Commando 14.7 DM500 Release

[mickb82]

Mike- have you tried a NO - YES - NO combination? We know that the first one switches standard (NAR) audio from 1 to 0 - Off.

But the second option- 'use alternative audio' looks interesting, given that the third option is AC3. When I swithed 'alternative to ON and saved, default audio pids for Recording in neutrino.conf now reads 2

My theory is that the only alternative audio to NAR and AC3 is the one you want- English! I cannot see any way in which recording manually and on a scheduled Timer should affect the source Audio used. But let's leave no stone unturned...

Please try that setting and save it twice, by activating it in the Recoding menu, then Red to save settings back in the Settings menu. Then set and save a dummy one-off timer recording for later today. Please attach your timerd.conf file 'as' timer.txt (to make it nice and easy).


It will be very interesting to see if there is any audio-related settings in there.


Cheers- AL

Al,

I have tried everything you suggested but nothing has worked. I have found a new audio option in the timer recordings, its not there when you schedule a recording but if you go back into it and edit it there is an audio option. Ive tried all these and combinations of them but recordings still don't work.

I have tried several different images recording worked on these but I wasnt really happy with the images compared to commando.

So I have now installed commando 14 and recordings work fine in this version, ive scheduled a recording in the night just to be sure then tommorrow i'm going to try the newer versions and I will just use the latest version that works.

I will update you once ive tested all the versions.

Cheers

Mick

[PaphosAL]

If you find a clear break between version numbers, for example, Timer Recordings work in C14.4 but not in C14.5 - let us know, and we'll try and backtrack to find what was changed and maybe fix it.

Cheers- AL

[mickb82]

If you find a clear break between version numbers, for example, Timer Recordings work in C14.4 but not in C14.5 - let us know, and we'll try and backtrack to find what was changed and maybe fix it.

Cheers- AL

I will do, only tried 14 so far, that works but on a long record I scheduled the recording was split into small sections of about 25 to 50mb, all the recording is there its just split up. I'm just flashing 14.4 now see how that goes and I will let you know what I find!

Cheers Mick

[mickb82]

If you find a clear break between version numbers, for example, Timer Recordings work in C14.4 but not in C14.5 - let us know, and we'll try and backtrack to find what was changed and maybe fix it.

Cheers- AL

Al,

I have tried a few versions of Commando 14 and I have found that timed recording works perfect on 14.3 but it doesnt work on 14.4. Something must have been changed between these releases that has caused the problem.

I have got 14.3 setup but I have noticed the screen flashes black for a split second every so often. Is there a fix for this or could it be the online epg or me navigating the settings that could cause it?

If you do find something that can be changed that might solve the recording problem I have got fully setup backups of 14.7 and 14.3 so I can easily do some tests.

Cheers Mick

[PaphosAL]

OK mick, I'll try and back track to see what elements were changed / diffs applied between 14.3 and 14.4 releases. Luckily, I've got everything double backed-up here, all the way back to the heady old days days of Commando 11 for dBox2, in fact, LOL!!

It's just a case of piecing together all the evidence from that intervening period to try and nail the culprit, so be patient please...

Cheers- AL

[PaphosAL]

Attention C14.7 users in Ireland!!

Thanks to some excellent feedback and suggestions by Fano over on DWZ, we have devised what some of you Irishmen might consider a superior channel line-up for your Entertainment bouquet than the one created by SML in the release offering.

Why not give it a try and tell us what you think? If the majority feedback is positive, then we'll include it in our first online auto-update. Follow the easy destructions in the readme.

Cheers- AL

[Edit] Sorry lads, but after posting this, I spotted I'd made a schoolboy error in path names for UK / IR radiotimes.scan name swapping, doh... Please use this new package, and please READ THE README again before you proceed, thanks!!

[bugaloo41]

Many thanks to AL and the rest of the team - brilliant image.

[PaphosAL]

...I have got 14.3 setup but I have noticed the screen flashes black for a split second every so often. Is there a fix for this or could it be the online epg or me navigating the settings that could cause it?

This should be an easy one to resolve. Toggle 'PMT Update' from ON to OFF in Settings > Driver & Boot Options.

99% of the changes made between 14.3 and 14.4 were purely cosmetic and user-friendliness. The only firmware modification I can pinpoint is that we removed the non-working SWAPFILE support. In neutrino, this only works for block devices like internal / external hard drives- not possible on DM500

Can you see anything in your config files that suggests it's hunting for a swapfile? I wouldn't have thought this aspect would have affected the Audio source for Recording, though...

That xml file you've mentioned, can you tell me what it's called and which folder you find it in? And can you attach a copy please?

Cheers- AL

[gazza12]

Just installed the IRL_SML_Lineup and have to say, I think it is excellent.
Thanks, I will use this..

[mickb82]

99% of the changes made between 14.3 and 14.4 were purely cosmetic and user-friendliness. The only firmware modification I can pinpoint is that we removed the non-working SWAPFILE support. In neutrino, this only works for block devices like internal / external hard drives- not possible on DM500

Can you see anything in your config files that suggests it's hunting for a swapfile? I wouldn't have thought this aspect would have affected the Audio source for Recording, though...

That xml file you've mentioned, can you tell me what it's called and which folder you find it in? And can you attach a copy please?

Cheers- AL

Thanks Al,

I have just looked at the .xml file created in 14.3 and there is no audio pid section. I'm going to copy all the files from 14.3 to my pc and install 14.7 and compare and files relating to recording and see if there are any differences. Hopefully it will just be a matter of deleting or editing part of the recording files to match those in 14.3. The .xml file is created everytime i perform a timed recording. It's stored on my network hd and contains epg info, program title, settings info etc.
I'll be doing some more testing later tonight when my daughter has gone to sleep. I will upload the .xml files and and recording files I find that have differences between 14.3 and 14.7.

Cheer Mick.

[PaphosAL]

great image, well done guys, but back to volume on arrows ha ha,,

We always have it that way, m8. But you can swap around if you want, thanks to Satsearching's diff. Just read the release notes for 14.5 (I think it was) - it's all done in "Keybinding" - but you need to follow the instructions properly...

Cheers- AL

[PaphosAL]

Thanks Al,

I have just looked at the .xml file created in 14.3 and there is no audio pid section. I'm going to copy all the files from 14.3 to my pc and install 14.7 and compare and files relating to recording and see if there are any differences. Hopefully it will just be a matter of deleting or editing part of the recording files to match those in 14.3. The .xml file is created everytime i perform a timed recording. It's stored on my network hd and contains epg info, program title, settings info etc.
I'll be doing some more testing later tonight when my daughter has gone to sleep. I will upload the .xml files and and recording files I find that have differences between 14.3 and 14.7.

Cheer Mick.

Great stuff Mike! You have a PM by the way (AL beavering away behind the scenes stuff). If you don't already use it as your default text editor in Windoze and your preferred internal editor for whichever FTP program you use (I run a paid for licensed copy of FlashFXP, wooo! But the best $12 I ever spent!)- then google for the FREEWARE Notepad++

This maintains Linux format in files on and from your DM500 and has another VERY useful feature for what you're about to do- comparing differences between files!

Open both files in Notepad++ and they'll both be tabbed onscreen. Press Plugins > Compare > Compare and it will highlight every single difference in split windows for you! It's a godsend for a lot of the stuff I work on...

Cheers- AL

[mickb82]

Great stuff Mike! You have a PM by the way (AL beavering away behind the scenes stuff). If you don't already use it as your default text editor in Windoze and your preferred internal editor for whichever FTP program you use (I run a paid for licensed copy of FlashFXP, wooo! But the best $12 I ever spent!)- then google for the FREEWARE Notepad++

This maintains Linux format in files on and from your DM500 and has another VERY useful feature for what you're about to do- comparing differences between files!

Open both files in Notepad++ and they'll both be tabbed onscreen. Press Plugins > Compare > Compare and it will highlight every single difference in split windows for you! It's a godsend for a lot of the stuff I work on...

Cheers- AL

Al,

I have been using FlashFXP it is really good, I'm still on a 30 day trial but I'm also thinking of buying it.

I have compared various audio and recording files and they are the same in both versions. I did a new recording on each version and the .xml file was also the same in each.

I managed to break the image twice so I have now stopped messing, I will leave it to the experts!

I have now got 14.3 running perfect with upto date bouquets so I will just stick with that for now!

Thanks for your help

Cheers

Mick

[PaphosAL]

But Mick, you're still not telling me the actual path and filename of the xml config file. This might give us a clue torwards making a possible 'dirty' fix for this NARsty problem!

I take it you have FTP access to this file after the Timer Recording is set, and before the recording actually starts! If so, here's a stop-gap solution to try:

1. Install Notepad++ if you haven't already done so
2. Backup your existing 14.3 then reflash 14.7
3. Open FlashFXP > Options > File Associations
4. Tell it to use Notepad++ for *.xml files
5. Set a timer recording
6. Navigate to that config file in FTP > right click it > Edit

And change this typical example:

        <audiopids selected="663">
            <audio pid="663" name="NAR"/>
            <audio pid="643" name="English"/>
        </audiopids>

to instead read this:

        <audiopids selected="[COLOR=Red][B]643[/B][/COLOR]">
            <audio pid="663" name="NAR"/>
            <audio pid="643" name="English"/>
        </audiopids>

and Save. Now, if THAT doesn't work, I'll eat my baseball cap! AL

[mickb82]

But Mick, you're still not telling me the actual path and filename of the xml config file. This might give us a clue torwards making a possible 'dirty' fix for this NARsty problem!

I take it you have FTP access to this file after the Timer Recording is set, and before the recording actually starts! If so, here's a stop-gap solution to try:

1. Install Notepad++ if you haven't already done so
2. Backup your existing 14.3 then reflash 14.7
3. Open FlashFXP > Options > File Associations
4. Tell it to use Notepad++ for *.xml files
5. Set a timer recording
6. Navigate to that config file in FTP > right click it > Edit

And change this typical example:

        <audiopids selected="663">
            <audio pid="663" name="NAR"/>
            <audio pid="643" name="English"/>
        </audiopids>

to instead read this:

        <audiopids selected="[COLOR=red][B]643[/B][/COLOR]">
            <audio pid="663" name="NAR"/>
            <audio pid="643" name="English"/>
        </audiopids>

and Save. Now, if THAT doesn't work, I'll eat my baseball cap! AL

Al,

That file is created in the folder that I choose to record in, I have selected var/mmt/cf/recordings and I have my usb hard drive mounted as var/mmt/cf. I cant edit this file as it is not created until the recording starts, it just seems to have the settings and details of the recording.
The file doesnt seem to have any use, once recordings are complete I usually re-name them and delete this file, I then have my blu ray player setup to access the same folder and I play the recordings on that as I find it easier to control and it upscales to HD. The recordings from 14.3 play perfect on VLC and my blu ray but 14.7 recordings won't play on anything. The details of the .xml created are identical on both versions.

Cheers

Mick