Logging, logs, events... - how/where?

J

jasjas

Vu+ Newbie
I have occasional problems with recordings, where the file created by a timer event is empty (zero bytes). So far, I have no idea why this is. The big problem is that most recordings are fine and there seems to be no pattern to the occurrence of the zero-length recordings.

What logs are there that are, or could be, relevent to timer events, or what could I additionally log (and how?) to view as much event history as possible e.g. something like Windows Event Viewer? I am happy to consider writing code or scripts to do this.

Thanks

Vu+ Duo2, BH 3.0.2, internal 1T HD
 
Are you sure there are no common factors? For instance: are these recordings from FTA channels or from encrypted ones?
 
Alexwilmac said:
Are you sure there are no common factors? For instance: are these recordings from FTA channels or from encrypted ones?
Click to expand...
The input signal is terrestrial FTA, and I have seen the problem with BBC1, BBC FOUR and Channel 4, so far, and the times of day when seen are mostly (not not exclusively) 2000-2100. I only record from 'normal' FTA channels (BBC1/2/FOUR,CH4 + Radio 4) and rarely from anywhere else. I have checked timers.xml, worked out the actual time setting there for one example, and the time span was as expected. Thanks.
 
And, I hope, you aren't watching other terrestrial channels when this happens, aren't you? How many DVB-T tuners do you have?
 
There is one DVB-T tuner. I access the Vu box from abroad. It is in a friend's house and they simply host it, and have their own setup for recording etc. They don't use the Vu box at all, and so, no, watching other channels is 'probabaly' not happening. I am open to all possibilities though. The zero-length events tend to happen at peak viewing time, and I have wondered if someone is even doing something inadvertently.
Are you suggesting that the problem could be reproduced by somehow tinkering with the channels during a recording event? If so, it might be worth experimenting. I would have thought the Vu box would complain - in effect: 'you can't do that, I'm recording now'. "Recordings always have priority" is, and was, set to true.
Thanks for bringing up this aspect - might be significant.
 
Well, the remote use make me think of other possible issues. In theory, the recording priority should make impossible to take control of the tuner for watching another channel. But this is not a standard situation ;)
 
Alexwilmac said:
Well, the remote use make me think of other possible issues. In theory, the recording priority should make impossible to take control of the tuner for watching another channel. But this is not a standard situation ;)
Click to expand...
What other issues have you in mind ref remote access - keen to know! As mentioned, timers.xml is correct, the machine is not used by the host (friend), so all would seem to be quiite benign, compared to some situations. Said friend (electronics engineer) and wife are very clued up, no children involved, and so I'm sure we are aware of all interactions with the box. This week, they are going to isolate it completely from their kit - different aerial, the lot. That will help with the debugging. Hacking of some sort if also a candidtae cause here, but there is no evidence of this so far.
 
I mean that there could be other factors involved. For instance (just as an hypothesis), the Internet connection or a temporary issue with the remote control itself.
Unfortunately, I never tried the remote control and so it's not me the right person to go deeper in this possible part of the problem.
The remote control you talked about is realised through a recordings in the host (your friends) VU+ and then watched in streaming or through a local recording (in your VU+) of remote streaming?
If so, does it ever happen with instant records?
 
Alexwilmac said:
I mean that there could be other factors involved. For instance (just as an hypothesis), the Internet connection or a temporary issue with the remote control itself.
Unfortunately, I never tried the remote control and so it's not me the right person to go deeper in this possible part of the problem.
The remote control you talked about is realised through a recordings in the host (your friends) VU+ and then watched in streaming or through a local recording (in your VU+) of remote streaming?
If so, does it ever happen with instant records?
Click to expand...
Just to clarify: I set timers using the OpenWebif EPG or a very good app called dreamEPG. I don't use the virtual remote (as in "hand-held remote control") for this purpose. I then use FTP to transfer the recording (.ts) files from the Vu box to my PC. The FTP file listing shows the zero sizes of course, as does ls via ssh. The upload speeds are inadequate for streaming anything, and I never do instant recrodings. I have checked the timer parameters in timers.xml, and they are ok. In Windows/DOS, I recall dealing with "corrupt" files, which were recovered/fixed using chkdsk or similar. I wonder if it is this kind of issue - the recording happens ok, but the file is not properly closed/terminated/? If only the problem was reproducable...
 
If you transfer the file from the remote VU+ and they are zero length at the origin (in the remote VU+, I mean), what Windows has to do with that?
In case, the inconsistency could be in the remote VU+ HDD but this seems not very likely.
You could try, anyway, to reformat the remote VU+ disk (as the fschk is not very easy to launch from BH menu). Obviously, if you have stuff on the remote HDD, you'd loose everything. So, be careful. But, if you had nothing and if we can assume that the remote VU+ HDD is in good health, reformatting it would solve every file inconsistencies.
But all above said, if it's just a matter of file system.
 
"what has Windows to do with that?" - I should have been clearer: I was wondering if there was a simple Linux equivalent for repairing a file. I will look into fscheck and could launch it via putty. But, I would much rather replace the HD or even record to a USB drive as an experiment, as the present HD is large and has a lot of stuff on it. It was supposed to be a hi-rel one. We'll see what effect the new independent/isolated setup (see above) has. Thanks.
 
Yes, fschk is the equivalent and, in theory, there is also a BH command to perform a check but I've never succeeded in performing these commands, particularly in BH (better in OBH). That's why I had suggested, if possible, to reformat it. But if you have the chance to record into a USB external disk, it's a good try.
 
For info and for other readers, one reference had a good experience after switching to Nemesis: "since loading I've never missed a recording since". This doesn't fully prove any correlation between image and problem, of course, but a further thing to try, if it comes to that.
 
Who knows. Surely, that thread is 6 years old, almost and the new images are much different.
I also assume there are no overlappings in your scheduled timers. Otherwise, it is a comepletely different story.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top