Changes since updating to 1709

Discussion of getting WMC to work on Windows 10 (unsupported)
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ChrisJ

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Changes since updating to 1709

#1

Post by ChrisJ » Sat Nov 11, 2017 7:13 pm

My problem is that I have had WMC working well on every version of Windows until the Fall Creators Update. Apart from no programme information which I know there are ways around, it is live TVB that is giving me problems. After completing the update I reinstalled WMC (using 8.8.1) as usual without issues ands set everything up.

I start watching a programme live (BBC HD channel) and then after 4-5 minutes the screen freezes and I get a message that there are no tuners available to satisfy the current request (I have a twin tuner setup to watch Freeview TV in the UK). I close and restart WMC and once again get about 5 minutes of live TV before the same thing happens again. The cycle can be continued indefinitely. I am at a loss to understand why things work fine for a few minutes and then suddenly stop. I must emphasise that this is with no other programmes or apps running at all.

Is there anyway I can find out what is suddenly stopping the access to the TV Tuners? (Blackgold DVB-T2 using BGT driver)

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Crash2009

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#2

Post by Crash2009 » Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:53 am

The update broke win10, preventing wmc/and tuners from working properly.

I would do the WMC reset and completely rebuild from scratch including reinstall the tuner drivers, codecs, etc. If that doesn't work try Stevens fix

Last couple of weeks they've been started working on it over at mdl. Go back about 2 weeks and look for Stevens fix.

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#3

Post by ChrisJ » Sun Nov 12, 2017 9:18 am

Many thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I found StefanR's fix. I am using a shortcut on the desktop to run ehtray.exe as I have never tried creating a script but might try in due course. The fix seems to be working for me OK but I am surprised how long it took for the icon to appear. Should I be able to see ehtray running as a service somewhere in Task Manager? I can see several WMC related services but not one that looks like the tray service.

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Crash2009

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#4

Post by Crash2009 » Sun Nov 12, 2017 9:39 am

ChrisJ wrote:Many thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I found StefanR's fix. I am using a shortcut on the desktop to run ehtray.exe as I have never tried creating a script but might try in due course. The fix seems to be working for me OK but I am surprised how long it took for the icon to appear. Should I be able to see ehtray running as a service somewhere in Task Manager? I can see several WMC related services but not one that looks like the tray service.
WoW! That didn't take you very long.

You would need Procmon or something similar. Try running Procmon on a working WMC, then run it on the broken. Should show whats not working. M$ favorite target is TaskManager.

If you find that a task or two is not working.....you can export task from working wmc and import into broken wmc

Uninstall with WMC v8.8.1 then reinstall same should repair the damage. 8.8.1 has a settings backup as well.


http://www.techieinspire.com/how-to-sta ... nd-prompt/

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#5

Post by stefanr » Sun Nov 12, 2017 3:19 pm

ChrisJ wrote:Many thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I found StefanR's fix. I am using a shortcut on the desktop to run ehtray.exe as I have never tried creating a script but might try in due course. The fix seems to be working for me OK but I am surprised how long it took for the icon to appear. Should I be able to see ehtray running as a service somewhere in Task Manager? I can see several WMC related services but not one that looks like the tray service.
The icon normally only appears when you are recording or when Media Center is updating. If you start ehtray.exe either via my script or just by launching it manually, you should be able to see it within task manager. It will be listed as a 'Background Process' with a name of 'Windows Media Center' - if you right click on the item in task manager and select 'Properties' you will see it points to ehtray.exe.

Unfortunately my fix only enables the icon in the tray. I don't think it will help with regard to freezing or tuners not being detected.

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#6

Post by scrambler » Wed Nov 15, 2017 7:48 pm

Sorry to be slightly out of topic, but I gave up on the Windows 10 install from MDL after the anniversary update broke Cable Card Tuners and DRM.

From reading these last posts, I am wondering if that has changed, or if the Windows 10 MDL installers still do not work with Cable Card tuners and DRM.

Thanks for clarifying :)

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#7

Post by scrambler » Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:13 pm

I caught myself up on MDL and so I can answer my own questions :)
No changes:
Cable Card tuner and DRM still broken
Cable Card Tuner with No DRM workaround using DVBlink

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Crash2009

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#8

Post by Crash2009 » Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:24 am

They are even making life miserable for OTA Tuners. He is using a T2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVB-T2

Since T-S got banned, CableCard progress has been shut down.

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#9

Post by scrambler » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:07 am

Let us face it, there was no way something as complex as WMC could be maintained on the sidelines of new windows version for long...

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Crash2009

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#10

Post by Crash2009 » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:18 am

We are not dead in the water just yet.

viewtopic.php?p=123221#p123221

scrambler

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#11

Post by scrambler » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:22 am

I have not looked closely to that yet, but at first glance, it seems this is only a piggy back on WMC, so I don't see how it would solve any of the issues of WMC and Windows 10.
May be you can clarify it for me :)

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Crash2009

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#12

Post by Crash2009 » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:30 am

Looks like someone with some skills is willing to modernize WMC. It does need some work. I hope Mike gets some good help.

https://windows10mediacenter.com

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#13

Post by technodevotee » Tue Nov 21, 2017 12:14 pm

I've been messing about with Nirsoft Advanced Run and it seems to get rid of the fast forward and rewind breakup/lockup problems.

I can fast forward and fast backward as often as I like and I haven't had it lock up once so far and I don't get the horrible picture breakup.

These are the settings I used:
advancedrun.png
I think this would get round the problem with freezing in 1709 as well but as I explained previously, I don't suffer with that issue so I have no way of telling.

Hope this helps someone out.

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Crash2009

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#14

Post by Crash2009 » Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:01 am

Jachin99 found another (quite serious) change. Elimination of SMBv1

No more Workgroups. Might affect WMC libraries also

viewtopic.php?p=123528#p123528

technodevotee

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#15

Post by technodevotee » Tue Nov 28, 2017 11:55 am

Since upgrading to 1709 I occasionally get the tray icon appear (recording/updating/performing client maintenance) and, when it is on, the remote will open Media Center.

I gave up constantly restarting ehtray as that seems to be a dead end but I'm still trying to understand why it isn't working properly.

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#16

Post by 1ST1 » Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:29 pm

I just got the 1709 Update last night on my mediacenter PC. After repairing the WMC installation using a myself modified script of the V87 installation script everything seems to be up and running again. I had to go through the WMC first start setup to setup TV signals again but everything else, like media bibliothekes and recording jobs still were there.

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#17

Post by jachin99 » Thu Dec 28, 2017 4:56 am

This might sound kinda crazy and I don't know how well it would work but there are python programs that can take us tv now streams and convert them into a m3u stream server on your local machine. You might be able to add these as channels via the dvb link iptv server program. Dvb logic has a plugin for wmc. This would cutout cable subscriptions altogether in WMC while keeping live TV functionality

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