Topic: TiVo HMO and Media Server errors (Read 3466 times)

rjcrum · « **on:** July 11, 2003, 12:39:03 pm »

Hi,

I just purchased the TiVo HMO option (with the $40 off special) last night, and this morning fired up the TiVo with my J River Media Server for the first time. All worked OK, but I started getting the same random errors that were pointed out in this thread (http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=tivo;action=display;num=1055037899) in the TiVo discussion area...that the person never got a response to.

Any ideas of the source of...and resolution to...these "Unexpected Errors" numbers 1-5-6 and 3-5-6?

drosoph · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2003, 01:50:07 pm »

Can you give me some details ... when it happens ... how many songs are in the playlists (etc) that yoiu atying to access, etc ?

It is a given that TiVo doesnt like to retrieve HUGE file lists ...
It will time out but gives a standard error message .. yours is new

Also, have you posted this over in the Tivocommunity.com forums .. just in case someone over there knows why it happens ..

rjcrum · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2003, 03:35:08 pm »

Well, I only had about 10 minutes with it this morning, but here goes:

Seems to happen when just navigating the library according to the view schemes I set up. The errors occur when, having browsed through the scheme (genre/album) I press the left "goback" button on the TiVo remote. I then get the error.

So...there isn't (to the best of my knowledge) a long playlist involved; its a list of Genre folders (about 20?) or a list of artists (maybe 50 max?).

I haven't posted in the Tivo forum, though I will. The person who made this original posting in June *started* there and was pointed here for the answers!

I'll play with it more this weekend in the hopes of getting more details. I might install the TiVo publisher and see if I get the same errors.

pfeffermj · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2003, 03:03:45 am »

Using Media Server, is it possble to access any custom view schemes that I have in my media library? It *seems* as if the only ones showing up on the Tivo are the 'standard' view schemes. Thanks for the help.

--Matt

rjcrum · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2003, 08:53:24 am »

pfeffermj: I have several custom view schemes in the media library and they all show up on the TiVo!

Now....back to our previously scheduled problem....

I played with the Media Server/HMO combo more this weekend and found the following:

1. The "Unexpected Errors" numbers 1-5-6 and 3-5-6 would seem to occur when browsing through any folder/tree view. I would get to a screen showing the folders at this point, select one with the TiVo remote, and immediately get the "Unexpected error".

2. I was playing Beethoven's 3rd symphony, and it started playing the first movement OK, then gave me an "unexpected error" 3-5-6 after the 1st movement, and the 2nd movement never started.

3. It will move from track to track in a list generally without problem.

4. I looked at the Media Server logging, and it appears (though I can't confirm it) that these "unexpected errors" correspond to errors in the MS log which say "tcp_write failed error=10054".

So....J River....what does "tcp_write error=10054" mean, and would it have anything to do with my TiVo HMO complain about "unexpected errors"?

John Gateley · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2003, 09:20:49 am »

Hi rjcrum,

The TCP write error just means that Media Server tried to write data to the TiVo, but the data was rejected. The TiVo is getting something it doesn't like, and closing the connection, so that when Media Server tries to write more, it cannot.

Any further info you can give me would help: in particular: how often does this happen? Once a day/hour/minute? Try to notice the timing of your remote control button presses. Does this happen only when pressing buttons quickly in succession?

j

rjcrum · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2003, 09:43:52 am »

John,

Well, first of all, I'm running version 9.0.180; the last 9.0 release.

I would guess that I'm getting the TiVo errors on average about once every couple of minutes when pressing buttons on the remote. On Saturday, I spent (for example) about 5 or 6 minutes cruising my media folder views, and got the TiVo error about 3 times.

Getting the error between tracks on Beethoven was new; I'd successfully played the first part (30 songs?) of a playlist with 166 songs on it, and the TiVo went from track to track with no problem.

Yes...I have noticed that if I press the buttons very quickly in succession, I *think* I get the TiVo error more often. But...I have also gotten the error when, after getting to a folder view, I pause, and then press a button. But, I tend to think that I get it more often with quick button presses.

The Media Server system, btw, is an older system; Pentium II 233Mhz system with 288MB of memory and 80GB of disk running Windows 98SE. I was worried that it might not have the oomph to run the Media Server, but I've had three streams running simultaneously with no apparent problems....other than the TiVo problems. The other PCs accessing the server don't even have a hiccup. I'm using a wired 100Mb network, with the TiVo connected through a 3Com USB/Ethernet adapter.

Of course, I get the TiVo errors regardless of how many other streams are running, and if it is the *only* stream.

Do you know what the TiVo errors 1-5-6 and 3-5-6 mean?

John Gateley · « **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2003, 11:06:13 am »

I can't reproduce it here. I'm wondering if it might be the ethernet-USB adapter.

Anyone else using the 3COM?

Trying the TiVo publisher is worthwhile. Avoid the longer lists with it. Let me know what happens.

j

rjcrum · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2003, 03:18:22 pm »

Rats.

Well, I doubt the 3Com adapter is the problem; it's been on my TiVo for a year and has worked with it flawlessly.

I'll do two things; I'll run the Media Server on a different PC and see if that changes things.

Also...I'll try the TiVo Publisher on the same PC.

Any idea what the TiVo errors 1-5-6 and 3-5-6 actually MEAN? Gotta be buried *somewhere* in their code.

John Gateley · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2003, 06:46:18 am »

No, the errors are internal to TiVo as far as I know.

j

rjcrum · « **Reply #10 on:** July 22, 2003, 01:38:42 pm »

John (and others),

Just FYI...I think I determined the problem of the mysterious "unexpected errors".

I believe it is related to Media Center/Server needing more CPU horsepower than a 233Mhz Pentium II.

I installed the TiVO publisher/server on the same PC and published my entire library of music. Where the TiVo was having all the errors with Media Server running on this system, the TiVo Server had no problems at all. I hated the navigation, but I got not one single 'unexpected error'.

I then copied 12GB of music over to my 900Mhz Athlon HP Pavilion, and then ran Media Server on that system. The TiVo had not a single problem.

So...ruling out other potentially weird problems, the major *obvious* difference is the processor speed.
I went to the Media Center website to see if there were 'system requirements' for running MC9 and couldn't find anything.

Anyway...I think that's enough of an answer for me. I guess I need to get a faster processor. Do you have any advice on a minimum processor speed that I should look at? The PC I'm using is old, and I want to invest as little as possible in it to make it work. Do you think a 533Mhz processor would work? Evergreen Technologies makes a product that upgrades Pentium IIs to a 533 Mhz Celeron for only about $70.

Any advice would be welcome!

John Gateley · « **Reply #11 on:** July 22, 2003, 01:40:58 pm »

What format/bitrate are you playing?

j

rjcrum · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2003, 01:45:32 pm »

I'm playing all MP3, with either 128K CBR or VBR averaging about 244K ( I think). The VBR files were encoded with EAC/LAME at "--alt-preset extreme".

John Gateley · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2003, 07:07:44 am »

Hi rjcrum,

I'm not convinced it is a speed issue. Anyone else using 98SE with TiVo? I'll do some testing today.

I don't know what else it could be though...

j

rjcrum · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2003, 08:14:45 am »

John,

Interesting....but what do you suspect? As a little more background on the two systems:

MediaPC (the one with the 'problems'):
HP Vectra VL6/233 Series 7 with
Pentium II 233 Mhz
288Mb memory
20GB system disc
60GB music files disc
100Mb wired 802.3 connection
Windows 98 SE

Study PC (the one with NO problems):
HP Pavilion 9720 ( I think that's the number)
900MHz Athlon
384MB memory
40GB disc
100Mb wired 802.3 connection
Windows ME

Both computers are in the same room, and are connected to a Linksys switch, which is in turn connected to my Linksys router. The TiVo the family room is connected via the USB/Ethernet dongle to a switch, which is in turn connected to the Linksys router.

So...the differences are 1) processor speed 2) OS version 3) amount of memory 4) number/size of discs.

Both are, as I said, running the same version of MC 9.0; release 180.

Here's the detail from MC on the 900MHz Athlon:
==============================
Media Center Registered 9.0.180 -- C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center\

Microsoft Windows Me
AMD Athlon 902 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 392 MB, Free - 160 MB
Resource Info: System - 29 %, GDI - 29 %, User - 35 %

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2800.1106 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.81 / Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2800.1106 / Shell32.dll: 5.50.4134.100 / wnaspi32.dll: 2, 0, 0, 0 , ASPI for WIN32 DLL, Copyright © Adaptec 1995 / Aspi32.sys: N/A

Ripping / Drive E: Copy mode:ModeBurstBigBuffer CD Type:Auto Read speed:Max
Drive M: Copy mode:ModeBurstBigBuffer CD Type:Auto Read speed:Max
Digital playback: Yes / Use YADB: Yes / Get cover art: No / Calc replay gain: No / Copy volume: 32767
Eject after ripping: Yes / Play sound after ripping: Yes Soundfile: chord.wav

Burning / Drive M: SAMSUNG CD-R/RW SW-208F Addr: 0:0:0 Speed:8 MaxSpeed:8 Use MJ Engine:Yes
Test mode: No / Eject after writing: Yes / Direct decoding: Yes / Write CD-Text: No
Use playback settings: No / Normalization: None

John Gateley · « **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2003, 11:25:27 am »

Quote

John,

Interesting....but what do you suspect?

No idea at this point. I loaded up a Windows 98se system and got no errors.

I don't think it is speed, because you are not reconverting to MP3s (which would use a lot of CPU power) and because you can support 3 streams simultaneously.

It may be related to speed if Media Server is not responding to a button press quick enough, but I don't think so. I think the timeout is 30 seconds or so.

If you upgrade your CPU and it fixes it, let us know please.

j

rjcrum · « **Reply #16 on:** July 23, 2003, 12:04:12 pm »

Bummer...for me, at least.

What processor speed was on your Win98 machine?

I'll probably try the Evergreen 533MHz upgrade first for $70 and see what happens. I'm going on vacation next week, so it may be about 3-4 weeks before I report back.

I forgot....do you have posted "system requirements" for running MC9? What processor speed do you specify as a minimum?

Thanks for trying!

John Gateley · « **Reply #17 on:** July 23, 2003, 01:01:29 pm »

900Mhz Athlon, so it's a little faster than yours

I can't find a mimimum spec...

Again, I'd be surprised if upgrading the speed fixes it, but it's possible.

j

rjcrum · « **Reply #18 on:** November 03, 2003, 07:00:11 pm »

Jim,

I know this has languished for awhile, but I thought I'd bring you up to date...

Since my last posting, I tried to upgrade the problem PC to a faster processor...and had no luck. There are only two companies that make a Pentium II upgrade, and the one I ordered and tried to install didn't work at all; the PC wouldn't even boot. I called the other company and they told me they use the same board as the first company (Evergreen Technologies, I think), so it wouldn't even be worth trying.

So...I can't upgrade the old PC to have a faster processor to see if that is the problem.

Instead, I recently upgraded to the most recent released version of MC 9.1 in the hopes that it would fix the TiVo HMO problem....and it didn't. Long shot, I know...but stranger things have happened.

So...I still have the 'old' Win98 machine unable to run MC to stream to TiVO HMO because of the "unexpected errors" that the TiVo gets.

Do you have any more information/experience on the potential problem? MC 9.1 to the TiVo HMO still works great on the Athlon 900MHz machine, but not on the 233MHz Pentium II.

JimH · « **Reply #19 on:** November 03, 2003, 09:01:26 pm »

I don't know what the problem is, but we're tinkering with Media Server and TiVo right now, so try the next build or two to see if it helps.

rjcrum · « **Reply #20 on:** November 04, 2003, 02:10:53 pm »

Jim,

OK; thanks. I *really* want this older machine to work; I don't have the funds right now to shell out hundreds of dollars for a new/used PC that is faster.

I'll keep trying new releases as they come out.

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: TiVo HMO and Media Server errors (Read 3466 times)