Using the OpenDCT Generic Pipe Capture Device

[KryptoNyte]

WMC uses EPG123 software (with Schedules Direct) for guide service. Would there be a way to use it, or at least study what it's doing somehow?

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

WMC uses EPG123 software (with Schedules Direct) for guide service. Would there be a way to use it, or at least study what it's doing somehow?

Hi KryptoNyte,

WE can get the guide XML no problem the problem is finding good Sage XMLTV Plugin documentation in this forum to get the guide data into SageTV.

[Zogg]

I set up my Prime tuners on a Windows testbed as generic pipes and it works fine, so I then tried to set up a Prime tuner like this on my UnRaid SageTV setup. OpenDCT is running as a docker as set up by Fuzzy. I'm getting these errors though:

INFO | jvm 1 | 2021/10/26 22:36:51.605 | 22:36:51.543 [SageTVRequestHandler-191: NoVirtualDevice > 13120FB9_0] ERROR SageTVRequestHandler - SageTV sent: 'START 13120FB9_0 HDMI|472222438|8|3270611623080|/unraid/Media/Recordings/Jimmy Kimmel Live! - S19E204 - Jeremy Renner; Olivia Rodrigo - 22721833-0.ts|Great-H.264', Replied: 'ERROR Invalid Input'

INFO | jvm 1 | 2021/10/26 22:36:51.606 | 22:36:51.543 [SageTVRequestHandler-191: NoVirtualDevice > 13120FB9_0] ERROR SageTVRequestHandler - Encoder device does not exist.

My guess is that it's not finding ffmpeg to run. For the streaming executable command I've tried

ffmpeg -i http\://192.168.1.107\:5004/auto/v%c% -f mpegts -codec\:v copy -codec\:a copy -

as well as putting ffmpeg into a folder I could write to and using

/etc/opendct/conf/ffmpeg -i http\://192.168.1.107\:5004/auto/v%c% -f mpegts -codec\:v copy -codec\:a copy -

This is the path that I see when I open a command shell to the OpenDCT docker, but I'm not sure if that is the same path that OpenDCT itself sees when it runs. Or if this is actually the problem. Any suggestions?

[nyplayer]

Sage and Opendct on docker is out of my league.

[nyplayer]

One thing if setting up an OTA connect as pipe ... you have to remap the channels in SageTV example below

SageTV Channels 2-1 The physical channel has to be changed to 2.1
SageTV Channels 6-1 The physical channel has to be changed to 6.1

This has to be done for each Channel ...

[boukmandutty]

Originally Posted by Zogg

I set up my Prime tuners on a Windows testbed as generic pipes and it works fine, so I then tried to set up a Prime tuner like this on my UnRaid SageTV setup. OpenDCT is running as a docker as set up by Fuzzy. I'm getting these errors though:



My guess is that it's not finding ffmpeg to run. For the streaming executable command I've tried



as well as putting ffmpeg into a folder I could write to and using



This is the path that I see when I open a command shell to the OpenDCT docker, but I'm not sure if that is the same path that OpenDCT itself sees when it runs. Or if this is actually the problem. Any suggestions?

Is there a way to ssh or get some kind of terminal access into docker running opendct? If there is try running your command from a terminal and see what kind of output you get. That is, run:

ffmpeg -i http\://192.168.1.107\:5004/auto/v%c% -f mpegts -codec\:v copy -codec\:a copy -

from a terminal substituting %c% an actual channel number you have mapped into SageTV .

Also what that v after/auto/ about?

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

Is there a way to ssh or get some kind of terminal access into docker running opendct? If there is try running your command from a terminal and see what kind of output you get. That is, run:


from a terminal substituting %c% an actual channel number you have mapped into SageTV .

Also what that v after/auto/ about?

Yes, you can open a command window. If I run that command it seems to work fine. Also, the 'v' is part of the URL to the Prime tuner that says tune the virtual channel specified. "v11" will tune virtual channel 11 and the Prime knows what that channel is based on the channel scan. It's the same command you use in VLC for example to stream a channel.

I think the context that the OpenDCT process is running in doesn't see ffmpeg in it's path. I'm going to try checking the path and putting it where hopefully it can be found.

[boukmandutty]

I see. I would probably try something inelegant and brutish like finding the physical folder that the docker is using for opendct and copy my ffmpeg folder there. My command would then use ffmpeg from that folder.

I dont know much about unraid though...

I am curious about how you have your windows live tuners set up. Do you use an xbox?

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

I see. I would probably try something inelegant and brutish like finding the physical folder that the docker is using for opendct and copy my ffmpeg folder there. My command would then use ffmpeg from that folder.

I dont know much about unraid though...

I am curious about how you have your windows live tuners set up. Do you use an xbox?

I've tried putting a copy of ffmpeg in various folders to no avail, including the standard path. Unless someone can help then I'm moving on.

For my Windows Live Tuners, I was using WMC running on PC's but I've moved away from it. For now I'm testing the HDHomeRun View app on one PC, and running the Spectrum Web viewer on another PC. Both use brute force methods with AutoIt moving the mouse and simulating keystrokes, and I have both working fairly well. But it looks like Spectrum is going to kill off CableCard support which will also kill WMC/HDHR View use with the Prime, so I'm focusing on the web version since all it needs is a web browser.

[boukmandutty]

I used to mess around with the hdhomerun app back when I had cable. Used a Nvidia shield and adb commands to open and tune channels. It wasn't the most reliable because the app was so poorly designed in my limited opinion. You had to issue a kill command and the end of every recording session and again before you tuned a channel.

[boukmandutty]

Originally Posted by Zogg

I've tried putting a copy of ffmpeg in various folders to no avail, including the standard path. Unless someone can help then I'm moving on.

For my Windows Live Tuners, I was using WMC running on PC's but I've moved away from it. For now I'm testing the HDHomeRun View app on one PC, and running the Spectrum Web viewer on another PC. Both use brute force methods with AutoIt moving the mouse and simulating keystrokes, and I have both working fairly well. But it looks like Spectrum is going to kill off CableCard support which will also kill WMC/HDHR View use with the Prime, so I'm focusing on the web version since all it needs is a web browser.

Did you figure it out Zogg?

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

Did you figure it out Zogg?

Yeah, I switched to Windows.

I tried about every folder to no avail, and because of the Java container issues I starting setting up a Win10 system. I have my HDHR Prime tuners running through ffmpeg now and they work great. I haven't tried Pluto yet but I will soon when I get caught up on other things.

[boukmandutty]

I was testing out the docker today on a nas and had to give up. I wonder if there is some trick to get the containers to communicate with each other?

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

I was testing out the docker today on a nas and had to give up. I wonder if there is some trick to get the containers to communicate with each other?

If you set the Network type for each container to Host, then they will use the host system's IP address but at different port numbers. They should be able to talk to each other.

For me, on my SageTV docker I'm stuck at v9.2.2.68 running Java 7, since I want to use SageAlerts. I was on Java 8 but an update broke the docker, and if I go to say Java 11 then SageAlerts breaks. On v9.2.2 I can't use any of the new things that Josh has been working on, so I set up the Win10 box and it works just fine with the latest version of SageTV. I'm just using it now as a network tuner but I will probably be moving soon completely off the docker.

I've also had issues with my Windows VM's but I may try this in a VM also one more time.

[boukmandutty]

This version of the opendct docker seems to have ffmpeg baked into it. The problem is that I cant seem to get it to install properly. It install and runs for one minute then crashes with errors.

https://hub.docker.com/r/brbjr1/opendct_ffmpeg

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

This version of the opendct docker seems to have ffmpeg baked into it. The problem is that I cant seem to get it to install properly. It install and runs for one minute then crashes with errors.

https://hub.docker.com/r/brbjr1/opendct_ffmpeg

I tried it and it won't even start for me, just immediately dies. Oh well.

[boukmandutty]

Zogg, How goes it man?

I got bored and decided to mess around and figured out a way to get ffmpeg into an existing, isntalled opendct container. As usual my method is crude given my lack of expertise.

The trick is to get the binary version inserted into the container. You have to get into the terminal for the opendct container. (I dont know how to do it with UNRAID. I have only been messing around to see how sagetv would work on a synology nas via docker. I think I will try this UNRAID thing over the holidays.)

Once you are able to get into the terminal for the opendct container download, extract and, rename if you like the binary version of ffmpeg as described here:

https://www.johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/faq/

If you are unable to extract it from the terminal, then download it and save it to one of the folders you mapped for opendct . After that you should now be able to access the ffmpeg binary from the opendct container terminal (Awkward naming I know. But I dont know what to call it).

Move it to /usr/lbin/

You can test it with the following for example :

ffmpeg -i http\://192.168.1.228\:8089/devices/ANY/channels/%c%/stream.mpg?format\=hls -f mpegts -codec\:v copy -codec\:a copy -

If all went well you should see gibbersh flood the screen. You can exit the terminal you opened for the opendct docker and move on to edit your opendct config file.

My line in the opendct config file looks like this:

sagetv.device.3572334.streaming_executable=ffmpeg -i http\://192.168.1.228\:8089/devices/ANY/channels/%c%/stream.mpg?format\=hls -f mpegts -codec\:v copy -codec\:a copy -

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by boukmandutty

Zogg, How goes it man?

I got bored and decided to mess around and figured out a way to get ffmpeg into an existing, isntalled opendct container. As usual my method is crude given my lack of expertise.

The trick is to get the binary version inserted into the container. You have to get into the terminal for the opendct container. (I dont know how to do it with UNRAID. I have only been messing around to see how sagetv would work on a synology nas via docker. I think I will try this UNRAID thing over the holidays.)

Once you are able to get into the terminal for the opendct container download, extract and, rename if you like the binary version of ffmpeg as described here:

https://www.johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/faq/

If you are unable to extract it from the terminal, then download it and save it to one of the folders you mapped for opendct . After that you should now be able to access the ffmpeg binary from the opendct container terminal (Awkward naming I know. But I dont know what to call it).

Move it to /usr/lbin/

You can test it with the following for example :



If all went well you should see gibbersh flood the screen. You can exit the terminal you opened for the opendct docker and move on to edit your opendct config file.

My line in the opendct config file looks like this:

@boukmandutty, this is good info, thanks. I have been extremely busy lately with home reno and have to get my family room TV and electronics re-cabled and set up again. Once that's done I'll give this a try.

[TGsell]

I am trying to get the Uray encoder working via OPEN DCT and stalled on getting the streaming executable right. ( I am obviously not a coder! but have worked my way through a number of challenges to construct an excellent Sage system...) I am using Windows 10 64bit w latest Sage version. I have the encoder working on my network and can playback via the address it's set to using VLC etc. I am probably close! thanks all

[TGsell]

actually I may have been looking at the wrong network encoder - I should probably be using the generic one not the 'pipe' since there's a URL for streaming I can point to.... I'l try that.