GBPVR + Xcard won't play any .mpg files

[frazer]

Sorry to be a pain, but my XCard seems to be causing trouble again. Now I can't get it to play any files in the video library, or those recorded by GBPVR itself. This despite the fact they all play with the XCard's own player, and that GBPVR will play TV in timeshift mode.

Indeed, if I go straight from timeshift mode to the buffer file it's just created in the Video Library, I can play that, but as soon as I try to play another file, or close and reopen GBPVR, the timeshift file becomes unplayable as well. Further, after trying to play a recorded file, I can no longer watch TV either- just getting the same cannot read file message in both instances, or, on other occasions, the whole thing just locks up completely. Restarting GBPVR allows timeshift TV to work again though.

One little error I have seen in one of the logs was that GBPVR can't find the Sigma Stream Splitter- could this be relevant? (it is definitely installed). I have posted a couple of logs just in case this description doesn't immediately suggest the answer to someone, if you get the chance to look at them sub.

Thank you,

Frazer

[sub]

One little error I have seen in one of the logs was that GBPVR can't find the Sigma Stream Splitter- could this be relevant?

Yes, thats the cause of your problem. It needs this component to play .mpg files. Timeshift is a special case that uses the GB-PVR splitter.

Open the sigma filter manager app and make sure the splitter is enabled.

[frazer]

Thanks a lot; I found that the splitter was disabled in the Realmagic settings, and now everything seems to play fine.

I know you aren't involved with the external recorder plugin, but would you suspect that this difference between the use of splitters for recording and timeshifting is why the XCard can't read the timeshift files created via the plugin? At the moment, I'm getting the plugin to launch a batch file which creates an mpeg file in the correct place for either recording or timeshifting, but, though I can now watch the recording file, the timeshifting file still throws up the same "cannot read file" I was getting before I enabled the RealMagic splitter.

Does GBPVR need to do something particular to allow the GBPVR splitter to work in conjunction with the XCard? If so, is there any way to get around this that I could alter in the settings myself (such as using the XCard splitter for timeshift as well), or would any changes have to be done within the plugin itself?

Thanks again,

Frazer

[sub]

I know you aren't involved with the external recorder plugin, but would you suspect that this difference between the use of splitters for recording and timeshifting is why the XCard can't read the timeshift files created via the plugin?

Yes, probably.

Does GBPVR need to do something particular to allow the GBPVR splitter to work in conjunction with the XCard? If so, is there any way to get around this that I could alter in the settings myself (such as using the XCard splitter for timeshift as well), or would any changes have to be done within the plugin itself?

Unfortunately you wont be able to get it use the GB-PVR splitter. This splitter is only used in a very limited set of situations when GB-PVR is currently recording, so that the splitter and recording engine can share the stream information. The external recorder would not be able to provide this same stream information.

[frazer]

The timeshifting works from the external recorder with software decoders, so I guess it's just another XCard specific problem!

Thanks for the reply,

Frazer

[sub]

Yes, its a limitation of the Sigma Stream Splitter

[frazer]

Actually, further investigation suggests it's a bit wierder than I thought. I've made two different batch files which the external recorder plugin launches; one streams the mpeg from mytheatre to vlc, which dumps it in a file, whereas the second just gets mytheatre to record the file to a location GBPVR recognizes. Both use the file name GBPVR is expecting.

The second method is not so good for recording, as it can't put the file in the folder GBPVR prepares, but it can put a file where timeshifting expects one; and, for some reason, this does work with the XCard in timeshift mode. Whereas for the first (VLC) method, this records to the correct folder, and creates a file where timeshifting expects one, but in timeshift mode the XCard brings up the error message that it can't read this file; even though if I go to the Video Library whilst the file is still being created, it can play it.

And I checked the two files created by these two methods, and they seem to be exactly the same- at least the whole filename string is identical (and is treated as so by the computer) and both files are created in the same place.

So it's a bit odd, I reckon. I wondered if the XCard was just timing out on the VLC method, but the software decoder doesn't, and on occasions where that does happen (i.e. the first time the batch file is run when it has to open mytheatre), it just returns to the TV Guide, and doesn't throw up an error.

As usual, I'm a bit confused.

Frazer