VISTA: Increase Live TV Pause Buffer: Keeps Resetting

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MrCreosote

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VISTA: Increase Live TV Pause Buffer: Keeps Resetting

#1

Post by MrCreosote » Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:21 am

I've done the BackingStoreEachFileDurationSeconds Registry change (from 300 to 1800) and while it kept resetting the first few times I did it, I found references to enact WMC Permission restrictions for that Key which I did. (I confess, I didn't see anything that "resembled" WMC so I basically restricted everything that wasn't me. Perhaps a single restriction, properly placed, might have worked.)

This rendered WMC unusable - it thought "someone else" was using it when I would try to start it.

I removed the Permission restrictions and it seemed that the 1800 "stuck."

However, after a few startups, it went back to 300.

There sure isn't much activity on the subforum so the other question is there a better place to seek help? Maybe a "VISTA" specific forum?

Thanks in any event,
Tom

PS. I'm not the biggest VISTA fan but when I discovered they included WMC in Home Premium, well, I'm a fan now! And since WMC really has nothing to do with internet, I think this VISTA box is going to be hanging around a pretty long time.

richard1980

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#2

Post by richard1980 » Thu Apr 30, 2015 1:46 am

Did you stop the Windows Media Center Receiver Service prior to making the registry change?

MrCreosote

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#3

Post by MrCreosote » Thu Apr 30, 2015 4:07 am

No I didn't, so this is what I did:

1) Stopped the Receiver service,
2) Changed the Registry Key from 300 to 1800
3) Closed the Regedit window
4) Restarted PC

Checked Key value and it was reset back to 300

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CyberSimian

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#4

Post by CyberSimian » Thu Apr 30, 2015 7:08 pm

MrCreosote wrote:I've done the BackingStoreEachFileDurationSeconds Registry change (from 300 to 1800) and it kept resetting.
This is one of the registry settings that changed between Vista and Win7. The setting that you changed is for Win7. The one for Vista is:

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\Video\Tuners]
"BackingFileDuration"=dword:000004b0
Save this to a file called "Live TV Buffer 120 Mins.reg", and then import it into the registry. The value 000004b0 gives you a buffer size of 120 minutes; adjust the value as appropriate to get different buffer sizes.

I used Vista MC for 5 years with a 2-hour live-TV buffer, and the buffer size did not reset once. One other point: looking at my notes, I see that there are some references to 64-bit Windows requiring a different registry change, but I don't know whether that applies to 64-bit Win7, or 64-bit Vista. The change above applies to 32-bit Vista.

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#5

Post by MrCreosote » Fri May 01, 2015 3:58 am

I was hoping... but no such key: BackingFileDuration

There is a single key under Tuners which is completely unrelated.

Under ...Tuners\DVR, there are the (3) relevant Keys that are present in Win7:
BackingStoreEachFileDurationSeconds
BackingStoreMaxNumBackingFiles
BackingStoreMinNumBackingFiles

NOTE: I haven't tried to change the Number of Backing Files since buffer time is Duration x Number of Backing Files

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#6

Post by CyberSimian » Fri May 01, 2015 8:19 am

MrCreosote wrote:I was hoping... but no such key: BackingFileDuration
I think that this may be a key that you need to add, i.e. it is not present by default.

I have just looked in my 32-bit Vista registry, and I too have the various "BackingStoreXxxx" settings. I don't know what they do in Vista.

If you are using Vista with TV Pack, all bets are off; it is probably more like Win7 than Vista.

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#7

Post by MrCreosote » Sat May 02, 2015 12:20 am

I have version 6.0.6001.18242

They say

6.1.1000.18273 is the TV pack version and

6.0.6001.18000 is the VISTA Home Premium WMC that shipped with up to SP1.

So I don't know what I have. I can't find any reference to my version however there is a 6.0.6002.18242 which is an SP2 version.

WEIRD: Just checked my System Info and I have SP2.

So do I have some corrupted WMC update??? Because everything seems to work OK.

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#8

Post by MrCreosote » Sat May 02, 2015 5:11 am

Checked WMC Ident in Registry and it is 5.0 which is VISTA w/o TV Pack.

Under ...\Tuners in Registry, all I have are:

(Default)
RecInfoVersion REG_DWORD 0x00...003 (3)

and that is it.

So you are saying I need to add the 3 Short Name Keys in this ...\Tuner directory?

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#9

Post by CyberSimian » Sat May 02, 2015 11:24 am

MrCreosote wrote:Under ...\Tuners in Registry, all I have are:
(Default)
RecInfoVersion REG_DWORD 0x00...003 (3)
and that is it.
So you are saying I need to add the 3 Short Name Keys in this ...\Tuner directory?
With the Registry, it is possible to create a small text file that contains the definition required, and then import that file into the registry. The "Code" box in my first post contains the definition that you need; copy and paste the entire code box into Notepad, and save the file with a file type of ".reg". Then click on that file, and it should be imported into the Registry. Then reboot for a clean start.

One point to note: in Vista, the units of "BackingFileDuration" are tenths of a minute (== 6 seconds). The hexadecimal value 000004b0 equates to the decimal value 1200, which is 1200 tenths of a minute, i.e. 120 minutes (== 2 hours). If you want a backing file duration of 1800 seconds, that is 300 tenths of a minute (== 0000012c in hexadecimal), so that is the value to use. Modify the ".reg" file to specify that value before you import it into the Registry.

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#10

Post by MrCreosote » Tue May 05, 2015 12:15 am

YESSSSS.... It worked in the ...\Tuner directory.

I created the BackingFileDuration DWORD w/1200 decimal value.

And it now has a 2 hour stable buffer.

I did read that 2 hours was the maximum? I'd like at least 4 hours to capture entire football games. Or even 6 hours.

For now, I'll enjoy this big improvement!

Thanks again!

NOTE: This dual core AMD VISTA PC does a nice job with OTA and a crappy DWorld USB tuner I picked up in a thrift store for $5. Just in time too. My Channel Master coupon STB gave up the ghost. My cousin had one fail too. So I have both of them. One of them does NOT have the power supply problem w/bad caps. Maybe the other does but why bother? they are SD. I do need to get a video card with DVI/HDMI output for my Samsung 32" tube 1080I HDTV.

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#11

Post by CyberSimian » Tue May 05, 2015 9:51 am

MrCreosote wrote:I did read that 2 hours was the maximum? I'd like at least 4 hours to capture entire football games. Or even 6 hours.
I recollect seeing somewhere that 2 hours is the maximum. I have never tried specifying a larger buffer, so I don't know whether 2 hours really is the limit. A couple of points:

(1) The live TV buffer is retained only while you are watching or pausing live TV. If you accidentally press the STOP, CHANNEL_UP, CHANNEL_DOWN, or similar buttons on the remote control, the live TV buffer is lost. :(

(2) Watching live TV prevents the HTPC transitioning to standby state (sleep or hibernation). But pausing live TV does not prevent the HTPC transitioning to standby state. The live TV buffer is not retained in standby state. :(

In view of (1) and (2), I would suggest not relying on the live TV buffer to see unmissable programming. Instead, schedule the programme to record!

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