Utility: Web Radio and TV Encoder

[latino]

hi michael,

i am having problem from yesterday. when i try to play a station i have this message "error: no encoders can tune the selected station"
i tried to run the web encoder from services but is not working.

thanks for your help

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by latino

hi michael,

i am having problem from yesterday. when i try to play a station i have this message "error: no encoders can tune the selected station"
i tried to run the web encoder from services but is not working.

thanks for your help

Where are you seeing that message please?

[latino]

i see the message when i try to play the station from program guide in my extender or sagetv in my pc

[michaeldjcox]

do you see any thing happen in the encoder.log when you try to tune the channel?

Does it happen for all stations?

Can you still see the web radion encoder in sagetv source setup?

[latino]

thanks for your help.
i cancel the webencoder and reinstalled and now is working fine.
i don't now what happened.

thanks again for your help.

[michaeldjcox]

Originally Posted by latino

thanks for your help.
i cancel the webencoder and reinstalled and now is working fine.
i don't now what happened.

thanks again for your help.

should not need a reinstall - its a java app rather than windows

I'm sure the restart may have helped.

Did you restart the encoder or SageTV or both

Michael

[latino]

i restart both

[michaeldjcox]

Next time it happens try just restarting SageTV.

If that doesn't work.

Then try the encoder.

The nature of the message you got sounds more like sage could not cope.

When the encoder is broken "watch" on sage TV just does nothing.

Michael

[latino]

thanks

[robogeek]

Just a follow-up now that I've got my EPG data updating properly...

I know the 'Hang Detected' problem is a known problem, but I seem to encounter it fairly frequently. When it happens, the MVP extender becomes unresponsive where not even power cycling it will work and it appears other clients lose their connection with the server as well. As documented, the only way to recover is to restart the SageTV service.

I have managed to capture some logs for a successful tuning and a failed tuning. The webradioencoder and VLC logs look fine to me. And webradioencoder seems to still be running OK, since the mpg file in the recording directory continues to grow even after SageTV hangs. Here are the snippets I've got from the SageTV debug logs...

Successful tuning:

SMon 4/27 0:42:19.967 VF waiting for data to appear in new file...liveWait=296
Mon 4/27 0:42:19.968 VF thread is now waiting for 0:00:00.200
Mon 4/27 0:42:20.167 VF processing job VFJob[LoadMF r=0.0 t=0 file=MediaFile[id=3224997 A[3224861,3220191,"After Midnite",28892@0427.00:00,300] host=dvr-server encodedBy=WebRadio on localhost:5000 Highest Quality format=MPEG2-PS 0:00:00 0 kbps [] \\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\AfterMidnite-3224861-0.mpg, Seg0[Mon 4/27 0:42:14.967-Wed 12/31 18:00:00.000]] ifn=null] nPlayin=false
Mon 4/27 0:42:20.167 VF network encoder playback detected: true
Mon 4/27 0:42:22.464 NextInfo wait finished
Mon 4/27 0:42:22.464 InfoTickerThread processing...
Mon 4/27 0:42:22.464 Current headline = 3, size = 20
Mon 4/27 0:42:22.465 EXCEPTION in getValueAsObject:sage.a.e: Relational operator type error, null argument for:If(Size(InfoHeadline) > InfoTickerMaxChars, Substring(InfoHeadline, 0, InfoTickerMaxChars) + "...", InfoHeadline)
Mon 4/27 0:42:22.465 InfoTickerThread show info: Appleton News: Story, webcast: Anticipation builds for opening of new Fox Valley YMCA site
Mon 4/27 0:42:22.467 Info duration wait started
Mon 4/27 0:42:22.967 RootFile=\\dvr-server\dvr fstype=null fileLength=433635
Mon 4/27 0:42:23.966 Doing pre-emptive file format detection on recording MediaFile....\\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\AfterMidnite-3224861-0.mpg
Mon 4/27 0:42:24.966 Doing pre-emptive file format detection on recording MediaFile....\\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\AfterMidnite-3224861-0.mpg
Mon 4/27 0:42:25.480 Updating Disk Space Bar
Mon 4/27 0:42:25.605 Got used/avail video diskspace
Mon 4/27 0:42:25.605 Calculate space required for upcomming manual/favourite airings for next 2 days and display
Mon 4/27 0:42:26.966 Doing pre-emptive file format detection on recording MediaFile....\\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\AfterMidnite-3224861-0.mpg
Mon 4/27 0:42:27.966 Doing pre-emptive file format detection on recording MediaFile....\\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\AfterMidnite-3224861-0.mpg
Mon 4/27 0:42:28.967 Using internal format detector first...
Mon 4/27 0:42:28.968 File Format Parsed-2 \\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\AfterMidnite-3224861-0.mpg=MPEG2-PS 0:00:00 0 kbps [#0 Video[MPEG2-Video 25.0 fps 720x576 1:1 progressive]#1 Audio[MP2 44100 Hz 2 channels 128 kbps MAIN idx=1 id=c0]]

Failed tuning:

Mon 4/27 0:46:36.165 VF waiting for data to appear in new file...liveWait=243
Mon 4/27 0:46:36.166 VF thread is now waiting for 0:00:00.200
Mon 4/27 0:46:36.366 VF processing job VFJob[LoadMF r=0.0 t=0 file=MediaFile[id=3224999 A[3224919,3182081,"WIXX",35238@0426.06:00,1440] host=dvr-server encodedBy=WebRadio on localhost:5000 Highest Quality format=MPEG2-PS 0:00:00 0 kbps [] \\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\WIXX-3224919-0.mpg, Seg0[Mon 4/27 0:46:31.114-Wed 12/31 18:00:00.000]] ifn=null] nPlayin=false
Mon 4/27 0:46:36.367 VF network encoder playback detected: true
Mon 4/27 0:46:39.069 Info duration wait finished
Mon 4/27 0:46:39.165 RootFile=\\dvr-server\dvr fstype=null fileLength=200
Mon 4/27 0:46:43.165 Doing pre-emptive file format detection on recording MediaFile....\\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\WIXX-3224919-0.mpg
Mon 4/27 0:46:44.165 Doing pre-emptive file format detection on recording MediaFile....\\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\WIXX-3224919-0.mpg
Mon 4/27 0:46:45.165 Doing pre-emptive file format detection on recording MediaFile....\\dvr-server\dvr\dvr1\WIXX-3224919-0.mpg

You'll notice in the successful tuning snippet that there are 4 entries of 'Doing pre-emptive file format detection' followed by an entry that indicates a successful detection. Now notice only 3 pre-emptive detection entries and no further log entries regarding file format after that...only SageMC RSS ticker log entries for the next five minutes after that, and no other SageTV activity appears in the log. I didn't even get a 'Hang Detected' error this time.

Seems like SageTV is dying while detecting the format of the radio station recording. I'm not sure if it's a communication problem with the encoder crashing SageTV during the start of some recordings, or if VLC is sometimes producing malformed mpeg files that is causing SageTV to crash while detecting the format, or if VLC is locking and writing the mpg file in a way that crashes SageTV format detection if SageTV attempts a detection at a time when VLC locks the mpg file and sends a chunk of data to the mpg file.

I've got all of the WebRadioEncoder, VLC, and SageTV logs and a snippet of the mpg file that failed to tune zipped up here if anybody wants to take a look. If anybody can tell me it's not a problem with the webradioencoder encoder, then I'll try submitting a bug report to SageTV and see if they can do something with the format detection to prevent it from hanging SageTV.

[michaeldjcox]

Hi,

Firstly, thanks very much for your comprehensive analysis.

At work so cannot look in detail at the moment but heres some things off the top of the head....

1. Somebody in a thread in this forum suggested "Hang detected" was related to a bug with an older version of java. Not convinced by this one specially considering your analysis. I think the Hang detected is possibly one of those symptoms that occurs for any number of reasons.

2. Are you using the latest version of the encoder?

3. VLC developers claim they never lock any files.

4. Does this consistently happen on some stations and not others. I find some internet radio stations are slower and more unreliable than others - VLC seems to take several attempts to connect.

5.

Mon 4/27 0:46:39.165 RootFile=\\dvr-server\dvr fstype=null fileLength=200

in the failed compared to

RootFile=\\dvr-server\dvr fstype=null fileLength=433635

in the successful log looks interesting. "200" is what I return instead of zero when the SageTV asks for the file size. This is a trick from AndersNolberger's universal encoder to speed up tuning. I wonder if this is perhaps indicating to sage that there is enough file to attempt a file format detection when really there is no file yet. I'll have a play with this today.

6. I haven't had this problem since I sorted out the recording state machine in the encoder by always returning "OK" to the "START" message rather than trying to tune first and then saying "OK". Sage seemed to get its knickers in a twist more often if there was a delay in replying.

Regards,

Michael

[robogeek]

Originally Posted by michaeldjcox

Hi,

Firstly, thanks very much for your comprehensive analysis.

At work so cannot look in detail at the moment but heres some things off the top of the head....

1. Somebody in a thread in this forum suggested "Hang detected" was related to a bug with an older version of java. Not convinced by this one specially considering your analysis. I think the Hang detected is possibly one of those symptoms that occurs for any number of reasons.

I'm running the latest Java (1.6 update 13).

2. Are you using the latest version of the encoder?

Running WebRadioEncoder 0.9.2.

3. VLC developers claim they never lock any files.

Yeah, I figured since it doesn't hang 100% of the time, it was a long shot that VLC would be doing something to prevent SageTV from reading the file.

4. Does this consistently happen on some stations and not others. I find some internet radio stations are slower and more unreliable than others - VLC seems to take several attempts to connect.

I'd have to do some experimenting on this one, but it doesn't seem to be any specific stations that hang.

5.

Mon 4/27 0:46:39.165 RootFile=\\dvr-server\dvr fstype=null fileLength=200

in the failed compared to

RootFile=\\dvr-server\dvr fstype=null fileLength=433635

in the successful log looks interesting. "200" is what I return instead of zero when the SageTV asks for the file size. This is a trick from AndersNolberger's universal encoder to speed up tuning. I wonder if this is perhaps indicating to sage that there is enough file to attempt a file format detection when really there is no file yet. I'll have a play with this today.

I noticed that and thought the same thing, but looking at the format detection timestamps in the SageTV log and the timestamps for the file size reporting messages in the encoder log, it appears that when SageTV starts the format detection the encoder is returning valid file sizes. I can't be certain, but I think the timestamps seem to indicate that the file has been started by the time SageTV initiates the format detection.

[michaeldjcox]

Web Feed Encoder version 0.9.3

New features

• Ability to tune to internet TV channels (for latino).
• If web-based now playing text is not specified the encoder will look for ICY meta data or ID3v2 tags to get the track now playing.
• Unix specific tuning commands - not fully tested yet - beta tester required (for bcjenkins).
• Made tuning and detuning script driven per channel to allow custom tuning instructions (for tmiranda).

Bug fixes

• To support TV lineup channel ids need to be prefixed with a name that corresponds to a properties file that specifies properties common to a group of channels and other data e.g. radio/977HItz, tv/i3interactive
• Properties sagetv.dir and vlc.dir become sagetv.logos.dir and vlc.exe to point to the required resource.
• The web-based now playing text processing now allows incremental advance to the beginning of track now playing data in the source html.
• The generic grabber now allows stop times. This fixes problems where stations do not broadcast 24 hour.
• Fixed paths for config and log files in unix.
• Removed surplus file separators.
• Provide a substitute image for the video if no channel logo is available.
• Fix the issue where sometimes the logo image file name on www.radiotime.com was prefixed with the wrong channel id.
• Fix sample WMNF channel properties where the EPG was configired to be a day behind.
• Fix issue where radiotime day EPG URLs where being created only for the first seven days after the channel first appears.
• Plus bug fixes:
• Set the now playing text size before presenting it rather than after.

First time installation

Unzip the file in a location of your choice and follow the instructions provided.

Upgrade from 0.9.0 or 0.9.1

You need to upgrade from 0.9.0 to 0.9.1 and then 0.9.1 to 0.9.2 using the upgrade instructions detailed earlier in this thread then follow the instructions below.

Upgrade from 0.9.2

1. Shutdown the Web Feed Encoder service (or kill the window you started your encoder in)
2. Make sure the grabber is not about to run.
3. rename your existing webfeedencoder directory to webfeedencoder_v0_9_2
4. unzip the distribution file into the same directory i.e. so that webfeedencoder and webfeedencoder_v0_9_2 are in the same parent directory.
5. java -jar <your webfeedencoder directory>\libs\upgrade.jar
6. Restart the Web Feed Encoder
7. If SageTV remained running during this process you may need to force a reconnect. Go to the Setup then Setup Video Sources (Settings then Channel Setup in SageMC) and then select the web feed encoder source. The return to main menu.

Regards,

Michael

[latino]

great job
i will try today and i will let you know.

thanks

[latino]

hi michael,

i dont know what i am doing wrong but the new version is is not working for me.

i need your help

[michaeldjcox]

Right oh.

You followed the upgrade steps ok?

Whats happening exactly?

[latino]

i followed the upgrade steps.
when i try to play a station i have "no signal" then black with no sound.
thios morning i cancelled the new version and reinstall v0.9.2 and was working fine.

[michaeldjcox]

Hi,

Firstly thanks for being the first to try the new release.

Can you reply and attach the encoder.log for your failed run please.

I'm sure this one won't be too hard.

I'm also going to edit the upgrade instructions a little.

Michael

[latino]

hi michael,
here is the encoder.log

thanks for your help

[michaeldjcox]

Hi,

Several things going on here.

Firstly - it cannot run properly because it thinks the encoder is already running.

May 7, 2009 8:38:18 AM ServerThread uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread listenForConnections INFO: Listening on port 5000 for connections from sageTV
May 7, 2009 8:38:18 AM ServerThread uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread run SEVERE: Server failed
java.net.BindException: Address already in use: JVM_Bind
	at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketBind(Native Method)
	at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.bind(Unknown Source)
	at java.net.ServerSocket.bind(Unknown Source)
	at java.net.ServerSocket.<init>(Unknown Source)
	at java.net.ServerSocket.<init>(Unknown Source)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread.listenForConnections(ServerThread.java:348)
	at uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread.run(ServerThread.java:331)
May 7, 2009 8:38:18 AM ServerThread uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.ServerThread run INFO: Web feed network encoder stopping
May 7, 2009 8:38:18 AM Web Feed Encoder Shutdown uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.RecordingThread shutdown INFO: Recording shutdown

Make sure the service is stopped in windows service manager before the upgrade.

Also check in windows task manager that there are no rogue vlc.exe processes running - if there are then kill them

Secondly it appears not to have been able to resolve some URLs in its first-time initialisation of channels. I have tested those URLs and they seem to work.

May 7, 2009 8:38:18 AM WrapperSimpleAppMain uk.co.mdjcox.webfeedencoder.EncoderProperties getChannelProp SEVERE: Cannot get property url for channel 24
java.io.IOException: Server returned HTTP response code: 403 for URL: http://opml.radiotime.com/Describe.ashx?id=s46745

So perhaps there are some internet issues?

Finally I notice you are using many of the sample channels as well as your own - was that your intention or is this something that happened during upgrade?

Resolve the above things and then repeat the upgrade steps.

As you have noticed - if all fails you can always easily fall back to the previous release which you saved with the "_v0_9_2" suffix by deleting the "webfeedencoder" directory created by unzipping the new release and renaming the "webfeedencoder_v0_9_2" back to "webfeedencoder"

Let me know how you get on.

Michael