PriorityRecordings.exe using wrong recording source for channels

[SWK]

I'm having a big problem with programs scheduled using PriorityRecordings.exe. The recordings are trying to use the wrong recording source.

GBPVRRecordingService.exe.log contains the following error message :

[INDENT][SIZE="2"][COLOR="Green"]02/01/2006 16:30:00.178 INFO [53] Found new programme requiring recording: Kirsty's Home Videos
02/01/2006 16:30:00.194 ERROR [53] Failure in ChannelFactory::getSourceChannelNumber(): Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
02/01/2006 16:30:00.194 VERBOSE [53] Changing to channel (GBPVR.Backend.Common.NullTunerController): 0
02/01/2006 16:30:00.194 VERBOSE [53] Requesting IRecordingSource to start recording: G:\VIDEO\Kirstys Home Videos_20060102_16301700.mpg
02/01/2006 16:30:00.194 VERBOSE [53] BDARecordingSource about to start recording oid:1 channel:
02/01/2006 16:30:00.256 ERROR [53] Error starting recording: Length cannot be less than zero.
Parameter name: length
02/01/2006 16:30:00.256 ERROR [53] Error starting recording: at System.String.Substring(Int32 startIndex, Int32 length)
at NativeUtilities.BDARecorder.StartRecording(String cardType, Int32 board, String filename, IntPtr hwnd, String tuningRequest, Int32 lnbLOF1, Int32 lnbSwitch, Int32 lnbLOF2, Int32 diseqc, Boolean powered, Boolean previewMode)
at NativeUtilities.BDARecorder.StartRecording(String cardType, Int32 board, String filename, IntPtr hwnd, String tuningRequest, Int32 lnbLOF1, Int32 lnbSwitch, Int32 lnbLOF2, Int32 diseqc, Boolean powered)
at GBPVR.Backend.Common.BDARecordingSource.startRecording(IRecordingSourceConfiguration xa7c7ceed38e3bee4, Int32 x16b01fbd4b998cfc, String x8b1d9e3189e6e73d, ChannelTuning x14c8abe66009b164, Int32 xeef1d8e9d81064fa, Boolean x3a83f6e9e3779d99)
at GBPVR.RecordingService.RecordingManager.WorkerThread()
02/01/2006 16:30:00.459 VERBOSE [53] RecordingStatus is now RecordingStatus.RECORDING_IN_PROGRESS
02/01/2006 16:30:00.459 VERBOSE [53] RecordingFactory.save()
02/01/2006 16:30:00.475 VERBOSE [53] Save(): Updated existing scheduled recording[/COLOR][/SIZE][/INDENT]

And GBPVRRecordingService.exe-native.log shows :

[INDENT][SIZE="2"][COLOR="Green"]16:30:00.241 INFO Log started
16:30:00.241 INFO BDARecorder:::StartRecording(TerraTec Cinergy 2400i DT #1 DVB-T, 1, G:\VIDEO\Kirstys Home Videos_20060102_16301700.mpg, )[/COLOR][/SIZE][/INDENT]
If I manually quick record a program using the standard TV guide, its OK.

This is a new installation of XP Pro SP2, GBPVR v0.95.16 and XRecord (xrecord-setup dated 22-Nov-05). I have three tuners :

1. Cinergy DVB card (oid 1)
2. Cinergy DVB card (oid 2)
3. PVR-250 attached to Sky Digital STB via S-Video input (oid 4)

Cards #1 and #2 only have access to free-to-air channels, I used about 20. Card #3 has access to all my subscription channels plus most of the same FTA channels on the DVB cards. I wanted GBPVR to always use the DVB cards where possible, so as not to tie up the Sky Digital receiver.

I had a hunt around a copy of GBPVR.MDB with access. Looking in table RECORDING_SCHEDULE shows the above recording's (Kirstys Home Videos) capture source was 1 - it should have been 4.

Looking in XRecord/Scheduler for 'Kirstys Home Videos', the Capture Source is Not specified. But if I look at the PriorityRecordings.xml file it shows CaptureSource is 1 :

[INDENT][SIZE="2"][COLOR="Green"] <Recording priority="2">
<Channel>107</Channel>
<ProgramName>Kirsty's Home Videos</ProgramName>
<Quality>Medium</Quality>
<CaptureSource force="no">1</CaptureSource>
<Suspended>False</Suspended>
<LimitDays>
<DaysOfWeek>Monday</DaysOfWeek>
</LimitDays>
<ScheduleTime>
<Start time="16:30" />
<End time="17:00" />
</ScheduleTime>
</Recording>
[/COLOR][/SIZE][/INDENT]
Will changing CaptureSource to 4 and/or the force attibute to yes make a differance ?

BTW, I don't watch Kirstys Home Videos, it was just a test I performed to get log data - Honest !

Thanks, Sean

[SWK]

I've just notice something else :

If I update the schedule in XRecord and change the Capture Source, the options are 1, 2, 3 & 'Not specified'. If I select 3, save it PriorityRecordings.xml changes to <CaptureSource force="no">3</CaptureSource> but when I re-edit it the capture source has changed back to 'Not specified'.

Running PriorityRecordings.exe with CaptureSource set to 3 it populates the capture_source field in the RECORDING_SCHEDULE table with the value 3, when it should be the oid value of 4.

[KingArgyle]

Can you do something, and set the source manually in the PriorityRecordings.xml and let us know if it records on the correct channel. I suspect that this is a problem with the XRecord interface to CDK Scheduler when it gets the number of capture sources. Especially, since you are getting errors when select the "Not Specified" option.

[SWK]

Hi KingArgyle

Thanks for responding so quickly. I've gone back to my original PriorityRecordings.xml and added <CaptureSource force="no">4</CaptureSource> to any programmes which use the STB. I did notice that some programmes had already had a CaptureSource entry and others did not, but it did not seem to effect the recording source chosen - usually 1.

I will let you know how it got on tomorrow.

[SWK]

I changed the <CaptureSource> entry to 4 for shows which are only on shown on STB, and this worked fine.

But for shows which are set to record on 'All Channels' I still have the same problem. So I've deleted the entire <CaptureSource></CaptureSource> entry for those shows and will let you know how it goes.

Sean

[SWK]

...sometime later : No, it still usually sets the capture_source field in the RECORDING_SCHEDULE table to 1, but sometimes 4.

So to recap, PriorityRecording still usually selects a capture source for which the required channel is not available.

[KingArgyle]

Hmmm....this is going to be difficult for me to test out as I only have one capture source.

SWK if you can, please post a bug here:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id...tid=772447

Jrock or Jorm, any ideas on testing this...???

[SWK]

Will do - Thanks for taking the time to look into this.

With regard to testing, you could create a dummy capture source using the external recorder plugin and then create a short EPG list with only a few channels that you do not regularly use (News,etc). I've used this in the past to record from a DEC2000T, but you can just get it to run a batch file which updates a log file:

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkGreen"]@ECHO OFF
SET LOG_FILE="%~dpn0.LOG"
ECHO %DATE% %TIME% %0 '%*' >>%LOG_FILE%[/COLOR][/INDENT]

You may need to manually edit config-recorders.xml due to a config issue. Here's mine :

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkGreen"]<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<settings>
<globalSettings />
<captureSources>
<captureSource oid="12">
<executable>C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe</executable>
<recordingParameters>/C D:\DVBRecord\GBPVR_DECRecord.CMD /RECORD {channel} "{filename}" {minutes}</recordingParameters>
<previewParameters>/C D:\DVBRecord\GBPVR_DECRecord.CMD /PREVIEW {channel} "{filename}" {minutes}</previewParameters>
<threeDigit>True</threeDigit>
<zeroPad>True</zeroPad>
</captureSource>
</captureSources>
</settings>[/COLOR][/INDENT]

Hope this helps, Sean

[KingArgyle]

Yeah, that should work.

It may be a bit before I get some time to look at this. Work is starting to pick up which means my spare creative time usually gets sucked dry. Hopefully, if I don't get to it, either JRock or somebody else will take a look.

[jrockintuitive]

I'm away next week on business. When I come back, I'll take a look.