Scheduled recordings kind of flakey

[chrisjx]

I'm still getting some inconsistent behavior with scheduled recording.

I set up a schedule and it will record during the appropriate time but it fails to change the channel of the cable box. I can change channels via the remote control, but the scheduled event doesn't seem to trigger the change automatically.

The other problem is that if I leave the application in Live TV mode, it will generate an error. It seems that it can't handle a change when live TV is on. See this thread:


http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=6925

I expected the behavior to be that if I was watching Live TV and it was time to start recording, Live TV would cease, the cable box would be changed to the defined channel and recording would proceed.

Tonight, I had set up to record David Letterman (Elvis Costello and the Imposters with Emmylou Harris) and the program was to start at 11:35; end at 12:37. I was watching a separate program directly from the Cable box, waiting for the recording to start 1 minute before the program started. 11:34 no, 11:35 no, 11:36 no, so I switched the cable box directly... The GBPVR app was on the main menu and was not on any specific channel.

Looking at the Recording > Pending menu inicated that the David Letterman show was being recorded.

Finally I waited through the David Letterman show and at 12:38 it was still recording.

At 12:39, the application generated an error. It was the same as reported before - R6025 - pure virtual function call (see link above).

12:45 I exit GBPVR and look at the Recording Service Status and it indicates that it is still recording the Letterman show. Restarting the Service from the task pane icon didn't change that. Finally I went to the Stop Service option on the Start > Programs > GBPVR menu and then restarted the service and that cleared the Letterman recording link.

I looked on disk for the video file and it had indeed recorded the Letterman show. The file creation time was 12:38.


Suggestions? The challenge of making this approvable by the wife is becoming difficult to defend...

TIA,
Chris.

[elite]

How are you changing the channel on the cable box?

[chrisjx]

When I am in Live TV and really most of the time, I am using the Hauppauge remote to IR Blast the cable box via the stick-on IR thingy. Changing channels is usually NBD. I punch in the number on the remote and I see the numbers appear briefly in the bottom left corner of the GBPVR OSD. Then after a couple of seconds, I see the cable box respond by echoing the number in the top of the cable channel display and then as the last of the 3 numbers is IRd the new channel is selected.

So I don't think it is a problem of the IR signal not getting through.

In the test I was describing above, the PVR machine, my computer, was idling on the main menu with Live TV highlighted. I was watching a split off signal from the output of the cable box on my TV and at the same time expecting the GBPVR application to change the channel via the IR Blaster when the scheduled moment arrived so that it would start recording the appropriate channel.

As described above, the GBPVR app did not change the channel, I had to do it manually with the Cable Box Remote.

As I see it, the PVR150 will simply record whatever channel I've got coming from the cable box output. I've got the PVR150 set on channel 3 (just like the old VCR days). So if I decide to go channel surfing with my cable renmote in the middle of the recording, then I will be recording the surfing...

The GBPVR application should be "punching" the remote buttons programatically on my behalf when it's time to record a scheduled program, right?

My guess is that there is some conflict (handoff timing, object notification messaging) between the GBPVR UI application and the GBPVR recording service...

Perhaps there are some settings to make the IR Blaster more robust?

Of course I am also getting the "R6025 - pure virtual function call" error at the end of the recordings, which may or may not be related.

Thanks for any hints,
Chris.

[sub]

You should be using the ".exe channel changer" pointing at "c:\program files\devnz\gbpvr\HaupBlast.exe" instead of the builtin "Hauppauge IR Blaster" plugin. Is this how you have things set up?

[chrisjx]

sub,

Sorry to say, I don't know which IR Blaster software is being used. In the config app on the Remote tab I have selected the Hauppauge (Default) setting.

I did install the Hauppauge hardware/software before I installed GBPVR but I'm not sure which IRBlaster software is in control. Perhaps there are conflicting services?

As an aside to my ongoing hassles, I had scheduled to record a program at 5am and it did indeed change the channel and record, but it did not 'stop' the recording. The same happened yesterday when I started a manual recording that was supposed to last 1 hour. I started it before I left for work and when I got home I had a 20G file. It had been recording all day long.

So the 'stop' recording function is also not working consistantly.

wacky...

[sub]

Sorry to say, I don't know which IR Blaster software is being used. In the config app on the Remote tab I have selected the Hauppauge (Default) setting.

That is unrelated to the IR Blaster. This is just used to select the type remote you're using.

To use the IR Blaster that came with your PVR150, you need to edit you capture source, set it to use the .exe channel changer, and point it at HaupBlast.exe utility. See screenshot.

For this to work though, you must have already configured the Hauppauge BlastCFG software, which came with your PVR150, to the correct type cable box etc.

[chrisjx]

Thanks to sub...

I just wanted to follow up and mention that this problem and the other problem (see thread: http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=6925) were fixed by changing the .exe channel changer configuration as suggested by sub.

No problem since then.

On to other refinements <g>...