Emulation mode testing Round III

[Satori]

I just loaded the 5-11 dongle (yes, I am one behind) and had a chance to try it out. I noticed a couple things:

• I have not been able to get the MVP to enter emulation mode directly from power on, but it is my own fault. I have to go through the fixes on that thread before I say there is a problem.
  
• WOL worked the first time I tried it, but not the next. The first time it went through all 30 attempts, dropped back to the main menu, and when I selected emulation mode again it went directly to GBPVR. The next day I tried again and it never made it past the "attempting to connect" screen. It would go back to the main menu after 30 attempts. I will try adding "--em-wolwt 10" to my config file once I get that working. 10 secs seems like the time it takes my server to wake from standby, but I may lengthen it if it doesn't work.
  
• After I play recorded videos I end up at a black screen. Pressing stop or end gets me back to the menu but it doesn't go back there directly.
  
• The key presses are definitely slower than the 99.12 dongle and seem to "stall" every once and awhile. At one point I stacked up 3-4 button presses that executed all at once.
  

Overall it seemed very stable. I played live tv, listened to music with ML2, looked at my photos, etc. Color/brightness was good (but it is with 99.12 also). Volume/mute worked well.
I am not sure how much time I will have to tweak my setup this week, but if anyone has suggestions about the above questions I will implement them when I have a chance.
I would also like to try to get the SPDIF working, but I may leave that for another day. If I add "-o passthru" to my config file it will pass though AC3 audio right? I have it connected to my stereo, but have never tried it.

[mvallevand]

I just loaded the 5-11 dongle (yes, I am one behind) and had a chance to try it out. I noticed a couple things:

Your comments would be relevant to the current dongle too.

WOL worked the first time I tried it, but not the next. The first time it went through all 30 attempts, dropped back to the main menu, and when I selected emulation mode again it went directly to GBPVR. The next day I tried again and it never made it past the "attempting to connect" screen. It would go back to the main menu after 30 attempts. I will try adding "--em-wolwt 10" to my config file once I get that working. 10 secs seems like the time it takes my server to wake from standby, but I may lengthen it if it doesn't work.

WOL works better with a config file for sure. Without it, there is no ping available, and GBPVR has to be ready to play in the 30 seconds.

After I play recorded videos I end up at a black screen. Pressing stop or end gets me back to the menu but it doesn't go back there directly.

I'll have a look. Were the files mpeg-2, I know this could be a problem with VCD/SVCD?

The key presses are definitely slower than the 99.12 dongle and seem to "stall" every once and awhile. At one point I stacked up 3-4 button presses that executed all at once.

It will stall every 10 seconds by choice to avoid problems.

Color/brightness was good (but it is with 99.12 also).

These should be no different, they are done in hardware. mvpmc has an advantage in setting the the aspect, and I could brighten (soften) the image a bit by adding an overlay but I don't.

I would also like to try to get the SPDIF working, but I may leave that for another day. If I add "-o passthru" to my config file it will pass though AC3 audio right? I have it connected to my stereo, but have never tried it.

Even without a startup config script you can actually test this via the Setup Menu on the main mvpmc screen. Yes it passes AC3 to your stereo in this mode, but I'd call the feature experimental.

Martin

[Satori]

The files were Mpeg-2, thats all I play on my pvr due to my less than high end hardware.
It sounds like "--em-wolwt 10" should be more like "--em-wolwt 30" given it did not go to GBPVR before the 30 attemps the first time I tried WOL. Would you agree?
I will try to get the config file set up in the next couple days
Thanks for the quick response.

Edit: BTW I really like the MVPMC dongle. My only issue is the slightly slower key presses but WOL is such a huge feature for me that it more than offsets it.

[mvallevand]

The files were Mpeg-2, thats all I play on my pvr due to my less than high end hardware.

I've just played through 5 and haven't seen the black screen behaviour but I now it existed in older dongles. When you start up confirm that you are indeed running 05/11 by looking at the about screen from the mvpmc main menu. I assume you do so I'd need to see the gbpvr debug logs that match the end of file.

It sounds like "--em-wolwt 10" should be more like "--em-wolwt 30" given it did not go to GBPVR before the 30 attemps the first time I tried WOL. Would you agree?

This will depend on your PC and startup application. When you have the script running this setting is from the time your machine can be pinged, so some startup has happened. Plus the next 30 second counter will still come into play.

I will try to get the config file set up in the next couple days
Thanks for the quick response.

No problem taking a break from gardening, its a stat holiday in Canada "the May two-four weekend" some would say for Queen Victoria's birthday, others for the number of beer in case.

Edit: BTW I really like the MVPMC dongle. My only issue is the slightly slower key presses but WOL is such a huge feature for me that it more than offsets it.

You can improve the key press response time with the --em-safety 0 startup option, less stability but you'd still have WOL.

Martin

[Satori]

confirm that you are indeed running 05/11...

I thought I had but it is entirely possible I am running an older dongle. I loaded it when I had the chance awhile ago and am only now testing it. I think I will just move to the latest version and see if it continues. I need to do that anyway.

When you have the script running this setting is from the time your machine can be pinged, so some startup has happened.

I will start with 10 seconds then.

You can improve the key press response time with the --em-safety 0 startup option, less stability but you'd still have WOL.

I will add this to my config file and try it out.

... others for the number of beer in case.

Cheers, I'll be doing the same this weekend (Memorial Day).

[jksmurf]

I think I have addressed this in the 0520 alpha. Let me know how it works for you. If this works and tkgafs's problems improve a bit, I want to open a round 4 thread.
Martin

Just something I observed that may be applicable to a few recent mvpmc dongles, coming back from watching TV, (that I started from the EPG Guide rather than with LiveTV), and using the back button, momentarily shows a blank EPG with just the GBPVR default blue background, then shows the EPG as normal.

Cool though, that the thing is stable enough for folks to actually use it "full time", like HtV, pz1, tkgafs and myself e.g. Hopefully my annoyingly persistent questions will find themslves into either an installer :-) or at least a wiki desciption of how to set the thing up easily, to reach a wider audience, so mvallevand can be bombarded with requests for help :-)

k.

1. I still need to sort out the default Volume Control thingy...
2. I'd still quite like a fix for the "back back" (rather than stop, back) behaviour, as this flicks out into the mvpmc reload ... I just got used to using back back I guess ...

[mvallevand]

Just something I observed that may be applicable to a few recent mvpmc dongles, coming back from watching TV, (that I started from the EPG Guide rather than with LiveTV), and using the back button, momentarily shows a blank EPG with just the GBPVR default blue background, then shows the EPG as normal.

I actually don't paint the screen, gbpvr does, but I have noticed the double screens which I have never bothered fixing, because it is self-correcting.. I will add it to the to do list.

Cool though, that the thing is stable enough for folks to actually use it "full

I still think the Hauppauge dongle should be the first dongle that people use, but I'm glad there are people who do use it regularly or help with testing it, because I will then be able to move this to other platforms everyone will win. I think it is to the point where more people can try different things.

Hopefully my annoyingly persistent questions will find themslves into either an installer :-)

What's needed is an automated way to repair a Windows share. An installer could follow and would not be a hard project.

or at least a wiki desciption of how to set the thing up easily, to reach a wider audience, so mvallevand can be bombarded with requests for help :-)

Actually I don't mind it but what we have all been seeing the FAQ before they are Frequent.

1. I still need to sort out the default Volume Control thingy...

An interim solution is it use -F /etc/defaults. You would have to reset it once per dongle upload.

2. I'd still quite like a fix for the "back back" (rather than stop, back) behaviour, as this flicks out into the mvpmc reload ... I just got used to using back back I guess ...

That's on my list too and I should be able to make it work, but it won't be trivial and I want to test it properly.

Thanks for the feedback.

Martin

[tkgafs]

Martin,

just tried the 31/05 dongle

using ML2 it played a complete album ok but when playing random it stops after one track

I have reverted to the 14th april dongle just now as it is still the best for me playing music

let me know what tests & logs you want carried out

tkgafs

[mvallevand]

Martin,

just tried the 31/05 dongle

using ML2 it played a complete album ok but when playing random it stops after one track

I have reverted to the 14th april dongle just now as it is still the best for me playing music

let me know what tests & logs you want carried out

tkgafs

Is this still related to the keystroke and going into the screen saver? I've done several multi-hour random sessions lately.

Martin

[pz1]

using ML2 it played a complete album ok but when playing random it stops after one track

No problem with random play in my installation. However the playlist does not get updated, and remains on track 1 until I push e.g. the volume button. Than the screen is updated.
I do not remember if any of the older mvpmc dongles did update the screen. If you want, I could try with one of the older releases (I kept some)

Pieter