Sometimes no sound or video.

[jcjefferies]

For several months I have had an occasional problem on my NPVR client when I play a recording there is no sound or video. Usually if I quit and immediately select “Play” or “Resume” then the recording plays ok. However recently possibly since I upgraded the hardware and changed to Vista the problem is getting worse. I am using EVR with Cyberlink decoders and only have MPEG1 audio and MPEG2 Video enabled. Can anyone see any clues in the enclosed log? The first attempt at playback was at 09:06:23 but the screen remained blank and no sound until I quit at 09:06:56. Second attempt at 09:07:06 was the same quitting at 09:07:23

I tried changing the decoders to ffdshow from CCCP but get sound but no video. I have now tried using “MPC-MPEG2 video decoder” and “MPEG audio decoder” and they seem to work more often than the Cyberlink, about 2/3 of the time.

[sub]

It sounds like it would be related to the decoders, so I'd be trying other decoders if I was you.

[jcjefferies]

I previously only had Cyberlink decoders installed but have been investigating and installed in turn K-Kite, CCCP and Vista Codecs. The most obvious conclusion is that the ffdshow video decoder in any of the packs does not work at all on my Vista server and client using NPVR, VLC or Graph Studio. With CCCP installed Graph Studio "Could not Render" any NPVR recorded file. I am sure VLC used ffdshow when I used it under XP as I remember the popups on the toolbar. I think with the Vista codecs installed VLC had sound but no video and Graph Studio only rendered the sound. Of the other decoders in the packs LAV didnt work and MPC and Dscaler about 50-60% of the time. The Cyberlink decoders are the most reliable usually working 80% of the time but on occasions still have to make a second attempto to play a recording.

[hoborg]

VLC is not DirectShow based player, it have its own decoders based on FFMpeg.
You should try *unlocked* (check PM) SAF6 - it is primary designed for GB-PVR/NPVR.

Just make sure you remove all codec packs before SAF install.

BTW, if you try to skip FF, does the playback start?
I have similar issue on my HTPC (first try to play .TS result in blackscreen until i hit FF or STOP and PLAY again). But it seems to happend only in VMR9 FSE. Switching to VMR9 and problem is gone.

[jcjefferies]

Thanks Hoborg I have downloaded SAF6 and installed after first uninstalling the Cyberlink decoders which are part of the software which came with my DVB-T device. I have always used EVR as the video renderer as for me it seems the most reliable but will try the decoders with different renderers.

I have been unable so far to get any video using the LAV decoder. Initial tests show that this is the first ffdshow video decoder install that works on my Vista client, HOWEVER the video runs about 5 seconds behind the sound using EVR! Changing to VMR9 seemed to cure the problem except some recordings play in 1 second jumps. Graph Studio is now using the ffdshow to render a NPVR recording, which none of the other installs did. VMR9 seems to give me aspect ratio problems with programmes made in 4:3 format. This is going to take a long time to try the various decoders to see if any of the renderers have any side effects on some recordings!!

In answer to your question, jump "Forward" or "Back" does seem to start the video displaying as does "Stop" and "Play".

[hoborg]

Thanks Hoborg I have downloaded SAF6 and installed after first uninstalling the Cyberlink decoders which are part of the software which came with my DVB-T device. I have always used EVR as the video renderer as for me it seems the most reliable but will try the decoders with different renderers.

I have been unable so far to get any video using the LAV decoder. Initial tests show that this is the first ffdshow video decoder install that works on my Vista client, HOWEVER the video runs about 5 seconds behind the sound using EVR! Changing to VMR9 seemed to cure the problem except some recordings play in 1 second jumps. Graph Studio is now using the ffdshow to render a NPVR recording, which none of the other installs did. VMR9 seems to give me aspect ratio problems with programmes made in 4:3 format. This is going to take a long time to try the various decoders to see if any of the renderers have any side effects on some recordings!!

In answer to your question, jump "Forward" or "Back" does seem to start the video displaying as does "Stop" and "Play".

Hi.
On Vista/Win7 always use EVR, old VMR is for XP only!
Setup your NPVR to use Cyberlink decoder, not FFDshow - FFDshow is not good for LiveTV (recordings).
[ATTACH=CONFIG]31780[/ATTACH]


Good, so it looks like this "black screen" issue can be NPVR problem.
SUB, what do you think about it?

[sub]

For several months I have had an occasional problem on my NPVR client when I play a recording there is no sound or video.

I'd missed the word 'client' in there earlier. Does the same problem ever occur when you use NextPVR.exe directly on the server?

[nomore]

I have an avermedia volar max tuner.
I haven't been able to get the audio from live tv to work. It works with tv through win media player and nexpvr plays videos and audio files from my computer.
To me that means it can only be an audio decoder problem. Is that right?
After reading posts I downloaded and installed fddshow and ac3filter decoders, they install and I can open the "programs" to configure them, however they don't show up in nextpvr/settings/decoders drop down list as an option.
What am I doing wrong?
How do I install the decoders so that they show up as an option in the ac3 drop down list?
Thanks,

[jcjefferies]

Sub- I dont view recordings enough on the server to say for certain but the problem has not happens on the server.

Nomore- There are lots of decoder packs available like CCCP or SAF but I use the Cyberlink decoders supplied with my tuner. In all cases part of the install process is to register the decoders so Windows knows about them. There is a program you can download called InstalledCodec.exe which lists the decoders Windows knows about.

[jcjefferies]

I seem to have solved this problem by accident. The problem was that when playing a SD recording it only played correctly 1/3 to 1/4 of the time. The rest of the time the screen was blank sometimes with sound. If I quit the recording and reselected it but this time selected “Resume” them most of the time it played normally. When it played there was a delay of 5-7 seconds before the video was displayed and a similar delay when you stop playing with a blank screen before the menu is displayed.

I have just bought a Nvidia GeForce 210 video card with HDMI output for another computer but just tried it in my NPVR client. Video with sound now starts playing within 2-3 seconds every time and on quit the menu is now displayed within a second. A similar thing happens if I use an older AMD video card but benchmark software says this card is slower than the internal video.