Media & File Server Bundle for the Foxsat HDR

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  • richard_g_ukrichard_g_uk Posts: 1,052
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    A further update - when the box comes out of standby to perform a recording, twonky starts almost immediately (30 seconds max).

    So it appears it is just when I power the box on manually that Twonky is failing to start. Any ideas?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 54
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    A further update - when the box comes out of standby to perform a recording, twonky starts almost immediately (30 seconds max).

    So it appears it is just when I power the box on manually that Twonky is failing to start. Any ideas?
    The auto-start scripts for twonky and mediatomb must wait for the box to dynamically create a hosts file containing the IP address acquired by the udhcpc daemon from your router before starting the application. This hosts file can be found in the /tmp directory.
    Once a valid hosts file exists, a flag file /tmp/if-up is created, and it is the existence of this flag file that the server scripts wait for. (In case your wondering, the /tmp directory is part of the temporary file system and so gets created afresh at each boot). So next time you boot the HDR check to see if the hosts and if-up files exist. Also you can list the contents of the hosts file to ensure its valid by entering cat /tmp/hosts.
  • richard_g_ukrichard_g_uk Posts: 1,052
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    ray-don wrote: »
    The auto-start scripts for twonky and mediatomb must wait for the box to dynamically create a hosts file containing the IP address acquired by the udhcpc daemon from your router before starting the application. This hosts file can be found in the /tmp directory.
    Once a valid hosts file exists, a flag file /tmp/if-up is created, and it is the existence of this flag file that the server scripts wait for. (In case your wondering, the /tmp directory is part of the temporary file system and so gets created afresh at each boot). So next time you boot the HDR check to see if the hosts and if-up files exist. Also you can list the contents of the hosts file to ensure its valid by entering cat /tmp/hosts.

    HDR has been in standby recording all night (it booted itself for the usual pre-recording wake up period) and the two files above were present (and the timestamps looked sensible) and the Twonky server was up.

    After the HDR had finished recording and it powered down, I manually booted and left it a couple of minutes. The two files above were present (and the hosts file was exactly the same as before and the timestamps were sensible) however 15 minutes later and the Twonky server is not up (samba shares are).

    Very odd :confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 93
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    This software sounds useful.. will it activate the Ethernet port automatically?

    I have a Wifi Sender attached to mine.

    What software is recommended for use on the PC (win 7)?
  • REPASSACREPASSAC Posts: 2,017
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    zpat wrote: »
    This software sounds useful.. will it activate the Ethernet port automatically?

    I have a Wifi Sender attached to mine.

    What software is recommended for use on the PC (win 7)?
    Yes - the Ethernet port is activated as standard.

    That rather depends on how how want to work and what you want to install - for example with samba a shared folder will become visible on your network and if you map this as a network drive, then you can play files directly using Windows Media Player.
    If you install Twonky or MediaTomb then a variety of software works; VLC player, XBMC.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 54
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    HDR has been in standby recording all night (it booted itself for the usual pre-recording wake up period) and the two files above were present (and the timestamps looked sensible) and the Twonky server was up.

    After the HDR had finished recording and it powered down, I manually booted and left it a couple of minutes. The two files above were present (and the hosts file was exactly the same as before and the timestamps were sensible) however 15 minutes later and the Twonky server is not up (samba shares are).

    Very odd :confused:
    Hi richard, I have a beta firmware that uses a slightly different method to determine when networking is established. It may or may not resolve your problem. If you would like to try it let me know and I'll PM you with a link.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 93
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    I've installed telnet, ftp, Samba, twonky and the channel editor. All works well - finally I can watch Sky News easily thanks to the channel editor (this would have been so easy for Humax to do).

    In terms of viewing content elsewhere - I cannot view HD recordings (encryption?). The SD recordings are viewable if a little hard to navigate. I presume I just select the ".ts" files to watch programmes?

    It's a good idea to make samba share the "Channels" folder - because that makes using the channel editor easier.
  • REPASSACREPASSAC Posts: 2,017
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    zpat wrote: »
    I've installed telnet, ftp, Samba, twonky and the channel editor. All works well - finally I can watch Sky News easily thanks to the channel editor (this would have been so easy for Humax to do).

    In terms of viewing content elsewhere - I cannot view HD recordings (encryption?). The SD recordings are viewable if a little hard to navigate. I presume I just select the ".ts" files to watch programmes?

    It's a good idea to make samba share the "Channels" folder - because that makes using the channel editor easier.

    Yes any recording shown in Media with the Enc icon is encrypted and can only be played by the HDR that recorded it.

    I just share media and map it as a network drive fro easy access.

    If you installed the channel editor from ray-don's 3c bundle you will find a version with updated scripts here.
  • richard_g_ukrichard_g_uk Posts: 1,052
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    ray-don wrote: »
    Hi richard, I have a beta firmware that uses a slightly different method to determine when networking is established. It may or may not resolve your problem. If you would like to try it let me know and I'll PM you with a link.

    Randomly I haven't done anything to the HDR setup, network setup, router setup but over the past week or so I have noticed that media server has been starting when the box has been manually booted.

    I'll keep an eye on it and see if it starts playing up again!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 466
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    Can't find this software on the download link's provided.
    Anyone know were I can get them.:confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 466
    Forum Member
    icutedave wrote: »
    Can't find this software on the download link's provided.
    Anyone know were I can get them.:confused:

    Found it .:):)
  • merlin777merlin777 Posts: 124
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    when I use the webif to delete media files it leaves the folder with a (0) after it. You can't delete a folder unless you use the file manager on the humax so you tend to delete the files if there are only a few because its quicker.

    Hence now I have dozens of empty folders in my media list.
    Is this a bug?
    How can I avoid it?
    How can I get rid of the little devils now I how them?

    Thanks!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 54
    Forum Member
    merlin777 wrote: »
    when I use the webif to delete media files it leaves the folder with a (0) after it. You can't delete a folder unless you use the file manager on the humax so you tend to delete the files if there are only a few because its quicker.

    Hence now I have dozens of empty folders in my media list.
    Is this a bug?
    How can I avoid it?
    How can I get rid of the little devils now I how them?

    Thanks!
    You can use an FTP client like Filezilla for now, to delete folders. I'll see if a folder delete option can be included in the next webif update.
  • merlin777merlin777 Posts: 124
    Forum Member
    That's great, thanks.

    Just out of curiosity, how come the empty folders are deleted if you empty them on the tv interface with the remote but not using the webif?
    ray-don wrote: »
    You can use an FTP client like Filezilla for now, to delete folders. I'll see if a folder delete option can be included in the next webif update.
  • merlin777merlin777 Posts: 124
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    I used filezilla, worked perfectly - thanks!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 54
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    merlin777 wrote: »
    That's great, thanks.

    Just out of curiosity, how come the empty folders are deleted if you empty them on the tv interface with the remote but not using the webif?
    They are, but only if the HDR created the folder in the first place in the course of saving a 'series link' recording. If you create a folder yourself via the HDR's GUI it will not be automatically deleted when empty as a hidden flag folder named .usr is created at the same time which disables this function. Did you create any folders in this way ?
  • merlin777merlin777 Posts: 124
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    No - I never create folders myself so all the empty folders I have were created by the HDR for series record.

    Also, are you aware of a bug whereby if you watch the start of a recording while the programme is still being recorded, the playback stops when the live programme comes to an end? Not a dealbreaker but a bit irritating...
    ray-don wrote: »
    They are, but only if the HDR created the folder in the first place in the course of saving a 'series link' recording. If you create a folder yourself via the HDR's GUI it will not be automatically deleted when empty as a hidden flag folder named .usr is created at the same time which disables this function. Did you create any folders in this way ?
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
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    merlin777 wrote: »
    Also, are you aware of a bug whereby if you watch the start of a recording while the programme is still being recorded, the playback stops when the live programme comes to an end? Not a dealbreaker but a bit irritating...

    No such bug that I know of. If you watch a programme using the timeshift buffer (timeshift) you are also recording then the buffer is flushed when the programme finishes. Shouldn't be any issue watching the recording from the media list (chasing playback), You can start watching the recording 60 seconds or more after recording starts.
  • DavidLewisDavidLewis Posts: 30
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    merlin777 wrote: »
    ..are you aware of a bug whereby if you watch the start of a recording while the programme is still being recorded, the playback stops when the live programme comes to an end? Not a dealbreaker but a bit irritating...

    As Graham said, the behaviour is a bit different to what you've described.

    I've been irritated by this for years (see here, for instance), and it's a great shame it was never fixed, but the positives of the HDR do outweigh its negatives.

    I still miss my Thomson DHD-4000, which worked so well in so many ways :(
  • merlin777merlin777 Posts: 124
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    Ah yes - I see what you mean. If you are watching in timeshift mode you are watching 0.ts and it deletes this when the programme is finished regardless of whether or not you have come to the end of it. I'll look more analytically nest time...


    In
    No such bug that I know of. If you watch a programme using the timeshift buffer (timeshift) you are also recording then the buffer is flushed when the programme finishes. Shouldn't be any issue watching the recording from the media list (chasing playback), You can start watching the recording 60 seconds or more after recording starts.
  • merlin777merlin777 Posts: 124
    Forum Member
    I converted and transferred an avi file today but when I play it back from the hdr the picture is shifted upwards by about 1/6 of a screen so the top 1/6th appears at the bottom and flickers (like the hooking you used to get at the top on a dodgy VHS replay except its 1/6th of a screen, at the bottom and has a sharp, clean top edge to it).

    I started with an avi which plays fine on its own. I used winx to convert to mpeg which also plays ok in VLC. I used AV2HDR to create the fie set and ftp them to the HDR. Its only when I come to play it.through the tv that I see.the error.

    Any thoughts?
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
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    merlin777 wrote: »
    I converted and transferred an avi file today but when I play it back from the hdr the picture is shifted upwards by about 1/6 of a screen so the top 1/6th appears at the bottom and flickers (like the hooking you used to get at the top on a dodgy VHS replay except its 1/6th of a screen, at the bottom and has a sharp, clean top edge to it).

    I started with an avi which plays fine on its own. I used winx to convert to mpeg which also plays ok in VLC. I used AV2HDR to create the fie set and ftp them to the HDR. Its only when I come to play it.through the tv that I see.the error.

    Any thoughts?

    What's in the file, resolution, aspect ratio and compression type ?

    Medianinfo will give you all the details.
  • merlin777merlin777 Posts: 124
    Forum Member
    is this what you need?

    Also, tried playin the .ts in vlc and it was fine.

    Format : AVI
    Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
    File size : 245 MiB
    Duration : 29mn 54s
    Overall bit rate mode : Variable
    Overall bit rate : 1 145 Kbps
    Writing application : VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.2 (build 2540/release)
    Writing library : VirtualDubMod build 2540/release
  • merlin777merlin777 Posts: 124
    Forum Member
    Hang on - I found a better display:

    Format : AVI
    Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
    File size : 245 MiB
    Duration : 29mn 54s
    Overall bit rate mode : Variable
    Overall bit rate : 1 145 Kbps
    Writing application : VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.2 (build 2540/release)
    Writing library : VirtualDubMod build 2540/release

    Video
    ID : 0
    Format : MPEG-4 Visual
    Format profile : Advanced Simple@L5
    Format settings, BVOP : 1
    Format settings, QPel : No
    Format settings, GMC : No warppoints
    Format settings, Matrix : Default (H.263)
    Muxing mode : Packed bitstream
    Codec ID : XVID
    Codec ID/Hint : XviD
    Duration : 29mn 54s
    Bit rate : 1 022 Kbps
    Width : 636 pixels
    Height : 352 pixels
    Display aspect ratio : 16:9
    Frame rate : 25.000 fps
    Color space : YUV
    Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
    Bit depth : 8 bits
    Scan type : Progressive
    Compression mode : Lossy
    Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.183
    Stream size : 219 MiB (89%)
    Writing library : XviD 64

    Audio
    ID : 1
    Format : MPEG Audio
    Format version : Version 1
    Format profile : Layer 3
    Mode : Joint stereo
    Mode extension : MS Stereo
    Codec ID : 55
    Codec ID/Hint : MP3
    Duration : 29mn 54s
    Bit rate mode : Variable
    Bit rate : 110 Kbps
    Minimum bit rate : 32.0 Kbps
    Channel(s) : 2 channels
    Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
    Compression mode : Lossy
    Stream size : 23.6 MiB (10%)
    Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
    Interleave, duration : 26 ms (0.65 video frame)
    Interleave, preload duration : 194 ms
    Writing library : LAME3.98r
    Encoding settings : -m j -V 6 -q 2 -lowpass 15.5 --vbr-new -b 32
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
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    The video doesn't meet the specification for a AV2HDR source. From the helpfile

    Source Video Specification

    SD Video 576
    Width 720 pixels
    Height 576 pixels


    SD Video 720
    Width 1280 pixels
    Height 720 pixels


    HD Video 1080
    Width 1920 pixels
    Height 1080 pixels


    Other sizes have been encoded and successfully played back on the HDR,
    (The horizontal, or vertical resolution is then stretched by the HDR to fill the screen area).
    However, this is very much a case of trial and error. The above sizes are the only ones guaranteed to work.


    Video format MPEG-2 or H264
    H264 codec profile max High@L4
    Aspect ratio 16/9.
    Scan type progressive or interlaced
    Frame rate 23.976, 25, or 29.97 frames per second.


    Audio SD or HD
    MPEG1 layer 2 or Dolby AC3.


    Supported containers for A/V streams are .TS .MTS .M2TS .MPG and .VOB.
    You can drag and drop your video anywhere in AV2HDR's window. If the container format is supported it will display streams information. However, that does not guarantee playback on the HDR. The video and audio streams must also match the above specifications.


    Please Note: For HD playback on the HDR, the source H264 video stream must contain NAL units of type SEI, and in the correct order. i.e the SEI unit must precede the Pic Slice. Video streams created using applications which use the FFmpeg x264 codec are known to be incompatible with the HDR as they are encoded without any SEI units at all.


    A freeware application, meGUI has been used successfully to create compatible H264 streams from other video formats.

    AV2HDR cannot, and never will, import other video formats such as .AVI .DIVX .WMV .MOV
    These must first be re-encoded to the above specifications using the software of your choice. There is an abundance of software re-encoders available for this purpose.
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