me the full channel list no problem. And even have Mplayer implementation. But not worried bout that till I get the other working. But by far your plugin handles channel changes etc the best, more seamlessly like the Streamdev-Client does. And the GUI on top of that is just the bomb! I look forward to once getting this functioning properly that hopefully it can sync the guide or something too.
Thanks again, I have made the patches and created a patch so that I can reverse it or fix it again if I redownload CVS from the changes you pointed out. And will be going home for lunch probably in about an hour or so and will test it out.
Removed since all is fixed now.
Sheesh, 1800 channels... Are any of them worth watching ;)
Dave
Well I don't get all of them! :) I just have a basic subscription. But they are in the channel scan.
I have made progress, but again not a programmer, so don't know what exactly it is doing. For starters, according to the log, it is seeing all the channels in the channels.conf, but just not displaying them on the client. But by setting the statement to:
if (!channel->GroupSep() && !channel->Ca(1))
I can get channels that have only 1 CAID in them. But it still won't pick up channels that have multiple. I have tried setting it to 2 etc but with no luck. Dunno if that helps you any or not.
Ahah, I think I might know what is going on. It's only a guess at the moment, I will have to investigate the code later to be sure. I think the mod I did to make it display all the channels was probably correct, but the sheer number of channels is probably overloading a buffer somewhere. It probably explains why the client is crashing.
Well I can easily test that, by removing lots of channels from the list. Will let ya know.
That is it. I set it the way you originally had it patched and removed all but the 1st 200 channels, and it works now. So where are you setting the buffer size?
I just put your channels.conf into my dev vdr and got the same crash. I traced it through to a 500 entry limit on the select list gui code :-[
So later I'll err, fix it :)
I have updated my channels.conf found some duplicate entries, probably when I have scanned before and didn't offset my channels etc, so it is much smaller now but still definately above 500 hehe.
Anything I can do to help, let me know, thank you so much for looking into it. I take it the GUI code is part of the Dongle?
Obviously the easy fix would be to hand edit the channels.conf and remove all channels I don't get in the first place, but that for one is a complete pain, and for others obviously too that just do a channel scan to get their channels.conf they will obviously have more channels than they pick up also. So ideally fixing this is the better solution. I am sorry that ya have to go to extra work hehe. But really do appreciate it.
So is the GUI in the Dongle? If so is there any way to get the source to it? Maybe me and a buddy of mine can take a look at it for other odds and ends that maybe we can help with. He is a programmer type.
Yes, the GUI is in the dongle. The source code to the client program is in SourceForge CVS just as the server is - the module is called "client". It's not just as simple as that though, if you want to compile it you have to set up a cross compiler environment, but I have documented how to do that on the website.
As for the crash, I have fixed it, the fix will be inlcuded in dongle 0.0.8, which should be today or tomorrow.
Cool will check out the client and see if we can goof with it, thanks a ton for the fix, can't wait to try it. If your buddy figures out the demuxer on recording playback then we are set. The only other features I would love to see which is why I was interested in the source, was what we talked about before on the mplayer etc. The other plugins do it, so if we can get that capability back then we have a full fledged client! I know you said that it would be tricky so don't expect it to be an overnight thing! :) But still think you have the best GUI etc. Thank you for taking the time and sharing it with us. If there is anything I can do just let me know. Will keep an eye out for the new dongle.
Good luck!
The demuxer bug is fixed, that will be in dongle 0.0.8 as well.
I've posted the dongle. Let me know what's fixed and what's not!
Sweet bud, yup the channel list shows up properly now, great find! Also recordings does look much more stable now! Didn't know that was gonna be a client side fix cool! Honestly haven't played with volume yet just have it going into the video in of my monitor hehe. Till I got channels working properly was no reason to hook to tv! :)
So yes channels show up now! Thank you. Slow to list but that is fine!
Recordings playback without the blotchyness happening.
One thing I noticed though, I can fastforward but can't rewind? Pause works fine too just no rewind. I know you have the skip buttons, etc maybe it isn't supposed to work, and that is just fine. Just noticed FF works so figured RW should! No biggie. Other than that, appears to be working great! Thank you for all the work you put into it!
Now if we can just get Mplayer working by tomorrow we will be set! LMAO j/k, I know it will take time hehe.
Thanks again!
Haha yeah, Mplayer by tomorrow, well you'll have to be quick about that one, won't you? ;)
Yep, rewind doesn't do anything yet. That would be because I havn't worked out how to do it yet :) I have to say though that with all the skip buttons (inc yellow and green for about 10s each way) I find I rarely want to use rewind. But I will get it working one day.
Ya I agree totally, in fact using Mplayer all I ever do is the skip stuff. Would be nice to somehow incorporate the skipping into the arrow keys like Mplayer does. Left/Right for every 10seconds and Up/Down for 1min or however. But dunno what is involved in that. Then definately wouldn't need rewind.
But ya it is working great so far. I updated my howto on my site for everything. Thank you again for your persistance in fixing the issues I was having with it.
And your tone of voice sounds like you might not have Mplayer by tomorrow? What's the deal! :) Hehe
Hi Chris, I'm impressed !
Some days ago I first saw your client and tarcked since then this forum - great how you are assisting users.
When I first installed it, tow days ago I remaraked that vomp shows some channels as unavailable which are available using the "standard" mediamvp plugin - I will test it with the actual version later today (I can't do it now as it is a rainy sunday ... the family wouldn't be happpy to shutdown the system now <g>)
In general, when you publish a new dongle version, do I also need to install an actual server version?
thanks
rene
Hi.
The vomp plugin requests live streaming from VDR at a priority of zero, if you get the channel unavailable message it means that VDR has refused the channel at that priority. Or this is what I am hoping to happen! Do you have a fully featured card that may be displaying a channel with VDR itself?
As for upgrading the server, only sometimes you will need to update the server. If its necessary when I publish a new dongle I will always try to remember to put that in the release announcement.
fyi - adding a second receiver card (which i wanted to install for weeks) solved the problem - maybe there was another process using the channel