Network Encoder Crashes SageTV

[klutzy]

UPDATE: This has an easy solution. The tuning plugin on the primary server has to be manually cleared in the Sage.Properties file. The default install - even when selecting no tuner option - loads the Hauppauge IR tuning. Once this entry is set to null, the problems disappear. This would appear to be an inconsistency in the Sage setup routines.

ORIGINAL PROBLEM:
Has anyone else had a problem when using the network encoder option that causes SageTV, SageTV Service, and HD200 to all crash?*
Any fixes?*

Details below.

Two Sage TV instances on two separate computers.SageTV-PC is the primary with network_encoder_discovery=true.* this computer has two Hauppauge 2250 dual tuners

VideoServer is the secondary SageTV application (separate licenses) and is configured with enable_encoding_server=true and one Hauppauge HD PVR which works well.* It also has a 4TB disk array for storing media.In testing this configuration both systems work very well independently.*

One tunes the local digital broadcasts and the second tunes the DISH 622 receiver.* The picture and the sound are all great.

The problem is when I add the HD PVR as a network encoding source all works as advertised UNTIL I access a video, the program guide, watch live TV, etc.* Then the primary SageTV service shuts down and any HD-200s tied to the primary server go to sleep.* Once I remove the network encoder for the HD PVR the primary systems functions well although without any satellite access.* If I log in to the secondary SageTV server, the satellite portion performs flawlessly.

I did a clean install this morning just in case the Hauppauge drivers were a problem.* Same problem.Any help?

[pawn]

Man I wish I had seen your post before jerking around for the last 4 hours. My scenario is similar: I had one hd pvr local to the server and one on a network encoder. The network encoded device was working flawlessly, but the local device I've had problems with, so I went ahead and moved the troublesome device to a network encoder as well (different machine even) and I have had endless hangs on my clients and server,

This is what shows up in the debug log:

Sun 1/4 21:57:45.581 Failed opening COM port 0. Trying again!
Sun 1/4 21:57:51.724 Failed opening COM port 0. Darn!
Sun 1/4 21:58:01.900 Failed opening COM port 0. Trying again!
Sun 1/4 21:58:02.037 Failed opening COM port 0. Darn!

I can only assume this didn't show up before because I actually *had* an hd pvr local to the server (even though it was disabled for the last 2 days). Once I moved it elsewhere, it couldn't initialize the ir tuner on any local device.

I've never actually used the new way of network encoding (using a full server as the encoder), so I'm guessing the answer is to *not* setup tuning at all when setting up the network device on the main server. This really seems a little ambiguous and things should be a little more clear for noobs like me (i.e., don;t even allow setting up external tuning when setting up a network encoded tuner).

Edit: Yikes! It's worse than I thought! Sage is actually adding the local IR tuner plugin even when I tell it not to set up external tuning for a device (did a clean install of the network encoder, removed all previous references in the properties file and set it up again and the problem returned). You have to shut down sage and manually delete the ir tuner plugin every time you install a new network encoded device (hd pvr anyway, no idea if this affects other devices).

[stryker]

I think the sagetv website needs a dedicated section to network encoder setup. They are so useful and add lots of flexibility to sage, I feel they are missing out as I'd bet many users either A) Don't know sage does it OR B) Do not realise the applications of it.

[pawn]

Originally Posted by stryker

I think the sagetv website needs a dedicated section to network encoder setup. They are so useful and add lots of flexibility to sage, I feel they are missing out as I'd bet many users either A) Don't know sage does it OR B) Do not realise the applications of it.

Good point. Both the support area and the tips and tricks area of Sage's website still show using Sage Recorder as a network encoder with no mention that you need a full server instance for any new capture devices like the hd pvr.

[kkeller20]

Klutzy, you are a genious. I've been fighting this issue for a long time and it has been driving me nuts.

Thank you for figuring this out.

[klutzy]

Hope it worked for you. I still have some intermittent problems with one of my HD-PVRs but usually cycling it off and on clears up the problem for weeks. The STV is very stable and I'm enjoying it.

Good Luck!

Klutzy