decoder issue? some channels don't play

[Donsch]

I posted this same problem with V5, so decided to go back to V4 and an having the same issue with the same channels.  I am using ffdshow for MPEG2 and H.264, but now suspect something isn't setup right.

I also have to believe something changed with the program, or with the channels recently.  I have been using NextPVR for years with no issue, but think this problem started after the last update.  Any ideas, where I can look for this problem?

I tried to attach a text file, but it apparently is not allowed, so here is the error I am getting when trying to save settings.  Maybe a missing DLL, or a .NET issue?

See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
  at NUtility.SkinHelper.GetElementAlpha(String name)
  at NUtility.Controls.UiButtonStrip..ctor(String elementName, String[] buttons, IUiButtonStripCallback callback, Hashtable args, SkinHelper skinHelper)
  at NUtility.Base.NewStyleButtonListPlugin.Initialise()
  at NSystem.NSystem.Initialise() in e:\Documents\Documents\Programming\NPVR\System\src\NSystem.cs:line 63
  at NSystem.NSystem.Notify(String eventName, Object eventArg) in e:\Documents\Documents\Programming\NPVR\System\src\NSystem.cs:line 328
  at NUtility.EventBus.Notify(String eventName, Object eventArg)
  at NextPVR.ControllerForm.settingsToolStripMenuItem_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem.OnClick(EventArgs e)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEventInteractive(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEvent(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
  at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
  at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
  at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.WndProc(Message& m)
  at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
  at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
  at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3468.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
NextPVR
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/NextPVR.exe
----------------------------------------
NUtility
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/NUtility.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3324.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3451.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Data
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3260.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_32/System.Data/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Data.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Core
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3490.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Core/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Core.dll
----------------------------------------
NShared
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/NShared.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Data.SQLite
    Assembly Version: 1.0.85.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.85.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/System.Data.SQLite.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Data.Entity
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Data.Entity/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Data.Entity.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Transactions
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3221.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_32/System.Transactions/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Transactions.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
System.EnterpriseServices
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_32/System.EnterpriseServices/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.EnterpriseServices.dll
----------------------------------------
Unmanaged
    Assembly Version: 1.0.7214.11117
    Win32 Version:
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/Unmanaged.DLL
----------------------------------------
SlimDX
    Assembly Version: 4.0.13.43
    Win32 Version:
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/SlimDX.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Runtime.Remoting
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Runtime.Remoting/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Runtime.Remoting.dll
----------------------------------------
GetCoreTempInfoNET
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/NUtility.dll
----------------------------------------
SystemPlugin
    Assembly Version: 3.14.6.2
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/NUtility.dll
----------------------------------------
taglib-sharp
    Assembly Version: 2.0.4.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.4.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/taglib-sharp.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Management
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Management/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Management.dll
----------------------------------------
Newtonsoft.Json
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.2.20802
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/Newtonsoft.Json.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Numerics
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Numerics/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Numerics.dll
----------------------------------------
ManagedUPnP
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/NPVR/ManagedUPnP.DLL
----------------------------------------

[Donsch]

I tried several things and noticed this message sometime flashes on the screen.  Your selected MPEG2 video decoder refused to hook up. Please try another decoder.  But when trying another decoder, I just get a black screen with no message. 

I also noticed in the logs that the program is looking for NextPVR.resources.dll in a couple of plugin folders, which is not on my computer.

[mvallevand]

You need to attach zip files not text files. Also make sure ffdshow is not the issue and use LAV

Martin

[Donsch]

You need to attach zip files not text files.  Also make sure ffdshow is not the issue and use LAV

Martin

understood on the zip files.  I set everything to LAV video decoder and I got audio only on a few channels, then selected ffdshow for MPEG2, but left H.264 set to LAV and the video came back on selected stations.  However, channel 4.1 (and others) still do not play.

I am using Kodi as a front end, but am doing all this testing on the backend.  The things that work on the backend, also work in kodi, so figure the issue is 100% on the backend.

Attached the logs this time.

[Donsch]

sometimes when the video fails to play, the ffdshow pops up in the system tray, and when hovering over it says Output: NV12. Does this mean anything?

[mvallevand]

I don't think the problem is backend I think it is signal. You have some channels with high quality and some very low. I suspect WinTV has problems too. Perhaps you have antenna orientation issues or maybe you either too many splits, or a booster when it is not needed.

Martin

[sub]

Martin is probably right. I also think it is signal.

If you record 4.1, do you get a file created? Does it play in any other player?

[Donsch]

When I try to open the channel I get a decoder error. Channel 4.1 is one of the strongest local channels. Maybe related maybe not, the NextPVR program is getting tons of "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" errors. This problem started the same time selected channels started having issues. Is there a way I can download a previous version of NextPVR to try that?

[sub]

Try scheduling a recording from the TV Guide, or Recordings->Manual Rec. Once we've got a recording, we can see if it plays in NextPVR. If it doesn't I can check the file for you here in the debugger.

[Donsch]

FYI, got channel 4.1 and a few others working that were not working before, so now very few are not working...  

Here is what I did.  I went into the LAV Video decoder properties page and under the Hardware Acceleration section, I changed Hardware decoder to use: from NONE to DXVA2 (copy-back), then a little lower, set Hardware Device to use: to my video card (it was the only choice).

I also enabled the system tray icon, so I can see whether LAV or ffdshow was chosen as the decoder for a channel.  (I already had the icon showing for ffdshow). 

I have no idea how this was changed, I don't recall ever seeing these screens before.  Channel 4.1 was working for years, before installing the last update.  I didn't notice it right away because I only hear about problems when my wife can't watch the Bachelor on channel 8. 

Thanks for all the ideas!  you guys are great!