Firmware 19.3_20211010 update discussion

[Paul_oz53]

Have to agree that something about 20211010 resulted in flaky networking. OK for a while but then goes AWOL.

And I have had frustrating periods where one device can see another but the reverse is not true. Particularly the U4s. I tend to work around the flakiness.

Hard to work around when you’re better half is wondering why she suddenly can’t watch a recording that was done on another box. Apart from “give me half an hour and I’ll reflash a box and reinstall a plug-in”! It is very frustrating, doubly so when it’s so intermittent and not everyone seems to suffer from it. But it’s always nice to know it’s not just me. Thanks for the input.

I know your pain. I was dragged out of a Board meeting today to get the U4 going again!

[Twizzle]

I have just updated to 19.3_20211010 for my U4 all seems ok and I can get all the TV channels & all the radio stations.

Most of the time my U4 is set on ABC Classic and (as with all radio stations on the U4) there used to be a default image on the back screen but now all that comes up is the Beyonwiz bubble screen (I don 't know what else to call it).

How can I go back to the default 'radio screen'. Everything else is fine & it is not a problem if we have to stay with the bubbles but I'd prefer the original.

[prl]

Most of the time my U4 is set on ABC Classic and (as with all radio stations on the U4) there used to be a default image on the back screen but now all that comes up is the Beyonwiz bubble screen (I don 't know what else to call it).

There is now no separate backdrop screen for radio. It uses the same screen as the startup time "bubble screen" (I don't have a better name for it either).

How can I go back to the default 'radio screen'.

You probably can't without hacking.

Everything else is fine & it is not a problem if we have to stay with the bubbles but I'd prefer the original.

I always thought that the old radio screen looked like something aimed at early teenage boys.

[Twizzle]

Thanks for that prl. It's good to know the update went through ok.

I agree the previous back display was perhaps designed for teenage boys but at least it had a bit of colour and wasn't boring.

[tyreless]

Is there any way to update the OpenWebif version? Currently on version 1.4.6, but I would like a more recent version to enable access to recordings sub-folders on my kodi boxes (using the Enigma2 plug-in). This isn't a life-changing issue for me, it would just be nice.

[Gully]

Is there any way to update the OpenWebif version? Currently on version 1.4.6, but I would like a more recent version to enable access to recordings sub-folders on my kodi boxes (using the Enigma2 plug-in). This isn't a life-changing issue for me, it would just be nice.

What firmware version are you on?

On my U4, OpenWebIf says it is v1.4.9

[tyreless]

I have a T2 on 19.3.20211010 (20211007-0-g815eca2).

[Gully]

I have a T2 on 19.3.20211010 (20211007-0-g815eca2).

Well definitely nothing newer around so I'll have to leave it to someone else to comment on the difference of versions.

[prl]

This is what I'm seeing on my test boxes, using Box Info in OpenWebif for the firmware version and About in OpenWebif for the OpenWebif version:
T2: 19.3.20211010 OpenWebif 1.4.9
T3: 19.3.20211010 OpenWebif 1.4.9
T4: 19.3.20211010 OpenWebif 1.4.9
U4: 19.3.20211010 OpenWebif 1.4.9
V2: 19.3.20211010 OpenWebif 1.4.9

[tyreless]

Yes, you’re right. About in OpenWebif says 1.4.9 - I missed that. I was looking at Packages in OpenWebif, which has four packages, all 1.4.6. So it seems that I need something more recent (1.5.2?).

[prl]

The displayed version number in the OpenWebif About screen comes from the source code. I'm not sure how (or if) that's linked to the package version number on the package files (which is what you see in the Packages screen).

[tyreless]

Thanks Peter.

Turns out that 1.4.9 is recent enough for my purposes. I am pursuing possible solutions on the kodi forums. I appreciate your advice (and have for many years whilst lurking in the Toppy and Wizzy forums).

[prl]

No problem, and thanks.

[raymondjpg]

Is there any way to update the OpenWebif version? Currently on version 1.4.6, but I would like a more recent version to enable access to recordings sub-folders on my kodi boxes (using the Enigma2 plug-in). This isn't a life-changing issue for me, it would just be nice.

I don't use subfolders, but the movie directories of a T2 and U4 are available to me in Kodi through Add Network Location in the Add Videos dialogue. I would try that to see if the subfolders show up there.

Mapping the BW movie directories will work regardless of which TV backend you use for Kodi. I prefer NextPVR.

[MrQuade]

I don't use subfolders, but the movie directories of a T2 and U4 are available to me in Kodi through Add Network Location in the Add Videos dialogue. I would try that to see if the subfolders show up there.

Mapping the BW movie directories will work regardless of which TV backend you use for Kodi. I prefer NextPVR.

Doing it that way would only provide you with the raw recording filenames wouldn't it? (No cleaned up recording name or other meta information)

[tyreless]

NextPVR Add On doesn't work for me, not sure why. I can get into the subfolders as a network source, and I can live with the messy file names. But it is very slow loading, to the point of being useless for me (and I am a reasonably patient person ).

[raymondjpg]

Doing it that way would only provide you with the raw recording filenames wouldn't it? (No cleaned up recording name or other meta information)

That's right, but you can't always get what you want.

NextPVR Add On doesn't work for me, not sure why. I can get into the subfolders as a network source, and I can live with the messy file names. But it is very slow loading, to the point of being useless for me (and I am a reasonably patient person ).

By all means keep using the Enigma2 addon. I was just pointing out that mapping the BW movie directories would work regardless of which TV backend you choose to use.

I should add that the BW file lists do take a while to load for me, and sometimes files take a while to open and play. However once loaded and started they play OK and well enough for me.

[raymondjpg]

NextPVR Add On doesn't work for me, not sure why.

Could be a number of things. Most likely plugin version, particularly if you are running 32 bit Kodi.

If you want to try NextPVR in Kodi, best install NextPVRv5 and update Kodi to Matrix 19.4 and the NextPVR plugin to v19.0.3.

[MrQuade]

I had a quick go with Kodi 19.3 with the enigma2 PVR plugin running on an Nvidia Shield.

EPG and streaming live work fine, but I can't seen any recordings at all, let alone just ones in the root recording folder.

Just so I am clear. You are able to see recordings, just not ones stored in sub-folders?

EDIT:
Ok, a little more thorough testing done (I was only testing my main recording U4), and it is a bit more convoluted .

My T2, T3, and V2 actually do all show recordings and sub-folder contents.
My U4 refuses to show any recordings at all. As this one is my primary recording device, that is a tad annoying Perhaps it is due to the much larger number of recordings on that one?

[raymondjpg]

Just so I am clear. You are able to see recordings, just not ones stored in sub-folders?

Can't speak for tyreless but I can certainly see all the recordings in the root recording folder under recordings in the TV section. Confluence skin.

[tyreless]

Just so I am clear. You are able to see recordings, just not ones stored in sub-folders?

Correct. In kodi, going to Settings -> System Info -> PVR Service, it shows “Recordings: 238”. But on the T2 in List it shows 238 recordings plus 51 subfolders (with many more recordings).

I am bemused that your shield shows subfolders from your T2, as I have the same setup. I have posted my issue in the kodi forums and the developer is having a look so maybe something will turn up there. Amongst other things, he/she asked me to specify the enigma2 platform I am running, but I wasn't sure how to answer.

[prl]

he/she asked me to specify the enigma2 platform I am running, but I wasn't sure how to answer.

"Beyonwiz T2"

But don't necessarily expect them to be familiar with it.

[MrQuade]

I am bemused that your shield shows subfolders from your T2, as I have the same setup. I have posted my issue in the kodi forums and the developer is having a look so maybe something will turn up there. Amongst other things, he/she asked me to specify the enigma2 platform I am running, but I wasn't sure how to answer.

They just show up as folders with recording (and non-recorded) media files. I was surprised as well! I had thought that maybe it was Kodi attempting to apply grouping to the files, but that wasn't the case.

As for the enigma2 platform, the Beyonwiz is a bit of a mongrel fork.
I think it was forked from a number of projects under the OE-Alliance years ago and has been developed in parallel. It is similar to, but also significantly different from the OpenVix and OpenATV variants. There are variants of those two projects that should run on the Beyonwiz hardware as well.
Your T2 has a Broadcom MIPS based SoC, whereas the U4 uses a Broadcom ARM SoC, and the V2 uses a HiSilicon ARM SoC.

[raymondjpg]

My U4 refuses to show any recordings at all. As this one is my primary recording device, that is a tad annoying Perhaps it is due to the much larger number of recordings on that one?

If I configure the Enigma2 addon to connect to my U4 I can also see all of the recordings in the root recording directory under recordings in the TV section of Kodi. Confluence skin.

My T2, T3, and V2 actually do all show recordings and sub-folder contents.

I have on occasion been tripped up by skin-specific differences in behaviour of Kodi. If you can indeed see the sub folder contents maybe it's because you are using a different skin from tyreless.

[MrQuade]

I have on occasion been tripped up by skin-specific differences in behaviour of Kodi. If you can indeed see the sub folder contents maybe it's because you are using a different skin from tyreless.

Just the default confluence skin.

My Kodi installs are basically fresh. I haven't had much of a use for it recently, so they were installed purely for testing stuff out.

[tyreless]

I normally use Amber skin but I just tried Confluence and Estuary, and still couldn't see the subfolders. I told the developer I had a Beyonwiz T2, and described the firmware as "bespoke" (it makes it sound fancy, doesn't it?). I also mentioned that OpenATV had been ported to run on it, to give the developer an idea of what type of machine it was (I didn't get as specific as you all).

[tyreless]

Mr Quade, do you have a Shield Pro or a Shield tube? I am wondering if the difference in our experiences is due to the difference in our Shields.

[MrQuade]

Mr Quade, do you have a Shield Pro or a Shield tube? I am wondering if the difference in our experiences is due to the difference in our Shields.

A Shield 2017 and a Shield Pro 2019, same results on both.
I don't think that would make a difference for this problem though. The software will be practically identical across all versions of the Shield (and my two units cover the two SoC minor variants).