MediaPortal upgrade

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › MediaPortal upgrade

aucklander

477 posts

Ultimate Geek

#95313 30-Dec-2011 14:02

Hi all,

I used version 1.0.2.0 since it was released, now I have some very nasty problems, TV3, TV3+1, C4, are not working for a couple of months already, the image is all freezing, huge green areas on the screen, or doing all sorts of stuff (even freezing the PC)... it is definetely a codec error in my opinion, but I did not actually have time to get to it.

Looking on MP site, apparently version 1.2.2 is out, which means I am pretty well behind.
I will do a clean install of this, see if it helps.

The question is: am I able to preserve the existing recorded Tv shows after the upgrade? I do not want to keep any of the existing settings, skins, etc, just the recorded TV... this should be Ok, correct?

Many thanks and have a Happy New Year!!

mobo Intel DH55PJ, RAM: 4GB RAM, Nova-T 500 HD + Avermedia Trinity tuner card, Geforce 520 video, 120GB SSD Sandisk + 640 WD + 1000SG, Win7 Home Prem 64-bit, Media Portal 1.15.0; BTC 9019URF Cordless Keyboard, Panasonic 55" (HDMI cable), HTPC Case Silverstone Grandia GD05B.

askelon

880 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#562914 30-Dec-2011 15:19

If you use the same directories for storing your shows from memory you can add them back in - from memory there is an import / scan folder option in the TV server settings somewhere. Other option is move them into a video folder or something instead. Definitely upgrade to 1.2.2 though! As for codecs the only one I use is the SAF Codec pack. Works for everything for me..

aucklander

477 posts

Ultimate Geek

#562997 30-Dec-2011 20:27

OK, I have started this upgrade and here is what happened:
- started installation of 1.2.2
- selected "fresh install"
- completed install OK but no new icons on the desktop, only the old ones.
- I have launched MP from the icon on the desktop and it was still the 1.0.2.0 version
- no sign of the new 1.2.2 (not even in Program Files)
- manually uninstalled MP 1.0.2 and installed 1.2.2
- during install of the TV Server an error window came up
- selected OK in this error window and installation of 1.2.2 completed successfully
- got new icons on the desktop
- tried to launch the new TV Server (to have it configured) but the same error window mentioned before pops up.
- restarted PC several times, the same error comes up when trying to start TV Server

I am running Vista Home SP2
Any help will be much appreciated.
Why did I played with it today???...

askelon

880 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#563014 30-Dec-2011 21:01

Try uninstalling, rebooting then re-installing.. You could also try making sure the existing mp directories are empty. Short of that try the MP forums.. Their generally very good.

aucklander

477 posts

Ultimate Geek

#563250 31-Dec-2011 14:33

re-installing went OK, but I cannot get some channels to work properly, it looks like I will have to replace the mobo after all, the following do not work: TV3, C4, TV3+1, Prime; Really badly pixelated image, if I change the codec to something else than PDVD8 (which as I can see is not really good for most NZ channels) then the CPU shoots up to 90 - 100%, so it appears that more grunt to the CPU is the way to go?

If others are reading this, what modo really got the hardware acceleration working? Or if hardware acc is not used, how much CPU power is needed? a quad processor? To put it this way, is there any chance to fix my HTPC by replacing the mobo with more suitable one for around NZ$200? I have spent hundreds of hours in the last years only trying to fiddle with various settings with not too much joy, so instead of that maybe let the CPu do the hard work, like a "brute force" method as opposed to a "clever" way?...

Thank you and a Happy New Year.

PANiCnz

990 posts

Ultimate Geek

#563270 31-Dec-2011 15:39

aucklander: re-installing went OK, but I cannot get some channels to work properly, it looks like I will have to replace the mobo after all, the following do not work: TV3, C4, TV3+1, Prime; Really badly pixelated image, if I change the codec to something else than PDVD8 (which as I can see is not really good for most NZ channels) then the CPU shoots up to 90 - 100%, so it appears that more grunt to the CPU is the way to go?

If others are reading this, what modo really got the hardware acceleration working? Or if hardware acc is not used, how much CPU power is needed? a quad processor? To put it this way, is there any chance to fix my HTPC by replacing the mobo with more suitable one for around NZ$200? I have spent hundreds of hours in the last years only trying to fiddle with various settings with not too much joy, so instead of that maybe let the CPu do the hard work, like a "brute force" method as opposed to a "clever" way?...

Thank you and a Happy New Year.

Hardware acceleration is normally performed by the GPU and not the CPU. I don't use Windows for my HTPC but I'm guessing the PDVD8 codec is GPU accelerated and when you change you are changing to a codec that isn't GPU accelerated, thus CPU usage is increased.

Might be worth updating your graphics card drivers to see if that helps, otherwise it does sound like you may have toasted your video card. if the problem is hardware related it may be easier to simply replace your existing graphics card. Probably a good idea if you provide the full specifications first.

I would recommend a reformat and clean install to see if that fixes the problem?

askelon

880 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#563280 31-Dec-2011 16:29

What sort of vid card are you using in the system? You can get by with a fairly low spec computer as long as you have a reasonable graphics card. Im running an nvidia 210 in mine from memory - had an nvidia 8400gs before which also ran fine. Anything less and you'll have problems..

Nety

2584 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#563345 31-Dec-2011 19:52

As above I would consider a 210 minimum that you require. There are very few integrated GPU's that will do the job and I think Nvidia tends to have less issues then ATI in media centres.
The CPU is far less important then the GPU.

Media centre PC - Case Silverstone LC16M with 2 X 80mm AcoustiFan DustPROOF, MOBO Gigabyte MA785GT-UD3H, CPU AMD X2 240 under volted, RAM 4 Gig DDR3 1033, HDD 120Gig System/512Gig data, Tuners 2 X Hauppauge HVR-3000, 1 X HVR-2200, Video Palit GT 220, Sound Realtek 886A HD (onboard), Optical LiteOn DH-401S Blue-ray using TotalMedia Theatre Power Corsair VX Series, 450W ATX PSU OS Windows 7 x64

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1gkar

722 posts

Ultimate Geek

#563585 1-Jan-2012 20:08

For future reference: in the TVServer config, at the bottom of the left hand tree is an import/export function. You can save your existing TV & radio stations as well as your present scheduled TV programmes. Unless your existing TV recordings have been deleted, you can reintegrate them into the newly installed version. Again using TVServer config>Recording tab.

Now, I am assuming from your statements you have an integrated graphics card. I would recommend getting a dedicated card. I use an Nvidia 9600GT. Nothing special, but does the job well. More up-to-date cards would probably be more cost effective.

After MP uninstall, I check any MP directories are empty/deleted (as already stated). I would also use CC Cleaner to check any defunct registry entries are deleted.

Tell me you have images of your OS? So you can reinstall from a partial state. Otherwise, looks like possibly (re)format time. Especially when it comes to codecs. You could try using an app: filmerit (I think is its name) to clear your system completely of codecs & start afresh.

I would try using the latest version of SAF, available on the MP forums. It includes the latest (or nearly, anyway) Cyberlink video decoder -PDVD11- for hardware accelerated decoding of H.264 Freeview recording.

All the best, I won't be around this week: am off on holiday. Have fun.

Silverstone LC14 HTPC Case/Intel E4600 CPU/GA-EP35-DS3 MOBO/Asus EN9500GT graphics/2GB RAM/total 2TB HDD space/HVR-2200 & 2X 150MCE tuner cards/LG GGC-H20L BD Drive/MCE2005/Mediaportal/TVServer 1.1.0Final/LG 55"3D LED-TV/Denon AVR-1803 receiver/X1 projector