Unable to play PlayOn recorded videos

Channels DVR Server
#1

I am using PlayOn to record some streaming TV shows. I have and am using a shared folder in Channels DVR (RaspPi version, all up -to-date) to see and (try to) view those PlayOn videos through Channels. However, the videos show as 0 minutes in length, show an "error retrieving file details" when trying to view details, and fail to play using Channels in either Windows 10 Chrome or my FireStick.

The videos play fine outside of Channels or even directly through the PlayOn app on my FireStick. They are MP4 files, H264, 1280x720, AAC audio, 29.970382 fps (info via VLC).

Any ideas on how to get them to play?

#2

Please submit diagnostics from your dvr

It sounds like the PlayOn downloads might have failed in which case there should be some error messages in your dvr log

#3

No, they have not failed to download. The files are there and playable outside of Channels -- through the PlayOn app, or VLC, etc.

I can try to submit diagnostics when I get a chance.

#4

OK, correction... seems only a couple of my files are not playing, sorry. The rest do indeed play through Channels. But there are weird video lengths listed. E.g. one file is reported as -3346 (min. I presume?) in the Channels app, 0 sec in the WebUI, and 48 min. when I view the file details in the WebUI. Strange.

I am getting things like this in the logs:

2021/09/10 12:39:32.957485 [ENC] Starting encoder for Debris - s01e13 - Celestial Body.mp4 in /media/DVR/Streaming/file463-ip192.168.254.65-892212060/encoder-0-796432139 at 0 (0.000000) (encoder=remux, resolution=720, deinterlacer=, bitrate=10000 segment_size=0.01)
2021/09/10 12:39:33.413167 [HLS] ffmpeg: file463-ip192.168.254.65: [mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0x2d4b5db0] stream 0, timescale not set
2021/09/10 12:39:33.634266 [HLS] ffmpeg: file463-ip192.168.254.65: [mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0x2d4b5db0] Could not find codec parameters for stream 3 (Video: png, none): unspecified size
2021/09/10 12:39:33.634397 [HLS] ffmpeg: file463-ip192.168.254.65: Consider increasing the value for the 'analyzeduration' and 'probesize' options
2021/09/10 12:39:42.408607 [ENC] Stopped encoder for Debris - s01e13 - Celestial Body.mp4 in /media/DVR/Streaming/file463-ip192.168.254.65-892212060/encoder-0-796432139 after encoding 0 to 150
2021/09/10 12:47:45.309294 [ERR] Failed to probe file Debris/Season 1/Debris - s01e08 - Spaceman.mp4: exit status 1
2021/09/10 12:47:55.958177 [IDX] Generating video index for file-285: Debris - s01e09 - Do You Know Icarus_.mp4
2021/09/10 12:50:39.392309 [ERR] Generating video index for file-285 failed: No Keyframes were found in the stream

#5

Yea seems like it doesn't like something about those recordings.

If you're watching from the Channels app, you can change Settings > Playback > Streaming Quality > Home: Original and it should let you play it back.

#6

I do apparently have that set to original quality. The files play back alright, but I get a strange progress bar while playing that thinks each episode is (minus) thousands of minutes long, for example, one going from 0 min. to -2100 min.

No big deal. I'll blame PlayOn or NBC's streaming on this one. I haven't recorded other shows yet through PlayOn, so it could be this one streaming channel/show. I'll keep testing it out as I can.

Thank you for your help.

#7

If you can put that recording on Google drive email [email protected] a link we can check out why the duration is not coming through

#8

Sorry, didn't see your reply until today. I have sent a link to a shared Google drive folder as requested.

#9

I have some PlayOn content that I have imported that does what you’re describing and once I refreshed the metadata on those files it showed the correct length and showed other things like HD, stereo, etc. Until I did that, I couldn’t add a label, watch it, or do anything with it. Seems like it’s not gathering data when imported to Channels.

#10

The file was received and looks fine. It does seem like a metadata issue. Can you submit diagnostics from the dvr then try refresh meta on that PlayOn recording?

#11

I have submitted my DVR diagnostics to the support email. And, when I refresh the metadata everything looks good -- no weird time issues.

1 Like