Tuner no longer available after tuning to a channel not broadcasting

[Ashjg]

Hi,

I'm using Windows 10, Kodi Javis Beta 4, standard Confluence skin and the latest Next PVR 3.6.6 available (5th Dec) (although I’ve just realised there was a patch release yesterday - so haven’t updated to the new release of 3.6.6).

I'm in the UK where we have a number of part time channels, for example BBC3 broadcasts after 7:00PM and CBBC & CBBeebies stops broadcasting after 7:00PM.

When I change a channel to one of these channels that are no longer broadcasting, I get the expected "channel unavailable" message which is standard in Kodi. However, I then get a message saying that the "Next PVR tuner is no longer available". if i wait a couple of minutes i can then re-tune to a different channel although the "Next PVR tuner is no longer available" message is still visible and the only way I can get rid of it is to re-boot Kodi.

I appreciate I’m using a beta version of Kodi, I’m not sure if this is a known issue with the addon or Kodi itself? I’m guessing it's nothing to do with the Next PVR backend, wasn’t’ sure whether to post here or in the Kodi forums, apologies if I should have posted over there although it looks like Sub frequents both forums.

I was originally going to save this post as draft and attach the logs when I get home... but I’ve just realised there's not a save button! Will upload logs tonight!

Updated with Kodi logs and next PVR logs

[sub]

I'll take a look when you post your logs.

[Ashjg]

Ok this is annoying! I turned on debugging and I cant replicate the problem, if I turn off debug logging the issue occurs! I've attached the log to the first post.

I started kodi with debug logging on > started PVR with a good channel > flipped to a channel that's not broadcasting. everything worked ok, I then turn off debug logging do exactly the same and I can replicate the issue e.g the "PVR tuner is no longer available" message does not disappear and I have to restart Kodi to get rid of it...

do you need any other log?

[sub]

If you can restart the recording service (to reset the logs), and just reproduce the failure condition, I'll check the logs. Those current logs have successful and failed attempts mixed in together, and I have no idea what times to look at for the failed times.

I'm guessing the useful stuff would have been in the kodi.log though, so without that log I might not be able to tell.

FYI, the "PVR tuner is no longer available" message that shown, actually covers a few other things, like no data received from device (like maybe an offline channel), or device stopped delivering data (often this is a real case of tuner no longer available, since it was stolen to do a recording). I might need to separate it out in to different error messages to make it clearer to the user what might have happened.

[Ashjg]

Thanks Sub, will provide the logs later and have another go with Kodi debug logging on... It's quite ironic that it works correctly with debug logging on! I have RPI2 upstairs as well so will try it with that as well although the OS is openelec and not Windows....

I certainly advocate separating out any error messages or at least "channel not broadcasting" message, it will make it a bit more "family friendly"... I know the author of the MythTV addon had just implemented a way of showing an image/video saying "channel not broadcasting" which would be displayed full screen when a channel wasn't broadcasting which I guess is what commercial STB's do? Not sure how difficult that is to implement?

[Ashjg]

here you go, when you say restart the recording service I presume I click on the stop and start npvr option in my start menu or isn't it as simple as that....

new logs added, also managed to replicate it in kodi with debugging log turned on, not sure happened last time, also took some screen shots....

started switching from horror channel at 22.12 then to CBBC which is the channel that wasn't broadcasting, at this point around time 22.13 everything appears to freeze and then finally I can retune to a channel but the error message is stuck in the bottom right hand corner and wont go away until kodi exit...

thanks for looking, let me know if you need anything else....

[Ashjg]

Hi Sub - what's your thoughts on this? Have you had a chance to look through the logs ? As I said, everything works as expected apart from when I select a channel that is no longer broadcasting, I receive the "tuner no longer available" message. Even when I retune to another channel and that channel is broadcasting/ displaying the stream the message is shown and there is no way of closing down that message apart from exiting Kodi - I've tried another Skin and exactly the same issue....

Presume no others have this issue??

[sub]

As far as I know, these part time channels only exist in the UK. Its not entirely clear to me what the behaviou is when you switch to one of these channels (since we don't have anything like them here). Is there any chance you could the eval version of tscapture (from http://www.tscapture.com) to capture a 1 minute full TS of one of these frequencies that has part time channels, so I could try it here?

[Ashjg]

Hi sub,

Yeah I will, although I've made some changes to my setup that seems to have solved the issue....

I have 2 setups, my main HTPC, running both Next PVR and Kodi on the same box, I originally had listed the network IP address of the HTPC (e.g 192.168.1.35) in the Kodi addon, but now I have changed it to local e.g 127.0.0.1 - meaning I'm bypassing my router, channel changing is dead fast now! (it was pretty fast anyway) and the error message disappears after 5 or 6 seconds..... But I also have a RPI upstairs (connected via wifi) the error message still hangs, however after about 5 minutes it does disappear (I never waited any longer that 30 secs or so in my previouse tests (I'm not very patient!)

Still not sure why it stays on for such a long time for my RPI, I do recall when I looked at the log there were multiple lines of "Tuner no longer available" and directly after another line saying "previouse line repeats 30" times. Is Kodi reacting to this message? E.g for each line of "tuner no longer available" in the log will it display the gui message 30 times (or more) as well? Just a thought?

Do you still want me to capture a part time channel? Very happy to.....

[sub]

In the case of a part time channel, which isn't transmitting, the 'tuner no longer available' is probably more like a 'device is delivering no data for this channel'. I'm not quite sure how Kodi is responding to this.

Yeah, I'm happy to take a look at a part time channel, and try it here. I'll see if I can improve how it behaves in Kodi.