Virtual Channel - Playback Error when changing episode

Channels DVR Server Troubleshooting
#1

I've been experiencing issues with Virtual Channels where when the episode switches (moves to the next in the guide), the stream fails to start, and instead I see a Playback Error message displayed on my TV screen.

Returning to the guide and selecting the episode normally starts up the stream just fine, however, so I know that the file is supported. I went perusing through the Logs to see if I could see any indication of an error message on the DVR side, but I was unable to find it.

This didn't happen very frequently when I first setup the virtual channels several months ago, but I've noticed it happening almost all of the time with the most recent pre-release version I updated to (Version 2021.12.31.0406). This is with a virtual channel that just cycles through, in airing order, all 10 seasons of Friends I ripped and encoded myself from my DVDs, so I'm pretty confident that all of the video encoding settings are consistent, otherwise I might think it was during transition of stream types.

Is there a place where a log entry is created for this situation I could look for?

#2

Which client device

#3

Same issue here. It doesn't consistently bomb on every episode changes but often I return to the room and the tv screen has the error or is black. Doesn't matter if content is tv or movie.

Running latest Android TV Beta on 2 Sony TVs here.

#4

I’m seeing this too on both an Apple TV 4th gen, and a 4K. Only with the up to date beta of Channels DVR app. When using the public regular non-DVR version (5.1.1) it works fine.

#5

Android TV

#6

Fixed in todays' beta:

2 Likes
#7

Yup working fine now!

Thanks for being so fast as always!

#8

Any word on a fix for Android TV users?

I'm assuming with a fix for the tvOS/iOS Beta, that this is a client-side, not a server side, issue?

#9

I need diagnostics from the app after the issue occurs

#10

Okay, submitted diagnostics several times today from different channels / instances of it occurring.

#11

I’ll just chime in that the issue still persists on a Fire TV Stick 4K, but the problem didn’t start for me until after the app updated to the latest version (4.1.0). It happens with my only virtual channel, set up to play Friends episodes. Once the current one is done, the screen just goes black and it sits there, no error message or anything else.

If I back out to the guide and click on the current episode from there, everything plays again as it should.

#12

The same thing is happening to me as well. I have 1 virtual channel setup that plays the office and does exactly the same as described above. Mostly black screen after the episode finishes, but sometimes Playback Error -20 I think. I only have Android TV players in the house (2017 Shield, CCwGTV, and ONN Android TV) and it does it on all players with the latest app version 4.1.3. I have tried Software, Hybrid, and Hardware as well but same issue. I will send log files next time I have it on that channel and it happens. Let me know if there is anything else I can send to help.

** I submitted log files last night around 8:30 central time from app on shield.

#13

I've been experiencing this probably 10-20% of time on nvidia shield.

When 1 episide finishes on virtual channel. It fails playback on next episode. It never bothered me. Exit to guide and replay channel fixes it.

But now that I'm aware others are complaining. You can call me a sheep. I'll join in and complain too.

Baaaaaa

#14

That's the work around, yes. But little kids don't do so well all of the time with having work arounds like this. Besides, if I wanted to select a show every episode, then I wouldn't be setting up a virtual channel in the first place.

#15

I submitted 2 more logs from the Nvidia shield player app around 9:30 am central 1/29.

#16

Is this thread still being viewed by support? May need to start a new one soon if no response.

#17

Please try the beta app and submit diagnostics from there.

#18

Okay, ill set it up this evening and submit if it is still happening.

#19

I left it running for several hours over the weekend and it continuously played, no stops. AS of now I would say this seems to be good in the beta app.

The beta app definitely seems snappier on my shield but random issues as well. Just little things like hiccups while navigating and had to force close the app a few times.

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