Can't change channels in NextPVR. Only from cmd line.

[vedatil4]

I have NextPVR version 5.1.1.210329 running on Windows 10 64-bit, 24GB Ram, Colossus 2 card, and with DirecTV Genie Mini Client (model c61-100).

There's a field called "blaster executable path" in the settings->devices->local recorder->update channels popup of the NextPVR web app I've been wrestling with.  

The video and audio works fine when I open the full NextPVR client app.  But while inside there I just can't change the channels for some weird, unknown reason.

I can change channels using haupblast.exe in the NextPVR folder or blast.exe in the TVServer folder that's part of WinTV10 by using a DOS command line.  But when it comes to inserting a "blaster executable path" in the field and having the NextPVR program windows app change a channel, it just won't work.   I think I've tried all combinations reasonable and unreasonable after reviewing the forums.  

Someone named "three6zero cool" seemed to have made NextPVR work so I tried many variations of " C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" in the first field and "/C --something-- {channel}".  I tried entering filepaths that led to HaupBlast.exe or Blast.exe in all kinds of ways with no luck.  One thing I noticed is that folks kept using a folder name called "NPVR" as opposed to the "NextPVR" folder created by the program.   But I made sure to point to the right folder by checking if a channel changed using a command line and WinTV capture before attempting in NextPVR.  I also changed HaupBlast to open as administrator and giving rights to all.

I'm soooooo close but not cigar.  I've been pulling my hair out because I don't see rhyme or reason why the command line way works and not the program.

While I'm here, I'm also having a problem not showing the hundreds of channels I'm not going to view.  I go to "settings" and clear lots of check marks but the channels still come up if I click away and back.  I don't see a "save" function there.  But that's more an an annoyance than the not changing channels.  I just mention it in case there's an easy solution.

Help me Obi-Wan.  You're my only hope. 

I attach the .zip file the program generates for reference.

[sub]

All the attempts in the logs show executable to BlastCfg.exe, not HaupBlast.exe.

BlastCfg.exe is not a application that changes channels. It popups a window that allows you configure what set top box you're using etc.

Code:

2021-04-09 10:41:49.825    [DEBUG][4]    Starting Stream: LIVE&C:\Users\Public\Videos\live-ABC (KGTV) San Diego, CA-12377.ts
2021-04-09 10:41:49.825    [DEBUG][4]    SlipSeconds: 1200
2021-04-09 10:41:49.825    [DEBUG][4]    Tuning:
<tuning>
  <type>HDPVR</type>
  <locator>
    <channel>10</channel>
    <input>0</input>
    <audio_input>0</audio_input>
    <blaster_executable>C:\Program Files (x86)\WinTV\BlastCfg.exe</blaster_executable>
    <blaster_args></blaster_args>
  </locator>
</tuning>

2021-04-09 10:41:49.855    [INFO][4]    HDPVRRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Users\Public\Videos\live-ABC (KGTV) San Diego, CA-12377.ts)
2021-04-09 10:41:49.855    [INFO][4]    Running blaster: C:\Program Files (x86)\WinTV\BlastCfg.exe 10

If you want to post the logs showing HaupBlast.exe, I'll check them again.

Someone named "three6zero cool" seemed to have made NextPVR work so I tried many variations of " C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" in the first field and "/C --something-- {channel}".

Hmmm, I think you're talking about running a batch file here, rather than directly running HaupBlast.exe. You might do this if you were wanting to do custom stuff, otherwise you shouldn't need to. (it'd be "/C c:\path\to\blaster.bat", and in that batch file you could call whatever you need to run)

[sub]

While I'm here, I'm also having a problem not showing the hundreds of channels I'm not going to view.  I go to "settings" and clear lots of check marks but the channels still come up if I click away and back.  I don't see a "save" function there.  But that's more an an annoyance than the not changing channels.  I just mention it in case there's an easy solution.

Those checkboxes are able selecting channels you're going to delete etc. Hit the trash can icon to get rid of the selected channels.

Alternatively you could create a channel group, and just add your favourite channels to that group, and select that group as the one you're viewing.

[Graham]

I have NextPVR version 5.1.1.210329 running on Windows 10 64-bit, 24GB Ram, Colossus 2 card, and with DirecTV Genie Mini Client (model c61-100).

There's a field called "blaster executable path" in the settings->devices->local recorder->update channels popup of the NextPVR web app I've been wrestling with. 

Does this help ... https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/setup-set-top-box

[vedatil4]

While I'm here, I'm also having a problem not showing the hundreds of channels I'm not going to view.  I go to "settings" and clear lots of check marks but the channels still come up if I click away and back.  I don't see a "save" function there.  But that's more an an annoyance than the not changing channels.  I just mention it in case there's an easy solution.

Those checkboxes are able selecting channels you're going to delete etc. Hit the trash can icon to get rid of the selected channels.

Alternatively you could create a channel group, and just add your favourite channels to that group, and select that group as the one you're viewing.

I see how the trash icon inside of NextPVR works now.  As an alternative, I've gone directly to the xmltvlistings site and deleted channels there so they don't get downloaded into NextPVR at all.

[vedatil4]

All the attempts in the logs show executable to BlastCfg.exe, not HaupBlast.exe.

BlastCfg.exe is not a application that changes channels. It popups a window that allows you configure what set top box you're using etc.

Code:

2021-04-09 10:41:49.825    [DEBUG][4]    Starting Stream: LIVE&C:\Users\Public\Videos\live-ABC (KGTV) San Diego, CA-12377.ts
2021-04-09 10:41:49.825    [DEBUG][4]    SlipSeconds: 1200
2021-04-09 10:41:49.825    [DEBUG][4]    Tuning:
<tuning>
  <type>HDPVR</type>
  <locator>
    <channel>10</channel>
    <input>0</input>
    <audio_input>0</audio_input>
    <blaster_executable>C:\Program Files (x86)\WinTV\BlastCfg.exe</blaster_executable>
    <blaster_args></blaster_args>
  </locator>
</tuning>

2021-04-09 10:41:49.855    [INFO][4]    HDPVRRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Users\Public\Videos\live-ABC (KGTV) San Diego, CA-12377.ts)
2021-04-09 10:41:49.855    [INFO][4]    Running blaster: C:\Program Files (x86)\WinTV\BlastCfg.exe 10

If you want to post the logs showing HaupBlast.exe, I'll check them again.

Someone named "three6zero cool" seemed to have made NextPVR work so I tried many variations of " C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" in the first field and "/C --something-- {channel}". 

Hmmm, I think you're talking about running a batch file here, rather than directly running HaupBlast.exe. You might do this if you were wanting to do custom stuff, otherwise you shouldn't need to. (it'd be "/C c:\path\to\blaster.bat", and in that batch file you could call whatever you need to run)

Now that I'm more familiar with the program, I tried uninstalling NextPVR then installing again and going through the instructions that someone pointed out above very, very carefully.  

Unfortunately the xmltvlistings site allows only five downloads a day, so I'll have to try again tomorrow when their site refreshes. 

One thing I noticed is that the save button at the bottom of the "import channels" popup and the list of channels (now reduced) don't show up right away.  I should've been patient and waited after pressing "import".  I pressed that button a few times.  I think when NextPVR reached out to xlmtvlistings behind the scenes, those contacts counted towards the maximum five a day until I got blocked from downloading. 

I appreciate everyone's help with this problem.  Your input didn't fall on deaf ears.

I'll try again tomorrow and report back. 

I hope these bits of info can help someone else in the future.

[vedatil4]

In case it matters, I've been using Mozilla Firefox as a default browser. That's the browser the NextPVR web app generates in. Should I be setting a different browser? I also have Chrome and MS Edge.

[sub]

Firefox should be fine. I personally use Chrome, but lots of others also use FireFox.

Unfortunately the xmltvlistings site allows only five downloads a day, so I'll have to try again tomorrow when their site refreshes.

One thing I noticed is that the save button at the bottom of the "import channels" popup and the list of channels (now reduced) don't show up right away. I should've been patient and waited after pressing "import". I pressed that button a few times. I think when NextPVR reached out to xlmtvlistings behind the scenes, those contacts counted towards the maximum five a day until I got blocked from downloading.

Yeah absolutely. When you try to import your channels, NextPVR has to download the xmltv file, to check what channels are available.

[vedatil4]

Success!!!

Setting Google Chrome as the default browser seems to have made a difference.

At first I tried a fresh install changing device settings using Firefox.  I would get a blank video screen (huh?).  But I knew the video card was working because WinTV10 worked.  Also, the little popup window where you enter path-to-blaster information seemed different using Chrome.  Both under Firefox then with Chrome I had shut down my Webroot anti-virus so I don't think it was that program causing the problem. 

I want to offer my first impressions of the program in case the info helps future versions.  This is coming from someone who has years of experience using ReplayTV and BeyondTV.  I hoped I could get as near to a BeyondTV experience but with HDTV instead of SDTV.  I think NextPVR is a worthy heir to BeyondTV!  At first glance it seems a more powerful program. 

Just a few initial observations, (keep in mind this is with 10 minutes of experience using NextPVR):

-NextPVRtray isn't added automatically to the list of programs listed by pressing the bottom left Windows button.  So when I right-clicked and exited the small tray icon that has the N in a green square at one point, I had to go searching for the .exe file in the program folder.
-Keyboard shortcuts.  It would be nice to have a list of shortcut keys.  It looks like the escape key is one of them. 
-It would nice to be able to be able to see channels that I can't get listings for.  I have a channel from Spain that xmltvlistings doesn't carry (ch.460).  It would be nice to be able to add that channel even if the show names won't appear in the listings matrix.  That way I could at least watch the channel.  Maybe there are options on the right side of wrenches (or spanners) I'm not seeing?  I've seen some screenshots that show different options there. 
-It would be nice to be able to have "watch" as the first option after selecting a show in the listings.
-Quick record vs record?  I'm not sure what the difference is.
-Tray option to access the program and the program itself won't work until the icon goes from gray to green.  If I open the program before the icon has gone green I get an "unable to connect to remote server" error message and the program won't work.  It seems to take me 2-3 minutes for the icon to turn green after I turn on the computer.  This is not a biggie since I'm used to waiting for Windows to start up.  But at first I thought, "oh no, the program doesn't work again".

Anyway, I hope this information helps people installing the program and the developer.  I attached the log in case it helps.   

If you someone can clarify the things I noticed at that first moment of interaction, I would appreciate it.

[vedatil4]

I forgot to mention a few things for the benefit of future installers,

I entered "C:\Program Files\NextPVR\HaupBlast.exe" in the path to the blaster field and left the {channel} field alone. Of course the path to the irblaster program you have might be different depending on your tuner card or blaster. I was using a Hauppauge Colossus2 on Windows 10 64-bit.

My satellite device was the standard-issue (at least in the USA) Directv mini genie box. In the separate BlastCfg.exe that comes with WinTV10 that's part of the Colossus 2, I chose "DirecTV H10" in the vendor/model field that triggers a code set 125 number.