Strange issue with playback and recording iptv channels only

[mickle026]

At first I thought my issue was kodi, but its not - it happens with Emby and Direct Playback

I have 2 DVB tuners and an IPTV tuner setup.

The DVB Tuners work fine and schedule how they should. The IPTV recieves fines and lists as it should.

When I playback a DVB stream from my server via Kodi and NEXTPVR client it works flawlessly - Very Happy , Records and Playsback without issue.

When I playback or RECORD an IPTV stream (TS Stream) from my NPVR server via ANY client it often repeats chunks, initially mostly in the first few minutes and then random throughout. It seems to me that when NPVR is decoding chunks, that there is some sort of loop that it gets into and re-caches the same TS data chunk more than once as the next piece.
It does this both when recording and playback. Stop and replay the SAME stream and it doesn't do it, but change stream to another one and it does.

I have spent several days already checking kodi, my IPTV provider and my own network. Its none of those things, My IPTV provider is fine - receive the stream on another device and VLC simultaneously and it doesn't repeat chunks.

Any ideas what this might be, any settings I might need to change?

Thanks

[joeijm]

I has same experience and posted a thread before.
https://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.ph...ed-TS-file

replay from Sub was this as possible reasons for IPTV.
"Diagnosing these things with IPTV can be tricky. One important thing to note is that a single IPTV provider would typically uses dozens of different hosting sites and servers, and the channels will be from various different locations (with non-obvious HTTP 304 redirection when you first ask for the channel). You can sometimes find that you have a great connection for watching/recording some channels (on hosting server X), but a shitty connection to other channels (on hosting server Y)."

Basically IPTV comes from many different servers/sources, so for NPVR same channel can be from other server.
Sounds reasonable, BUT....
But then why VLC recording same channel NEVER fails as far as good TS file, no skipping, freezing, wrong time shown, etc..
Hard to believe that given IPTV have so many servers that NPVR usually pick BAD server and VLC pick good servers. Maybe so?

One possible cause is overloading my bandwidth, i.e. trying to record several channels at once.
But recording only one channel at a time also give me same bad TS files too, where VLC doesn't.

So basically I use VLC and NPVR.. VLC don;t have tv guide,

Also there was discussion about using updated NPVRTSReader4.ax too, and runtime. Above my pay grade. LOL

[sub]

When I playback or RECORD an IPTV stream (TS Stream) from my NPVR server via ANY client it often repeats chunks, initially mostly in the first few minutes and then random throughout. It seems to me that when NPVR is decoding chunks, that there is some sort of loop that it gets into and re-caches the same TS data chunk more than once as the next piece.
It does this both when recording and playback. Stop and replay the SAME stream and it doesn't do it, but change stream to another one and it does.

Can you supply a sample recording for me to look at?

[mickle026]

I'll not get to use it for about a week to 10 days or so - on holiday now.

But yes i'll record one. I have not really looked into how npvr works, but I have a hunch that ffmpeg is probably used to decode/cache the TS chunks before restreaming or creating a recording. If ffmpeg is used then this is probably where the problem is. I do know from decoding subtitles a few years ago with ffmpeg that certain builds of it are better than others at TS streams. I have one somewhere a build that is built just for TS streams and all the subtitle formats (I know this issue is not about the subtitles), and that most builds leave out something thats important to the timestamps when they are compiled. Right at this moment though, i cannot remember what that library or libraries is/are.....

I'll try to find it when I get back home - hopefully i still have it.

If ffmpeg is not used then at this time I have no idea what the problem is, all I know at the moment is that without NPVR in the middle, this isn't happening. I want NVPR in the middle because it allows me to record and re-stream to any tv in the house.

Im going to trawl my backups and see if I still have that build

[sub]

But yes i'll record one. I have not really looked into how npvr works, but I have a hunch that ffmpeg is probably used to decode/cache the TS chunks before restreaming or creating a recording. If ffmpeg is used then this is probably where the problem is. I do know from decoding subtitles a few years ago with ffmpeg that certain builds of it are better than others at TS streams. I have one somewhere a build that is built just for TS streams and all the subtitle formats (I know this issue is not about the subtitles), and that most builds leave out something thats important to the timestamps when they are compiled. Right at this moment though, i cannot remember what that library or libraries is/are.....

When it comes to the most common types of IPTV stream (.m3u8 and .ts). NextPVR reads the streams directly without using ffmpeg. It'll only use ffmpeg for other less-used types of streams, like rtsp etc.

.ts streams tend to arrive as a continuous stream of data.

.m3u8 streams tend to arrive as chunks from the source. Depending on the chunk size they choose, every 5 seconds or so, you get another 5 seconds or so of audio/video.

[joeijm]

When it comes to the most common types of IPTV stream (.m3u8 and .ts). NextPVR reads the streams directly without using ffmpeg. It'll only use ffmpeg for other less-used types of streams, like rtsp etc.

.ts streams tend to arrive as a continuous stream of data.

.m3u8 streams tend to arrive as chunks from the source. Depending on the chunk size they choose, every 5 seconds or so, you get another 5 seconds or so of audio/video.

I am getting more curious..Again I am just a novice end user who can only comment based on final results..TS, MP4..whether they plays good or not.
I have NO idea what happens between (take a live game) camera at game to signal sent to tv studio to broadcast to IPTV/tuner to servers to NPVR.
But somehow some recorders work better than others. People can blame internet service, servers, IPTV/tuners, but I wonder?

So let's compare NPVR and VLC for recording.
I read here that...
"NPVR don’t convert anything, NPVR is a bucket, take what IPTV stream gives"
"NextPVR creates .ts files when it records a stream."
So I take this as NPVR is not the problem, it's the source. ok fine.

Then why same source can record in VLC with hardly any problems? Of course not 100% but certainly better results than NPVR using same source streams.
(of course what NPVR gets and VLC gets for same channel can be different, but somehow VLC always gets better stream than NPVR. hummmm??)
I have NO idea how VLC records streams, but certainly better than NPVR.

In fact if I really wanna record certain program then I use VLC. Sure VLC must be on to record and VLC don;t have tv guide options(I think?).
and I have to manually record. (BTW I think there's way to set VLC to record certain time with command lines??)
Of course NPVR tv guide make recording so much easier. But if I end up with bad TS with NPVR then it's wasted time and effort.
I also have ways to record same channel from website and use downloader to record games. Again it's manual and not most reliable.

I am not complaining about NPVR. NPVR just don;t meet eye test. If I was a detective (end user) and follow the FACTS, I can only conclude what I stated already.

But hey, at the end of the day why NPVR does this or that is not high on my priority. If NPVR, VLC, or live streams didn;t exist, I can live happy life.
Since the technology is here and everybody claims their product is best and get protective and defensive when someone like me ask probing logical questions, I just get little curious how things work.
Lucky for me along the way, I get to learn something new. LOL

[sub]

Then why same source can record in VLC with hardly any problems? Of course not 100% but certainly better results than NPVR using same source streams.

I don't know. We'd probably need to see the logs and a sample recording to tell you more.

Some IPTV providers do quirky stuff, and it's possible your IPTV needs some special handling added to NextPVR to make it work smoothly. IPTV support was only add to NextPVR very recently, and I'm still learning about the different things that some IPTV providers do.

[joeijm]

I don't know. We'd probably need to see the logs and a sample recording to tell you more.

Some IPTV providers do quirky stuff, and it's possible your IPTV needs some special handling added to NextPVR to make it work smoothly. IPTV support was only add to NextPVR very recently, and I'm still learning about the different things that some IPTV providers do.

Here is a sample of BAD TS file.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nx4soais3pluj3...g.mp4?dl=0 , and log files
It's from Fox Sports 1 at 5am, 3/30/18 my time (same as tv guide time), or 5pm, 3/29/18 USA EST time.
I copied part TS playing with screen capture.
Watch problem starts at 1:24 mark and finishes at 1;54 then continues with good part.
This kind of stuck in repeat happens often with NPVR, and never happen in VLC (I meant only this repeat skip problem, VLC recordings sometimes problems too).

Maybe a clue? (All US channels)
Bad recording happens only with ESPN channels, Fox Sports, but never with major channels like CBS, NBC, ABC, etc..

[sub]

Here is a sample of BAD TS file.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nx4soais3pluj3...g.mp4?dl=0 , and log files

Do you have the original .ts file you can supply? Only the original file would have the types of info I'd need - not a .mp4 screen capture.

It's from Fox Sports 1 at 5am, 3/30/18 my time (same as tv guide time), or 5pm, 3/29/18 USA EST time.

For future reference, I only ever need your local time.

[joeijm]

Do you have the original .ts file you can supply? Only the original file would have the types of info I'd need - not a .mp4 screen capture.
For future reference, I only ever need your local time.

Original file is 2.1GB, 57mins. How can I upload that big file and send to you?
Even 20MB file I sent you took 10mins to upload into Dropbox.
Also, I got it, use only my local time.