Live TV issue with HD channels

[rajoo]

I have an issue where I cannot watch HD channels Live (either via TV Guide or Live TV). I can watch SD channels with no trouble, but when I try to watch an HD channel I get a blank screen with the "No Signal detected" message appearing after a few seconds. The quality and strength bars are both 0.

The funny thing is that if instead of trying to watch the HD channel I just record it, I can then later on go in the Recordings menu and watch it with no problem at all. So obviously the signal is there as pvrx2 can record and play it fine. It is only the live tv bit that doesn't seem to work.

This problem is only with the HD channels. SD channels work OK.

I've tried the following but I get the same result:
* tried Cyberlink and TS Mux BDA muxers
* tried with and without FFDSHOW post-processing enabled
* tried with and without built-in TS reader
* tried with and without live preview mode enabled
* other minor settings but believe they are not important

My setup:
* gbpvr 1.2.13
* windows vista home premium 64 bit
* run config and pvrx2 with "run as administrator"
* tuner: Technotrend TT-connect S2-3650 CI
* using Sky HD in the UK
* HD channel used for testing: BBC HD; also tried Luxe TV HD

Other points:
* My tt 3650 tuner is not supported natively. I followed the instructions on the wiki and updated bda.ini. I can post the bda.ini section I added if that would help; but it seems it is probably working OK as I am able to watch SD channels and record HD channels (just the live HD not working).
* If I use the built-in TS reader, then the result is actually worse. It doesn't even play the recorded HD videos in that case. So I have disabled the built-in TS reader. I am using the second patch to the GBPVRTSReader from the post "DVB-T .ts playback max time is 12:48".

I have attached the logs (from only the most recent run). I created the logs with debug logging level and with log flushing. I did the following for this run:
* watch "BBC Three" SD channel for a few seconds to show that it works
* watch "BBC HD" HD channel for a few seconds to show that it doesn't work
* record "BBC HD" HD channel for a few seconds
* watch the recorded "BBC HD" channel to show that it works.

Anyone have any ideas please as to what I can try next?

[pBS]

mpeg2 decoder? probably the problem...
livetv and file playback is *slightly* different and some decoders can't do live properly or at all...[some cyberlink,intervideo]
try a different one...
also try ati mux...what video card?

[rajoo]

Thanks for the reply.

As the HD channel is broadcasting h.264 video but the stream is mpeg2, I am guessing you are talking about the mpeg2 demux (instead of the mpeg2 playback decoder)?

Also, I can watch live HD channels with the other DVB players I have installed (none of them as usable as GBPVR of course). So I have a mpeg2 demux on my system somewhere that works live.

It pointed me in the right direction. I enabled graph files in gbpvr and graph for file playback is quite different from live tv. I was assuming it will be using ffdshow-tryout on my system to playback h.264. It is for file playback but for live tv it was trying to use CoreAVC. I had CoreAVC installed at one point but it is now expired. So that is not going to work. Trying to change the h.264 playback setting in gbpvr config to ffdshow didn't affect the graph. It still tried to use CoreAVC.

I completely disabled CoreAVC and then gbpvr attempted to use ffdshow-tryout except the graph cannot connect the output of my mpeg2 demux to ffdshow-tryout (incompatible ports).

That is where I am at at the moment. I don't know yet which mpeg2 demux I have (properties don't show anything). I have to find a valid combination of mpeg2 demux and and an h.264 decoder (I have another h.264 decoder on my system but gbpvr doesn't want to pick it). I'll play around with it again tonight.

[rajoo]

Sorry forgot to say, my graphics card is nvidia geforce 8800 GTX.

[Foamy]

This sounds very similar to a problem that I am having with LiveTV:

http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=35665

[stustunz]

rajoo its best to put in your location under your details as each country has different tv standards
makes it a bit easier rather than having to read the whole post everytime

[JavaWiz]

I too am having this problem with HD and Live TV with 1.2.13.

Here is what I know so far:

• STD channels seem to work fine.
  
• HD Channels show up in the tuning program, but do not under PVRX2, no sound, no video.
  
• I have tried with a variety of BDA Muxes, all the same result
  
• If I uncheck LiveTV Preview, it works, if checked it does not.
  
• If I tune a STD channel (works), then go to HD (does not work), and try to go back to the STD channel, it also will not show video or sound. It seems as soon as HD channel fails, the STD channels fail also.
  

Attached are my logs. I tuned channel 5 (STD), it worked, watched for about 30 seconds, tuned channel 105 (HD) failed, watched for about 30 seconds, attempted to switch back to channel 5 (STD) it failed as well.

[sub]

I cant see anything obvious in those logs, but have if you try switching to a different audio decoder, does it mak any difference?

[JavaWiz]

I cant see anything obvious in those logs, but have if you try switching to a different audio decoder, does it mak any difference?

Tried:
ffdshow audio - no change
HWC AC3 Audio Decoder - no change
MPEG Audio Decoder - no change
Intervideo NonCSS Audio Decoder - no change

[Howry]

Do you have access to over the air HD antenna? I switched from QAM to this and it works fine now. I would try that if you have one available and see if that fixes it.