Error: Failed to communicate with Recording Service

[jhinds]

I am trying GB-PVR for the first time - I was so pleased to find this software available after I have struggled so much with the Vision software that comes with the PCTV Deluxe capture device. After installing and setting up the capture source, when I click on Live TV I get the message:

"Failed to communicate with Recording Service"

After reading several posts on the forum, I have verified that the Windows Firewall is disabled and I also run McAfee Personal Firewall - which I disabled and in addition gave the GBPVR.exe full access.

One thing I did notice is that the GB-PVR Recording Service in Windows Services is not running. When I start the service manually it starts and then immediately stops and I get this message:

"The GB-PVR Recording Service service on Local Computer started and then stopped. Some services stop automatically if they have no work to do, for example, the Performance Logs and Alerts service."

The GBPVRRecordingService.exe.log contains only this:

9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.171 INFO [4] GB-PVR Recording Service starting
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.187 VERBOSE [4] installDirectory is C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.187 VERBOSE [4] configurationFile is C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\config.xml
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.187 VERBOSE [4] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/DatabaseConnectionString
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.203 VERBOSE [4] getValue: /settings/DatabaseConnectionString : Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=".\gbpvr.mdb";User Id=admin;Password=
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.203 VERBOSE [4] databaseConnectionString is Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source="C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\\gbpvr.mdb";User Id=admin;Password=
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.203 VERBOSE [4] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/DontAntiAlias
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.203 VERBOSE [4] getValue: /settings/DontAntiAlias : false
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.203 VERBOSE [4] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/LoggingLevel
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.203 VERBOSE [4] getValue: /settings/LoggingLevel : Debug
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.281 VERBOSE [4] getDatabaseConnection() creating new connection
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.312 VERBOSE [4] creating DirectRecordingSource
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.312 VERBOSE [4] Loading DirectRecordingSource Configuration : 1
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.343 VERBOSE [4] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/ForceHighPriorityRecordingService
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.343 VERBOSE [4] getValue: /settings/ForceHighPriorityRecordingService : false
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.343 INFO [4] Starting remoting service
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.390 VERBOSE [23] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/PreShowPadding
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.390 VERBOSE [23] getValue: /settings/PreShowPadding : 1
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.390 VERBOSE [23] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/PostShowPadding
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.390 VERBOSE [23] getValue: /settings/PostShowPadding : 2
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.390 VERBOSE [23] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/AutoCreateFolders
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.390 VERBOSE [23] getValue: /settings/AutoCreateFolders : true
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.390 VERBOSE [23] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/RecordingsDirectory
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.390 VERBOSE [23] getValue: /settings/RecordingsDirectory : C:\
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.406 VERBOSE [23] RecordingFactory.loadSchedule()
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.406 VERBOSE [23] getValue() loading new key/value into cache: /settings/AutoRemoveMissingRecordings
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.406 VERBOSE [23] getValue: /settings/AutoRemoveMissingRecordings : true
9/23/2005 11:05:57 PM.406 VERBOSE [23] Purging any stale logically deleted recordings

Any help you can provide is appreciated.

Regards,

[sub]

The PCTV Deluxe card isnt really supported. I think some people got it to work because it was reasonably similar to some cards that are supported, but I dont really know much about it myself.

Can you try viewing live tv, then post your gbpvr.exe-native.log file? Hopefully it'll contains something obvious.

[jhinds]

Here is the gbpvr.exe-native.log:

06:14:28.984 INFO Log started
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(ShowClosedCaptions)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(UseFFDSHOW)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(EnableTeleText)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(HorizontalZoom)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE Horizontal Zoom: 1.050000
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(VerticalZoom)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE Vertical Zoom: 1.000000
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(HorizontalOffset)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE Horizontal Offset: 0
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(VerticalOffset)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE Vertical Offset: 0
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(LiveTVPrePlayDelay)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(OSDTransparency)
06:14:28.984 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio0)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio1)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio2)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio3)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio4)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio5)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio6)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio7)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(AspectRatio8)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE getSetting(TeletextRect)
06:14:29.015 VERBOSE MinimumFilePlaySize=200000
06:14:29.156 VERBOSE DirectShowPlayerVMR9() initialising...
06:14:29.156 VERBOSE getSetting(OSDTransparency)

I am also posting portions of the GBPVR.exe.log that contain errors:

9/24/2005 6:14:33 AM.187 VERBOSE [2] RecordingFactory.loadScheduleRecording()
9/24/2005 6:14:33 AM.187 VERBOSE [2] getDatabaseConnection() creating new connection
9/24/2005 6:14:33 AM.218 ERROR [2] Unexpected error checking the conversion queue in database: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at xf5bc786a1d6def9c.x18f56f732cd3e8b1.panelNeedsRendering()
9/24/2005 6:14:39 AM.140 VERBOSE [2] Loading recording list for next recording panel

9/24/2005 6:14:46 AM.562 VERBOSE [2] RecordLiveTV: 42
9/24/2005 6:14:48 AM.890 ERROR [2] StartRecordingLiveTV() failed: System.Net.Sockets.SocketException: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it

Server stack trace:
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Connect(EndPoint remoteEP)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.RemoteConnection.CreateNewSocket()
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.SocketCache.GetSocket(String machineAndPort)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpClientTransportSink.SendRequestWithRetry(IMessage msg, ITransportHeaders requestHeaders, Stream requestStream)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpClientTransportSink.ProcessMessage(IMessage msg, ITransportHeaders requestHeaders, Stream requestStream, ITransportHeaders& responseHeaders, Stream& responseStream)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.BinaryClientFormatterSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]:
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
at GBPVR.Backend.Common.IRecordingService.StartRecordingLiveTV(Int32 x70cd72e44179c0c2, Boolean x03f525c749695de4, Int32 x164f120fb8d3ddc7, String& x8b1d9e3189e6e73d, Int32& x73dd716c35ea457b)
at xd426863f4d052758.x396614b3dae3b1da.x06b549b1ade7b16c(Int32 x70cd72e44179c0c2, Boolean x69d720e971206ea6, Programme& x5d1dc8495c0908a9)
9/24/2005 6:14:48 AM.890 VERBOSE [2]
Server stack trace:
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Connect(EndPoint remoteEP)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.RemoteConnection.CreateNewSocket()
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.SocketCache.GetSocket(String machineAndPort)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpClientTransportSink.SendRequestWithRetry(IMessage msg, ITransportHeaders requestHeaders, Stream requestStream)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpClientTransportSink.ProcessMessage(IMessage msg, ITransportHeaders requestHeaders, Stream requestStream, ITransportHeaders& responseHeaders, Stream& responseStream)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.BinaryClientFormatterSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]:
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
at GBPVR.Backend.Common.IRecordingService.StartRecordingLiveTV(Int32 x70cd72e44179c0c2, Boolean x03f525c749695de4, Int32 x164f120fb8d3ddc7, String& x8b1d9e3189e6e73d, Int32& x73dd716c35ea457b)
at xd426863f4d052758.x396614b3dae3b1da.x06b549b1ade7b16c(Int32 x70cd72e44179c0c2, Boolean x69d720e971206ea6, Programme& x5d1dc8495c0908a9)

9/24/2005 6:20:51 AM.140 VERBOSE [2] RecordingFactory.loadScheduleRecording()
9/24/2005 6:20:51 AM.234 ERROR [2] Unexpected error checking the conversion queue in database: System.Data.OleDb.OleDbException: Unspecified error
at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection.ProcessResults(Int32 hr)
at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection.InitializeProvider()
at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection.Open()
at xd426863f4d052758.xcbcfc48b9705b7a2.xa19cc1d2df8cbd74()
at xd426863f4d052758.x396614b3dae3b1da.x1c1f00f25faa2168(Int32 x6425f2d317ad50d7)
at xf5bc786a1d6def9c.x18f56f732cd3e8b1.panelNeedsRendering()

Thanks.

[sub]

Are you running the new v0.94.13 release? If not, try upgrading. There was a fix to at least one of the problems listed here.

[jhinds]

Okay - so I was able to start the service and keep it running with this latest version. Live TV starts up but the bottom 1/2 of the image is choppy and stutters - I am thinking I just need to tweak the playback settings... I was able to record a 1/2 hour show @ high quality - looked great when playing back on Windows media player - no choppiness. I started recording a 2nd program shortly thereafter (was going to be a 2 hr recording) and I noticed after about 15 minutes the mpg file stopped growing in size (Recording service said it was still recording). I went to stop the recording and my system crashed and rebooted... I will play around some more to see if I can recreate the circumstances... Suppose this could be a driver issue - buffer overflow??? Anyway, I am not going to record stuff all the time and if this seldom happens, then I can live with it - I am just happy it started working at all

Great program - I was trying out SageTV and I have to say I would prefer GB-PVR even if SageTV was free (going for about $80). Thanks for putting this out there.

I'll post more information about the crash if it is something I can recreate.

Thanks again for your help.