Recording locks up

[ceandra]

Sub:

Old problem returned.

Recording hangs, locking up the tuner. Status says NCIS recording, but time is over. Nothing else can record or watch TV. File size not growing, failed at 8:27pm. Reestart recording service and next recording starts OK.

Has happened a few times in the last week. Am running prior version (one back, I think), have not got around to updating.

Recording DVR-MS format. In the past tried removing comskip, tried TS, etc.

This ONLY happens on CBS (ch 13), only in HD shows. I beleive but cannot confirm that it happens at the start or end of a commercial break, possibly a change of resolution. The portion recorded is un-watchable in DVR-ms. In TS, it was watchable up to the failure.

This is happening nightly, but not every show that is set for record. Happens back-to-back and single shows. More importantly, last week it happened when watching live TV (no timeshift, plane old live). Screen goes to black with the lost signal notice. Switch to TV, and the show is playing, but recording service is locked on PC. Shows "live TV ch 13" even after exiting GBPVR.

I am betting the logs don't show anything.

Is there any other type of logging we can do to capture this? Unfortunately, cannot repeat on demand, but it WILL fail within a night or two.

Willing to work to help solve this.

BTW, I solved for quite some time by going to SD instead of HD for that channel. All other channels record fine in HD. Then in AUgust I changed back to HD, and it was fine until about two weeks ago.

Thanks for your time.

Running a Pentium 4, 3.4 GHz, 2GB ram, Nvidea video card, 1TB seagate drive (second drive, only for TV), XP MCE 2005, Aver M780 TV, Comcast cable serving OTA channels only in QAM.


Chuck

[ceandra]

Next show, NCIS LA, failed too, at 8:21pm. Logs attached.

Think I'll have to go back to SD for now, wife not happy missing so many shows.

Chuck

[ceandra]

Version is 1.3.11

[ceandra]

Hmm. Just realized my logs are very short. Looks like I don't have a high enough level of logging.

I can turn that up, but I have disabled HD and gone back to SD. Is there something specific to try in HD that would make it worth going back and missing more shows? Willing to test.

Thanks
Chuck

[sub]

Yeah, you'd need to bump the logging level back to debug. I suspect it wouldnt show anything wrong though.

Based on your description, it sounds like you're having serious signal problems at some point in your recording. Enough for the DVR-MS mux to totally fail. The TS Mux should continue to record if the signal returns to normal.

I'd either look at splitters before the signal is delivered to the PC, or heat in the case causing a problem with device, or flakey drivers.

[ceandra]

Sub:

Last time I had this, the logs showed nothing. I had tried TS, and it would be able to play to that point, but the recording would indeed stop. If I go to regular TV, the signal is still there and showing. TS mux did not ever pick up the recording again after a seemingly momentary glitch. I stopped using TS when no longer could use external TS viewer and the timeline was having difficulties. Perhaps that has improved.

No other channels do this, only channel 13, and only HD. I can record 4 hours of sporting event on other channels in HD no problem. So I don't think it is heat related.

Live TV or good recordings don't show any noise or other issues. However, as I mentioned, it happened to me on live TV, and screen just goes to black, no recovery (no recording ongoing), even exit and come back in. GO out, look at status, and it shows "Live TV". Stop/Start service and all is well again.

Unfortunately, it is happening often, but I cannot set up a repeatable case.

If I capture full stream TS, would that help? I don't know if that would get around the glitch, or if the TS just stops upon the glitch and would not have the real problem captured. Plus, it would be a big file.

I can bump up logging, but since it did not help before, not sure. I don't want to keep missing shows, so I have changed to SD feed for tha channel only for now, unitl we have some ideas of what to test.

Would update to latest help?

Chuck

[sub]

If I capture full stream TS, would that help? I don't know if that would get around the glitch, or if the TS just stops upon the glitch and would not have the real problem captured. Plus, it would be a big file.

I suspect your device just stops delivering at that point, and a full ts would just stop growing that stage.

[ceandra]

sub:

I just noticed in the system logs (Windows) that GB-PVR Recording Service terminated unexpectedly at the times of the failures for both NCIS and for NCISLA. Not at the time I did something to clear it, but at the moment the recording stopped.

Is there anything helpful to you in these logs? MS window is up saying there are error reports that it wants to send to MS from these prior faults. I could try to get them for you if you thought they would be helpful.

Chuck

[sub]

I just noticed in the system logs (Windows) that GB-PVR Recording Service terminated unexpectedly at the times of the failures for both NCIS and for NCISLA. Not at the time I did something to clear it, but at the moment the recording stopped.

Ah, well that'd definitely cause it.

Probably best to google 'minidump' and the version of your operating system to try to find info on capturing a minidump from a GBPVRRecordingService.exe crash. With the mini dump I should be able to tell where it's crashing.

[ceandra]

It indicates there is a CAB file, with what looks like a dump. Want me to try to round that up and send it?