Channel switching not working

[improwise]

Hi! DVBViewer used to be a wonder of stability where MediaPortal had all the nice features and good GUI, but was unstable as nothing else. However, these days I find that DVBViewer is not really working at all as good as it did before, while MediaPortal is much more stable than before. Anyway, one of the things driving me crazy is the fact that switching channels does not seem to work in a relaiable way any more, the screen just goes blank and then there is nothing. If you keep trying to switch, it will eventually work, but it is very irritating and results in a lot of blank recordings. I have tried all the latest version, beta and none beta, VMR7, VMR9, overlay etc, on Vista and XP, but the behavior seem to be there no matter what and the only thing they have in common are DVBViewer. I have several other MediaCenter applications installed, and non of they experience any channel switching problems at all, so hardware setup etc should be fine. I don't recall having had these problems back in the days where I had only one tuner, could that be the cause of the problem? However, sometimes it seem to work without any problem at all so.

 

Any ideas? I have tried everything but I just wont get a stable situation with DVBViewer, and at the same time, all other media centers run without any problems what so ever (at least with regards to channel switching).

 

(I am a Windows software developer with 15+ years of experience, so hopefully, any obvious beginners misstakes could be ruled out here)

 

/pJ

support.zip

Edited April 28, 2008 by improwise

[Lars_MQ]

Let me guess it all started when you installed Vista? After 15 years of M$ you still wonder? This is a reason for me to wonder

 

Anyway a look at your systeminfo shows a incomplete Cyberlink installation (except the video decoder everything else is missing), a missing working audiodecoder (Microsoft MPEG-1/DD Audio Decoder is everything but trustworthy) and the colorspace converter sitting in your Directshow graph (-> debug.log). Not sure about this, a look at the graph with graphedit would be helpfull but it is usally a bad sign.

 

Since this specific problem seems to be only with your system there may be a problem in your setup. Maybe you can try other video/audio decoders?

 

 

BTW: Normally a programmer respects other programmers enough to post such things in the right section of the forum ( http://www.DVBViewer.info/forum/index.php?showtopic=24985 )

[improwise]

Let me guess it all started when you installed Vista? After 15 years of M$ you still wonder? This is a reason for me to wonder

 

Nope. The same behaviour with Windows XP, does not seem to be OS related. If Windows XP could have handled 4 GB RAM *AND* had drivers for FireDTV, Vista would be nowhere close to my machine

 

Anyway a look at your systeminfo shows a incomplete Cyberlink installation (except the video decoder everything else is missing), a missing working audiodecoder (Microsoft MPEG-1/DD Audio Decoder is everything but trustworthy) and the colorspace converter sitting in your Directshow graph (-> debug.log). Not sure about this, a look at the graph with graphedit would be helpfull but it is usally a bad sign. Since this specific problem seems to be only with your system there may be a problem in your setup. Maybe you can try other video/audio decoders?

 

Well, note sure about incomplete, using the K-lite packages which among other things include the CyberLink decoder. But I have done enough switching back and forth between different decoders the last couple of weeks to know that it doesn't seem to change a thing, believe me, I have tried a lot of decoders to get this working, but nothing has helped.

 

BTW: Normally a programmer respects other programmers enough to post such things in the right section of a forum (-> beta)

 

Sure, if this problem had been related to the beta version, but it isn't as the latest stable build display the exact same behaviour unfortunately.

 

Thanks for your input though, much apprechiated!

/pJ

Edited April 28, 2008 by improwise

[improwise]

Another thing I have notices, which is probably not related to this but anyway, when running VMR7 or "Vista Enchanged" (VMR9 doesnt work) the image seem to stutter as soon as I right click to bring up the right-click menu, anyone else experiencing this?

 

/pJ

[CiNcH]

But you have never programmed DirectShow, did you? Then you should know that those codec packages are poison for your system...

[improwise]

But you have never programmed DirectShow, did you? Then you should know that those codec packages are poison for your system...

 

 

Nope, can't say I have and hopefully I never have too either

 

So, anyone has any recommendation on how to get this to work? Removing all the codecs just can't be the solution, besides, other mediacenters have no problem working with them it seems.

 

Off topic but still a bug, I am the only one experiencing that the EPG and other windows doesn't seem to remember their size and position but seem to revert back to a "stamp sized" version everytime I restart DVBViewer. I don't recall having seem this problem in older versions.

 

/pJ

[barnie_bg]

I am having exactly the same problem. Sometimes it switches transponders, sometimes it doesn't. If I want to be sure a recording is done, I have to switch channel manually to make sure it's tuned at the right transponder. All versions of DVBViewer (beta and non-beta) since at least 3.9.1.0, all Technotrend S2-3200 drivers versions I can get my hands on (5.0.0.2/6/12), before and after Vista SP1. The tuning method checkbox does not make any difference.

 

On the other hand, scanning works reliably every time, as does restarting DVBViewer.

 

I am a developer too, and I have programmed DirectShow quite a lot. The problem is not in the codecs. When a transponder switch fails, DVBViewer reports a data rate of about 0.2-0.5mbps, and the screen goes green (for h264 channels).

 

I will post full details in a few minutes.

Edited May 2, 2008 by barnie_bg

[barnie_bg]

Here's the Support.zip file.

support.zip

 

Some more details:

Technotrend S2-3200 + CI

T-Rex Cam 4.1

SkyHD card

 

any combination of the following:

Driver versions 5.0.0.2, 5.0.0.6, 5.0.0.12

h264 decoders Cyberlink (7 and 8), CoreAVC 1.6.0

Mpeg-2 decoders Cyberlink, InterVideo, FFDShow, Microsoft

Ac3 decoders FFDShow, Cyberlink, Intervideo

"New tuning method" on or off

 

Switching to a freeview channel does not help, nor going to an S from an S2 transponder or MPEG-2 from h264 stream (or vice versa). Scanning any transponder wakes it up, and this step is included at the end of the debug.log file.

Edited May 2, 2008 by barnie_bg

[CiNcH]

What if you remove the T-Rex? In case it is connected the whole TransportStream is routed through the CAM, no matter whether you tune a free or pay channel. I have made the experience that those exotic CAM's sometimes do not behave properly due to the firmware manufactures, mostly being private persons as those firmware is illegal (but I still see and very well understand your point with Sky, so at least I don't blame you), not really caring about broad compatibility (or they just can't) and not sticking to standards.

Edited May 3, 2008 by CiNcH

[CiNcH]

Also you have done an extrem overclock. With KNC I have heard of problems with the CI if you overclock too much. Never heard of that in connection with TT, but you may try anyway to run things at stock speed... (especially the PCI bus)

Edited May 3, 2008 by CiNcH

[Lars_MQ]

You do use to original cable between card and CI extention card?

[CiNcH]

Good hint too. I had problems too with the long cable. This is also a good reminder for me, because I wanted to perform a more in depth test with the long cable (40cm from DVBSHOP) and different CAM solutions...

[mrmt32]

Barnie, you seem to be having the same problem I have been having with my t-rex 4.1 and s2-3200. (more information: http://www.dvbnetwork.de/index.php?option=...37&catid=2). It seems to be some kind of incompatibility between the s2-3200 and the t-rex 4.1...

[Valts]

Barnie, you seem to be having the same problem I have been having with my t-rex 4.1 and s2-3200. (more information: http://www.dvbnetwork.de/index.php?option=...37&catid=2). It seems to be some kind of incompatibility between the s2-3200 and the t-rex 4.1...

 

I got S2-3200 too and sometimes have same problem - channel switches but screen stays black, need to click the channel again... Got CI card connected but nothing inserted.

[Ataberk]

I have blank screen problem too. I use a simple Flydvb Trio card (bda based) and works perfectly with DVBViewer 3.9.2.0. But after a clean installation and scanning with new transponder files, sometimes DVBViewer screen goes blank while changing channels. It stays blank whatever you try to do.(like trying to click on channel again or change it) I need to exit and relaunch DVBViewer in order to get working again.