MediaPortal Configuration for 0.912

[jitterjames]

(unfortunately my wife doesn't let me spend ALL of my time tweaking my HTPC!) would be great  

Sing it brother  

I do have a "bit" of a problem though... when VC is running I don't get any sound when music is playing   TV/Video is fine though   To get sound to work again I have to close VC, then restart MP - are there any log files I can give you that will point to the problem?

That's weird though I'm not 100% sure what you mean.  Can you please explain the sequence of events and exactly what is happening.  And maybe tell me a bit more about your sound setup.

If you start VC then start MP, and then try to play music in MP (all on the same computer?), without doing anything else in VC, there is no music?  TV/Video is fine... in MP?  I'm not really sure what that means... If you play an avi in MP you get sound?  Do you get menu navigation sounds?  Not being particularly familiar with MP and not knowing anything about your setup (analog, hdmi, coax, sound card, wiring, and about 50 other variables) it is pretty hard to figure out what might be going on.  You could try sending me an MP log.  I doubt that VC logs will show anything on this.  The only thing I can think of without more info is that maybe the TTS voice in VC is somehow blocking your MP music... though I've never seen this happen before.  If you go to windows "text to speech" settings and click on "Advanced", you can select different output devices for TTS, or set it to use the "default" device.  You could try playing with these settings and see if it makes a difference.

edit:
You should maybe check that the volume in MP and windows sound mixer is not being lowered or muted somehow.  It might make sense then that you get sound in video if the sound is in DTS or similar modes it won't actually respond to the sound settings on your computer or in MP which would explain why you hear sound in video/TV.  I vaguely recall that there are different ways to set your volume up in MP, either independent or tied into system volume level.

[jitterjames]

A "Hidden Menu" command would also be handy - I can get it to show by using "Go right 1" for example but that's a bit clunky - "Hidden Menu" would be better 

What exactly is the "Hidden Menu" ?  If you can always get to it by going right, you only need to create a new command with whatever phrase you want to use such as "hidden menu, open hidden menu" and then send an action to go right.  If there is some other command in WFRemote or via a keypress that is specific to opening this menu then please let me know.

If it is just a question of creating a new phrase the sends the right arrow, and you need help setting that up, just let us know.  It's really easy.

[Bleazle]

... Can you please explain the sequence of events and exactly what is happening.  And maybe tell me a bit more about your sound setup.

Sure thing:

The Setup: MediaPortal client (HP Touchsmart 600 Series, W7, onboard Realtek High Definition Audio). VC is installed on this computer and is being used to control it. Navigation (skin) sounds are turned off in MP.

What happens: Open MP with VC. If I play recorded TV or any other video file in MP the sound from the file being played is fine. If I play music I get no sound (I have tried MP3 & Windows Media files) I can set the volume level using VC or manually using the remote but I still don't get any sound even though I can see that the file is playing.

Here is the log info from MP:

Server stack trace:
   at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Connect(IPAddress[] addresses, Int32 port)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.RemoteConnection.CreateNewSocket(AddressFamily family)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.RemoteConnection.CreateNewSocket()
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.RemoteConnection.GetSocket()
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.SocketCache.GetSocket(String machinePortAndSid, Boolean openNew)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpClientTransportSink.SendRequestWithRetry(IMessage msg, ITransportHeaders requestHeaders, Stream requestStream)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp.TcpClientTransportSink.ProcessMessage(IMessage msg, ITransportHeaders requestHeaders, Stream requestStream, ITransportHeaders& responseHeaders, Stream& responseStream)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.BinaryClientFormatterSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at

• :

   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
   at TvControl.IController.get_Cards()
   at Micropolis.TVCore.CoreTVHandler.GetTVServerCardCount()
   at SleepControlPlugin.SleepControl.InitTVServer(), No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it 127.0.0.1:31456)
2012-01-02 10:42:07.503440 [ERROR][(17)]: World Weather: Error reading location feed information. Status code:  (Error Code: System.IndexOutOfRangeException: Index was outside the bounds of the array.
   at WorldWeatherPlugin.WorldWeather.GetWeatherFeedData(), Index was outside the bounds of the array.)
2012-01-02 10:43:39.278689 [ERROR][MPMain(1)]: Exception   :System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at MediaPortal.Mixer.Mixer.Dispose()
   at MediaPortal.ExtensionMethods.ObjectMethods.SafeDispose(Object o)
   at MediaPortal.Player.VolumeHandler.Dispose()
   at MediaPortalApp.OnExit()
   at MediaPortalApp.Main(String[] args)
2012-01-02 10:43:39.278689 [ERROR][MPMain(1)]: Exception   :Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
2012-01-02 10:43:39.279689 [ERROR][MPMain(1)]:   site      :Void Dispose()
2012-01-02 10:43:39.280690 [ERROR][MPMain(1)]:   source    :Core
2012-01-02 10:43:39.280690 [ERROR][MPMain(1)]:   stacktrace:   at MediaPortal.Mixer.Mixer.Dispose()
   at MediaPortal.ExtensionMethods.ObjectMethods.SafeDispose(Object o)
   at MediaPortal.Player.VolumeHandler.Dispose()
   at MediaPortalApp.OnExit()
   at MediaPortalApp.Main(String[] args)
2012-01-02 10:43:39.281690 [ERROR][MPMain(1)]: MediaPortal stopped due to an exception Object reference not set to an instance of an object. Core    at MediaPortal.Mixer.Mixer.Dispose()
   at MediaPortal.ExtensionMethods.ObjectMethods.SafeDispose(Object o)
   at MediaPortal.Player.VolumeHandler.Dispose()
   at MediaPortalApp.OnExit()
   at MediaPortalApp.Main(String[] args)

... maybe the TTS voice in VC is somehow blocking your MP music... If you go to windows "text to speech" settings and click on "Advanced", you can select different output devices for TTS, or set it to use the "default" device.  You could try playing with these settings and see if it makes a difference.

Had a look at this - I don't have any option other than "Microsoft - Anna - English" & I have selected "use preferred audio output device"

...You should maybe check that the volume in MP and windows sound mixer is not being lowered or muted somehow...

Looking at the logs it seems as though there is something going on there (but I don't know what!)

What exactly is the "Hidden Menu" ?

It's a menu that's...uh.... hidden  - the problem is depending on the skin you use and the view you're in accessing the hidden menu via the remote can either be with the "up" or "left" button. At the moment I am telling VC "go left (or up) 1" to get it to open - if there is a phrase that can be entered to handle both possibilities )depending on where the hidden menu tab is sitting) let me know what to do and I'll give it a go 

Regards

Bleazle

[Kalle]

Hi Bleazle, work MP without VC correct? The MP-log shows some errors at MP mixer

[jitterjames]

humph.  I'm a bit stumped.  Yes, it clearly shows that MP is having trouble setting up sound.

What happens if you run MP first and then start VC ?  

And what if you start VC first, but then start MP, but NOT using a VC command? (eg. start MP via the windows start menu)

You may only have one sound output, but if you have more, then in the TTS sound options you can select which one you want to use with TTS.  Of course it could also be related to the way VC plays wav files, but I don't have this problem on either of my machines.  No one else has mentioned this either, though there aren't too many people using VC with MP yet.

I don't know why MP does not have a key or command for opening up the hidden menu.  It might be possible to have VC decide whether to use the left or up arrow, if it can keep track of which window is open, but it'll be messy, varying not only from window to window but probably changing from skin to skin.  For now I suggest that you might want to create commands like "menu left" and "menu up" which simply do the left and up arrows respectively.

[Bleazle]

Hi Bleazle, work MP without VC correct? The MP-log shows some errors at MP mixer

Yep, music plays fine when VC isn't turned on.

If I try to play music in MP using VC or if I use the remote to try to play music when VC is running I have to close VC & restart MP to get music to play. Closing VC alone doesn't fix the problem 

[jitterjames]

yes MP seems to have trouble setting up the sound at startup.  Please answer the questions in my previous post:

What happens if you run MP first and then start VC ? 

And what if you start VC first, but then start MP, but NOT using a VC command? (eg. start MP via the windows start menu)

[Bleazle]

humph.  I'm a bit stumped.

Me too.. I was replying earlier so didn't see your reply until after I hit "post" - been busy since then...

...What happens if you run MP first and then start VC ?..

If VC is running I get no sound for music, no matter how I go about things - I have tried the following:

- Start MP first and then start VC, use VC to play music.
- Start MP then start VC, use remote to play music
- Start VC then MP (with VC), use VC to play music
- Start VC then MP, use remote to play music

Strangely enough there are no errors showing in the MP logs now

..You may only have one sound output, but if you have more, then in the TTS sound options you can select which one you want to use with TTS.  Of course it could also be related to the way VC plays wav files, but I don't have this problem on either of my machines...

Screenshot attached of TTS options - there's nothing else to choose from.. NOTE: I have no "sounds" selected in VC -> Options ->  General - Sounds but I still hear "connecting" when igiving the first command in MP (which doesn't stick - I always have to repeat the first command after VC says "connecting" even if I have used VC to open MP)

..I don't know why MP does not have a key or command for opening up the hidden menu. ... For now I suggest that you might want to create commands like "menu left" and "menu up" which simply do the left and up arrows respectively.

Sounds good - how do I do that? I had a look under Edit -> MPWiFiRemote Buttons and tried adding a command but obviously did something wrong..

A couple of other things:
- is there any way to correct VC when it gets a command wrong? e.g. I say SetVolume50 and always end up with "15"  Strange because us Kiwi's don't have an accent, it's the rest of you that do 
- Is it possible for me to change the position of the overlay or is that set in the programme?

Regards

Bleazle

[jitterjames]

well you may only have one output device, but if you had others, they would appear in the dropdown where it currently says "Speakers (realtek high def audio)"

maybe you can try upgrading to the latest version here: http://voxcommando.com/forum/index.php?topic=668.0

make a backup copy of your whole VC folder in case things go sideways.  Then download 0.934c into the new folder and run it to update.  It's a long shot but worth a try.

[bodiroga]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damien for the win!!!!!

http://code.google.com/p/mptvseries/issues/detail?id=526

James, it's incredible how fast is all this going, MediaPortal has passed from no-support to being able to compare to XBMC or MediaMonkey in terms of flexibility. Now it's only a matter of planning the priority order and, the most important thing, having free time to add all this amount of features.  VoxCommando and Mediaportal's together feature is reallllly promising.

Many thanks for all your work and help and best regards,

Aitor

[jitterjames]

yes!  I just did a quick test and it seems to work as expected.  I will try to spend some time on this tomorrow 

[Kalle]

Screenshot attached of TTS options - there's nothing else to choose from.. NOTE: I have no "sounds" selected in VC -> Options ->  General - Sounds but I still hear "connecting" when igiving the first command in MP (which doesn't stick - I always have to repeat the first command after VC says "connecting" even if I have used VC to open MP)

I have never seen only one audio output on a system Do you have install all driver for realtek audio device?

[Bleazle]

well you may only have one output device, but if you had others, they would appear in the dropdown where it currently says "Speakers (realtek high def audio)"..

Yep, but definitely nothing else to select from 

...maybe you can try upgrading to the latest version here: http://voxcommando.com/forum/index.php?topic=668.0...It's a long shot but worth a try.

Thanks - gave it a go (selected iTunes as the initial profile then did the MP setup) - I couldn't even get it to open MP but that doesn't matter, I opened MP manually and tried playing music - same issue, when VC is running I get no sound for Music 

..I have never seen only one audio output on a system Do you have install all driver for realtek audio device?...

Thanks for the suggestion.. but I had already looked at that too....

Computers eh? 

Regards

Bleazle

[Kalle]

Yep, but definitely nothing else to select from 

Thanks - gave it a go (selected iTunes as the initial profile then did the MP setup) - I couldn't even get it to open MP but that doesn't matter, I opened MP manually and tried playing music - same issue, when VC is running I get no sound for Music 

Thanks for the suggestion.. but I had already looked at that too....

Computers eh? 

Regards

Bleazle

Hi Bleazle, I want not nerves  , but your driver is very old. I've found on the realtek page one from 16/12/2011
It is curious that your soundcard is a High Def Audio and has no Digital Output only aanalog audio

Kalle

[Bleazle]

Hi Bleazle, I want not nerves  , but your driver is very old. I've found on the realtek page one from 16/12/2011
It is curious that your soundcard is a High Def Audio and has no Digital Output only aanalog audio

Kalle

Thanks for pointing that out - I have installed the latest driver manually (as per the pic below) but it hasn't changed anything  Note: There was a Digital Output showing but I disabled it this morning (and then it totally disappeared, I thought it would still show in the Device Manager )  because selecting it did nothing, no sound played anywhere. Now it is back again as per the second screenshot but that hasn't changed either, selecting it kills all sound output - am I supposed to do something else here? 

Cheers

Bleazle