Network Recorder will not playback recorded files on a NPVR PC Client

[msmith8228]

Can anyone help me?

I am having a problem in getting NPVR recorded files to playback on a NPVR PC client. These files have been recorded via a Network Recorder link to a second NPVR server from my main NPVR server

My system is as followes:

Main NPVR Server -- running Windows XP SP3 with an ASTC card for OTA HD and SD recording -- all files created on this main NPVR server will playback correctly on both the server and on any of my NPVR clients.

Second NPVR Server -- running Windows XP SP3 with a Hauppaugue 150 card hooked to a satellite settop box via S-video -- this server is linked to the main server using Network recorder -- any files created from this second server recorded on the main server via the Network Recorder link playback properly on the main server

Client NPVR machine -- running Windows XP SP3 -- this client machine will play back recorded files created on the main server (with the internal ASTC card) but it will not playback recorded files created via the Network recorder link from the second server.

Here is the strange thing -- on the client NPVR machine it is possible to watch live TV from a channel that is coming from the Network Recorder machine and it is also possible to watch a recording that is in progress from the Network recorder machine -- but it is not possible to watch a program that has finished recording.

What happens when I try to watch any of these completed recordings is that the playback seems to start -- then the screen goes black for 3 to 5 seconds and then it returns to the "whats new menu" -- with no error message displayed. If I immediately move to the main server and try to watch the same recording -- everything works correctly with proper playback. This behavior has been reproduced on each of my four client machines.

The files created via the Network Recorder link on the main server playback correctly on any of the client machines using an external media player such as Zoom Play -- they will just not playback using NPVR.

So -- any ideas -- I have not attached any logs yet as I am not sure what loge are needed -- the main server, the Network recorder machine or the Client machine.

Please let me know and I will post as needed.

Michael

[mvallevand]

It's interesting to read a post from someone using Network Recorder to record from a second backend. I wasn't sure anyone would use the function when I added it.

Do you run postprocessing to transcode the file to something other than mpeg-ts? If so those converted file can't be streamed via the recordings menu and you'd need to use the Video Library. If they are .ts file the problem appears to be simply a client playback problem for sub to look at. I'd start with the NPVR.log from the client and NRecord.log file from the server.

Martin

[msmith8228]

As requested the log files are attached -- the NRecord.log is from the main NPVR server and the NPVR.log is from the NPVR client.

The sequence to create these logs was as follows. A short recording was started using the Network Recorder. While the recording was in progress the program was played from the NPVR client with success. When the recording was completed (a few minutes later) the program was again played from the NPVR client -- and it failed to playback with no error message.

The recordings are standard unaltered mpeg.ts files with no transcodeing.

The reason for using a second NPVR system as a recording backend is because my main server if full (no open card slots) and Network Recorder seen like a great way to add additional recording capacity to a server. It seems to work well (all recordings will playback on the server -- they will just not playback on any of my clients)

Michael

[mvallevand]

I see a few things, but if these don't work it's

- there were also a lot of patches to 2.4.3 for client playback so you would have to make sure the client and server are fully patched.
- the graph being created when you play the work-in-progress recording is quite different from the one for saved recording, so you might want to try other decoders.
- if you record this way, there is no Timing.Info file, I don't know if the client/server expect this. You could see if adding a Timing.Info with my writeTime utility helps.

If none of those steps help, hopefully sub can add something.

Martin

[msmith8228]

Martin:

First off -- thanks for all your help with this.

All NPVR client patches were in place before I started experimenting with Network Recorder. I tested a number of decoder combinations and nothing changed the NPVR client operation where completed Network Recorder recordings would seem to start -- jump to a black screen for a few seconds and then return to the calling menu with no error message displayed.

I finally tried your writeTime program and it seems to solve the problem. On a number of hour long recordings and six short segments the addition of a writeTime generated timing.info file allowed proper client playback. This was reproduced on two different client machines.

So it looks like a timing.info file will be required for correct client playback for every Network Recorder file that is created.

Is there anyway to get the Network Recorder to create these files automatically when a program is recorded - or am I forced to use post processing to get this to work all the time. As an experiment I moved my capture device from the Network Recorder back end to the main NPVR server (I temporally freed up a card slot) and repeated a number of the recording tests -- and all completed files played back perfectly on the clients. Moving the card back to the Network Recorder system and the problem resurfaces -- so this issue it directly related as to how Network Recorder creates its files.

If I have to go the post processing route I will need some help here -- in another post you provided a snippet of batch code to use in a post processing batch file -- and if I understand it this will process only Network Recorder files just after they are completed -- but I don't follow how or where to implement this -- can you provide a more complete example?

I am next considering trying the Network Recorder on my two R5000-HD DSR505 converted satellite receivers -- do you think that a post generated timing.info file will be required for each of these files as well? Finally, are there any instructions available in setting up Network Recorder on a R500-HD system. I have it working quite sell on a dedicated SageTV server system and wanted to replace SageTV with NPVR + Network Recorder on that box and then use the box as a back end to my main NPVR server. So in this configuration would I need two Network Recorder setups -- the first on on the R5000-HD NPVR server to get the Satellite boxes operational and the second on my main NPVR server to attach the R5000-HD back end?

Michael

Michael

[mvallevand]

Let's leave the Timing.Info discussion for a bit and hope sub responds. If he can make it not be a requirement for clients that would be best.

For the r5000 devices, you only need on setup but you would need to add new entries in NetworkRecorder.xml for each ip/port you talk to. As explained on the wiki http://www.nextpvr.com/nwiki/pmwiki.php?...rkRecorder you need to add <SocketOpen>true</SocketOpen> Fuzzy never actually confirmed it worked so I would be interested in your feedback.

Martin

[sub]

It shouldn't need the timing.info file. If you empty the file, but leave it in place, does it work? ie, is it just the presence of the file, or does it need real timing info?

[msmith8228]

Sub:

I an away on vacation until next Friday Aug 03 -- I will test this out when I return.

Martin:

I will start a new thread when I return with my testing results on the r5000-hd working with the NPVR Network Recorder.

Michael

[msmith8228]

Sub and / or Martin:

I completed a series of tests -- using an empty timing.info file the NPVR recorded programs will not playback on the PC based NPVR client.

Recreating the timing.info file using Martins utility and the recorded programs will playback on the client.

Deleting or renaming the timing.info file and the recorded programs will not playback on the client

My concern here is that I have a very large number of recordings and to have to generate a timing.info file for each one as well as create the file for all new recordings will become time consuming and I watch everything on my PC clients.

Is there anything that can be done so that this step will not be required?

Michael

[mvallevand]

I guess sub has been too busy with the release to look into this issue (I made a post about a similar problem http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...iming-Info affecting all my edited HDPVR recordings) but my workaround is to play from the Video Library using a share.

Martin