Conflict between NextPVR Recording to NAS and WinTV8 Cannot

[bickertn]

I checked threads in Support and Hardware and was surprised I couldn't find a solution to the following.
PS: I also re-read the advisory about attaching logs (which I will try to follow), however, I can't find a "Go Advanced button" to push so I'll wing it.

Up through finding and watching OTA broadcast TV channels, NextPVR and my Hauppauge DualHD tuner were working together quite well. I set up my recordings so they would be saved to my NAS, HOWEVER, when I loaded Hauppauge's WinTV8 it only allowed me to select a destination directory on drive C: of the local computer. After a day of pulling out what little hair I have left trying to find my recorded programs, I got Hauppauge support on the phone and was told that their device cannot write to a network location, only to a directory in the same drive as the program. That answered my question about where my recordings were disappearing to; the good news is that these were only trial recordings to test out the system so I don't care about losing them.

SO, my guess is that I need to add a second destination for recordings that corresponds to the location that was "forced on me" by WinTV8 (only 1TB SSD in my HTPC) and then get them over to the 6TB on my WD EX4100 NAS dedicated to storing HD video programs. I saw a number of threads that I mostly (but not completely) understood about how to avoid problems when adding recording locations and then moving the recordings between locations - so a bit of guidance specific to my circumstances would be most helpful and appreciated. Part of my concern is that when I use file explorer to check out the WinTV8 directory where the recordings were presumably sent, all I seem to find are small supplementary like .jpg's related to the show. No files large enough to be a recording. Further, I'm trying to understand the log files, but the most meaningful information I've been able to extract so far is that the time stamps indicate the recording was either truncated rapidly or never really begun. What should I be looking for? (I'm a motivated "student" and will pursue any leads you send my way)

I managed to attached logs from c:users\public\npvr
Thanks,
Bob

[sub]

Up through finding and watching OTA broadcast TV channels, NextPVR and my Hauppauge DualHD tuner were working together quite well. I set up my recordings so they would be saved to my NAS, HOWEVER, when I loaded Hauppauge's WinTV8 it only allowed me to select a destination directory on drive C: of the local computer. After a day of pulling out what little hair I have left trying to find my recorded programs, I got Hauppauge support on the phone and was told that their device cannot write to a network location, only to a directory in the same drive as the program. That answered my question about where my recordings were disappearing to; the good news is that these were only trial recordings to test out the system so I don't care about losing them.

SO, my guess is that I need to add a second destination for recordings that corresponds to the location that was "forced on me" by WinTV8

NextPVR does care what limitations WinTV puts on where you can record. That wont have any impact on NextPVR.

When it comes to recording to a NAS drive in NextPVR, remember that the recording service runs as a different user account, so wont see any drive mappings you've made under your account, so you need to use a UNC style path like \\server\share. You also need to be sure you've got the appropriate permissions setup on your NAS so that your machine's localsystem account can write to the NAS.

[mikeh49]

It looks like your tuners are not able to acquire the signal and thus they produce a 0 size file. If you look at the ndigitalhost-20 log from about 2:50 AM, you can see the tuning attempts where locked is almost always 0 and present is always 0. This usually means there is a problem with the antenna or the line between the antenna and the tuner resulting in low signal strength. Your TV may be working OK but, unfortunately, TVs often have better, more sensitive tuners than computer card tuners. If there is a splitter in the line, try to go direct to the HTPC without the splitter, at least for a test. Splitters reduce the signal strength.

[bickertn]

"...so you need to use a UNC style path like \\server\share."
When I used Setting/Recording I edited the default as follows:
\\WDMYCLOUDEX4100\Argus_TV_ Recordings I believe that is in the correct form.
(I tried Argus 1st, wouldn't work with Hauppauge DualHD so I uninstalled and quite happily came to NextPVR. I will rename after I work out this problem - hopefully without creating new problems)

"You also need to be sure you've got the appropriate permissions setup on your NAS so that your machine's localsystem account can write to the NAS."
I have no problem copying files from my HTPC to the NAS which is set up as unrestricted public access.

"...you can see the tuning attempts where locked is almost always 0 and present is always 0. This usually means there is a problem with the antenna or the line between the antenna and the tuner resulting in low signal strength. "
I'm in Boston and just installed a new, higher strength antenna (Antennas Direct DB8e) which has two receivers pointing NW and S (ocean to the E); some attempts were with WGBH which is close and not obstructed. Also since I'm running the coax into my Hauppauge DualHD tuner, into my HTPC and then through my home theater receiver - which only then send a signal via HDMI to my TV, I thought that it was the Hauppauge tuner doing all the work and not the tuner in the TV. Can there be another reason for the "0" signal strength indications in the log - or am I just getting this wrong???
thanks again for your assistance
bob

[mikeh49]

I didn't quite follow the path for the coax that you described. Can you try it with the coax going direct from the antenna to the tuner card with nothing else connected? I would think you would have coax from the antenna to the tuner, then HDMI from the HTPC to the receiver and on from there to the TV. Coax to the receiver doesn't make sense to me for TV. Is it for FM?

The channels I recall that did not work were 19 and 43. It looked like you tried to view these in Live TV. Correct? Did you get a picture?

[sub]

"You also need to be sure you've got the appropriate permissions setup on your NAS so that your machine's localsystem account can write to the NAS."
I have no problem copying files from my HTPC to the NAS which is set up as unrestricted public access.

Maybe, but remember the recording service runs as a different user account, which isn't the same as you copying files to the NAS from your account. Hopefully it'll be fine, but from past posts by other users, I know this stuff often trips people up (even when they're often sure they're fine on that front).

Can there be another reason for the "0" signal strength indications in the log - or am I just getting this wrong???

Sometime drivers just don't report this info. To help understand if your problem is NAS or signal strength related, maybe try moving your live tv and recording directories to somewhere on C:\ temporarily. Once you're happy it's all working correctly, then you can take that next step of moving your directories to the NAS.

[bickertn]

Mikeh49 - thank you for hanging in there with me on this one; much appreciated.
Channels 19 and 43 and both PBS flagship stations WGBH and WGBX, both broadcasting close to my home with excellent reception on live TV.
As for the coax, it goes directly from the rooftop antenna to my Hauppauge DualHD tuner (using brand new, high end cable) and then through USB to my htpc where a PNY GeForce GT 730 1GB GDDR5 Graphics Card sends picture (only) to the receiver via HDMI and sound through an optical cable from a Creative Sound Blaster Pro Gaming G5 Sound Card & Headphone AMP. Works like a charm for Live TV but it's unclear what's happening to the recordings.
thanks again,
bob

[sub]

Works like a charm for Live TV but it's unclear what's happening to the recordings.

Is your Live TV buffer directory on your C:\ drive, and your Recordings directory on your NAS?

The Live TV Buffer directory setting is on the Settings->Misc screen.

[mikeh49]

According to the logs the live buffer is in c:\users\public\videos, see the ndigitalhost-20 log. If live TV works, why aren't the locked and present always 1?

DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Users\Public\Videos\live-WGBH-HD-2853.ts)

locked=0, present=0, strength=100, quality=0 (took 0ms to check)

[bickertn]

Sub and mikeh49 - thanks again.
I changed the default recording directory to c:\users\public\npvr\media and started recording channel 31, WFXT which is only about 7 or so miles from my house and line of sight from my rooftop antenna. I'll post logs when done. BTW - did I get it right when I forwarded logs the first time in this thread? Based on mikeh49's comments, I assume I have and will follow that approach again unless advised otherwise.
bob