Freeview on Plex on Nvidia Shield TV, problems problems.

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Freeview on Plex on Nvidia Shield TV, problems problems.

gbwelly

1206 posts

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#230392 22-Feb-2018 07:51

I have two road blocks to putting the Nvidia Shield into production in the lounge.

Background:

I have a windows server configured with Plex DVR using a HDHR Connect. It is able to record stuff ok.

I configured the Shield as a Plex server and client, the DVR option didn't show up until I made it a server too.

I am confused about what does what. Some examples: After rebooting the Shield the DVR option doesn't show until I connect to my windows server. The DRV option then shows up. Connecting back to the internal Shield plex server it also remains available. When using the DVR function when connected to the Shield server, the guide data indicates some shows are scheduled to record, it knows that those shows are scheduled to record on the windows server. When using the DVR function am I really using the Shield server??

There are two clangers, here they are:

1. When I watch live freeview channels on the Shield, most are displayed in the incorrect aspect ratio of 4:3

2. When I try to watch a recorded show from the windows server, using the Shield, it appears to read the entire show (based on disk activity on the windows server) before it will start playing. Worse, when it does play I get a black screen with only audio.

Has anyone cracked this?

Even if I can solve issue 1 I'd be closer to a working solution, I could add some USB storage to the Shield.

Stu

Hammered
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#1961997 22-Feb-2018 08:20

Moved to the HTPC sub-forum, as that's what you're using it for, and also as it's not a problem with Freeview itself, but a device related issue.

I haven't accessed our HDHR via the Shield yet, so can't help with the actual question! Following the discussion out of interest though, as it might be something I need to look at in the future.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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dan

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#1962005 22-Feb-2018 08:35

the aspect ratio issue is not just the shield i have seen it on my note 8 as well on some channels

theres serious problems with the EPG as well, in both native and xmltv

does the shield app have a option to change the player?

i tried to approach the plex product manager about getting some of these fixed up, there is a kiwi on the plex team, maybe hes not using the DVR/Livetv

gbwelly

1206 posts

Uber Geek

#1962011 22-Feb-2018 08:53

dan:

the aspect ratio issue is not just the shield i have seen it on my note 8 as well on some channels

theres serious problems with the EPG as well, in both native and xmltv

does the shield app have a option to change the player?

I've been lucky that the shortcomings in the EPG haven't affected any of the few shows we want to record. Alas there seem to be virtually no user configurable options for the DVR in the shield app. When I saw the issue I thought I'd just pause it and pull up the options like in Open PHT and change all the settings I wanted. Nope.

Plex as a company is baffling me, they have all these different clients with different capabilities and different bugs. They keep adding pointless gimmiky stuff like Plex VR, News and PlexAmp, but never fix any bugs. It seems that the only thing it does well is the stuff it was already doing well 3 years ago -downloaded TV shows and Movies.

Any other angles I should explore on the Shield before I on-sell it? Perhaps Kodi for live and recorded TV?

dan

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#1962012 22-Feb-2018 09:01

Do the recorded videos play in plex web and other plex clients perfectly fine? its only the shield are you sure about that?

the HDHomerun app on the shield is probably pretty sweet for live tv,

the plex for kodi doesnt have live tv, but it should play the recordings, its worth to try it to see if same issue

gbwelly

1206 posts

Uber Geek

#1962068 22-Feb-2018 09:19

dan:

Do the recorded videos play in plex web and other plex clients perfectly fine? its only the shield are you sure about that?

the HDHomerun app on the shield is probably pretty sweet for live tv,

the plex for kodi doesnt have live tv, but it should play the recordings, its worth to try it to see if same issue

Yeah the videos play fine in Plex Web and Open PHT.

I was actually thinking of Kodi for TV only, using tvheadend or something at the backend?

Plex is a dead end for me for FTA I reckon. Put it back to what it does well.

dan

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#1963269 24-Feb-2018 07:44

ive been in touch with a product manager at plex again and illustrated the aspect ratio problem on android devices - hopefully they will look into

also trying to get some bugs with the epg looked into for new zealand freeview,

do you know if that recorded video you cannot play on your shield, works on other android devices? (they are all using exoplayer)

gbwelly

1206 posts

Uber Geek

#1963287 24-Feb-2018 08:34

They do in fact play ok on Plex on my Android 7.1.1 phone, original quality without transcoding 7Mb/s and 10Mb/s respectively.

gbwelly

1206 posts

Uber Geek

#1963290 24-Feb-2018 08:38

It's going into UAT on Sunday even without recorded TV, thanks for the tip about the HDHomerun app, that was enough to get it over the line as usable in the lounge.

dan

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#1963295 24-Feb-2018 08:47

gbwelly:

They do in fact play ok on Plex on my Android 7.1.1 phone, original quality without transcoding 7Mb/s and 10Mb/s respectively.

bummer. is your PMS and shield running the latest versions?

i suggest getting the logs from the shield showing them not playing and posting them to the plex shield forum

https://support.plex.tv/articles/201573117-android-android-tv-fire-tv-logs/

you might need to create a sample of the recorded file as well

gbwelly

1206 posts

Uber Geek

#1963344 24-Feb-2018 11:20

Yeah latest version of Plex both ends. I might try reconfiguring Plex DVR and picking a different container, they are .ts at the moment. I can't see where the option is now, so I presume it's only exposed when running the DVR setup.

I fear even if I get it working I'll get smacked with the 4:3 issue next :)

dan

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#1963366 24-Feb-2018 12:14

yea, only live tv has a issue with the 4:3, if you record it first then play it after, then its OK it is correct aspect ratio - also confirmed same issue on my android tv plex

that setting is under the tuner settings in PMS, the little cog next to the tuner HDHomerun or whatever your using, in settings -> live tv & dvr

"convert video while recording"

gbwelly

1206 posts

Uber Geek

#1963486 24-Feb-2018 14:55

dan:

yea, only live tv has a issue with the 4:3, if you record it first then play it after, then its OK it is correct aspect ratio - also confirmed same issue on my android tv plex

that setting is under the tuner settings in PMS, the little cog next to the tuner HDHomerun or whatever your using, in settings -> live tv & dvr

"convert video while recording"

Yeah I saw that, but I don't have enough math pixies in my central pixie unit to keep up with real time conversion.

I think I either dreamed it, or it was only in the first beta, but I could have sworn I saw .ts, .mkv, and convert video as options.

gbwelly

1206 posts

Uber Geek

#1963618 24-Feb-2018 20:22

OK, it's working. I just tried my luck and clicked on a new recording and it played fine.

The only thing I can attribute it to is I played another (non freeview) video earlier in the evening on the shield, and it said "updating player" or something to that effect. I think it had a codec missing perhaps? When I successfully played the freeview recording on my android phone I had the same message prior to the video starting, the shield didn't do it.

So now I have the HDHomerun app for live TV and Plex for recorded. Yay!!