Multi-client deployment and varying behaviour

[ninkynonk]

I run NextPvr 6.1.1.221106  on a Windows 10 pc.  I have UIClient running on 3 CCGTV devices, Android Client running on a Android box and occasionally use the WebClient and/or the UIClient(Browser) on a laptop.

Let me start by saying that NextPVR with UIClient is a very impressive combination.  Thank you for all your hard work on this solution

The purpose of my post is to identify the different behaviour of each client in a given scenario.  I took the liberty/opportunity to offer suggestions.  Do with them what you will. 

As this post is “cross-client” I was not really sure which forum it belonged in, so I chose Windows.  If there is a better forum for it, please kindly advise.

Scenario 1
-A recording is active on the server
-A user starts one of the clients on client device, navigates to a channel and selects the channel
-The behaviour is different for the different clients
  -Android Client: no error, just a black screen
  -UIClient (CCGTV) Error: ERROR_CODE_IO_BAD_HTTP_STATUS
  -UIClient (Browser) Error: no error, just a black screen
  -WebClient Error: No tuner was available for the requested channel.
  -Windows Client: Unable to find available capture device
-Suggestion: when a user tries to select a channel when a recording is active, popup a window with options for the user:
  -Continue with the recording and cancel the channel change request
  -Cancel the recording and honour the channel channel change request
Scenario 2
-A user is actively watching a channel
-The time arrives for a recording to start
-The recording commences on the desired channel
-The behaviour is different for the different clients
  - Android Client: no message.  Stream just freezes
  - UIClient(CCGTV): The channel does not change for the active watcher, but it seems that what the user is provided is a loop through some buffered video?!?!?!  And it loops until you stop the channel/return to the Main Menu.  When you press “Back”, you are presented with the same message as the Windows Client.
The tuner you were using was required for a recording.  Would you like to switch to watching a recording or exit back to the main menu?
Watch: {recording}
Exit back to Main Menu
  - UIClient(Browser): no message.  Stream just freezes
  - Webclient: Android Client: no message.  Stream just freezes
  - Windows Client:
The tuner you were using was required for a recording.  Would you like to switch to watching a recording or exit back to the main menu?
Watch: {recording}
Exit back to Main Menu
-Suggestion: when a recording is about to start and there is an active stream in progress, popup a window with options for the user:
  - Continue with the recording and change the active viewer stream to the channel being recorded
  - Cancel the recording and allow the active user to continue watching their current channel

Scenario 3
-A user was watching a channel.  They turn off the TV, but do not close NextPVR client or return to the main menu, leaving an active stream on Device 1
-Another user opens NextPVR client on Device 2
-The following error is displayed for each of the different clients:
  - Android Client: no error, just a black screen
  - UIClient (CCGTV)Error: ERROR_CODE_IO_BAD_HTTP_STATUS
  - UIClient (Browser)Error:no error, just a black screen
  - WebClient Error: No tuner was available for the requested channel.
  - Windows Client: Unable to find available capture device
-Suggestion: when there is an active stream (Device 1) and another user/device (Device 2) requests a stream, popup a window with options for the user:
  - Continue with the current stream to Device 1 and cancel the request to stream to Device 2
  - Cancel the current stream to Device 1 and honour the request to stream to Device 2
  - A popup is displayed on Device 1 stating that Device 2 requested the stream to Device 1 be terminated

When you have several NextPVR clients and one is accidentally left running, it can be a bit of search through the house to determine where the active stream is.

Thanks for considering this post

[mvallevand]

You are actually missing 4 UI clients (nlite Windows, Roku, knewc for Kodi and macos) but you do need to understand that they all will have some different behaviours,

Scenario 1 should work with multi-rec but it will be tuner dependent, I'd be happy to see what is going on in uidroid with the appropriate logs in the uidroid support area. When multi-rec is not available, I think there is some regression here since the server would have blocked this in the past.

Scenario 2 I will test this for uidroid to see why uidroid isn't stopping. Again if it is a multi-rec scenario it should simply continue without any interruption

Suggestion. If you see this often, the best option is to buy another tuner.

Scenario 3 How would NextPVR know that you don't want to stream on two devices?

Suggestion see 1 and 2 and of course turn off the TV and make Greta happy.

Martin

[ninkynonk]

Thanks Martin.
I should have stated that my tuner is a Colossus2 with Bell Satellite as the input source. It was bought new and is about 18 months old.
Forgive me for referencing uidroid as UIclient.
What is the definition of "multi-rec"? What should my expectations be? If there is documentation available on this, kindly direct me.

Re:Scenario 3 How would NextPVR know that you don't want to stream on two devices?
I just tested that if I have Device1 on channel 800 and I start Device2 on channel 800 and Device 3 on channel 800, all of the receive the stream. I think that's logical. But if Device2 is requesting a different channel, there is a conflict and a popup would allow some control to the active user on Device2. So to modify my suggestion for Scenario 3:
-Suggestion: when there is an active stream (Device 1) and another user/device (Device 2) requests a stream, popup a window with options for the user:
- Continue with the current stream to Device 1 and cancel the request to stream to Device 2
- Continue with the current stream to Device 1 and stream the same to Device 2
- Honour the request to stream to Device 2 and cancel the current stream to Device 1. A popup is displayed on Device 1 stating that Device 2 requested the stream to Device 1 be terminated
- Honour the request to stream to Device 2 and stream the same to Device 1 - A popup on Device1 states that another device "changed the channel"

I will retest and generate the requested logs, hopefully tonight

This is just for future considerations. Just some feedback from a pretty heavy user.

-

[mvallevand]

If you can stream the same channel that is in use for a recording or live TV that is multi-rec, glad that's working.

I don't like your scenario 3 (what about 3 or more devices?) but I will leave that to sub, he doesn't always comment on wishlist items. You do have the option to manually cancel an in progress recording which I think is safer then asking on playback.

As a minimum sub should fix any scenarios where the Live TV tries to start when no tuners are available.

Martin

[ninkynonk]

Scenario 3, the problem I am trying to rectify is running up and down through 3 story house + basement trying to figure out which device has an active stream. Like I said, its easy to turn off the tv and leave a NextPVR client streaming and there is no way to control that (that I know of) other than finding the actively streaming device and killing the stream.

Regarding 3 or 4 or devices, the story is the same as there is only one stream. If anyone of the devices wants to change the channel, the popup basically ask:
1) change all devices to the current streamed channel
2) change all devices to the requested channel
3) exit

As I type this maybe this has to do with my ignorance of the capabilities of NextPVR as I only have a single tuner so I only have the one stream. If you have an stb with multiple tuners, does next pvr allow Device1 and Device2 to grab a channel from each tuner so that there are effectively two active streams?

[mvallevand]

The dual tuner STB's that I have seen are for cable recording only. You'd need two remotes and two output ports.

I am in Canada too and I got 3 Rogers' HD STB boxes for $50 total from Kijiji we even met at the Rogers store to transfer them so I knew they weren't stolen. HDPVR's run about $50-60 on Kijiji too. OTA ATSC tuners might get you the local channels, depending on your location.

People used to leave UI clients running all the time so I decided to kill mine on inactivity, people didn't like it at first people can learn new thing. I don't think most people leave the STB boxes on, so why is shutting down the CCGTV so hard. Maybe CEC will shutdown your TV and the CCGTV together?

As I posted I will let sub comment on your suggestion if he wants to.

Martin