No, the issue is that Channels is writing out what they're given. You associate this issue with Channels, because that is how you receive these streams. But, the issue is really that the streams are messed up when they're received.
Yes, a remux could fix this. But that is not what the issue is at the root; the issue is that the streams are crap when they're received, and can only be "good" when they are post-processed.
So.....then not doing anything to fix what you can in the mean time...is ok then.
Adding a remux option, that fixes the broken file....is out of the question? why? who cares if it does not fix the root problem....that matters not, when the root problem is not fixable.
channels uses ffmpeg once, to make the file capture and make the .mpg...use it again to remux it to .mkv, then delete the .mpg and be done with it.
Unless i see proof that they have made a build that does exactly that, and that it somehow fails to work for some reason....then you can't really say or defend them in this matter. But its 100% works to do the remux using the same program ffmpeg that channels uses...so....i dont see what the fuss and rejection is about.
Problem with some TVE streams is that they lie about including the PCR in the audio stream.
There is no PCR and the audio stream is not the place for them anyways, they belong in the video stream.
Channels records everything in a Transport Stream (even though the file extension is .mpg) and a simple remux with ffmpeg fixes the lying TVE stream issue and makes Windows happy so it can parse the file details.
Capturing what is given is the reality, and how it should be. Post-processing should not be necessary (even if desired in some circumstances).
No, not true. Ffmpeg is not made for the capture. The capture is saved as-is, without outside aid. The stream is saved, bits in-bits out.
Has anyone complied a full list of affected tve channels?
That would be really useful.
exactly......so.....why can't the Channles DVR sever then do this for the user....instead of the user having to manually do this.
I guess i miss understood you when you said this then...
So Channles is already processing the video file then?
If so, then why it is making a bad file? when i can make a good file using the same program>
If you examine the recorded file and see the audio stream is the first stream (0) and (falsely says) includes the PCR, then you identified the problem ones. Not all TVE channels have this issue.
I know this....however, aside from recording all of the TVE channels, just to check for this, is not going to happen. Just wonder if anyone who uses tve enough had thought to compile a list.
I wonder about if it is just Windows File Explorer.....and if a third party file explorer software could be instead used to browse the server file share and not be affected by this issue. Though that would not fix the issue of a bad file that the user goes to play back normally and it locks up the computer...but at least it would allow for browsing and accesing the files.
You originally mentioned you have this issue with OTA recordings in your other post. Were they from an HDHR tuner? If so, this is not the root cause.
I had tried a few 3rd party browsers, but the ones I tried, had the same issue as Windows Explorer. For me, I don't need access to the files that often, so I do just manually remux them, as outlined above.
If you look earlier in this thread you can see some channels identified that had or didn't have the issue.
Like you, I wasn't going to check every TVE channel.
I did ID most Discovery Network channels had the issue.
Simple check is lying about PCR on Audio PID and Audio Stream being primary.
For this and other reasons, I rely on my HDHR Prime tuner for recordings instead of TVE/Locast.
One reliable TVE source I use is my local PBS.
Channels DVR has improved dramatically when recording from TVE channels. If it gets disconnected during a recording it will keep reconnecting to finish the recording and does a pretty good job splicing the parts together. Sometimes you see those parts repeating themselves in the recording because it didn't lose anything.
It did freeze up on me at first. But i think that was due the super slow usb stick I was using at the time, and it could not keep up with the larger file size.
I now using a proper ssd and so far, ota files are fine....however, the root TV folder, if it has any affected TVE record files in it, that will then cause Explorer to start to hang, trying to load its thumbnails etc. So, then, if i do go into the folder that is a OTA, it will hang and not load, cause it already was affected by the bad TVE folders it first saw.
If it's actually the TVE recordings that cause the issue, try right clicking one of them and wait (for many minutes sometimes) until you can select Properties. Usually the offending TVE recordings show a frame rate of 48,000 fps or some such nonsense. Once you remux that offending TVE recording with ffmpeg -i "filename.mpg" -c copy "filename.ts" and rename the remuxed "filename.ts" file to "filename.mpg", Windows should be happy with it. I agree the devs should be able to figure this out and do that, but maybe they think it's just a Windows issue? After all there is no Windows client for Channels DVR.
I know how to "fix" it....but that is not the point.
I am not and can not always have to do that process....there are other users of the DVR in my family, mainly my mother, who are not tech savy and would have no clue how to do that.
And, I am trying to get away from them having to bug me every hour of the day to fix things, or to move the DVR recordings to their computer for them etc.
I just want and need the things to work right and as trouble free as possible.
Thats exactly what i want the internal ffmeg that Channels uses to do for me, automatically. Maybe it they can code in some sort of file check where it can detect this issue of the messed up file, and then trigger the extra process. and/or have it so that we can tell it to run the process on certain TVE channels when it records.
OK....just discovered that IF i go into the DVR folder through the Linux OS that is installed on the server computer, Linux Mint 19.3...
I rename the file from .mpg to .mp4 or .mkv, Explorer no longer hangs or crashes.
(changing it to .ts does not work)
I can now right click fine, open the video file and it opens instantly.
It does try to load a thumbnail at first, but stops, so that still fails....but does not crash or freeze Explorer like before.
Can any one else confirm this with a known problem TVE channel for them?
For me, it is at least Nat Geo Wild.
I also was able to do the same thing with the secondary DVR i have setup, pull the drive, connect it to Linux computer, rename the .mpg to .mp4, and connect it to Windows computer, no more crashing. Rename it back to .mpg, it crashes.
So....maybe can Channels try infact, setting their internal ffmpeg to output .mp4, and maybe that will have the same result?
@tmm1 and other devs?
EDIT: Media info does have a line that say invalid file extension..but...if the file still work fine...who cares? though, the next logical question is, would that affect other things. I did rename one of the unaffected TVE files in the same fashion, did not seem to cause any issues.
I had forgotten that Channels DVR already id's these problem recordings.
If you look in the DVR log at the [MTS] statistics for the recordings, the ones with issues will have 'saw_pcr=false'.
2021/02/27 07:00:00.014164 [TNR] Closed connection to TVE-Comcast_SSO for ch6108 DIY
2021/02/27 07:00:00.057289 [MTS] Statistics for "TV/This Old House/This Old House S34E08 2012-11-24 Cambridge 2012 Plaster Shingles Radiant Heat 2021-02-27-0654.mpg": skipped=0 unhandled_packets=0 discontinuity_detected=7 transport_errors=0 invalid_pts=0 invalid_dts=0 saw_pcr=false saw_pmt=true highest_pts=334.179456
Not a CDVR issue. I don't use CDVR to record any TVE channel. I still see this issue from a few channels that I an aware of - FXM, TVLAND, FreeForm are those I am aware of.
Essentially these recordings are corrupt causing Explorer to freak out. 7-Zip file manager has less issue when viewing these folders. There is a setting in Explorer "always show icons never thumbnails" I have not used it to try as a fix but it may work.
I have been trying without success to develop a script to handle the FFMPEG conversions for these recordings. I know those channels that I record from that have these issues so I manually run the conversion(s) before any of the other post recording processing runs and I use 7-Zip file manager to delete the original corrupted files.
Interesting. What is your source for those channels, HDHR tuner?
TVE is the source for those channels - that have the stream 0 issue.
So yes the fix is to record from another source - HDHR in my case.
If it was possible to script it all I would stick with TVE for all of it.
I am actually not even sure we can blame TVE and not the local CATV provider - I don't know the specifics of where "My" TVE streams originate.
All TVE streams come from the respective channels' own websites. Their source/origin is separate from your cable/satellite/streaming provider.
