[ViX_Misc] EPG Refresh, iEPG and VPS

[birdman]

This is just an observation for those using the VPS plugin. Channel4HD and SD and C4+1, E4, E4+1 are not working for me using VPS. This has been happening since Monday last. The timer log reads "Event Ended" when scanning for the EIT p/f data in order to accurately record the programme.

It's not clear what you mean by that, as there is supposed to be an EVENT_ENDED event at the end.
Are you saying that this is there, but not at the end of the recording?

I don't have any C4/E4 recordings to check, but a More4 one (in safe mode) shows:

<log code="0" time="1641415620">[VPS] start recordService (simulation) 0</log>
<log code="0" time="1641415621">[VPS] start monitoring running-status</log>
<log code="0" time="1641415622">[VPS] RUNNING_STATUS 1 FOLLOWING</log>
<log code="0" time="1641415622">[VPS] enable autoincrease</log>
<log code="5" time="1641416200">activating state 1 (Prepared)</log>
<log code="0" time="1641416200">Found enough free space to record</log>
<log code="0" time="1641416200">Filename calculated as: &apos;/media/hdd/movie/Documentaries/20220105 2057 - More 4 - New_ The Great British Dig_ History in Your Back Garden&apos;</log>
<log code="6" time="1641416200">prepare ok, waiting for begin</log>
<log code="5" time="1641416220">activating state 2 (Running)</log>
<log code="11" time="1641416220">start recording on tuner: A</log>
<log code="0" time="1641416341">[VPS] stop RecordService (simulation)</log>
<log code="0" time="1641416423">[VPS] RUNNING_STATUS 4 PRESENT</log>
<log code="0" time="1641420181">[VPS] EVENT_ENDED</log>
<log code="0" time="1641420181">[VPS] stop monitoring</log>
<log code="5" time="1641420300">activating state 3 (Ended)</log>
<log code="12" time="1641420300">stop recording on tuner: A</log>

 

[goRt]

It's not clear what you mean by that, as there is supposed to be an EVENT_ENDED event at the end.
Are you saying that this is there, but not at the end of the recording?

I don't have any C4/E4 recordings to check, but a More4 one (in safe mode) shows:

If, for example, you start an instant recording on C4 specifying VPS (not safe) then the recording will terminate within minutes saying "event ended" in the timer log.

 

[Joe_90]

@birdman - as per @goRt's reply - you get "Event Ended" at the start of the timed recording and VPS stops. More4 seems to be ok. VPS Safe mode will always record the scheduled start/end in any case.

It's a playout centre / broadcaster issue. Nothing we can do about it until C4/Redbee sort it out.

 

[birdman]

Nothing we can do about it until C4/Redbee sort it out.

It currently seems to be OK on Freeview.

 

[Joe_90]

It currently seems to be OK on Freeview.

It's a sat issue - as per post #399. Good to know that Freeview is not affected, but I don't know where to report this to C4/Redbee. I cleared the EPG cache and turned off all EPG readers except EIT and went through the entire bouquet on my box. Just C4HD/SD and C4+1, E4, E4+1 and (for some reason) BBC Alba seem to be missing "now/next" info. So the VPS trigger is missing on those channels, but VPS safe mode works based on the EPG start/end time plus padding.

 

[Joe_90]

All sorted this morning. I checked all sat transponders carrying C4/E4 etc. and they have the proper now/next and VPS seems to be working again as intended. BBC Alba doesn't have now/next but it's just carrying radio programme at the moment, so it may be sorted later when the channel comes on-air fully.

 

[Joe_90]

Another oddity with the C4 group of channels on satellite (both Freesat and Sky EPG):

Currently, More4 / More4+1 / 4seven / Film4 / Film4+1 are displaying "Teleshopping" finishing at 09.00 or 10.00 when you display the now/next info on these channels. The EPG listings are correct and current. The now/next info doesn't seem to change at the programme junctions, thus making VPS useless on these channels. Can others confirm this issue? Maybe someone on Freeview could check to see if the problem exists there also, please? The main C4 and C4+1 channels are not affected.

 

[goRt]

Another oddity with the C4 group of channels on satellite (both Freesat and Sky EPG):

Currently, More4 / More4+1 / 4seven / Film4 / Film4+1 are displaying "Teleshopping" finishing at 09.00 or 10.00 when you display the now/next info on these channels. The EPG listings are correct and current. The now/next info doesn't seem to change at the programme junctions, thus making VPS useless on these channels. Can others confirm this issue? Maybe someone on Freeview could check to see if the problem exists there also, please? The main C4 and C4+1 channels are not affected.

For me, VPS (driven by the symptoms you describe) has been broken of 4x for about 10 days including Ch4 HD/ +1

 

[Joe_90]

Actually noticed that my VPS timer for "Gogglebox" didn't trigger on Friday on C4HD, so I recorded on C4+1 manually. Maybe the event-id values are messed up on C4 like last month? I searched online on a couple of forums to see if anyone had reported the now/next issues without success.

 

[goRt]

Actually noticed that my VPS timer for "Gogglebox" didn't trigger on Friday on C4HD, so I recorded on C4+1 manually. Maybe the event-id values are messed up on C4 like last month? I searched online on a couple of forums to see if anyone had reported the now/next issues without success.

I like the news, so have a daily timer noticing quickly when it's broken.
I manually test every few days to see if they've sorted things out.
I'm guessing it's a hangover from the failure last autumn as this was late to return

Sent from my IN2013 using Tapatalk

 

[ccs]

Another oddity with the C4 group of channels on satellite (both Freesat and Sky EPG):

Currently, More4 / More4+1 / 4seven / Film4 / Film4+1 are displaying "Teleshopping" finishing at 09.00 or 10.00 when you display the now/next info on these channels. The EPG listings are correct and current. The now/next info doesn't seem to change at the programme junctions, thus making VPS useless on these channels. Can others confirm this issue? Maybe someone on Freeview could check to see if the problem exists there also, please? The main C4 and C4+1 channels are not affected.

Freeview now/next looks ok (at the time of this post) on More4, More4+1, 4seven, Film4 and Film4+1.

 

[dntaylor]

I've had for the past 2 weeks issues with CH 4 HD failing to record Celebrity Hunter set on auto timer using VPS ( Sunday 21:00 - 22:00). I get to attempted empty recording files with 0 minutes. I don't seem to have any failed recordings using VPS with ITV 1 HD, BBC 1 HD or BBC 2 HD all start recording when program starts.

 

[goRt]

I've had for the past 2 weeks issues with CH 4 HD failing to record Celebrity Hunter set on auto timer using VPS ( Sunday 21:00 - 22:00). I get to attempted empty recording files with 0 minutes. I don't seem to have any failed recordings using VPS with ITV 1 HD, BBC 1 HD or BBC 2 HD all start recording when program starts.

I think it would be a reasonable conclusion that, as nothing has changed in VIX, C4 has broken itself again

 

[Joe_90]

I've had for the past 2 weeks issues with CH 4 HD failing to record Celebrity Hunter set on auto timer using VPS ( Sunday 21:00 - 22:00). I get to attempted empty recording files with 0 minutes. I don't seem to have any failed recordings using VPS with ITV 1 HD, BBC 1 HD or BBC 2 HD all start recording when program starts.

I would confirm that VPS is having issues recording the C4 "family" of channels for several weeks now. Definitely, More4/More4+1/4seven/Film4/Film4+1 are not transmitting the EIT now/next changes when programmes start during the early morning and afternoon, or have wrong values in the event-id so VPS just sits there waiting and eventually times out without recording the scheduled programme. BBC/ITV and most other channels seem to be unaffected. The only temporary solution is to use VPS "safe mode" (which rather defeats the point of using VPS in the first place).

I have searched various forums and have actually seen reports of issues with Freesat recorders missing scheduled recordings dated around 14th February, but Freesat claim to have fixed them on February 15th. It may be that C4 and associated channels are still broadcasting from a fallback site or that their new playout systems are still not configured properly.

 

[ccs]

The Chelsea world club cup match on CH4, 12th Feb, went into extra time and overran by an eternity, but the freeview now/next or epg never picked up the changes to the schedule.

 

[Joe_90]

The EPG data is all managed by the playout centre (Redbee). In the past, I've certainly found VPS to be good at extending a recording if it overruns (especially on BBC/ITV). At the moment, C4 EPG and EIT now/next data seems a bit of a lottery.

 

[goRt]

Looks like VPS is back on channel 4 tonight

Sent from my IN2015 using Tapatalk

 

[Joe_90]

Tested last night and this morning - all C4 related channels are now working properly with VPS on sat. However, I've noticed an issue with EPG data (£ symbol being replaced with # symbol) which I'll report as a bug.

 

[Huevos]

Tested last night and this morning - all C4 related channels are now working properly with VPS on sat. However, I've noticed an issue with EPG data (£ symbol being replaced with # symbol) which I'll report as a bug.

Someone will need to look into doing something in encoding. @ccs is the expert in this.

 

[ccs]

Someone will need to look into doing something in encoding. @ccs is the expert in this.

If only. I've tried freeview and there are no issues, with or without my forced use of ISO6937.