Problems with ExternalRecorder plugin

[frazer]

Still had the same results adding {channel} to the string; it works for preview, but still produces only empty .mpg files when recording. Looking through the logs, I could find no obvious error messages for the recording attempts; it claims to start recording from the correct location, then simply notices that there is no file being produced a few seconds later, and thus reports "may fail". There were errors in the logs when I tried to watch the channel in timeshift mode, but I guess that is because it finds no file to display.

One thing I did notice that I thought strange though, was that changing the "{filename}" part of the string to an actual file and location (such as c:\tv.mpg) made no difference to the empty file produced; it still turned up as a file with the relevant channel or programme name in the directory GBPVR stores all its recorded files, and not with the name and location I put in.

I also was wondering if it is normal for vlc to use a lot of CPU if it is just dumping a stream to a file (as I mentioned, using a little more than for decoding the stream), or is this indicative of something going wrong?

Thanks for any advice,

Frazer

[normanr]

What full command line is appearing in the logs? If you run it manually does it work better? It's begining to sound like vlc doesn't like saving the stream directly to disk. Perhaps the video/audio stream isn't MPEG2, and the ps mux is crapping itself.

Try some transcoding options, eg: out=#transcode{vcodec=mp2v,vb=1024,scale=1,acodec=mp2a,ab=192,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=ps,url="{filename}"}}

[frazer]

Hello again,

the transcoding didn't seem to help; I've been using a stream from myTheatre, which is an mpeg transport stream. I guess that shouldn't matter, but just in case, I tried recording as a transport stream as well (mux=ts), and it made no difference.

here is an extract from the log, which seems to describe the process.

cheers!


26/02/2006 05:57:02.981 VERBOSE [31] pending: Through The Night
26/02/2006 05:57:03.181 INFO [31] Found new programme requiring recording: Through The Night
26/02/2006 05:57:03.211 VERBOSE [31] Changing to channel (GBPVR.Backend.Common.NullTunerController): 84
26/02/2006 05:57:03.221 VERBOSE [31] Requesting IRecordingSource to start recording: C:\Through The Night\Through The Night_20060226_05000600.mpg
26/02/2006 05:57:03.241 VERBOSE [31] ExternalRecorder[23]: enter startRecording(qualityLevel:=1,filename:=C:\Through The Night\Through The Night_20060226_05000600.mpg,channelTuning:={84,},minutes:=2,useStreamBufferEngineIfAvailable:=False)
26/02/2006 05:57:03.241 VERBOSE [31] ExternalRecorder[23]: startProgram-Process.Start('C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe','udp:1284out=#duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=ps,url="C:\Through The Night\Through The Night_20060226_05000600.mpg"}}')
26/02/2006 05:57:08.329 VERBOSE [31] Programme is now recording
26/02/2006 05:57:08.369 VERBOSE [31] RecordingFactory.save()
26/02/2006 05:57:08.379 VERBOSE [31] Save(): Updated existing scheduled recording
26/02/2006 05:57:08.389 VERBOSE [31] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/ProcessCommercialsDuringRecording
26/02/2006 05:57:08.389 VERBOSE [31] getValue: /settings/ProcessCommercialsDuringRecording : false
26/02/2006 05:57:08.389 VERBOSE [31] Adding C:\Through The Night\Through The Night_20060226_05000600.mpg to parallel processing queue
26/02/2006 05:57:08.399 VERBOSE [278] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/CommercialDetectionScheme
26/02/2006 05:57:08.399 VERBOSE [278] getValue: /settings/CommercialDetectionScheme : 0
26/02/2006 05:57:08.399 INFO [278] Parallel Processing thread starting...
26/02/2006 05:57:14.397 VERBOSE [278] File does not yet exist (may fail): C:\Through The Night\Through The Night_20060226_05000600.mpg

[normanr]

If you run:

Code:

"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" udp:@:1284:sout=#duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=ps,url="C:\Through The Night\Through The Night_20060226_05000600.mpg"}}

from the command line manually, does it work?

Isn't it supposed to be udp://@:1284?

I assume you've got VLC working from the command line before trying to use the plugin?

[frazer]

No it still doesn't work! Running the recording parameters outside GBPVR, it does play the video though, so it is simply refusing to dump the stream to a file; in fact it doesn't create a file at all (presumably, GBPVR was creating the file before, and VLC was failing to put anything in it). Incidentally, would VLC in effect always be decoding the file, even when just recording from within GBPVR, and is this why the CPU usage was so high when I tried to record in GBPVR before, even though no VLC window was launched? If so, is there any way to stop this, as it eats a lot of CPU power on my system?

But I guess I have to work out first why it isn't recording the stream at all; are there any known issues as to why VLC might not want to do this?

Thanks again,

Frazer

[normanr]

Hrm, I would try and use the VLC frontend to get it working, then move to command line execution. When the plugin launches an external program to do recording or timeshifting it sets the window to hidden. It's very possible that VLC is trying to render to nowhere, and using CPU to do it. My bet is that once you get it recording to file, then the CPU will drop dramatically.

[frazer]

I've tried using the same parameters within VLC without success. As I say, I don't really understand how the recording parameters string works, so I can't really alter it in any way to try and get it going. I'll have a look on the VLC site as well to see if I can find any information on recording to files there.

Thanks,

Frazer

[normanr]

Have you got it working using the VLC frontend? i.e. no command line switches anywhere.

In a previous post it looked like you were trying to record from 235.1.1.1. That's a multicast address. Is that your own broadcast, or are you trying to play something from the net? If so does your ISP have a valid connection to the MBONE?

[frazer]

Not totally sure what you mean by no command line switches; I have tried entering the same string I was using for the plugin recording parameters straight into VLC, but it still won't record to a file.

I am streaming from myTheatre (on the same computer) using the avbroadcaster plugin; I was using the multicast address at first, as I couldn't get unicasting working, but now it does, so I have since been using just the port number, and I can get VLC to play the streamed video without problem, just not record it.

Thanks for all your help,

Frazer

[frazer]

Well, I've made some progress now, and can record some very choppy video with low CPU usage, but I'll have to report back later when I've done more testing. Basically, after reading through some posts on the VLC site, I changed some of the syntax, and that seems to be doing the trick- I'll post what works for me when I know more in case anyone else has the same problems.

One little question 'til then though; is there any reason why watching the stream in GBPVR in timeshift mode shouldn't work with the XCard? I got the timeshifting (again very choppy) working in software mode, but trying with the XCard just gave me an "error reading file" message. When operating in timeshift mode, isn't GBPVR just reading the .mpg file that VLC is creating? I couldn't think of a reason why it shouldn't work, and I rather hope it does, as that was one of the main reasons for trying this, so that I could use myTheatre on my TV without having to go through Windows.

Cheers

Frazer