DVBLink WMC Client still working? [PlayReady Update Error]

[WMCEnthusiast]

I have never solved the "TV everywhere" task satisfactorily. For a few years I deployed a combination of Extenders and ServerWMC+Kodi, but what I always wanted was to have the same interface and functionality on all HTPC clients. I figure most of us wished for softsled features in WMC, but alas Microsoft never heard the call. I finally got a good deal on a network tuner recently which worked beautifully, but seems to have kicked the bucket after a couple of months.

An option I had always been interested in was DVBLink. In my many readings on TV in WMC, it was often recommended. I always try to get around without paid solutions, but now that I'm running out of options I wanted to give it a shot. However DVBLink is now abandonware since the developers moved on to a new project called TV Mosaic which offers no WMC support.

The DVBLink software and WMC plugin are still available from the DVBLogic website, as well as plenty of documentation. I even got an activation code free of charge! This seemed too good to be true, and sure enough after setting it up I don't get signal on any channels, just the infamous PlayReady update error. I uninstalled, reset WMC and started over with the same result. Already tried the usual suspects like disabling firewall. On the host machine all channels can be played in the DVBLink player, and they are all synchronized with the client.

So I wonder, is the combination of DVBLink and WMC still possible?

[jachin99]

I'm a little surprised that you need playready for your tuner. Have you looked around the forums for other playready errors or tried to update or reset playready? Did you have to email them to get the key or did they provide it with a download link somewhere?

[cwinfield]

Is this on windows 10? I understand that updates have broken this functionality.

[WMCEnthusiast]

Thanks a lot for helping out guys. I'm a 7 or bust guy. Windows Updates turned off from day one on all HTPCs. I don't need PlayReady which is also stated in the DVBLink documents. I gathered from the forums that PlayReady error is just Microsoft's way of saying there's no tuner signal. They advise to install it when asked (tried to skip it which prematurely ended setup), but that you should ignore any update failure messages:

https://dvblogic.com/wiki/index.php/How ... ediaCenter

The key was the most surprising thing for me. I downloaded it from here and entered my Email address in the "Get Activation Code" field:

https://dvblogic.com/en/player/

Got it just like that and registered successful. Immediately after activation, it would detect my tuner and let me set everything up.

[cwinfield]

what tuner are you using it with? I am only familiar with people using it to view copy freely with prime on windows 10 and don't think Ceton was ever done. Crash 2009 might be able to help if you PM. This is all I could find on the subject https://forum.dvblogic.com/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=28963 also I did see that Ceton tuners are not supported.

[WMCEnthusiast]

I am trying it with a simple PCI tuner card, TT-budget S2-3200 (I'm residing in PAL land). DVBlink is supposed to work with every BDA compatible tuner, and like I said it accepts this one without complaints on the host machine. I'm only interested in OTA. The fact that it would also detect the tuner on the client and let me scan channels tells me that I can't be doing too much wrong. I tried a few workarounds, but couldn't find too much in the forums. Plus they're all closed now so I will have to ask around on other places like avsforum. Unless somebody shows up here that has experience with this DVBlink that is.

Thanks a lot for getting back anyway!

Update: I was looking into the matter a little more, and soon realized what I was suspecting all along: DVBLink Player is just a standalone player. I was thrown off because it also contains DVBLink Server, but apparently it's a modified version. So after downloading the separate DVBLink Server setup and configuring my tuner again, I was able to stream all OTA channels to the clients. It works really well, even channel switching is pretty quick. Since the product isn't advertised anymore on their website, I have now contacted support to find out how to obtain a license. Not willing to pay the former list price however since support with critical updates effectively ended on January, 1.

[tonywagner]

Update: I was looking into the matter a little more, and soon realized what I was suspecting all along: DVBLink Player is just a standalone player. I was thrown off because it also contains DVBLink Server, but apparently it's a modified version. So after downloading the separate DVBLink Server setup and configuring my tuner again, I was able to stream all OTA channels to the clients. It works really well, even channel switching is pretty quick. Since the product isn't advertised anymore on their website, I have now contacted support to find out how to obtain a license. Not willing to pay the former list price however since support with critical updates effectively ended on January, 1.

Please keep us posted on what you find about the server license.

[WMCEnthusiast]

Sorry for the late feedback. This is the answer from support:

The full official support for DVBLink server will be stopped at 01-01-2019
It means that there will not be a new builds for server anymore. But the license server will run as before and all licenses questions will be fully supported.
You still may buy required licenses.
https://dvblogic.com/en/shop

PS: We still have a customers which successfully uses the DVBlink V3.x/4.x which is not supported for 4-5 years.

So they basically say this is a legacy product and if something breaks for your setup you're on your own, but hey some users are fine with it so please pony up the full license fee anyway. I know they are very popular and probably in good standing with their customers, but I will not pay 50 bucks for an unsupported product that's officially deprecated.

[kenidot]

Sorry for the late feedback. This is the answer from support:

The full official support for DVBLink server will be stopped at 01-01-2019
It means that there will not be a new builds for server anymore. But the license server will run as before and all licenses questions will be fully supported.
You still may buy required licenses.
https://dvblogic.com/en/shop

PS: We still have a customers which successfully uses the DVBlink V3.x/4.x which is not supported for 4-5 years.

So they basically say this is a legacy product and if something breaks for your setup you're on your own, but hey some users are fine with it so please pony up the full license fee anyway. I know they are very popular and probably in good standing with their customers, but I will not pay 50 bucks for an unsupported product that's officially deprecated.

Isn't the Server is free but the addons are paid? Cause if the server is free then i'll probably buy a license for the IPTV addon for my Set-Box Style PC.

[WMCEnthusiast]

I don't know anything about IPTV. How would you go about that?

I would need the TVSource package. Not gonna happen, I can buy another network tuner for that money.

[kenidot]

I don't know anything about IPTV. How would you go about that?

I would need the TVSource package. Not gonna happen, I can buy another network tuner for that money.

Pretty much uses IPTV sources (m3u or ts) just like on Kodi using a virtual tuner just like the rest of the addons they have. Although I get a fricken weak signal every time I watch a channel it might be the version of the server IDK.