[addon] BTV Podcatcher

[jrandeck]

I'm having an unusual problem lately...

Many of the podcasts I download have their colors messed up. The screen comes up predominantly green with very little detail. It's almost like a negative image except that everything is washed out in neon green. It looks like a music video from the 70's

Any idea what might cause that? It happens most frequently on "Cranky Geeks" which is a DivX file I think, but it's also happened with the Tekzilla WMV version.

I'm thinking it might be a codec issue on my end? but then why does it happen only with certain files?

[mpp_mpp]

Originally Posted by jrandeck

I'm having an unusual problem lately...

Many of the podcasts I download have their colors messed up. The screen comes up predominantly green with very little detail. It's almost like a negative image except that everything is washed out in neon green. It looks like a music video from the 70's

Any idea what might cause that? It happens most frequently on "Cranky Geeks" which is a DivX file I think, but it's also happened with the Tekzilla WMV version.

I'm thinking it might be a codec issue on my end? but then why does it happen only with certain files?

First off crankky geeks does not have a divix file, it does have a WMV file I am going to assume this is the format you are using

You issue isn't a problem with BTV Podcather it is a problem with BTV playing that file you can confimr this by downloading the file in a web browsoer and seeing if it plays the same. Along time ago I had a similar problem playing WMV files in BTV (execpt they were all green) and I fixed it by updating my graphics card driver. That is where I would start make sure you are running the current driver from nvidia or ati. If that does not work double check to see if the files play ok in windows media player (I think they should play fine here but if they do not)
then try playing another WMV file in BTV that you created from BTV by doing a showsqueeze and see if it it only external wmv.

I would also try changing you you video renderer setting (the one that has overlay and 3d accelerated)
I would also try diffrent mpeg-2 decoders and see if that helps

A workaround to you prblem whould be using the h.264 feed for cranky geeks and ether the h.265 (but not the HD one) or Xvid feed (need to install the xvid codec on your playback machine but will play fine in BTV after you do that) for Tekzilla

Again my guess is if you update you graphic card drivers (especially if you or on a nvidia driver from about a year ago) that that might fix the issue

[mpp_mpp]

Originally Posted by BigBill

I tried the new one, nice to be able to click on a few episodes at once and download them!

Is there a log file, I am seeing errors pop up like "no file to download" that appears to stop all downloads till I click enter. I want to figure out which feed is having the issue so I can remove that one if it keeps happening. Also, is there a way to ignore that dialog box after a while and keep going? I don't get on the console of my btv server all that often. Tks! Bill

Sorry for the late response saw your post this morning but work was really busy and I could not stop to respond.

the only log file is in the program memory - to view this go to view options and then click show console (but this may not have what you want in it and it will only hold a certain amount of text before it starts to remove the old entries from it and it does not save when you close the application. - If you are a developer and you know about the System.Console you can redirect the output from here (using the command line or attach a VS session) but this only hold info about exceptions and other events I used in building to test and does not have anything about the no file to download (this is different from the log in the menu even though they have the same name)

Right now there is no way to automatically close the messages - I might look into this for a future option but right now it just stay up

the "no file to download" error occurs because there is no enclosure in the rss for a feed item that is trying to download.
A way to view the enclosues is to go into the feed viewer go to the feed items tab. and the Download URL is the enclosure so if that is blank that is your feed that you are having an issue with.

[jrandeck]

Originally Posted by mpp_mpp

First off crankky geeks does not have a divix file, it does have a WMV file I am going to assume this is the format you are using

You're right, of course. I was at work and was going from memory. WMV it is.

With a little investigation (don't know why I didn't think of it before) I see that it plays the same way in Windows Media player as in BTV, as do WMV files created by BTV. The colors are also wrong in Media Player Classic and Zoom Player. Interestingly enough, the same files play OK with VLC.

I'm running the 8.4 Catalyst drivers from ATI. I recently upgraded my HTPC to an ATI 780G chipset and I'm using the on-board graphics. I could try downgrading to the drivers that came with the mobo (8.3 I think) but I doubt that will help.

[mpp_mpp]

Originally Posted by jrandeck

You're right, of course. I was at work and was going from memory. WMV it is.

With a little investigation (don't know why I didn't think of it before) I see that it plays the same way in Windows Media player as in BTV, as do WMV files created by BTV. The colors are also wrong in Media Player Classic and Zoom Player. Interestingly enough, the same files play OK with VLC.

I'm running the 8.4 Catalyst drivers from ATI. I recently upgraded my HTPC to an ATI 780G chipset and I'm using the on-board graphics. I could try downgrading to the drivers that came with the mobo (8.3 I think) but I doubt that will help.

I dont know if the drivers is going to fix the issue since you were using ati. Mine was caused by Nvidia Drivers ( not sur which card i had at the time or which drivers it was)

One thing I found is try disabling WMV acceleration in the ATI CP

[jrandeck]

Well, I downloaded and installed Windows Media Player 11 and rebooted. Lo and behold, wmv files play correctly now.

[mpp_mpp]

Originally Posted by jrandeck

Well, I downloaded and installed Windows Media Player 11 and rebooted. Lo and behold, wmv files play correctly now.

Glad to hear you fixed it

[eMpTy3000]

All of my feeds just disappeared on me. They are no longer in feed setup or feed viewer. Is there any way to restore them? Where did they go? Why did it happen? What information do you need from me to try to figure out the problem?

Thanks!

[mpp_mpp]

Originally Posted by eMpTy3000

All of my feeds just disappeared on me. They are no longer in feed setup or feed viewer. Is there any way to restore them? Where did they go? Why did it happen? What information do you need from me to try to figure out the problem?

Thanks!

My guess is the feed info file got corrupted the file is in your {app data}\btvpodcatcher folder

(can't get the actual file name while at work)

This probaly hapend when the file was saved before you closed the app. This file is saved when an update occurs, or when you edit a feed in feed setup

My guess is since you restatted the app which caused an updated the program all ready created a new feed info file over the corupted one an I would not be able to take a look at it to see how it was corupted

You can look at the console (in view menu) and see if any errors were recorded

[eMpTy3000]

Alright. Thanks. I added the feeds I could remember back into BTVPodcatcher and found the configuration file and created a backup copy.

[BigBill]

I am seeing an odd thing when deleting podcasts inside BTV. It doesn't happen on all but often enough to be of concern. After I watch a podcast in btv I esc out and click on delete file. A dialog box pops up with the usual "Do you really want to delete this recording?" and it will sometimes zoom up to fill in the whole screen in sort of an "its going to blow up the machine" look and feel. It hasn't done that but its disconcerting that it does that. Has anyone else seen that behaviour? I haven't noticed a pattern yet, but will concentrate to see if its the mp4 or wmv or xvid or what. Thanks, Bill
PS. has done it all along and I am on the most recent version from a few days ago. Speaking of that, is there a better place to put these files (like editing the first message and putting subsequent versions there) to make them easier to find. yada yada yada..

[mpp_mpp]

Originally Posted by BigBill

I am seeing an odd thing when deleting podcasts inside BTV. It doesn't happen on all but often enough to be of concern. After I watch a podcast in btv I esc out and click on delete file. A dialog box pops up with the usual "Do you really want to delete this recording?" and it will sometimes zoom up to fill in the whole screen in sort of an "its going to blow up the machine" look and feel. It hasn't done that but its disconcerting that it does that. Has anyone else seen that behaviour? I haven't noticed a pattern yet, but will concentrate to see if its the mp4 or wmv or xvid or what. Thanks, Bill
PS. has done it all along and I am on the most recent version from a few days ago. Speaking of that, is there a better place to put these files (like editing the first message and putting subsequent versions there) to make them easier to find. yada yada yada..

First off the issue sound as it is btv not my program caused the issue once the properties are written the podcatcher has noting to do with the file.

I have never seen this. The delete screen always seams normal.
the next time it happens take a screen shot of this. Then see if you can see if you can constantly replicate the issue; for example do not deltete the epoisode and close btv interface open interface try to deltete show again.
If you find one show that always causes the issue post which show and I will take a look at.

If you can constantly replicate then you might contact snapstream and submit the bug.

Also search user support forum and see if you can find other people with the same issue.

[BigBill]

Thanks, I had poked around and didn't see anyone with similar issues. I will pay closer attention to see if I can determine what the pattern is.
-Bill

[dgonyier]

Just FYI I am having problems with the current version of PodCatcher (2.3.976.10) with the following x-play feed:

http://www.g4tv.com/xplaysdailygamin...ing_Update.xml

Seems to be having problems with the ' character in the title X-Play's Gaming Update which shows up as strange characters and gives errors trying to do things with episodes from the web interface.

I subscribe to other X-Play feeds with PodCatcher and those feeds don't seem to have a problem with the ' character

[mpp_mpp]

Originally Posted by dgonyier

Just FYI I am having problems with the current version of PodCatcher (2.3.976.10) with the following x-play feed:

http://www.g4tv.com/xplaysdailygamin...ing_Update.xml

Seems to be having problems with the ' character in the title X-Play's Gaming Update which shows up as strange characters and gives errors trying to do things with episodes from the web interface.

I subscribe to other X-Play feeds with PodCatcher and those feeds don't seem to have a problem with the ' character

I see the error and I will instigate it and find a fix. I am not sure it is the ' because I have a took care of a issue with that in the last release.
I can say that the error is cause by some character that BTV does not like. I probably will not get to looking into this weekend so if you can wait a couple days before I can get a fix out for this.