Need help with initial setup

[hansolo77]

Ah, that would explain it. Is there a good alternative that's free? I don't mind paying for a service, but I don't really want a subscription.

[sub]

mc2xml was the good free alternative, with people successfully using it for years, up until July

There isn't really a lot of options. I think some people are using zap2xml. I'd just save yourself the hassle and get a Schedules Direct account.

[sub]

Also, I was able to play live tv in Kodi on my Raspberry Pi, while connected through the network to the server running NextPVR. The audio seems a bit off. Do I need to worry about configuring all the decoders/filters, etc if I'm playing on another device? Seems to me like those settings aren't necessary. Would like to know more about that if I could!

The NextPVR decoders are only for when you're viewing in NextPVR.

[Graham]

Also, I was able to play live tv in Kodi on my Raspberry Pi, while connected through the network to the server running NextPVR. The audio seems a bit off. Do I need to worry about configuring all the decoders/filters, etc if I'm playing on another device? Seems to me like those settings aren't necessary. Would like to know more about that if I could!

In the beginning, NextPVR was both a "client" and a "server" with both running on the same machine. A right click into Settings allowed the setup of "server" stuff such as tuners and "client" stuff such as decoders. NextPVR now supports a raft of clients including Kodi and NextPVR itself running as "client only". The Settings interface hasn't changed and is the same when NextPVR is "client and server" on the same machine and "client only" with the server on a separate machine and "server only" with the client on a separate machine. Setings such as decoders are "client" settings and apply only to this machine and will have no effect on other "clients" such as Kodi or NextPVR running as a client on another machine. If this machine will always be a "server" used to record from tuners connected to this machine then there is no need to setup playback stuff such as decoders.

[hansolo77]

Where would I direct my support issues for playback problems? Since NextPVR is essentially recording the streams fine, would I need to go back to Kodi for support? Basically I'm experiencing things like occasional stuttering, really crappy audio (like it's very loud and clips, and there sounds like static when there shouldn't be any sound (like when I'm listening to my local radar and the computer voice stops talking there's a lot of loud static), and a lousy looking bitrate encode. Would these all be things Kodi would be responsible for on the decode end, or NextPVR on the initial encode end?

As for the EPG data. Does Schedules Direct offer any kind of friendly email reminder to let you know your subscription is about to end and you need to renew to keep using it? I'd hate to be using their service for a year, and be used it working, and then all of a sudden NOT be, and not remember that I need to renew. I'd be going crazy trying to figure out what happened.

[sub]

Where would I direct my support issues for playback problems? Since NextPVR is essentially recording the streams fine, would I need to go back to Kodi for support? Basically I'm experiencing things like occasional stuttering, really crappy audio (like it's very loud and clips, and there sounds like static when there shouldn't be any sound (like when I'm listening to my local radar and the computer voice stops talking there's a lot of loud static), and a lousy looking bitrate encode. Would these all be things Kodi would be responsible for on the decode end, or NextPVR on the initial encode end?

Is it fine when you view it in NextPVR? If so, probably here. If it just plays badly in Kodi, then you'd probably have to look for support on the kodi forums.

As for the EPG data. Does Schedules Direct offer any kind of friendly email reminder to let you know your subscription is about to end and you need to renew to keep using it? I'd hate to be using their service for a year, and be used it working, and then all of a sudden NOT be, and not remember that I need to renew. I'd be going crazy trying to figure out what happened.

I'm pretty sure they send you a couple of email reminders when time is almost up.

[mvallevand]

Did you buy the mpg codec for the RPi and enable h/w de-interlaced playback? You are going to need both.

Martin

[hansolo77]

@sub - I have no way of testing on my server. It's strange because of the OS. It didn't install any services for audio play back. Also, I don't have any speakers installed anyway. The thing is, when I used the card in the WMC HTPC, it performed fine. Maybe it's a driver thing because it's on Windows Server? I wish there was a way I could test it inside NextPVR directly.

@mvallevand - I didn't buy the MPG codec from Raspberry. It plays fine without it. Also, I'm pretty sure I have deinterlacing turned on, but I'll double check. Ok, it was set to AUTO, so I changed it to ON. Don't really notice any difference. I suppose I can spare the $3 or whatever to buy the hardware capability. Do you think this will assist with the audio playback as well?

[sub]

@sub - I have no way of testing on my server. It's strange because of the OS. It didn't install any services for audio play back. Also, I don't have any speakers installed anyway. The thing is, when I used the card in the WMC HTPC, it performed fine. Maybe it's a driver thing because it's on Windows Server? I wish there was a way I could test it inside NextPVR directly.

Do a recording then, and play the file on another machine to make sure it's fine.

[mvallevand]

@mvallevand - I didn't buy the MPG codec from Raspberry. It plays fine without it. Also, I'm pretty sure I have deinterlacing turned on, but I'll double check. Ok, it was set to AUTO, so I changed it to ON. Don't really notice any difference. I suppose I can spare the $3 or whatever to buy the hardware capability. Do you think this will assist with the audio playback as well?

Yes to assist. If you have a keyboard connected you can hit the o key to see how high your cpu use is doing software decoding.

Martin