Help understanding fallback tuners and client mode

[Huevos]

I know I can stream the content from Home A to Home B as if it was IPTV. This could be done using a VPN tunel connecting both homes or through internet. However, my point is to explore this options of "sharing a tuner" from Home A with Home B. I would like to know if this is a better off solution for my goal.

What do you mean by "sharing a tuner"? All that happens is Box B sends an http request to stream from Box A. Box B has no knowledge of what resources are available on Box A, or which tuner will be used to receive. If no resource is available nothing will be streamed.

 

[smipx]

I just got a second box and am trying to get to grips with all of this too. At moment using fallback mode, shared EPG (NFS - both boxes saving to same epg file), manually synced bouquets by means of dreamboxedit and FTP... You get the idea.

I have a scenario where I have box A in the lounge with access to T2 only at the wall plate (but an H7 with 2x S2x, 1x T2 and 1x T2 Usb). Just got a second box in Bed 1 with T2 and twin sat tuners (2 single wires with simple LNB - not unicable or FBC) plus the room has a working terrestrial wall plate.

It's a rental property with no chance to change LNB or move sat cables to lounge as I'm only here for a few months.

I do most of the viewing in the lounge and need to keep the user experience simple for the other family members to use on a daily basis. I'm happy to put the work in to keep it all hanging together.

I was getting on okay with fallback mode but the limitations on boxes knowing what each other have in terms of free tuners and no joint tuner knowledge amongst the boxes (so lots of recording conflicts) means that I am probably going to look at loading up the bed 2 OCTAGON SF8008 V3 SUPREME with 2x T2 usb xbox tuners and switching the box in the lounge into client mode. It means I will have 4 single tuners on the Octagon and I've already tested the box and the xbox tuners seem to be working well on it (albeit with no signal stats as expected).

I wanted to ask if there is a plugin on openvix where you can view the EPG of a remote box. If there was such a plugin then that might be really good for continuing to use fallback tuners. Already have the remote timers plugin to view the remote timers but a remote epg plugin sounds useful. Had a good look in the feeds but nothing seems to obviously fit the bill. If I could bring up the epg of the octagon on the zgemma box (without having to resort to a pc/phone/tablet and using openwebif or enigmsdroid or dreamepg) then I could make this way of working usable). If not then client mode seems to be the way to go.

Thanks for everyones thoughts on this and sorry to drag an old thread up.

Paul

 

[twol]

I just got a second box and am trying to get to grips with all of this too. At moment using fallback mode, shared EPG (NFS - both boxes saving to same epg file), manually synced bouquets by means of dreamboxedit and FTP... You get the idea.

I have a scenario where I have box A in the lounge with access to T2 only at the wall plate (but an H7 with 2x S2x, 1x T2 and 1x T2 Usb). Just got a second box in Bed 1 with T2 and twin sat tuners (2 single wires with simple LNB - not unicable or FBC) plus the room has a working terrestrial wall plate.

It's a rental property with no chance to change LNB or move sat cables to lounge as I'm only here for a few months.

I do most of the viewing in the lounge and need to keep the user experience simple for the other family members to use on a daily basis. I'm happy to put the work in to keep it all hanging together.

I was getting on okay with fallback mode but the limitations on boxes knowing what each other have in terms of free tuners and no joint tuner knowledge amongst the boxes (so lots of recording conflicts) means that I am probably going to look at loading up the bed 2 OCTAGON SF8008 V3 SUPREME with 2x T2 usb xbox tuners and switching the box in the lounge into client mode. It means I will have 4 single tuners on the Octagon and I've already tested the box and the xbox tuners seem to be working well on it (albeit with no signal stats as expected).

I wanted to ask if there is a plugin on openvix where you can view the EPG of a remote box. If there was such a plugin then that might be really good for continuing to use fallback tuners. Already have the remote timers plugin to view the remote timers but a remote epg plugin sounds useful. Had a good look in the feeds but nothing seems to obviously fit the bill. If I could bring up the epg of the octagon on the zgemma box (without having to resort to a pc/phone/tablet and using openwebif or enigmsdroid or dreamepg) then I could make this way of working usable). If not then client mode seems to be the way to go.

Thanks for everyones thoughts on this and sorry to drag an old thread up.

Paul

Client mode gives you the ability to see epg - I have 2 boxes that way into the same server receiver

 

[bellejt]

I use client mode on 2 boxes here and just copy the channel/bouquets list to them.Same list as main box and working fine.Even mixed list from sat,iptv and DVB-c channels.Main box had 4 FBC tuners and one cable tuner. Also HDD 2 TB and can view recordings all trough the house

 

[smipx]

Appreciate the thoughts about Client Mode. I will certainly be testing that and it may well be that is the way I will go. Why do I want to keep the Zgemma out of client more - well I have another T2 tuner on that which might provel useful once in a blue moon. Seeing that it is only once in a blue moon then perhaps Client Mode is the way forward even if a "remote EPG" plugin existed (rather than using Phone/Web to look at the EPG).

Just to close the loop on the whole thing....

Is there any kind of facility / plugin that lets you see a remote EPG from one enigma2 box to another. I would like explore the possibility of retaining the recording ability of Box A in the lounge and use "fallback" to schedule recordings on Box B in the bedroom if possible using the cloned/sync'd EPG with all tuners both upstars and downstaires in a mega Bouquet I have called "Recordings Conflict Checker" - I used this for many years with great success when I had only the one box:

Also, I did a swizz where I save the EPG data from both boxes to a shared epg.dat file residing on the Octagon. I setup both EPG's to save their data every hour to this file. When I look at the Zgemma (not connected to any SAT's and SAT tuners disabled BUT fallback enabled) it does not pickup the SAT entries for my Bouquet even though they are on the Octagon (and just saved by the octagon). Is this not how it can work? I then tried to use fallback to tune in the remote tuners iepg Data Channel from teh zgemma but that didn't work either. What am I doing wrong?

What I was going to do was "see a recording I would like to make" from the a channel that I know will use fallback (as there are no sat points in the lounge / Zgemma in lounge). I would first check the "remote EPG" plugin if one existed so I could see if there are any recordings that heve been set directly on the Octagon box in the bedroom and look at the number of tuners taht "will likely" be free. Trouble is - "Remote EPG plugin" doesn't exist.

Sorry to be so dumb :-(

cheers,
Paul

 

[smipx]

Actually - I have put the zgemma into client mode, moved the T2 xbox tuner up onto the Octagon into USB slot and am going to use it this way. I can see that fallback mode and my messing with EPG sharing etc. is not a viable solution for my sanity


One major issue I am having is with ABM. when I use the Automatic scan it finds all of the Freeview (T & T2) channels and all of the 28.2E Sat channels. All good on that front but when I try ABM it keeps saying tuner failed for the Xbox tuner and goes no further. I have tried many reboots and also tried to do a manual "complete" scan first (auto and then "T2") and then went back into ABM. Did a configuration upte option and tried another ABM scan but it just wont work. The tuner is tuning as when I go into Last scanned I can zap to the T and T2 channels. I am at a loss to know what to do next as the Octagon has twin bult-in S2X and not built in T/T2 - my only option is to use the Xbox T/T2 tuner.

I also tested with the plugin called Terrestrial Bouquet and this gave an error about being no lcn data available.

I am more than happy to take some config files if that will fix it. I am pointing to Beacon Hill transmitter in England.

Can anyone help - pleeeease. I've been flogging this to death for about 5 hours straight and its 3am!

Thanks
Paul

 

[Huevos]

The simple answer is use a proper internal tuner, not an external tuner that is not purpose built for your box.

 

[smipx]

The simple answer is use a proper internal tuner, not an external tuner that is not purpose built for your box.

Not really what I wanted or needed to hear in my hour of need

 

[bellejt]

OCTAGON SF8008 4K UHD HEVC COMBO DVB-S2X en DVB-C/T2 Dual WIFI

 

[Huevos]

Not really what I wanted or needed to hear in my hour of need

It is the harsh reality.

 

[smipx]

Any workarounds - tweaking files, tuning on internal zgemma T2 1st then copynig T2 config over by FTP to the sf8008- these are the details I need to get my head around if you can help?

 

[smipx]

If the USB T2 tuner works perfectly and it tunes on the Octagon (as it does) how come I can't make some tweak to the files of AutoBouquets maker to force it to work too. If the tuner works then why not the Autobouquets maker

 

[Huevos]

Any workarounds - tweaking files, tuning on internal zgemma T2 1st then copynig T2 config over by FTP to the sf8008- these are the details I need to get my head around if you can help?

Most likely the tuner is too dumb to be able to tune in auto mode.

AutoBouquetsMaker/AutoBouquetsMaker/src/scanner/providers.py at master · oe-alliance/AutoBouquetsMaker

Automatically build and update bouquets from the DVB stream. - oe-alliance/AutoBouquetsMaker

github.com

So you need to try adding the correct settings manually in the provider file.

AutoBouquetsMaker/AutoBouquetsMaker/providers/terrestrial_uk_freeview.xml at master · oe-alliance/AutoBouquetsMaker

Automatically build and update bouquets from the DVB stream. - oe-alliance/AutoBouquetsMaker

github.com

Right now only frequency is given; the rest is auto. You just need to modify the line of your local transmitter with the correct values.

 

[Huevos]

It should look something like this:

configuration key="angus______________" frequency="785800000" inversion="0" modulation="4" system="0" bandwidth="8000000" code_rate_hp="5" code_rate_lp="5" transmission_mode="6" guard_interval="5" hierarchy="4">Angus</configuration>

 

[smipx]

Most likely the tuner is too dumb to be able to tune in auto mode.

AutoBouquetsMaker/AutoBouquetsMaker/src/scanner/providers.py at master · oe-alliance/AutoBouquetsMaker

Automatically build and update bouquets from the DVB stream. - oe-alliance/AutoBouquetsMaker

github.com

So you need to try adding the correct settings manually in the provider file.

AutoBouquetsMaker/AutoBouquetsMaker/providers/terrestrial_uk_freeview.xml at master · oe-alliance/AutoBouquetsMaker

Automatically build and update bouquets from the DVB stream. - oe-alliance/AutoBouquetsMaker

github.com

Right now only frequency is given; the rest is auto. You just need to modify the line of your local transmitter with the correct values.

Client mode is not what I was expecting sadly. I was hoping it would allow you to schedule recordings on the server box from the client box and then to see the status of recordings reflected in the client box's EPG (i.e. Red coloured item to show a future recording). In other words a full blown "remote EPG" of the servers EPG.

My bad for not researching more first. Such a shame its not possible to have a real time "remote EPG" plugin but I guess the technology does not allow it to happen otherwise I'm sure it would have been invented by now

I have a scenrio where the server box is in a room that is not used (because this is where the Sat feeds are - don't ask me why but it is and I can't change it as its a rental and only here for a short time). I was hoping I could set this up as a "black box" and just control and manage everyting from the client box .

I'm going to have to have a serious rethink by the looks of it. What I tend to do is sit in the lounge with the family and we go through the EPG and set up our recordings for the day ahead. As this lounge box is only a "dumb" client box we can't do that and will all have to decant up to the cold room and fiddle with the master box. It just aint gonna happen :-(

Looks like my only option will be to have a dedicated tablet in the lounge running OpenWebif 24x7 to the Master box and we can all huddle around that and setup the recordings. not ideal but it should work... Bit deflated tbh .

Not suggesting it is anyones fault at openvix or openATV or anywhere else. I get that it is all volunteer run and this is not a priority as its a bit of an edge use case. I'm just frustrated and deflated on the whole issue. I'm sure I'll get over myself given time and some alcohol.

Paul

 

[twol]

I have no idea whether it works (or needs updating) but there is a remotetimer plugin

 

[smipx]

Yes I'm playing with that now. Seems to have promise. Also looking at SAT IP Tuner Server / Client to see if that is of use in my scenario

 

[smipx]

Yes I'm playing with that now. Seems to have promise. Also looking at SAT IP Tuner Server / Client to see if that is of use in my scenario

I know its probably a hanging offence but I have to ask - do any of the other flavours of enigma2 have different integration options around this area. I saw bits on OpenBH and some talk around OpenATV but I don't want to go down any more rabbit holes. Don't want to meet the mad hatter!!

 

[twol]

I know its probably a hanging offence but I have to ask - do any of the other flavours of enigma2 have different integration options around this area. I saw bits on OpenBH and some talk around OpenATV but I don't want to go down any more rabbit holes. Don't want to meet the mad hatter!!

Not to my knowledge

 

[Huevos]

Client mode imports and loads EPG.DAT from the source box. So if EPG is not populated that points to that file not being properly populated on the server box.