[i0zjh02]

i'm currently running a dedicated backend Workstation running 3 separate PVR backends the first 2 of which I use within Kodi:

ArgusTV: Quad DVB-T2 Tuner and Dual DVB-S2 Tuner

DVBViewer: IPTV Tuner

Plex: Used to stream our content but also contains a separate Quad DVB-T2 Tuner for testing (but not at a point with current EPG solution that I could move to this)

I think because of the lack of ongoing support/development for ArgusTV (moved to this a number of years ago when SageTV was sold to google and is rock solid but now limited and I'm sure one day with ongoing Win 10 evergreen update approach that it will just stop working) and the lack of IPTV support (hence addition of DVBViewer) its now time to move to a different single PVR backend if possible? 

Main requirements are:
Stability, Proper Series recording, support for DVB-T2, DVB-S2 and IPTV tuners, ability to run backend on separate box to the Kodi frontend clients, good EPG integration (have Digiguide Subscription)

There seems to be a lot of positive feedback for NextPVR recently and also I see V5 is in development.

Would really appreciate any feedback on whether NextPVR will do everything I need and if so should I install V5 (does that have better support for true series recording) or stick with V4 at the moment?

I read that V5 NextPVR Client will at moment only work on same box as the server is that the same for the Kodi addon ?

Thanks for any comments/suggestions :-)

[emveepee]

There is no limitation on where the Kodi clients can run and v5 should certainly meet almost everyone's needs. 

I don't know how other backends handle it but the Kodi/NextPVR combo doesn't work well when users try and load a ridiculous number of IPTV channels with VOD.   A PVR app shouldn't have to deal with 50000 channels.

Martin

[sub3]

Stability, Proper Series recording, support for DVB-T2, DVB-S2 and IPTV tuners, ability to run backend on separate box to the Kodi frontend clients, good EPG integration (have Digiguide Subscription)
 

That all should be doable with NextPVR. I've never heard of Digiguide though, but if it makes xmltv files, then it'll be usable by NextPVR.

[i0zjh02]

There is no limitation on where the Kodi clients can run and v5 should certainly meet almost everyone's needs. 

I don't know how other backends handle it but the Kodi/NextPVR combo doesn't work well when users try and load a ridiculous number of IPTV channels with VOD.   A PVR app shouldn't have to deal with 50000 channels.

Martin

Thanks :-) I'll try an install of v5 (is the current version pretty stable?) And have a play with the IPTV side. I create a reduced set of channels from my provider with only 40 to 50 channels which I assume will be ok

Cheers Dave

[emveepee]

v5 is ready for release IMO and better than v4 in many areas.  I wasn't talking that much of a channel reduction either, cable tv users haven't had the problem with 1000+ channels, it is when it gets to many thousands of channels that the load and transfer delay from the addon into Kodi becomes an issue. 

The reality is it is probably makes the most sense to include the stations you actually might watch or listen too by filtering them out at the source.

Martin

[i0zjh02]

v5 is ready for release IMO and better than v4 in many areas.  I wasn't talking that much of a channel reduction either, cable tv users haven't had the problem with 1000+ channels, it is when it gets to many thousands of channels that the load and transfer delay from the addon into Kodi becomes an issue. 

The reality is it is probably makes the most sense to include the stations you actually might watch or listen too by filtering them out at the source.

Martin

Thanks Martin
Is series recording working ok in V5, this is the main reason I purchased but then didnt actually move everything to DVBViewer as it was quite flaky and not really what I would class as proper series recording (ArgusTV is good at that side)

[emveepee]

Working perfectly.  If your EPG source includes the New indicator it will also not record reruns which is the main function I use for series recording. 

I don't know how compatible Argus backend is with "For The Record" now but I did write a recording import utility from FTR

Martin

[i0zjh02]

Ok I've setup V5 on my Backend Server using the quad DVB-T2 tuner I was testing in Plex and my IPTV channel list (60 Channels) which was straightforward enough. 

Currently having mixed results

IPTV, seems to be working OK I can tune/watch from the NextPVR WEB client without problem and the same in Kodi using the backend add-on

DVB-T2, I can watch OK in the NextPVR WEB client although it takes a while to cache and start playing the stream but in Kodi a lot of the channels wont play. I get the feeling they take so long to cache and start that it timeout BBC1 HD seems particularly bad.

I cant see any parameters I can change either within NextPVR or Kodi Add-on to try and improve things, definately the channel tuning/switching seems to take ages compared to ArgusTV (1 or 2 seconds at most compared to between 5 and 10 on NextPVR)

Any suggestions??

[emveepee]

The web browser transcodes your broadcasts they should be slower then in Kodi.  Are you trying with Real Time or Timeshifting?  Timeshift does a little buffering, and you need to check your setting to make sure it is set to 0 or 1 second of prebuffer.  I would expect IPTV and tuners to be the same though.

Also on the server do you have the keep tuners primed option turned on?

Martin

[i0zjh02]

The web browser transcodes your broadcasts they should be slower then in Kodi.  Are you trying with Real Time or Timeshifting?  Timeshift does a little buffering, and you need to check your setting to make sure it is set to 0 or 1 second of prebuffer.  I would expect IPTV and tuners to be the same though.

Also on the server do you have the keep tuners primed option turned on?

Martin

Hi Martin
I've switched it to Realtime to start with to get things working and will move onto time shifting later to save confusing things, and I have "tuners primed" selected.

Example within Kodi if I try to play BBC 1 HD I either get nothing when I select "Switch to" or a message "Tuner Required. Navigation Disabled message" However if I select to record the program I can then play the recording immediately after that without any issue so the tuners seem to be working OK

[emveepee]

Perfect, testing Real Time will get the buffering out of the equation.

Sounds like you need to send kodi and NextPVR logs on the NextPVR forum, but I'd start by clearing the Kodi PVR database just in case you changed the configuration and there is a sync issue.

Martin

[i0zjh02]

Perfect, testing Real Time will get the buffering out of the equation.

Sounds like you need to send kodi and NextPVR logs on the NextPVR forum, but I'd start by clearing the Kodi PVR database just in case you changed the configuration and there is a sync issue.

Martin

Thanks I grab some logs tomorrow evening, FYI I always have the "Dont Cache in local database" option enabled in Kodi as I've had issues in the past with screwed up EPG data. Thanks for all your Suggestions :-)

[emveepee]

I believe the don't cache option is disappearing in Matrix so you will need to get used to it.

Martin

[sub3]

IPTV, seems to be working OK I can tune/watch from the NextPVR WEB client without problem and the same in Kodi using the backend add-on

DVB-T2, I can watch OK in the NextPVR WEB client although it takes a while to cache and start playing the stream but in Kodi a lot of the channels wont play. I get the feeling they take so long to cache and start that it timeout BBC1 HD seems particularly bad.

I cant see any parameters I can change either within NextPVR or Kodi Add-on to try and improve things, definately the channel tuning/switching seems to take ages compared to ArgusTV (1 or 2 seconds at most compared to between 5 and 10 on NextPVR)

The web app isn't a good place to check timing, since it effectively needs to transcode the DVB content into format that can be played in a browser, and this takes some time.

When you watch the stream in Kodi or other player that can view the native stream, you should be getting content within a second of the device starting. (ticking 'keep tuners primed' can make the tuners quicker to start on subsequent usage of the device, since it keeps the tuner running)