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[RedJ]

I wish to retract my original post- although I don't think the TiVo server was supposed to be enabled, it no longer appears to have been solely responsible for my problem.

While writing this thread, I think I diagnosed the problem, so am going to post this in case anyone else runs into this particularly weird and vexing problem:

TLDR: The (completely unused) TiVo Server module was causing crippling CPU spikes.

Longer writeup:
Sometime in the last month, I have started to experience Windows system hangs that would always get progressively more severe until the system became unusable. Through a bunch of diagnosis, I was able to narrow down the culprit to Media Center. I turned on MC logging and monitored the log in realtime while watching Performance Monitor for MC CPU spikes and it looks like they always correspond with a series of  TV: CTVManager operations.

Here's a relevant section:

Code: [Select]

1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Red (Generic DLNA) not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Red (Audiophile 24-bit DAC) not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Red (Library Server) not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Red not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: DP-UB420 not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Family Room not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Family Room not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Network Camera Front Window not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Family Room not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: GS908E (CC:40:D0:39:46:02) not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: RED: RED: not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: DCS-936L-Driveway (192.168.0.248) not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: DP-UB420 not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Christmas Tree  not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Grandfather Clock  not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Study Room 4K FireTV Stick not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Lori's Fire TV not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: TCL Roku TV not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
1512047: 15828: Sharing Plugins: CMCDLNA::DLNACore_DevicesChanged: Checking TV devices. TVManager 0x24fbcb775a0
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Front Porch not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
I had attempted a whole host of troubleshooting steps, including uninstalling and reinstalling + removing all the DLNA types and turned off all but the core audio and video playback features. I was surprised when I saw TV: CTVManager show up as a corresponding event in the log because I had turned off the TV feature as part of troubleshooting. So I went hunting for any remaining services that seemed possibly related and found the TiVo Server, which I'd never touched, listed under Services. It wasn't active, but I removed the interface anyways and I haven't had a single CPU spike since then.
I searched Interact for information on the TiVo Server and could only find really old threads with broken links. Is TiVo even a currently supported thing or did I have some old vestigial remnant of upgrading all these years? I can't even find a way to get it back, not that I'd want to.[/s]

[JimH]

Thanks for all the details.  We will check.

[RoderickGI]

So I went hunting for any remaining services that seemed possibly related and found the TiVo Server, which I'd never touched, listed under Services. It wasn't active, but I removed the interface anyways and I haven't had a single CPU spike since then.

May I ask the name of the Service you found, and how you removed it? It isn't listed in the "C:\Users\[UserID]\AppData\Roaming\J River\Media Center 26\Plugins" directory, and I can't find any reference to Tivo in my installation, but it still appears in the MC Reporter tool.

I'm not entirely convinced that "CTVManager" relates only to Tivo, as it could relate to discovery of DLNA TV Tuners such as the HDHomerun Prime. But anything that reduces the DLNA clutter on my network would be good. (My TV spams my network with SSDP packets constantly!)

Did all (or most of) the "CTVManager" log records disappear once you removed the Service?

Thanks.

[RedJ]

It was named TiVo Server and I find a server_tivo.dll under .\Program Files\J River\Media Center 26\Plugins\  There is no longer any option inside Media Center to enable or disable it.

HOWEVER, my MC CPU spiking problem has returned after I restored from a library backup. Even though TiVo Server did not return to the Services after the restore, I'm concerned that somehow it was re-enabled behind the scenes by the restore. I still see the same CTVManager records, so it's also possible there is something else going on here, like problems during the DLNA discovery process.

I've now turned off all server (DLNA, Library, etc.) and waiting to see what happens.

[JimH]

Try turning off audio analysis. 

[Yaobing]

Code: [Select]

1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Start
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Red (Generic DLNA) not TV device
1512047: 15828: TV: CTVManager::AddDLNATVDevice: Finish (0 ms)
These log entries are part of DLNA device discovery process.  They are not related in anyway with Tivo plugin and should not cause performance issues.  However, I will check and make sure we skip these when TV feature is turned off.

[RedJ]

I had already disabled auto-import, assuming that's where you mean for me to disable Audio Analysis. I'm not doing any in DSP studio (and the spikes are occurring irrespective of whether media playback takes place).

I am now focusing in on the area of Podcast. It's too early to say definitively, but I have not seen another spike since disabling Podcast auto-download. I wonder if a feed becoming invalid could result in high CPU use. 

It is possible I have been experiencing CPU spikes related to multiple areas of MC functionality. It's one of the double-edged swords of Media Center - it has a LOT of features which makes it a swiss army knife of media handling, but which also means there are a whole lot of possibilities when trying to track down a specific area that might be problematic.