Recordings OK, but marked as 'failed'

[lostboy]

NPVR is marking most of my recordings as 'failed' - status = 3 in the database (table SCHEDULED_RECORDINGS), with reason as 'no errors, but no data delivered....'. However, the recording .ts file is present and plays OK. If I manually change the status to 2, then I can play the recording from NPVR in the normal way.

I've looked at the NRecord log, but cannot see any problems (copy attached covers a number of recordings, all of which were marked as failed).

I'm running NPVR 2.2.6 with cumulative patches R2, plus patch 41 with the CollectEIT flag set to false (I was seeing crashes which this patch seems to have fixed).

My install is client - server with the server running on WHS2003 and PCH and PC clients. The main recording device is a TBS 6984 Quad DVBS2 card.

All suggestions gratefully received.

Chris

[sub]

NPVR is marking most of my recordings as 'failed' - status = 3 in the database (table SCHEDULED_RECORDINGS), with reason as 'no errors, but no data delivered....'. However, the recording .ts file is present and plays OK. If I manually change the status to 2, then I can play the recording from NPVR in the normal way.

Hmm, I cant see any obvious problem in the logs. I checked the code that sets that failure message, and it looks like it'd only be possible to for that to happen if the file exists but is zero bytes long at the end of the recording.

Are you recording to a network drive?

[lostboy]

No, the "drive" is part of the server array, local to the machine that NRecord runs on. NPVR sees it as D:\shares\TVRecordings\. I suspect there may be a delay in the operating system's update of the file size property (it's Windows Home Server 2003).

I've just watched a show which was still recording when I started to watch it. When I finished the show was not marked as failed, whereas another show which was recording at the same time is marked as failed. However, both are full length files now in according to Windows Explorer.

Doing a bit of an experiment, I started a couple of recordings, one I 'played' a bit and after this it showed a positive file size but it didn't appearing to grow (following my short playback), the other I left fully alone and this is showed zero size until I cancelled the recording after 20 mins at which time the file showed the correct size, however the cancelled recording did not show up as failed.

Based upon your note, although the 'failed' recording files are present and full size, it looks as if the operating system isn't showing their proper size until after the recording is finished, presumably sometime after NRecord checks for the file size. Cancelling a recording seems to prevent the 'fail' mark - does this skip the zero length check or does it close the recording process differently to a time expired event?

I'll try to watch a file through a full sequence and check that apparent file size stays at zero until it's closed - this may have to wait until tomorrow.

Thanks - Chris

[time_lord]

I was going to raise this issue too - I get it from time-to-time. While away last weekend I left 4 things to record - the first was ok, but 2,3,4 all show as 'recording service not running at recording time' (I think that is the text iirc). However I was able to play the .ts file via VLC for 2 & 3... but there was no 4th recording.
[Edit - the npvr tray icon was still showing as red and it seemed the whole thing was hung.]
One of 2 or 3 (canny remember which) was the RWC final and the recording (24GB!) stopped just as Richie McCaw was about to raise the cup! Gutted but that's been played many times now ;-)
BTW both recordings 2 & 3 appeared to finish prematurely so I guess this is why npvr did not mark them as complete.

An off-the-wall idea here... is it possible to add a subtle little option somewhere on the recording screen to say 'mark this recording as complete'? Then it would not be necessary to track down the .ts file and play via VLC... Maybe it could be a little sub-menu accessed by a cog or gear icon (representing advanced settings/options)?

[lostboy]

Rather than play via VLC a simple work around is to add your TV recordings folder to the list of media folders in your NPVR client, you can then access all your TV recordings from the Videos menu, irrespective of the 'status' in the database.

[Reddwarf]

Rather than play via VLC a simple work around is to add your TV recordings folder to the list of media folders in your NPVR client, you can then access all your TV recordings from the Videos menu, irrespective of the 'status' in the database.

That's what I do Question to Sub; is the timing info used when a recording is played via Videos?

[sub]

That's what I do Question to Sub; is the timing info used when a recording is played via Videos?

Yes, if it's in a separate file. It cant see the embedded version over a network share.

[Reddwarf]

Yes, if it's in a separate file. It cant see the embedded version over a network share.

Thanks, glad I have decided to have both timing and xml data in separate files.

[time_lord]

Rather than play via VLC a simple work around is to add your TV recordings folder to the list of media folders in your NPVR client, you can then access all your TV recordings from the Videos menu, irrespective of the 'status' in the database.

That's a good work-around, cheers

[time_lord]

That's a good work-around, cheers

Unfortunately when I tried that suggestion it didn't work
After adding the recordings folder and bringing up the problem recording, it still showed up as 'recording service not running at recording time' and there was no play option available. Seems NPVR still recognised the recording in the same way.