the tuner you were using was required...message

[DrBoost]

What if I deleted the existing files? Would that simplify things? I'll drag a second monitor out and donit again. It'll be easier to see what's happening since I won't have to juggle the windows.

[Graham]

What if I deleted the existing files? Would that simplify things?

The files in the Live TV buffer have no purpose after you exit Live TV so you can safely delete them at any time when Live TV is not being used in NextPVR. NextPVR is supposed to delete the files but I can't recall when that should happen ... I suspect that they should all be deleted when you exit Live TV but it may be that they should all be deleted when you exit NextPVR.

[DrBoost]

Ok, I think I finally got what you guys needed me to see. I deleted the .ts files (almost 20 GB!) and tuned the TV to WNEM. I opened the temp folder, it showed one ts file for WNEM. I then attempted to tune WXYZ in and a ts file for WZYZ showed up. It was a small file, a few hundred kb. WXYZ wasn't tuning it, the file just sat there, not growing. Then the ts file disappeared, and about 5-8 seconds later I got the dreaded message.
What do you think?

[DrBoost]

well, I got impatient while waiting for a channel change and did the control+alt+delete to end the task. The task manager showed NPVR as running, but was "not responding" then, it went to "running" as the tuner message popped up. I dont know if that helps at all.

[Graham]

WXYZ wasn't tuning it, the file just sat there, not growing.

If the file is not growing ... it is becasue NextPVR is not receiving data from the tuner. The most likely explanation for your problem is that your signal reception is borderline and sometimes the tuner is unable to get a channel.

The next suggestion would be to check the ndigitalhost log immediately after each occurrence of the problem to see if it contains the "locked=0, present=0 ..." message indicating that the tuner was not able to tune a channel.

Do recording always work flawlessly on the "difficult" channels?

[DrBoost]

There are no difficult channels. It happens 75-90% of the time. And no, I've never missed a recording.
So, Inwas messing around and decided to use NPVR as the back end fir Kodi. Channel changing works flawlessly through Kodi. That makes no sense to me.

[Graham]

That makes no sense to me.

Me neither. I have run out of ideas. It may be that NextPVR sends a second tuning request if the first returns no data when NextPVR is making a recording. NextPVR may send only one tuning request for Live TV. It may be that NextPVR sends a second tuning request if a Live TV request comes from Kodi. But ... I am out of my depth and stabbing in the dark.

[DrBoost]

Me neither. I have run out of ideas. It may be that NextPVR sends a second tuning request if the first returns no data when NextPVR is making a recording. NextPVR may send only one tuning request for Live TV. It may be that NextPVR sends a second tuning request if a Live TV request comes from Kodi. But ... I am out of my depth and stabbing in the dark.

I really, really appreciate your help, yours and Subs. I really like the UI that NPVR has. I could use Kodi, and I might, but the functionality of Kodi pales in comparison to NPVR. One thing I noticed, may or may not tell you or anyone else anything, but lets say I change from channel 20 to channel 22, it will actually tune channel 21 in on it's way to 22. I wonder if that's part of the hangup. I've tried switching from 20 to 21 and it still locks up. I don't know if that is clear, but it seems NPVR is not jumping from one channel to the other, it's stepping up?
Again, I'm just throwing that out there. I greatly appreciate your time.

[Graham]

... lets say I change from channel 20 to channel 22, it will actually tune channel 21 in on it's way to 22.

Sorry ... above my pay grade. I can only suggest that you 1) use NextPVR and get an error and immediately zip the logs 2) Use NextPVR and get a good channel change and immediately zip the logs and 3) Use Kodi and get a good channel change and immediately zip the logs. Post the three logs labeled as something like The Good, The Bad and The Kodi in a post with the dates and times that the channel changes variously worked or not. Make a nice cup of tea, cross your fingers and wait in hope that some nice guy comes along and reads the logs and solves the problem in an instant.

[mvallevand]

One thing I noticed, may or may not tell you or anyone else anything, but lets say I change from channel 20 to channel 22, it will actually tune channel 21 in on it's way to 22.

If you want to do this using channel up/down NextPVR will need to tune 21 and you do have to pay attention to not got too fast because NextPVR processes each keystroke. If you want to go to 22 just enter it directly. Sub could probably add a little delay to skip, but people already complanin that switching channels is too slow.

Martin