new user with many problems

[three6zerocool]

Hello, thought I would make a comment regarding the decoder errors that appear in the Windows NextPVR.exe client.
I have experienced the decoder error error messages that pop up for the longest time.

However, I have observed something that may be of interest.

Do you happen to be using the OSD LiveTV navigation menu shortcut to change channels?
(ie. Your watching a live channel, and then you use the cursor up/down arrows to choose another channel)

I get the dreaded 'you do not have an AAC decoder configured'  error message 100% of the time, when changing channels between a channel with AAC audio and a channel with AC3 audio, and vice versa.

What I have observed, is that if you stop a playing channel, and then select another channel from the guide interface, that it correctly changes channels 100% of the time.

ie. It is the OSD Live TV shortcut navigation that seems to be the issue.

Originally, when I first encountered this behavior, I posted numerous logs etc, and I genuinely thought it was to do with me having an STB in the mix.
It was suggested to me, to add a delay into my IRblasting configuration, as my Colossus capture card requires some time to lock onto audio and stabilize.

However, I discovered that my STB was not the problem at all, as I observed that the decoder error messages also appear when changing channels between DVB-T channels as well

I live in New Zealand, and channels that bring up these decoder error requester windows in NextPVR.exe are any channels with AC3 audio, and channels with AAC audio.

ie.  Tune to channel DVB-T 'One'  (AC3 audio)   and then watching that channel, press cursor key to navigate to 'Bravo',  it will 100% of the time bring up an error saying I do not have an AAC decoder configured.

Likewise, it will do the same if you tune to 'Bravo', and then OSD channel change to 'One', it will bring up an error stating that you do not have an AC3 decoder configured.

BUT, if you 'stop' playback of channel 'one'  and then use the guide to select 'bravo'  it works every single time, and vice versa.

That is the primary reason I use Kodi Matrix as my client, using the NextPVR addon.
Kodi too has it's version of OSD LiveTV channel changing, which you access by holding the enter key down on remote for 2 seconds.
Once in OSD LiveTV mode, you can change between any channel, whether it contains AC3 audio or AAC, and change between STB and DVB-T channels without issue.
It works really well.

Another observation is that the Kodi PVR addon configuration settings include a delay option for channel switching whist watching LiveTV channel.
I have an inkling that this is why Kodi can change between live channels, and NextPVR.exe has issues with audio decoders when doing the same thing.

ie. Could NextPVR.exe be changing channels too fast?

From my experiments with delay scripts, I have Kodi delay setting at 4500ms, and I find that Kodi Matrix with latest NextPVR addon has no issues with channel changing. I use that ms setting, as I have STB in the mix, but probably don't require such a value it for DVB-T channel changing.
But, the point is there is a delay, and it seems to help.

Just my 2 cents worth, and am intrigued to see if your decoder errors you reported disappear if you change channels using the guide, instead of the OSD LiveTV shortcut method, as using it makes my NextPVR.exe a most unenjoyable experience, plagued with audio decoder errors.

However, I really like the NextPVR.exe experience in general, it is elegant.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[sub]

I know why that decoder error is happening. Will try to fix it over the weekend.

[three6zerocool]

>I know why that decoder error is happening. Will try to fix it over the weekend.

That would be totally excellent. (he says in best Bill and Ted voice)  (grin)
That would be two fixes this month.  (you have already fixed the 'drop in on a recording channel via Colossus, STB issue, which you said would be in next release)

Really enjoying your software,  it is simply 'excellent'   (party on dude)

[mvallevand]

From my experiments with delay scripts, I have Kodi delay setting at 4500ms, and I find that Kodi Matrix with latest NextPVR addon has no issues with channel changing. I use that ms setting, as I have STB in the mix, but probably don't require such a value it for DVB-T channel changing.
But, the point is there is a delay, and it seems to help.

That delay is for response time, some people might like some time to think or allow their slower remote to respond before changing channels.  It is more a user interface setting and is not a technical solution since tuning delays is going to be handled by the NextPVR backend.  With NextPVR.exe it is all quite different.

Martin

[sub]

However, I discovered that my STB was not the problem at all, as I observed that the decoder error messages also appear when changing channels between DVB-T channels as well

I live in New Zealand, and channels that bring up these decoder error requester windows in NextPVR.exe are any channels with AC3 audio, and channels with AAC audio.

ie.  Tune to channel DVB-T 'One'  (AC3 audio)   and then watching that channel, press cursor key to navigate to 'Bravo',  it will 100% of the time bring up an error saying I do not have an AAC decoder configured.

Likewise, it will do the same if you tune to 'Bravo', and then OSD channel change to 'One', it will bring up an error stating that you do not have an AC3 decoder configured.

Do you have HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\NPVR\PreferAC3=1 in your registry? If you set it to zero, does it help in this scenario?

[three6zerocool]

>That delay is for response time, some people might like some time to think or allow their slower remote to respond before changing channels.  It is more a user interface setting and is not >a technical solution since tuning delays is going to be handled by the NextPVR backend.  With NextPVR.exe it is all quite different.

>Martin


I use it in conjunction with another setting 'press OK to change channel'

It resolves an issue for me when changing STB channels, and the video will freeze, and I have to stop/restart the channel.
Also sometimes when changing  STB channels, I would get no audio.
Presumably it is having timing issues when changing between channels with different audio, just like Nextpve.exe client does.

Using both settings eliminates this issues completely in Kodi Matrix.

If I could navigate channels in NextPVE.exe without getting audio decoder errors, I would.   However currently that is simply not possible, which is why I have to use Kodi, and it works great, as long as I use those 2 settings options.  Without those options, Kodi still handles the different audio streams better than the NextPVR.exe client, but still has issues.

 Kodi with those options enabled works really bulletproof for my particular STB configuration, with the limitation, that when recording from my STB, I can not watch the livetv from the recording channel in Kodi. (something Sub has fixed for the next version of NextPVR5.)

(grin) So, technically it may make no sense,  but hey, if it works, what else can I say, it does not seem detrimental look at it that way.

[three6zerocool]

>Do you have HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\NPVR\PreferAC3=1 in your registry? If you set it to zero, does it help in this scenario?

I don't know,  I will try it now for you.
Trying not to hijack this thread tho,  for the poor chap with many problems.

Yes, it is currently set to (1)
Will change it and see what happens, just changed it.

With that reg key set to (0),  channel changing between TVONE and Bravo now works without audio decoder error.
However, now I have no AC3 (Dolby Digital) audio on supported DVB-T channels now.

If I change the reg setting back to (1), then the audio decoder error messages occur again.

[mvallevand]

@three6zerocool it sounds like your tuning batch file needs the delay.  I have this problem when tuning my hdpvr too in AC3 mode.  v4 had some tuning delays but I use Linux now and I don't know if they are in v5

Martin

[sub]

I've made a change for the next release which should correct the issue.

[three6zerocool]

>@three6zerocool it sounds like your tuning batch file needs the delay.  I have this problem when tuning my hdpvr too in AC3 mode.  v4 had some tuning delays but I use Linux now and I >don't know if they are in v5

>Martin


You helped me with that when I first started using NextPVR v4,  and also after changing to V5.
I use Haupblast.exe with my colossus card 1,  and colossus card 2.

I created a batch script to delay the channel changing,  but then discovered the two settings I use in Kodi PVR addon, and also a lot of experimenting with values for timeshifting in the nextpvr addon. Currently, I do not use a batch script at all, and things are working great for the Kodi side.

Of course those settings, from what you have informed me off are likely not doing anything tangible,  so I guess I have to put it down to Sub's stellar coding in improving the Kodi Matrix addon, and improvements in Kodi Matrix itself, by that projects team, and indeed improvements to the NextPVR 5 backend.

My response in this posting, was to more or less highlight the odd things I have noticed with the NextPVR.exe client, and wondered if some of the decoder errors that user was experiencing, could be avoided in the same fashion as I had to do to avoid that behavior.

Sub's registry suggestion certainly works, but I think it was at his suggestion to change it originally, so I could get AC3 audio on TVONE, Two, and Three.

Am I correct in surmising that the two 'eng' audio streams broadcast , that one is AC3 5.1 surround, and that the other track is what?....PCM, stereo, mono or something else.
ie. I want the best audio., so surround if it is offered for a channel, that is desirable.