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More => Old Versions => Media Center 17 => Topic started by: greg.smalter on November 03, 2011, 02:24:48 pm

Title: Help! My wife is going to kill me!
Post by: greg.smalter on November 03, 2011, 02:24:48 pm
In trying to debug a problem (that turns out just to be a CBS signal quality problem I have not yet fixed) I allowed NVidia to install a driver update on my HTPC. I didn't notice it immediately, but it totally hosed the EVR. So, WMC would load fine and display stuff, but I eventually tried to view live TV and a recording and everything was blank.

So I installed MC (I've been wanting to move to this but WAF is low due to ease of Theater View use for TV). It will use MadVR and work, right? Right. Awesome. I also confirmed RO Standard, which uses EVR, showed a blank screen. That's fine. Oh no! MC still needs EVR to show WTV files. I can't tell my wife there is no way to watch recordings.

So I do a clean install of the old NVidia drivers, and EVR works again (thanks, NVidia, for reminding me why I hate you and only bought you for LAV CUVID). So I'm in the clear, right? I go to run WMC, and it says it can't run because of some system restriction. I restart. WMC IS COMPLETELY GONE. No shortcut, no desktop widget, nothing.

Fine... I will use this as an opportunity to fully set MC up. I enable library sharing on the basement server that contains the recordings. Import the recordings into the library. I take the code upstairs to the HTPC and enter it. I see the recordings in all their thumbnail glory. Woo hoo! I go to play one. "Playback encountered a problem." (or some similarly simple message). NO!

Please give me an option besides reformatting the hard drive or fleeing the country.

I did tell MC and Media Server to start at Windows Startup on the HTPC, and told it to disable WMC when the Green Button is pressed. I didn't think that totally destroyed WMC, though. What's going on?

Thanks. (Remember this is urgently life-threatening).
Title: Re: Help! My wife is going to kill me!
Post by: Matt on November 03, 2011, 02:31:37 pm
I had the same problem with EVR after updating to the latest nVidia drivers at home.  They broke Crysis 2 a few months back with an update too.  I don't think WHQL certification means what I thought it means.


disable WMC when the Green Button is pressed

This disables WMC.  Switch the option back to run it again.
Title: Re: Help! My wife is going to kill me!
Post by: eapool on November 03, 2011, 02:36:21 pm
I know this wont help with the technical problems, but Hulu or at least the network's website, has saved my behind in similar situations.  It may not be HD and it isn't as easy to pause, etc, but at least she can catch the episode(s) that were missed.

Alex
Title: Re: Help! My wife is going to kill me!
Post by: greg.smalter on November 03, 2011, 02:38:43 pm
Thanks. I just figured it out (I went in through Default Programs and enabled WMC there). I didn't realize that the checkbox regarding the Green Button in MC was so powerful.

Crisis averted. But, this has only successfully gotten us back on WMC for the main computer. The preferred solution (for me, obviously, but also for you I'd think) would be if I was able to actually make the switch to MC. This would mean having the recordings play without the "Encountered a problem" error, and having the Theater View be wife-approved.

Thanks again.
Title: Re: Help! My wife is going to kill me!
Post by: greg.smalter on November 03, 2011, 02:40:16 pm
I know this wont help with the technical problems, but Hulu or at least the network's website, has saved my behind in similar situations.  It may not be HD and it isn't as easy to pause, etc, but at least she can catch the episode(s) that were missed.

Alex
This is very true, but I'm getting very unlucky. The shows we are having problems with are all CBS (because it's a tuner/antenna problem I think), and CBS is the only network that doesn't participate in Hulu. And their proprietary player is AWFUL. In all browsers, it randomly gives a red failure message every time it tries to switch from advertisement back to show, and there is no way to recover from it other than starting over.