Recording Glitch on Windows 7 PC w/Colossus 2

[ddaggett]

I am having a recording issue where the computer doing the recording will typically drop two or three seconds once or twice during a 90 minute or two hour movie. It is not a huge loss, but I'm trying to build a movie library, and the drop outs are noticeable and annoying. Moreover, the dropouts are not present in the same movie when I watch it while it is recording (i.e., the stream from the satellite dish is fine - the computer / NextPVR is dropping the recording periodically). The computer setup is a Windows 7 pro computer (I backed this down from Windows 10, which removed some but not all of the problems), a Colossus 2 card, and a connection via HDMI to a Dish Network STB. Any help in fixing this would be greatly appreciated. I've got two computers with close to the identical setup, and both are experiencing the same issue.

Thanks very much!

[sub]

It's hard to imagine what might be causing that. With this type of device, it's pretty much just writing to disk exactly what is coming from the device. Could be the Colossus 2? or an hdmi splitter if you're using one? or the machine being overloaded with other stuff going on? I don't know really.

[mvallevand]

You can't compare Colossus error correction with what you see on the STB it is an analog conversion from digital. Since NextPVR is just direct recording from the Colossus it could be driver or disk drive related but it likely won't be NextPVR.

The only way to triage this is to do a digitally cut of the recording until you can get a small sample we can look at, showing the problem.

Martin

[ddaggett]

Thanks very much for the quick reply. Let me see if I can pull a small sample where it drops out.

[ddaggett]

Please take a look at the file at this link (https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqL_6ZfLvFvKnMlgSrs3...Q?e=D4xhR5). Around 12 seconds in, it will cut out for about 2 seconds. I tried to attach the file but, as short as it is, it was too large. BTW, if it's relevant, I'm trying to record at a constant bitrate of 13500000. Thanks very much for the help!

[jfg]

Would it be possible that one of your hard disk has spin down and that a process in your machine (not NextPVR) is starting your hard disk back up freezing your disk control for a few seconds (waiting for the disk to spin back up gain)? In Win 10, check your Advance Power Options for your hard disk. See Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Power Options --> Change plan settings --> Change advanced power settings then expand Hard disk --> Turn off hard disk after --> Setting (minutes): xx. You may try to increase this setting to 120 or Never.

Just a thought.

[ddaggett]

Thanks! I'll try that. I'm on Windows 7, but it has the same setting.

[ddaggett]

Thanks again. I tried the above, and I'm still having the same issue. Both of these computers are Windows 7 and pretty much dedicated to NextPVR, although I do remote into them to set the programs to record. Any thoughts as to why the hard drive on both machines would be doing this, if it is a hard drive issue? Thanks, and sorry for the vague problem description. Also, if you have any suggestions for other platforms for these machines, I would be very interested (e.g., does Linux work better and, if so, does it have Colossus drivers)?

[mvallevand]

Sorry I missed your post with the cut file.  I can certainly see the problem, where the cursor is on the right is a short packet and then the good packet starts again.

I can't help explain the cause.   Perhaps it is cables or a faulty hdmi splitter if you are using one.

Martin