Playback of BBC HD Freesat recordings

[mvallevand]

I think it is filename related if you look at \Emmerdale_20140213_20002030.ts NextPVR loads Timing.Info but it doesn't for Pound Shop

Martin

[Bobins]

Guys....we're on the right track

When you view the directory and file name in Explorer (Windows 7 64 bit) you do not see the characters....they're there but not displayed.
I copied the file and renamed it removing the hidden characters but keeping it in the same directory....it wouldn't play.
I then moved the file to the top directory (i.e. the root without the funny characters)....the file plays fine.
I then renamed the original directory to remove the hidden funny character. The file with the funny characters still wouldn't play but the copied/renamed file would.

It's the funny characters that's causing the issue.

These funny characters don't appear after a normal EPG download from Freesat however, once you select a Freesat channel to watch or record they appear in the EPG (and hence directory/file name.) These characters only show for the current and next programmes in the EPG so I suspect they're the "now & next" being downloaded directly from the selected channel and not the main EPG source.

Now the strange thing is ITV HD. When I record from that, despite showing the funny characters in the EPG....the directory and file name don't have them so play fine. What I did notice when using the TV listing plug-in was the ITV HD (and a number of other channels) almost look like they've got a shadow in the EPG...i.e. as if there were two copies of the EPG entry superimposed on each other. When I start a recording of ITV, the flags in the TV Listing showing it's recording (or completed) look dull as it they were behind another listing. After I complete a recording (or watch Live TV). If I move left or right in TV listings, the listing details change from one with funny characters to one without for each programme on screen. i.e. it implies there are two EPG entries over the top of each other for each ITV programme.

I tried to un-merge the DVB-T and DVT-S channels to test if that made any difference but selecting unmerge in the channels setup doesn't seem to do anything :confused:

Any ideas what to try next?

[mvallevand]

A new EPG source.

Martin

[Bobins]

How do you change whether the source is DVB-T or DVB-S when you've merged the channels (and unmerge doesn't work)? Edit the database?

[Bobins]

Ok worked out how to change to EPG source by editing the database.
This may fix the BBC HD channels but the problem is I want to use the Freesat EPG because it gives details for channels not on Freeview (terrestrial).
I think there may be a timing thing going on here in that when the "Now & Next" data is loaded for BBC channels, it seems to overwrite the EPG entry whereas for ITV and a lot of other channels, it creates a second EPG entry with the same time details but with the added funny characters. Dependant on which entry you select (one with or without funny characters) determines if you can playback the file (SD or HD)

Question for Sub: Is there anyway to filter the "Now & Next" EPG update or even disable it?

[jcjefferies]

The best way to have full control of the EPG is if you download the data and input it into NextPVR in XML format which allows you to specify the EPG file source for each channel. At one time I has some channels using the Freesat EPG data, some using the Freeview EPG data and some using the downloaded data from Radio Times. There is no reason why you cannot mix say the Freeview DVB EPG for most channels and XML for the rest.

DVBguide can produce an XML file from the Freesat EPG, EPGcollector will do the same for Freeview EPG data and XMLTV GUI will download from the Radio Times. NextPVR has only recently had the ability to decode the HD items in the EPG but I was not aware that it had the ability to download the full Freesat EPG which is none standard and is broadcast separately from a mux on a separate satellite.

Chris

[imilne]

DVBGuide is well recommended and it handles both freeview and freesat formats. Stay away from its newest version (use 0.95) though as it produces xml with a weird header than .net doesn't like.

Iain

[Lao Pan]

Question for Sub: Is there anyway to filter the "Now & Next" EPG update or even disable it?

Surely Settings/Misc untick Update DVB EPG during live TV should do it - Having it enabled was causing problems before for me.

If you have a channel on the frequency that the full EPG is broadcast on enabled - I believe that FILMON is on it - NPVR will get the full Guide.

[Bobins]

Thanks

I had tried disabling the "Update EPG during live TV" and that seems to have fixed the BBC channels. That said, if I trigger an EPG update manually, I get the double entries for many of the channels (one with the funny characters). I can only assume that as it scans every channel during the EPG update, it's picking up the now & next (with the funny characters) from those channels that don't have a full EPG. It then gets the full EPG from the single channel that has it on Freesat. As the two entries don't match I get two concurrent in the Listings.

This might not be a problem as the EPG updates in the early hours of the morning so the funny Now and Next entries will not normally be in a part of the Listing I'd be using to select programmes to record.

The proper fix would be some sort of filter to kill these odd characters..... that assumes they're actually coming off-air and not a NPVR code "feature"

[trummel]

Sorry to chime in late, but I had exactly this problem with Freesat OTA EPG here. The weird characters were occurring on all programs, not just now and next though. For that reason I stopped using the OTA EPG all together. Fortunately, I can get most of the channels I'm interested in from Alan Birtles XMLTV. Certainly worth using that for all of the channels you can anyway (especially BBC HD et al), then just fill in the blanks with OTA. It also has the advantage of being much faster if you need to do a manual EPG update.