Client will not play live TV

[ACTCMS]

I've now been playing with GB-PVR for about a week and making good progress. I've setup Client/Server using file sharing and everything is working fine except for viewing live TV on the client.

I get 'Starting timeshift mode...' screen and it just sits there - Esc key brings me back to where I requested live TV so it's not hanging. The server logs show the timeshift recording starting and stoping and the client logs show the 'Before live TV' and 'After live TV' events, but no picture or sound.

I've clean installed GB-PVR or both machines a couple of times. I've also installed the KLite Codec packs on both systems (default settings).

I've reached a bit of an impass so any clues as to where I should be looking next would be greatly appreciated :confused:

[HTPCGB]

Try using streaming mode instead. I had the exact same problem and switching from file sharing to streaming fixed it for me.

[sub]

Are you using the dvr-ms mux? From memory you need to be using one of the muxes that produce .mpg files, lke the Cyberlink mux.

[ACTCMS]

I changed the Mux to Cyberlink and now I can see the program, but it is very sporadic - picture changes about once every 5-10 secs and sound comes in small bursts. I had already experimented with the mpeg muxes so I could record mpg files, but get the same jittering problem on playback.

I then changed to streaming mode and problem still the same.

I then changed the mux back to dvr-ms (still streaming) and now get error: Failure playing back file.

[HTPCGB]

Perhaps your wireless network can't adequately handle the video stream. Do you have the means to temporarilly connect the two computers together with an ethernet cable?

[ACTCMS]

I could do that, however, I've been streaming video over the network using VideoLan for ages. I use WPM and WinAmp to watch video over the network using network shares. Also, I can use GB-PVR to watch recorded programs without any problems.

FYI I have only one machine using wireless - all other machines are wired.

[sub]

Yeah, it probably is the wireless aspect causing problems. GB-PVR just uses a trick to force your existing directshow components to play from a file across the network, but it needs quite a bit of bandwidth for this to work, since these directshow components are thinking they accessing local files, which usually happens really quickly (so they dont try to economise on the number accesses and seeking etc). Its not video streaming in the same sense as you'd get from VideoLan.

[ACTCMS]

OK guys - I'll try connecting by wire...

[ACTCMS]

Tried connecting by wire - same symptoms - so stopped for dinner and a short nap...

I'm beginning to think that the connection speed is a bit of a red herring.

1) Sub suggests that I need to be using an mpeg mux. When I do, I can establish connection with the server although the transmission quality is rubbish. If I use the dvr-ms mux I get no connection at all. So I'm going with Sub on this one.

2) If I record a program using any mpeg mux, I get the same symptoms when I play it back as I do when watching live TV. If I record using dvr-ms playback is perfect.

3) I get the same results using streaming or file sharing.

Following the Sherlock Holmes theory, it has to be something to do with the mpeg muxes and since it is unlikely that they would all be failing, it points to the way the muxes relate to GB-PVR. Therefore I need to find out what BDA Multiplexors are, what they do and how GB-PVR uses them.

So the next question is: any quick pointers to info about muxes?

In the meantime, I'm off to Wikipedia to make a start...

[sub]

What mpeg mux did you try exactly? I use the Cyberlink v5.0.1307 one and have pretty good success. Its not very fast changing channels (since this mux takes about 4 seconds before it'll start producing any data on each channel change), but it generally works.

What is the output of muxchecker on your machine?