LiveTV streaming starts and stops after 1 or 2 seconds

[mdean1120 0]

Hi, I am having a problem with LiveTv from ServerWMC.   I can play a channel and it start and will always stop after a second or so.   I have tried Chrome, IE, android clients for the playback using MB and they all behave the same.    I have tried very low to very high bitrates.  Always stops.

 

Machine1) MediaCenter running on Window7 with ServerWMC  

    version: 1.0.0.52, build: 1175

 

Machine2) MediaBrowser 3 Server running on Linux (Debian)

    2015-01-08 00:00:00.1262 Info - App: Application version: 3.0.5482.1

 

I have attached all the logs from a play attempt.  For the attached files I tried setting ServrWMC BufferDelayLiveMS to 5000 and it did play for 5-6 seconds vs 1-2.

 

It seems like MBS is telling the stream to stop.   

   2015/01/08 06:34:52.731 Received client request: MediaBrowser^@OMV@2|192.168.15.50|CloseLiveStream

 

Possible due to a transcoding issue?

    [libx264 @ 0x2d453e0] frame= 200 QP=19.27 NAL=2 Slice:P Poc:72  I:405  P:457  SKIP:668  size=5938 bytes

    [mpegts @ 0x2d3ee20] PES packet size mismatch

    [libx264 @ 0x2d453e0] frame= 201 QP=19.13 NAL=2 Slice:P Poc:74  I:250  P:557  SKIP:723  size=5219 bytes

    [mpeg2video @ 0x2d46d40] ac-tex damaged at 21 14

    [mpeg2video @ 0x2d46d40] Warning MVs not available

    [mpeg2video @ 0x2d46d40] concealing 720 DC, 720 AC, 720 MV errors in P frame

 

If I use a setup a third machine (windows7) with MBS and link the livetv to the same ServerWMC, it will stream fine.  That seems to point to linux transcoding (I think?).. Is there anything I can play with or try to get this working?

 

Thanks,

Michael

 

MBS_Server.txt

MBS_Transcoding.txt

ServerWMC_010815.txt

[rikiwi 32]

I was just about to post about a similar situation when  your post came in.

The difference with my setup is that the start/stop behavior, when streaming Live TV, only occurs on my Sony Z3 phone. It works fine on my PC, my wife's laptop, and my Nexus 7 tablet.

It is also fine using the android app. 

This behavior had been occurring for some time, but I hadn't worried as it is working well in the android app.

[krustyreturns 191]

You should have a look at why swmc thinks you can't use dlna mode on your prime tuner:

 

2015/01/08 06:26:28.926 HDHRtuner::Init> DeviceId: 131070CC, IP: 192.168.15.17, Dlna: False, Transcode: False 

 

If you can get Dlna detection to be True (and it should be true for this device), this will at least mitigate the problem when the hdhr tuner is used for the live stream.  Swmc detects if it can use dlna mode by looking at the channel lineup it gets from the tuner.  So start there, type this into a browser address bar:

192.168.15.17/lineup.xml

 

You should get a list of the channels your prime knows about.  See if the channels have a URL element, specifying the their dlna address.

 

But the problem of MBS closing down the stream early is a long standing issue on some systems, if you can get dlna working, it should mitigate that problem so long as swmc chooses your hdhr for the live stream which it will try first. 

 

Also - I am going to wait a bit - but then I am going to move this thread to the serverwmc sub-forum, since the problem is specific to that backend.

Edited January 9, 2015 by krustyreturns

[mdean1120 0]

Ok, I will look into dlna on the homerun prime.

 

I am still a little confused....

 

In order to play for a few seconds, isn't it streaming over DLNA for that short time?

 

If I use a windows7 based MBS with the same ServerWMC  (vs linux MBS) it streams over DNLA ok.   (ServerWMC always uses DLNA correct?)

 

I have to admit I don't think I fully understand the process.....

 

1) ServerWMC records the tuner stream to a .wtv

2) ServerWMC then transcodes to a mpeg4 .ts

3) MBS pulls the .ts over DLNA?  or  ServerWMC send it over DLNA?

4) MBS transcodes again for the MB client?

[krustyreturns 191]

No, swmc only uses dlna if its available in the tuner - yours is indicating its not available.  when its not available swmc, falls back to the wtv to ts method.  your other computer is not using dlna either.  if dlna is working no wtv or ts is created.

 

I'll get to your other question later, but its dlna mode you need to work on.

[mdean1120 0]

I have updated the driver and firmware in the HdHomeRun.  There are no settings for DLNA in the setup/config utilities.  

 

Right after I did that, I remembered that HDHomeRun DLNA will show up and function on my PS3.   

[mdean1120 0]

Ok, I got DLNA to work.

 

2015/01/09 08:47:25.587 EnumerateRecorders>    Guid: ed1367b7-b7d1-4fe0-9699-31d1d908e423

2015/01/09 08:47:25.592 HDHRtuner::Init> HDHRPrime detected, searching for config tool: C:\Program Files\Silicondust\HDHomeRun\hdhomerun_config.exe

2015/01/09 08:47:25.592 HDHRtuner::Init> tool found, HDHRPrime is configurable

2015/01/09 08:47:26.067 HDHRtuner::Init> DeviceId: 131070CC, IP: 192.168.15.17, Dlna: True, Transcode: False

2015/01/09 08:47:26.067 HDHRtuner::GetLineUp> found channel lineup file: 'C:\ProgramData\Silicondust\HDHomeRun\CableCARD.xml'

 

I looks like this was due to having the "Play To" under DLNA in MBS server turned off.

 

So it fails differently now.   The video will start to play for 5 seconds or so and then freeze on the screen.   I will try to get some clean logs tonight.

[krustyreturns 191]

ok.  Your other questions (now that I have a keyboard)

 

1) ServerWMC records the tuner stream to a .wtv

  Yes, but only when not in dlna mode.  This is the same thing wmc does, but in that case it uses a ring buffer of smaller wtv files rather than a single one like we do.

 

2) ServerWMC then transcodes to a mpeg4 .ts

  No, swmc just remuxes the streams into a ts package, there is no transcoding to a different format.  Wtv can be mpeg2 or h264 format internally, we don't change that.

 

3) MBS pulls the .ts over DLNA?  or  ServerWMC send it over DLNA?

  No, dlna is a direct connection to the tuner device, all swmc does in the dlna case is give MBS a url for the tuner channel.  Then MBS talks to the tuner directly (no wtv, no ts)

 

4) MBS transcodes again for the MB client?

  Yes.

Edited January 9, 2015 by krustyreturns

[mdean1120 0]

OK i have some logs from the DNLA streaming lockup.  This seems to happen every time after about the same amount of playback.   ServerWMC will show that a DNLA is still streaming and sometimes you have to force the tuner reset to clear it..   The dnla transcoded video just freezes (in chrome).

 

Thanks, Michael

MBS-server.txt

MBS-transcode.txt

ServerWMC.txt

[krustyreturns 191]

Yeah, that's strange.  I don't see a problem on the serverwmc side to cause this.  Maybe @@Luke can spot what is happening.

[Smoofus 0]

This may be irrelevant as I have yet to look at a single log but I started having similar issues with the ServerWMC stream starting/stopping as soon as I introduced an HDHR Extend (HDTC-2US) i got for xmas into the mix with two existing old school HDHR3-US tuners.  ServerWMC did not even recognize the new HDTC-2US tuner since Media Center could only recognize 4 tuners of the same type but I still had issues so I got tunersalad to fix the 4 tuner max issue as I thought it may have something to do with my problem.  Unfortunately it did not make a difference.

 

What did end up working for me was removing the legacy HDHR3 tuners and dedicating the the HDTC-US to WMC/WMCserver so that it had no choice but to use this tuner. 

 

I'm not sure if there are issues with mixing DLNA capable tuners with those that are not but it seems that's where my problems started and removing the option to use the, non-DLNA capable, HDHR3 tuners did the trick for me.

[krustyreturns 191]

@@mdean1120,

 

Have you checked the cpu load when you try to play a live stream?

 

@@Smoofus

 

It should not have mattered that you had mixed tuners, swmc should be trying the dlna tuners first and only trying the non-dlna ones if the dlna ones were busy.  If you ever want to try your old tuners again, I'd be curious in to see the log if you have the same problem.

[mdean1120 0]

I tried getting setup to do that this weekend, and found out that Charter is encrypting all the clearQAM channels now, and the older tuners are pretty much useless to me now.

 

I have had more success streaming over the weekend.   I was able to steam LiveTv (hdhomerun dlna mode) to my android phone and an android tablet for over 30 minutes.   I checked cpu (i3) performance and it does not look anywhere near maxed out.  If anything is low, it might be memory.  The MBS debian machine is running with 4G.   Not sure if I should look into upping that or not.   Will continue to test more.

 

Thanks,

Michael

[krustyreturns 191]

That's weird, I have charter too, than don't encrypt anything for me other than premium channels. 

 

The machine you looked at the cpu usage on is the MBS machine?  That's the one I was wondering about.

[mbnwa 49]

I have seen the same screen freeze issue with iOS and Safari for quite some time it seems to play the first segment (11sec - 12sec) and then it just freezes happens on any channel - I am almost positive this is not a serverwmc but an issue with Media Browser Server. I have been unsuccessful in getting the dev team to look at the iOS / Safari issue I can say that playing Live TV from a windows device works as expected. 

Edited January 14, 2015 by mbnwa

[viziofire 1]

I'm having similar issues since upgrading to HDTC-2US.    ServerWMC will not work in DLNA mode to Mediabrowser.    If I uncheck DLNA mode in ServerWMC, TV works again in Mediabroswer.     Suggestions?    Here is part of log from accessing tuner in browser window.  It appears to be working in DLNA mode:

 

<Lineup>

<Program>

<GuideNumber>2.1</GuideNumber>

<GuideName>KCBS-HD</GuideName>

<URL>http://192.168.0.115:5004/auto/v2.1</URL>

</Program>

<Program>

<GuideNumber>2.2</GuideNumber>

<GuideName>KCBS-SD</GuideName>

<URL>http://192.168.0.115:5004/auto/v2.2</URL>

</Program>

<Program>

<GuideNumber>4.1</GuideNumber>

<GuideName>NBC4-LA</GuideName>

<URL>http://192.168.0.115:5004/auto/v4.1</URL>

</Program>

Edited January 14, 2015 by viziofire

[viziofire 1]

It looks like I found the problem or at least I found evidence of the problem in the ServerWMC log   

Edited January 21, 2015 by viziofire

[krustyreturns 191]

Can you post the beginning of the log where it does the initial query of the hdhr tuners?

[viziofire 1]

Private msg sent with full (long) log.   Please confirm receipt.   Thank you.

Edited January 14, 2015 by viziofire

[krustyreturns 191]

I see the log file.  Did you reconfigure wmc after you upgraded the tuner?  

[viziofire 1]

Yes, WMC reconfigured with new HDTC-2US.    ServerWMC works normally in non-DLNA mode with Mediabrowser but once I check the DLNA box in ServerWMC it fails.

Edited January 14, 2015 by viziofire

[krustyreturns 191]

For some reason swmc is not able to control your new tuner, its getting an error message when it tries to talk to it.  I think it might be related to this in the log you posted, it says:

 

2015/01/13 19:44:18.057 EnumerateRecorders> Tuner Devices and TuningSpaces found:
2015/01/13 19:44:18.073 EnumerateRecorders> ContentRecorder: 0
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> Device #0
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> Name: Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 103188D0-0, Space: ATSC
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> Guid: c2220b03-09c5-44c2-b7ae-741f01559713
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> ContentRecorder: 1
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> >>> devices for this recorder not found/configured <<<
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> ContentRecorder: 2
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> Device #0
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> Name: Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 10513673-1, Space: ATSC
2015/01/13 19:44:18.119 EnumerateRecorders> Guid: f8da5aa5-0fc0-4eb7-a24e-2620b5123367
2015/01/13 19:44:18.135 HDHRtuner::Init> HDHRPrime detected, searching for config tool: C:\Program 

 

notice that the first tuner found has this device number: 103188D0-0

but the second tuner has this device number: 10513673-1

The '-0' and '-1' make sense, they correspond to the two tuners.  But the different device numbers don't make sense.  It should be the same device number.  Is it possible one of these device numbers corresponds to your old tuner?

Edited January 14, 2015 by krustyreturns

[viziofire 1]

Great pickup.  I went back into WMC and sure enough the old tuners were still be used.   Manually selecting the new HDTC-2US tuners worked.  DLNA is so much faster. Hooray for Krustyreturns! 

Edited January 14, 2015 by viziofire

[krustyreturns 191]

Great.  I am confused how non-dlna mode was working, but so long as its working now...

[viziofire 1]

I recently upgraded from an old 1st generative HDHR which didn't do DLNA to the HDTC-2US which does.    Despite the fact that I did rerun WMC tuner setup after removing old HDHR and installing new one, WMC still chose to configure with the old tuners.   I went into WMC reran setup but chose to manually configure tuners selecting the new tuners.     Lag time to view channel is about 12 seconds.   This may be a Mediabrowser question but I'd be curious to hear what sort of stream time others are seeing as I'm may consider upgrading the server to a fast CPU if it makes a significant difference

Edited January 15, 2015 by viziofire