How to detect an active recording or a live TV channel

[phanos]

Hi I am trying to create a small utility that will enter my HTPC computer into standby if it is not used. Is there a way to detect when a recording is active or when another pc in my network is watching a channel? I am using .net studio and I writing my application in c#.


Thanks

[Aduck]

Take a look here: viewtopic.php?f=73&t=3946

[lan]

Why do you need a utillity like that?

My HTPC goes to standby as you descripe with standard win7.

[Kay Diefenthal]

Argustv Notifier infoms you what the service does

https://github.com/ARGUS-TV/ARGUS-TV-Cl ... I.Notifier

[phanos]

Hello Ian, unfortunately my HTPC does not. I had a number of problems with the standby feature with the argus services enabled so I decided that this is might be my best bet.

In addition to these problems my utility will also help in preventing the computer for going into standby when other pcs are connected to it.

Is there a better way?


Thanks

[Kay Diefenthal]

i have Argus running on my Windows Home Server with LightsOut Addin and the ArgusTv LightsOut Whs Addin

for me worked it fine

[lan]

In general you have to make sure you are running the newest drivers (network, tuner etc. ALL) and bios. All your programs should be updated incl. windows update. Go for the latest and greatest.

There could be something in bios you need to check regarding standby.

I have the network adapter set to wake on lan and be sure to check only wake on magic packet.

In power option I have set my computer to sleep after 15 mins.

ARGUS use ezthumb.exe to create thumbnails for recording. Unfortunately there is an error in that program that triggers (under some circumstances) high CPU usage. In my case 25 % cpu all the time. This prevents effectively the computer to go to sleep. Therefore you need to start ARGUS Scheduler Console -> Settings -> uncheck “Automatically create thumbnails for all television recordings.
Author of the ezthumb.exe knows this and an update will come sooner or later.

If you still have troubles run cmd.exe as administrator. Make a dir like c:\temp. Go to the folder and run powercfg –energy. This analyses your system and make a report in c:\temp\ called energy-report.html.

This report gives a lot of warnings and errors even if everything works great with standby. But for your trouble shooting there could be some good hint to the issue. Also google powercfg to get more hints.

Parameters to try are
powercfg -lastwake
powercfg –devicequery wake_armed
powercfg - energy

I have 3 MediaPortal clients (childrens pc, kitchen and portable) and one main HTPC in the living room with tuners and connected to TV screen. When one client starts MediaPortal the HTPC wakes by itself (wake on lan). When no other clients or recording is active the HTPC goes to standby after about 15 mins. If there are user activity from others users (network activity, harddrive use etc.) it won’t go to standby.
HTPC wakes up to do recording and automatically go to sleep when done.

Right now I can’t remember if I have changed the “unattended” sleep time or if it only was necessary on my previously HTPC (Vista). Unattended means that HTPC wakes up without a user triggering the wake (e.g. for recording). The default unattended sleep time is 2 mins. and if you have set ARGUS to wake up 5 mins. before the event it could go to sleep without recording. Solution is to set unattended sleep time to 15 mins. This is done directly in registry.

[phanos]

Thanks lan,

I have checked most of the steps you are mentioning in the past but without success. I will do again a check for all the steps just in case and let you know of the results.

Thanks

[phanos]

Ian,

I had argus-tv on the main HTPC and xbmc at my clients I have. so far I have to manually start up the main HTPC before the clients can use the live tv feature. Wake on LAN works fine on my main HTPC (both when the pc is in standby, hibernation or even turned off). Is there an automatic way to start up the main HTPC when one of the clients starts up?

Thanks

[lan]

In MediaPortal this is simpel but I don't know about XBMC

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