New to NextPVR, some questions and issues

[DaveMelnyk]

Hi Folks:
I am trying to evaluate NextPVR as a replacement for SageTV and have a few "newbie" questions and issues.

I successfully installed nextPVR and got it to work with my analog TVW650PCIE card after digging through the posts on the forum about the "softPVR" compenents required. (Using windows XP Pro, SP3)

I also managed to work out getting the XMLEPG to work after diggin through the wiki info.

Things seemed to be working fairly well.

Current problems. Was trying to get "bulk update" to work so that I would not have to enter info for every channel. This has not worked, and now even if I enter info for an individual channel it does not "stick" so to speak.

I then tried applying the patch files from the announcement regarding the "final" patch version for patches 1-50a. This has now caused the NPVR recording service to fail to start - even after a reboot of my system. Pretty much dead in the water now. Message is:

"unable to start servive: System.invalioperationException: cannot start service NPVR recording service on computer --> System.componentModel.win32Exception ...... etc.

First question: How can I resolve the above? Do I have to completely unistall and start over? I unzipped the files and copied them over as per instructions with the npvr service stopped.

Other questions: SageTV had I think an OTA EPG for analog for Rogoers cable ... is that possible with NPVR?
Is there some info somewhere on using client extenders - i.e. like SageTV placeshiffter - how do you set up the equivalent item for NPVR?
There was some info on the main NPVR site indicating that it was possible to record 2 shows
simultaneously using only one tuner ... is this correct? and how would that be accomplished?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards and Happy Holidays to all .... Dave Melnyk

[DaveMelnyk]

One other question .....

After installing the softPVR components, Windows Media player can no longer play mpeg files ... tries to load them, but just shows a black screen. Can this be rectified and co-exist with NPVR or is this a permanent side effect of having NPVR installed?

Regars, Dave Melnyk

[sub]

There was a couple of issues with the bulk update screen which I've fixed for the next release.

When it fails to start the recording service, is there any nrecord.log created? Post it. If not, is there any messages in Windows Event Viewer? I havn't seen other reports of this though, so maybe make sure you applied all the patches. If you didnt, you may have created a situations where the files aren't compatible with each other.

Other questions: SageTV had I think an OTA EPG for analog for Rogoers cable ... is that possible with NPVR?

The app will try to load ATSC EIT listings if they're present. I've no idea if this is what Rodgers cable is broadcasting though.

Is there some info somewhere on using client extenders - i.e. like SageTV placeshiffter - how do you set up the equivalent item for NPVR?

I have no idea what placeshifter is. You can use some NMT extenders with NextPVR though. See the section in the wiki, or MVP/NMT subforum.

There was some info on the main NPVR site indicating that it was possible to record 2 shows
simultaneously using only one tuner ... is this correct? and how would that be accomplished?

Yes it does this automatically if it can. This is possible because multiple digital channels are transmitted on the same frequency. The app can recording each of these at the same time with only single channel. The app will automatically detect if this is possible, and try to make optimal use of the tuners.

After installing the softPVR components, Windows Media player can no longer play mpeg files ... tries to load them, but just shows a black screen. Can this be rectified and co-exist with NPVR or is this a permanent side effect of having NPVR installed?

Sorry, I dont know - that's a new one on me. It shouldnt be the case since SoftPVR installs encoders, which aren't used when playing .mpg files.

[cncb]

Dave,

The NPVR client is more like the SageTV Client rather than Placeshifter (all the plugins and configuration reside on the client PC instead of the server). In any case, to get the NPVR client going share your NPVR data directory on the server over the network (usually 'c:\users\public\npvr'). Then install NPVR on your client PC. Start NPVR, right-click and select 'Settings'. Select 'Devices' on the left and check 'Act as client PC'. Fill in the 'Server Name' and 'Database share' (the full UNC path to the data directory that you shared on your server). See http://www.nextpvr.com/nwiki/pmwiki.php?...on.Devices for more information. You also might want to disable the 'NPVR Recording Service' in the Services Control Panel on the client PC since it will not be used.

[DaveMelnyk]

Thanks for the reply Sub...

There is no nrecord.log created. Windows Event viewer does not show anything either, no reference to NPVR.

PlaceShifter is essentially a client program that lets someone access the SageTV server and do what ever they are allowed ... i.e. watch live TV stream and pick the channel, unless someone else using the server.

From your answer recording two shows simultaneously looks like it is limited to digital tuners only, not analog...

Will continue to investigate why WMP now does not play some mpegs after loading softPVR components.

Thanks for the assistance .... perhaps will have to reload NPVR from start. I downloaded th patch file and extracted them and then copied over files in npvr directory... thought that was the way to upgrade ... is that correct?

Regards, Dave Melnyk

[mvallevand]

Before copying in the patches you need to stop the NPVR service from the Start Menu. The patch is applied over top a good installation in the Program Files folder. XP doesn't have support for mpeg playback built, you might have just changed the merits for mpeg playback installing video decoders. If you have a favourite from SageTV use it.

You're on XP, but in Vista/Win7 you'd have to respect UAC too.

Martin

[sub]

From your answer recording two shows simultaneously looks like it is limited to digital tuners only, not analog...

Correct. Though it's not limited to two shows simultaneously - at one point I recordinged 16 channels simultaneously with two tuners. (ie, all of New Zealand's FreeView channels with just two tuners)

[jcjefferies]

Also to get the client working you need to make sure both NextPVR and NRecord are added to the firewall exceptions on the server. The default location for the NPVR DataDirectory in XP is not suitable for a Server as the client cannot access it. You need to move it to \Documents and settings\public or \documents and settings\all users\shared docs then check the client can read and write to \\server\NPVR.