New Plugin: DboxRecorder Plugin

[alibert]

Hi,

because it seems that I'm not the only one who will use it, I've decided to release this plugin now.

Short description:

This Plugin makes it possible to use the dbox2 like an ordinary PCI- or USB-based capture card in GBPVR. The dbox2 is connected via ethernet, and must use a Linux-image like YADI or the Jtg Image. For more details, see the following links: http://dbox2.info, http://www.tuxbox.org. As the grabbing engine, ggrab by Peter Menzebach is used (http://www.menzebach.de/).

For more information and download, see the wiki page:
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Plugin/DboxRecorder

Please post any bugs or issues here.

-alibert

[sub]

Well done, and congratulations on producing only the second recorder plugin! Big thumbs up from me.

[daphatty]

So is this similar to an MVP/streaming device or another capture source?

[sub]

Its another type of capture source.

[Alfiegerner]

Hi alibert,

I'm really looking forward to getting this working so please be patient with me

Here are the steps I've taken:

I installed your plugin and ran through the configuration with no problems as per your instructions.

Its loaded the channel list from the dbox with no probs. I've then assigned a sample batch of channels to "GBPVR Source channels " to test. I've loaded my xmltv file and assigned these channels so they get some epg information.

I have no other capture sources installed in GB-PVR.

After saving these config options I start up the main interface and go to the guide. I select a channel to watch but the dbox does not change cchannel and GB-PVR hangs.

I have tried using the sectionsd and UDP settings as well all with the same result.

This is with all firewall totally deactivated.

My dbox is set to record to my PVR box's hard drive and can do this with no problem. SPTS is on and it automounts a shared CIFS samba directory on boot. I can see it recording to the shared folder with no bother.

If it makes a difference the image I am using is a recent NextGen one (neutrino based). My dbox is connected through a router and uses the router as its default gateway.

Any help in getting this going would be much appreciated. I don't mind loading up another image if you think it would help. I'm currently feeding my dbox through a pvr-150 so your plugin sounds like pretty much the best thing since sliced bread.

edit: I forgot to mention, I'm using GB-PVR build 0.94.13 as that is the latest one I can find a download for.

[alibert]

Hi,

Hi alibert,
I'm really looking forward to getting this working so please be patient with me

I'll try my best to help you.

Here are the steps I've taken:

I installed your plugin and ran through the configuration with no problems as per your instructions.

Its loaded the channel list from the dbox with no probs. I've then assigned a sample batch of channels to "GBPVR Source channels " to test. I've loaded my xmltv file and assigned these channels so they get some epg information.

So, the "Test connection" check should have been passed.

I have no other capture sources installed in GB-PVR.

After saving these config options I start up the main interface and go to the guide. I select a channel to watch but the dbox does not change cchannel and GB-PVR hangs.

I think I forgot to mention on the wiki that there is another important setting in the gbpvr config app. In the "Misc"-tab, make sure that "Use Life Preview mode" is not checked, because the plugin does not return a preview graph to gbpvr (discussed here).

If this doesn't fix it (or if the life preview option has already been disabled), please do the following:
- make sure that the "Logging Level" is set to "Debug" (config app, "Misc"-page).
- go to the tv guide and "record" (not "watch") a programme on a channel that is mapped to a dbox channel.
- look in your gbpvr installation directory for a file called "GBPVRRecordingService.exe.log", and post it here.

Then I can have a closer look to it.

I have tried using the sectionsd and UDP settings as well all with the same result.

Personally, I do not use any of those advanced settings in my setup, but I included them as the grab engine supports it.

This is with all firewall totally deactivated.

My dbox is set to record to my PVR box's hard drive and can do this with no problem. SPTS is on and it automounts a shared CIFS samba directory on boot. I can see it recording to the shared folder with no bother.

If it makes a difference the image I am using is a recent NextGen one (neutrino based). My dbox is connected through a router and uses the router as its default gateway.

If the above doesn't fix it, we'll have a closer look on your setup.

Any help in getting this going would be much appreciated. I don't mind loading up another image if you think it would help. I'm currently feeding my dbox through a pvr-150 so your plugin sounds like pretty much the best thing since sliced bread.

Are you feeding the dbox through the pvr 150 or the other way around (dbox connected to the video-in of the tv card?

edit: I forgot to mention, I'm using GB-PVR build 0.94.13 as that is the latest one I can find a download for.

The latest build is 95.14 I think, but the plugin should also work with 94.13 of course.

-alibert

[Alfiegerner]

Thanks for your help mate, 'tis much appreciated and has got me off the starting blocks

I only had about 10 mins to play with it this morning (tinkering making me late for work again ... ) but I was having some issues with playback - either hanging at a black screen or giving an error on playback message. I was only able to watch a channel on say 1 out of 5 attempts. I'll have a play with dbox config / codecs / assorted settings later tonight to see if I can find the culprit. I'll let you know how I get on.

[Alfiegerner]

Okay here's my update after a night playing. :p

After turning all the settings off on my dbox that were in place to make it record to my tv box's hard drive (i.e. turning off spts, turning off automount recording folder etc) my success rate became much higher.

I've still got a couple of problems that I can't seem to solve.

Firstly, it sometimes takes a couple of attempts at watching a channel to make it work. The first time I try I often get an error on playback message, or get dumped back to the epg. If I then go to watch live tv or try again through the guide I can watch the program with no difficulties.

However many times I tried to watch certain channels (e.g. E4 )I couldn't get it start recording the file. Sometime these channels would cause ggrab to shoot up to 97% + cpu requiring a task manager kill.

I have posted a GBPVRRecordingService Log where these two problems have happened. These were roughly the actions recorded in the log:

Start GBPVR, go to epg, select channel 1 (BBC1) and select to watch it now.
The display tells me timshifting is enabled please wait. Then get dumped back to epg. Press watch now again for channel1, succesfully get picture and audio for channel 1, all good. Then go to change channel to 4 and have the same problem - works again on second attempt.
Then try and change to channel6 (E4) on second attempt get some jerky video and distorted squaky noise before ggrab goes to > 95% cpu and needs to be killed by task manager.

I've tried with many different codecs tonight including Nvidia, Intervideo, Intervideo CSS , dscaler and ffdshow and all seem to suffer from the same probs.

Are these problems familiar to you? If not maybe there's some image related peculiarites.

[alibert]

Hi,

it seems that there are problems regarding a channel change. What the plugin does at the moment when switching the channels is roughly the following:
1) send a http-command to the dbox to switch to the given channel
2) go into a loop waiting for valid packet ids (that specify the audio and video stream of the current programme)
3) if the packet ids are valid, start the grabber

Reading the logfile, it seems that the waiting-loop isn't touched. I can remember that I've added a timeout to certain http requests, and it seems that there is the problem, because the error-messages in the log occur quite exactly one second after the request to change channels happened (which would cover my http-timeout of 1000 ms).

I've now changed the timeout to the "switch-channel" request, you can download the new verion on the wiki. Please leave a feedback if it's working better now.

Regarding the codecs, I would say that you shouldn't search the problem there, because if you can play one of the stremed mpeg-files, you can probably watch all of them.

-alibert

[Alfiegerner]

Thanks alibert, let me know if there's anything I can do.