DV Scheduler, For DVB-T Recording, Previewing, and Streaming Rating Options

[efax]

DV Scheduler is a web-based application for DVB-T, DVB-S, DVB-C, ATSC (work in progress) recording, previewing/watching, and streaming. DV Scheduler is based on DVB Web Scheduler version 4.0.14, which is the last open-source version.

Download here

[topdon]

Can you capture in dvr-ms format?

[efax]

Can you capture in dvr-ms format?

No it has been replaced by mpeg ps (dvd-like format) container format instead which is more widely supported. mpg is playable on most (if not all) current media players.



Actually I've been made aware that you can actually use the capture engine in the directory "utilOld" to capture in dvr-ms format.

What you can do is the following:
Copy files capture.ce, capture.exe, and DVR-MS.ini from "utilOld" to "util"

You should now see DVR-MS as a capture type option.

[topdon]

Thanks efax, i will give it a try.

[DigitalViewer]

Efax

You have brought some nice additions to webscheduler, I look forward to continued improvements.

I have had a couple of problems however.....

On a couple of occasions I have returned to the PC to find ffmpeg.exe maxed out (100%cpu) and had to end the process. I haven't be able to replicate the situation but if it happens again I'll try to get as much detail as possible.

I have had trouble with DVStray.exe not seeing that dvpiper was running. The problem that creates for me is that I relied on WStray to stop the hibernation of the PC that occurs at the end of each recording when I have two recordings that overlap. Does that make sense? I have returned to using the wstray that was in your 4.0.18u version that works reliably, but has the old name and icon. Also is dvstray hard coded to link to localhost:8007? I have mine on 8429 but dvstray does not want to go there.

TIA

DV

[dazzermighty]

DV Scheduler is a web-based application for DVB-T recording, previewing/watching, and streaming. DV Scheduler is based on DVB Web Scheduler version 4.0.14, which is the last open-source version.

Download here

Can't seem to be able to download file from site

download just sits there saying :- Starting ...

[efax]

Efax

You have brought some nice additions to webscheduler, I look forward to continued improvements.

I have had a couple of problems however.....

On a couple of occasions I have returned to the PC to find ffmpeg.exe maxed out (100%cpu) and had to end the process. I haven't be able to replicate the situation but if it happens again I'll try to get as much detail as possible.

I have had trouble with DVStray.exe not seeing that dvpiper was running. The problem that creates for me is that I relied on WStray to stop the hibernation of the PC that occurs at the end of each recording when I have two recordings that overlap. Does that make sense? I have returned to using the wstray that was in your 4.0.18u version that works reliably, but has the old name and icon. Also is dvstray hard coded to link to localhost:8007? I have mine on 8429 but dvstray does not want to go there.

TIA

DV

Can you tell me which version of ffmpeg you're using? I recently changed the version of ffmpeg in the installer to a newer version. Also, regarding ffmpeg.exe maxing out, I found this can happen when the TV signal reception is poor resulting in lots of errors in the stream. It would help if you can let me know if there are stream errors in the recording when ffmpeg maxed out; you can check this out by looking at the DVPiper log file, the filename starts with "DVPiper" and has extension "log"; stream errors are time-stamped, so you can tell what error is when.

Yes sorry DVSTray is currently not working after I changed the scheduler to be able to use different/multiple capture engines. I'll fix this in the next few days. Previously the tray only checks for instances of DVPiper, but this is no longer possible since the scheduler may be using different capture engines.
No the port-number is not hard-coded, when you installed DV Scheduler it would have asked you which port you want to use. It then simply puts an entry in the registry to auto-run the tray at system start-up with the following command line:

DVSTray _portnumber_

where _portnumber_ is the port that you chose during installation.

If you're manually running the tray, you'd need to run it with the same command as above.
So if for example you want it to open localhost:8429, then you can open up a command prompt at the installation directory and type "DVSTray 8429", or use Run from the Start menu and type

"C:\Program files\DV Scheduler\DVSTray.exe" 8429

assuming you installed DVSTray at the above directory. You can also create a shortcut with the above command line. However I'll change DVSTray in the next release to read the port number from the registry so when you manually double-click on it to start it the port number chosen during installation will still be used.

Can't seem to be able to download file from site

download just sits there saying :- Starting ...

I'm not sure about this, but seems to be working now?

[dazzermighty]

it seems to be a fire fox browser issue downloading with explore now

[vertigo]

hi efax, any chance of a linux version?

been trying to get WS working under linux, with little success. doesn't look like the commercial version is going to support it anytime soon either. an effort was made here http://forums.dvbowners.com/index.php?showtopic=7740 and it works well, but the program used for capturing doesn't work all that well with HD streams, and being a relative newbie to linux, haven't gotten any other app to work with it.

[drdos7]

Hi,

I've just installed DVS v5.05c. I had been using v4, but only as an EPG viewer, on this PC (a notebook running Vista HP). I've run V4 on another PC OK, and have installed V5 on yet another PC OK, but the captures are breaking up (both of these have XP SP2)

When I use the "Preview" channel function (on Vista) I get an "Interactive Services Dialog". I get audio but no video, which is playing in VLC but only if I click the ISD message. It doesn't display VLC on the desktop.

I have seen this action from other programs that will work OK with XP but bring up an ISD message under Vista. Is anyone having this problem?

Another problem is when I click the DV Tray icon it will open in IE not Firefox, which is my default (& preferred) browser.

Just before I going to post this I thought I would test the other PC, which had the captures breaking up, with WS instead and that recorded OK.

Thanks,

dRdoS7

[efax]

hi efax, any chance of a linux version?

been trying to get WS working under linux, with little success. doesn't look like the commercial version is going to support it anytime soon either. an effort was made here http://forums.dvbowners.com/index.php?showtopic=7740 and it works well, but the program used for capturing doesn't work all that well with HD streams, and being a relative newbie to linux, haven't gotten any other app to work with it.

Hi, I may look into this in the future; I'm not familiar with the kind of capture engines available in linux, any suggestion?

Hi,

I've just installed DVS v5.05c. I had been using v4, but only as an EPG viewer, on this PC (a notebook running Vista HP). I've run V4 on another PC OK, and have installed V5 on yet another PC OK, but the captures are breaking up (both of these have XP SP2)

When I use the "Preview" channel function (on Vista) I get an "Interactive Services Dialog". I get audio but no video, which is playing in VLC but only if I click the ISD message. It doesn't display VLC on the desktop.

I have seen this action from other programs that will work OK with XP but bring up an ISD message under Vista. Is anyone having this problem?

Another problem is when I click the DV Tray icon it will open in IE not Firefox, which is my default (& preferred) browser.

Just before I going to post this I thought I would test the other PC, which had the captures breaking up, with WS instead and that recorded OK.

Thanks,

dRdoS7

Hi, V4 and V5 uses the same capture engine, the only difference is in V5.03 upward (I think) MPEG-PS capture uses a newer version of ffmpeg, which exits when it supposedly encounters non-monotone timestamp error. This may cause the scheduler to do one or more retry at the beginning of a capture, resulting in one or more zero-sized capture files. In v5.05 I have modified the MPEG-PS capture configuration to get ffmpeg to ignore such error. So you shouldn't have captures breaking up anymore... unless you meant something else?

I'm not familiar with Vista as I don't use it, but I'll look into it.



Ok, I had a quick look around, seems the problem with Vista and Interactive Services Dialog is solved in the new version of VLC. The detail is here:
http://nuvvenuvve.blogspot.com/2007/07/vlc...do-you-too.html

As for DV Tray opening IE (in Vista?), I'll see if I can change it to work in Vista...

[drdos7]

Hi,

I found this in another forum, about the ISD message:

If you're getting that warning, it means you have a SERVICE trying to interact with the desktop via a dialog box (worked in previous versions of Windows, but will not anymore with Vista

That's been my experience as well, with a couple of programs.

I don't think it's a VLC problem, I can play files already recorded and don't get the ISD message.

I'm just playing around with DVS, I'll keep using WS on my other PC due to the capture breaking up.

Thanks,

dRdoS7.

EDIT: Turns out the tuner that was breaking up is 2nd tuner for WS and 1st tuner for DVS. Don't know why it should be"bad" now, used to work OK. Maybe it's tired, though it's only 4 years old. Doesn't seem to be the antenna, swapped them around.

This post has been edited by drdos7: Jun 18 2008, 05:36 PM

[efax]

Ok, I guess in Vista for the moment if Channel Preview is needed DV Scheduler needs to be installed as a regular program and not as a service. I'll see if I can do something about this...


Ok I've made some changes...

[drdos7]

Hi,

That (5.06c) works OK with Vista & VLC.

I'd installed VLC 0.90, but it just gave a ship-load of errors with 5.05c.

I tried to use Mplayer instead of VLC but couldn't force DVS to use it for Preview. I'd set Mplayer as the default for mpg & ts files but it wouldn't preview, I even un-installed VLC and tried it, still no go. I re-installed VLC (0.86c) and tried it 5.06c and it's OK.

Is Mplayer better for preview (pausing & resuming) than VLC? If it is how do I make it the default for previewing?

Thanks,

dRdoS7.

Edit: I've changed "preview.ini" to this:

record(rid($rid),$pid,priority(normal),send(prog('"C:\Program Files\MPlayer\gmplayer.exe" $name',interact)))

but no go. It starts MPlayer, then nothing happens. Error message in DVS "Error starting capture, will try again".

This post has been edited by drdos7: Jun 22 2008, 06:53 PM

[efax]

Hi,

That (5.06c) works OK with Vista & VLC.

I'd installed VLC 0.90, but it just gave a ship-load of errors with 5.05c.

I tried to use Mplayer instead of VLC but couldn't force DVS to use it for Preview. I'd set Mplayer as the default for mpg & ts files but it wouldn't preview, I even un-installed VLC and tried it, still no go. I re-installed VLC (0.86c) and tried it 5.06c and it's OK.

Is Mplayer better for preview (pausing & resuming) than VLC? If it is how do I make it the default for previewing?

Thanks,

dRdoS7.

Edit: I've changed "preview.ini" to this:

but no go. It starts MPlayer, then nothing happens. Error message in DVS "Error starting capture, will try again".

Ok thanks for the confirmation. I was working in the dark without access to Vista

I'm not sure if the newer Mplayer can do timeshifting. VLC I think still have more options in terms of what you can do with the audio and video.
If you just want pausing and resuming you can increase the buffer size to allow you to pause for a longer period of time, but this will increase the memory usage.
For Channel Preview I could make it so that DV Scheduler automatically (1) records to a temporary file, (2) opens the temp file in a media player, (3) delete the temp file afterwards. This would allow you to Channel Preview using basically any media player with full time tracking, but recording to a temp file would take up storage space especially if you have several Channel Previews... although the software that came with my DVB card actually does this.

As for stdin access, I think everyone is standardizing everything with //, like http:// !!

So with vlc 0.9 it would look something like (although as you know this is an unstable build):

record(rid($rid),$pid,priority(normal),send(prog('"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" file://- vlc://quit',interact)))

For mplayer it would be:

record(rid($rid),$pid,priority(normal),send(prog('"C:\Program Files\MPlayer\gmplayer.exe" file://-',interact)))

[drdos7]

Hi,

That line worked with MPlayer.

I'd do what ever is easiest, the file creation/deletion is "probably" better: uses less memory.

I had a recording set for last night, I wanted to do a test on "Waking from Sleep to Record" sad to say it didn't wake my laptop (lid closed, in sleep mode). I'd already done one test earlier and it didn't wake, so I tried it in sleep mode but with the lid open, and that worked. Then I shut the lid while it was recording - it kept recording then, went to sleep. But it won't wake if the lid is shut. I don't know why there would be a difference, lid & power button both put laptop to sleep. I'll remember not to shut the lid next time.

Thanks,

dRdoS7

[efax]

Hi, perhaps when the lid is closed the computer goes to hibernate (maybe not right away, say after 30 minutes) from which it can't automatically wake itself up...

Time-shifting functionality would be good I think... I'll see if I can put something up...

[drdos7]

Hi,

The laptop is set to Hibernate after 1800 mins. I did a test with Vista Media Center, it woke up OK with the lid shut. Don't know why that should work and DVS not. I might try WS again, can't remember what it did.

dRdoS7

[efax]

Hi, I didn't modify whatever it is WS has to wake up the system... At this stage all I can do is implement a wakeup timer to DVSTray, see if that fixes the problem... Do let me know...

[Craigomatic]

Hi efax,

Great work with DVScheduler so far, sounds like its headed in an interesting direction

I'm having some trouble with the live preview functionality...when I click on the channel name I get a 'Preview' entry added into the Next Schedule table but no video. Any ideas?