Video Player selection Issue

[tvlarry]

Using the provided Primary Player selection results in some channels not to load, some local channel links as in ABC Baltimore. Error comes up "Timeshift Error Media Not Supported"

If you select the Backup Player selection, the error goes away and you can view those channels now, however another issue developed on this Player option which is an Audio Loss intermitting if the stream pauses for a second or during a fast action video event the audio disappears, video stays. If you change channels and come back, the audio is restored.

Same issue with my U5 too.

 

Firmware 2.220914

connected direct to router via cat5

 

[dishuser]

the service you use has recently made changes

ask them

[Emporium]

When you have primary player, have you tried disabling Tismeshit ?

Obviously something is different on those streams that the Timeshift option does not like.  From LiveTV, select Menu->PVR->PVR Options.  If you don't have anything configure for Timeshift Cache Storage location, you obviously will need to configure that.  Or try to disable the Timeshift and Force USB TS options all together and see if that helps.

 

 

[tvlarry]

thank you, I disabled Timeshift and it corrected that error, but the channel will not load with the error " media format not supported"

same issue on my U5, same exact thing

 

if you have a Buzz, try channels ABC Baltimore or ABC Las Vegas using the Primary Player supplied

1.  

[Emporium]

If the rest of your channels work, then it has something to do with the encoding of the channel on the service end.  Talk to your service provider.

 

 

[tvlarry]

Maybe

Using the Secondary Video Player option opens the link for these channels however. I do not see any complaints on the Forums "List issues your having with channels" indicating an issue on my 2 boxes or a setting. Trying to get someone to try these channels on their unit using the same iptv link.

 

[dishuser]

maybe that's your problem

there's no such thing as secondary player anymore

[tvlarry]

Running the latest firmware, its labeled "Backup" not Secondary.

Where are the recommended settings listed for the units as Auto-Frame Rate, HDR Policy, Exact Refresh Rates, all the advanced settings ?

 

 

[Emporium]

Recommended settings for those are at the default settings.  Never had to play with them.    

People can't test your channels, since the streams are specific to the individual providers.  And in this forum, you are not allowed to mention the names of services you are using in public, since it is for support of boxes, NOT services.  Buzz themselves do not recommend or provide any IPTV services.

I have some "public" m3u lists and since those have sources from various places, they often have a mix of what is playable on the 2 different players.  But most "paid" services that I use, work with one player or the other, and not a mix and match.  The few times a service has had strange streams which cause an issue, I flag it to my provider and often it gets fixed on their side.

Like was said before.  If it is only specific channels with the issue, then it is something specific in the way your provider is encoding those channels, that the primary player does NOT like.   Just for kicks, I just tested on my Buzz xrs4900, using my main iptv service, and BuzzTV 5.0.799 with Primary player selected:  Both ABC (WMAR - Baltimore) and ABC (KTNV - Las Vegas) work perfectly fine with no issues.

 

 

[dishuser]

I leave everything at default as well and hdr on since my tv is hdr compliant

[tvlarry]

Thanks for the feedback,  my 4900 unit has same 5.0.799 so at this point I will contact BuzzTV techs and see what they suggest, I do want to say also that when trying to watch VOD movies using the Primary Player, the same error message appears " Media format not Supported" . Switching to "Backup" Player for the VOD,s correct the issue. 

So now i'm curious if your unit is also using Backup Player for VOD movies or is the Primary setting working.

 

 

[nbs.]

Different services will use different players  One player will not work for all services 

[dishuser]

44 minutes ago, tvlarry said:

Thanks for the feedback,  my 4900 unit has same 5.0.799 so at this point I will contact BuzzTV techs and see what they suggest, I do want to say also that when trying to watch VOD movies using the Primary Player, the same error message appears " Media format not Supported" . Switching to "Backup" Player for the VOD,s correct the issue. 

So now i'm curious if your unit is also using Backup Player for VOD movies or is the Primary setting working.

 

 

I use primary for livetv and backup or external for vod/tv series

backup is a default setting for vod/tv series and primary is default for livetv

why mess with default settings?

Edited August 10, 2023 by dishuser

[Emporium]

With my service, Primary works just fine for LiveTV 

For VOD, I used to use secondary, but have since switched to external and use MX Player Pro.  You also have the option of using external player if you prefer.  I believe the primary player is VLC.  VLC has (had) a a small issue (even when used as external player), that "IF" you launch it, and the stream takes too long to start, it times out pretty quickly and exits.  So reason I was not using Primary was not any corrupted stream, but since my provider replaced all their servers and replaced their panel, the VOD would take a few second to launch a movie (known issue, but I can live with it).  This would cause it to go to start the movie, but always exit since it took a while.  If you tried anough times, it would eventually start, and once started it was fine.  With Secondary, it worked fine.  

The issue is that your provider is using mixed different encodings for different channels for the liveTV channels.  That is not the best option if you want to maintain a proper compatibility.  Encode everything similar, that way some player can play them all.   Maybe in a future BuzzTV version when they update the version of the internal players, it might be better for your provider's choice of encoding.

Good news is that I can confirm that the Primary player is much improved in the latest beta I am running on my X5.  Even for VOD, I am now using Primary player now and have no issues. playing a bunch of VOD that I tested.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Emporium

[dishuser]

I am pretty sure that primary is not the same version of vlc that comes preinstalled in apps

I can't remember but I think it's libvlc

[Emporium]

7 hours ago, dishuser said:

I am pretty sure that primary is not the same version of vlc that comes preinstalled in apps

I can't remember but I think it's libvlc

You are 100% correct, but the main player code of libvlc is a snapshot in time of what the VLC app uses (minus all the GUI stuff).  The VLC app is also built with libvlc, therefore they often share similar behaviours.

I always have a number of basic players installed on my boxes (VLC, MXPlayer, Titan Player, HBPlayer, etc..) and that way I can test to see if a playback issue stems from the player/codecs, or something else.

Even for specific Live Streams when they have issues, I will get the m3u from my service, extract the specific M3U8 link for the channel in question, enter details into one of my personal M3U lists, and then use a player like IPTV Pro, loading my custom playlist and testing it there.  I have set up the app to always ask what player to use every time I launch a link, so that way I can check if it works with latest VLC, or any other player.

 

[dishuser]

I think when vlc was created it was for mac,linux and windows os

libvlc is so it can be added to any platform or app so of course features will change according to developer since vlc is open source as in buzztv app or an android app

[tvlarry]

update: Received an email from Buzz Tech Support that they will be sending me a Player Firmware update . I am awaiting.

[tvlarry]

Seems the Provider is working on the Format issue now. The channels in question before causing the error message has now disappeared and those channels are unavailable completely.

[tvlarry]

Well 5 days have passed, no firmware received from Buzz even though I was advised that there would be. Newsmax and other channels are back to square one again, they do not work when your Buzz unit is set to Primary Video Player.  Note: after evaluation of other boxes, Dreamlink, Matricom, Formula Z11 all work on their primary video player indicating that Buzz has an issue. Any help here would be great. Verify yourself that only the Buzz units have the issues. 

[dishuser]

I have no issues on any of the services I use

but then again they're not budget services and listen to their customers

[Emporium]

I have 0 issues on any of my services for Newsmax, on any of my Buzz tv boxes, from my 4500, B5, E5, Classic, HD5, X5 or even my U5.  Primary player works for all of them.

My services have a proper feed for Newsmax (which hosts all the fox news rejects), under the US channel category.   Many bargain services out there, only have the "Pluto, Xumo, Plex_USA, Localnow and other free streaming service feeds" versions.  And those are often in a different format which older versions of VLCLib (which is what I believe the primary player on Buzz is based on) did not like much.

I am running the latest BuzzTV Beta (which was released earlier today) on my X5 , and I can confirm to you that all those "secondary stream" channels which had an issue playing on the Primary player are no longer an issue (at least on my services).

So you either wait for the next public release to go out which includes a newer version of the Primary player, or complain to your provider to create a proper main stream for your channel.

 

 

[dishuser]

the one service I have charges(4 connections) for 2 months the same as what he pays for 12 months(1 connection)

they don't care really address complaints

I wonder why

you get what you pay for

[dishuser]

here's an idea

tell your service to contact buzztv since this site and those behind it don't support iptv

[Emporium]

OK.  So this is a service similar to those many of my acquaintances buy as "backup" service from fleabay or ali*** .  These services are fine for "backups" but if you rely on these for your day to day TV watching, it will be an exercise is frustration, and always with some new issue with no one to voice them to.  Good luck with that.

2 of the services I use (which I'm sure are common with what DU is using), you post a concern or issue about the service on the forum and it either gets fixed within minutes, or you get a reply on why it is happening and how it will be addressed shortly.

Like it was mentioned: "you get what you pay for"