HD-PVR Client/Server Woes

[smajor]

I was waiting until 2.14 to post this, hoping the update would help. In just the past few weeks I've moved to a permanent client/server model with NPVR.

I'm having a re-occurring, random problem with my HD-PVRs arranged in a client/server setup. Often, I start LiveTV and it works great. When I stop LiveTV and attempt to restart it, I'll get the "please wait..." dialog and it'll just sit there and time out.

If I go and visit the server, I'll see the HD-PVR it attempted to use has it's "bling" lights on. It is as if the "stop" livetv command from the previous viewing on the client isn't stopping the HD-PVR, which then fails to start up the next time.

NPVR still thinks that HD-PVR is in use for LiveTV. The only way to reset it is to exit out of NPVR on the server, power cycle that HD-PVR, and startup NPVR again.

I have two HDPVRs connected, I've swapped them around to make sure one isn't behaving badly (one is actually brand new). It has randomly happened with both.

I've made sure firewalls are off on both client and server as well as used the actual statically assigned IP address server address on the client instead of relying on DNS.

Server and client are hardwired on a GIG switch (not a router, a real switch.)

Any advice would be most appreciated.

[sub]

Nothing really springs to mind from the description, but reproduce the problem and zip and attach both the client and server logs and I'll take a look.

[smajor]

Nothing really springs to mind from the description, but reproduce the problem and zip and attach both the client and server logs and I'll take a look.

Thanks, logs are attached. I had some trouble with it today, 7/4. If you search back, you'll probably find at least one other instance. Like I said, it's random.

More info: I do use TV Listings, but have been testing just by using Live TV to eliminate that as the issue. Earlier today it happened with Live TV.

I thought it might be the H.264 decoders I was using, so while waiting for 2.14, I've tried both the ffdshow (as configured as part of CCCP) and the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoders. I've seen it happen with both. The ArcSoft decoders don't preform well on my client, so I don't use them while the MS decoders are the best I've tried. I have not fiddled with the AC3 audio codecs, but would be willing to try.

[sub]

There is a lot in the logs, so hard to see when exactly it occurred. Can you narrow it down to a specific time? Either that or restart the client and server machines, then post the logs immediately after it next happens?

[smajor]

Check between 10am and 11:45am today 7/4. I know it happened around then. I have to quit the NPVR server, power-cycle the HD-PVR, and stop/restart the recording service. I also rebooted the client a little while later after switching some codecs around to try another set.

I'll certainly try it again next time if you can't find something with the above.

[sub]

Unfortunately the server logs dont go back that far. The oldest messages was from '2011-07-04 12:56:43.117'. Streaming to client devices can fill up the recording service logs pretty quickly, so you pretty much need to capture it immediately after the problem happens.

[smajor]

Okay. I'll try to force the issue in a little while.

[smajor]

Okay, logs attached. This is slightly different than my first description, but this happens on occasion too and is probably related.

About 6pm: I was watching a Firefly marathon on 832 most of the afternoon on a client. Decided to change the channel to the evening news, 863. Channel changed on the STB okay but NPVR "froze" at the channel change as seen here on the client:



This time, pressing stop on the client also stopped the HD-PVR that was in use (that happens rarely as described in my first post) and it was able to recover by selecting Live TV from the main menu again.

Logs of this incident attached.

Thanks!

[mvallevand]

Do you need to run the recording service on the client? The client seems to be running an EPG update? right when you started having troubles

2011-07-04 18:00:27.068 [DEBUG][8] Updating EPG...

Martin

[smajor]

Ooooo, yes. The client I'm using was previously stand-alone. I'll disable that immediately and see what happens.

Thank you very much for noticing that!