Kodi with PVR Support

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ICN OK.PNG Latest news:
  • 2015-07: Kodi 15.0 RC1 "Isengard" released - problems with ARGUS TV Recorder-Plugin reported
  • 2015-03: Kodi 14.2 "Helix" released as latest stable version
  • 2014-08: XBMC is now called "Kodi" (version numbering is continued; Kodi starts with V14 (aka "Helix")), this article refers to the name "Kodi". Kodi's ARGUS TV PVR functionality is 100% compatible (but uses slightly different naming in menus) with "XBMC Gotham" (13.x) and "XBMC Frodo" (since 12.2)
  • This article is also valid for OpenELEC installations since OpenELEC version 3.0
  • The described functionality is valid for ARGUS TV 2.2 and likewise ARGUS TV 2.3


ICN INFO.PNG Information:
"XBMC" will only be called "Kodi" throughout this article. The name "XBMC" will vanish with Kodi Helix (14.0) and therefore we decided to presume this already.


Contents

Prologue - Some words about Kodi & XBMC

For those of you knowing already, what Kodi & XMBC is about and for, we'd like to share some words about Kodi 14 ("Helix"), XBMC 13 ("Gotham"), XBMC 12 ("Frodo") and former version XBMC 11 ("Eden"); the current official version is XBMC Gotham 13.2, upcoming: Kodi Helix 14.0 by the time of writing.
The name "XBMC" (XBMC stood for "x-box media center" and this simply not fitting to this grown application anymore ;) ) will vanish with the next release "Helix" and be replaced by the new name "Kodi". The version numbering is continued. Next release is called Kodi "Helix" (14.0).

Whether you're new to Kodi or an already happy user - we urgently recommend to use the latest stable version together with latest ARGUS TV release or public RC.

A smiling flashback to earlier versions

XBMC Frodo (XBMC 12.0) and Eden (XBMC 11) came both with NO support for ARGUS TV (by that time, it was called "For the Record" and just started to change its name) - with Frodo 12.2 there came the happy-making message: "ARGUS TV PVR functionality is included now!" - and countless bug corrections had been made. A ARGUS TV forum member did the whole development of integrating ARGUS TV into XBMC - by that time with special builds only. A huge thank to RedF & Margro and all the early testers - you may also want to have a look at the ICN WIKI INLINE.PNG Credits of this article. Only since Frodo 12.2 the ARGUS TV PVR Client is automatically included and became part of the official XBMC Repository) and thus earlier versions are not covered anymore by this Wiki article.
If you want to know about XBMC Frodo "before-12.2" or even XBMC 11 (Eden), please visit the article ICN WIKI INLINE.PNG Archive: XBMC 11.0 (Eden) with PVR Support. Eden's and early Frodo's specific installation information have been wiped out of this (active) Kodi article. Maybe interesting: below screenshots are (still) taken from a Frodo 12.0-specifical build with ARGUS TV PVR-Addon. And... they're still valid :)


About Kodi

Kodi is a free and open source media center developed by the Kodi Foundation, a non-profit technology consortium. Kodi is available for multiple operating-systems and hardware platforms, for use with televisions and remote controls. It allows users to play and view most videos, music, podcasts, and other digital media files from local and network storage media and the internet. OpenELEC is a specific Linux build of Kodi with a stripped-down dedicated Linux kernel serving only Kodi on multiple platforms (also suitable for low-end processors and hardware). (see ICN WEB INLINE.PNG Kodi Website and ICN WEB INLINE.PNG Wikipedia Kodi/XBMC for a complete description, ICN WEB INLINE.PNG OpenELEC Website and ICN WEB INLINE.PNG Wikipedia OpenELEC)


Kodi with ARGUS TV PVR Support

Kodi with ARGUS TV PVR support... click to enlarge →

ARGUS TV PVR functionality is part of the "official Kodi Repository".
Please note: "Live TV" menu entry is simply called "TV" under Kodi "Helix"


Download & Installation Instructions

Prerequisites

  1. ARGUS TV 2.0.1 or later has to be installed. ARGUS TV 2.0.0 or earlier will not work properly with Kodi. ARGUS TV 2.3 is, of course, supported. ARGUS TV-Download - see below.

Download & Installation

Download
ICN WEB.PNG

Download

  1. Download latest ARGUS TV version: ICN FORUM INLINE.PNG Get latest published version of ARGUS TV here
  2. Download of Kodi:
    1. If you want to stay with the latest official Release: download Kodi under ICN WEB INLINE.PNG Kodi Downloads
    2. "For the time after" - if you want to use the nightly builds of Kodi already: download a latest Kodi Nightly under ICN WEB INLINE.PNG Kodi File Repository (Mirror List).
  3. If you want to use the Kodi / OpenELEC builds (as an alternative to #2):
    1. Get the latest official Release of OpenELEC under ICN WEB INLINE.PNG OpenELEC Site and select your platform.
      Additional or incremental builds can be found under ICN WEB INLINE.PNG OpenELEC Nightlies Archive


Installation
  1. Make sure, ARGUS TV (later than 2.0.1) is properly installed and configured.
  2. Install the downloaded Kodi version (see above): run the installation and wait until all databases are properly installed or updated.


ICN INFO.PNG FYI: What is a "Nightly" or "Nightly Build"?
"Nightlies" are builds that are run automatically during the night. All (ready-to-test) contributions or changes have before been added to the main development branch and will automatically be incorporated.

The keyword is "ready to test" here. These changes normally have been tested on on a subsystem or component level and only few as an incorporated part of the whole system. Thus, every user using "Nightlies" have to be prepared, that the system may be unstable, maybe even (worst case) not run at all.
The more mature a version is (means: beta stage or even already release candidate, not just alpha, the less incremental improvement you may expect through using latest nighlies


Get it started

To configure & to activate the ARGUS TV PVR Client, respectively the PVR functionality, please follow the steps described below.

Configuration & Activation of ARGUS TV PVR Client

To use the PVR functionalities within Kodi, you have to configure it in two simple steps: activate & configure the PVR add-on for ARGUS TV properly and then activate it. (Depending on your version of Kodi, it could already be activated.)
If you follow the steps to first configure the PVR add-on and then activate PVR functionality, it'll avoid you to get some (obvious) error messages. But it's of minor importance, the ARGUS TV Client plug-in starts automatically after it has been activated. If you want to stay on the absolute safe side, exit Kodi and restart it (not needed).

Configuration of ARGUS TV PVR add-on

Move to the PVR Clients under System / Settings / Add-ons / Installed Add-ons / PVR Clients (if not yet there, what it should, go to available Add-ons and install it; it's normally pre-installed since XBMC 13 Gotham)

  • (You may safely) Deactivate all other PVR Clients except "ARGUS TV PVR Client" (if you're using Kodi with ARGUS TV only).
  • Configure the ARGUS TV PVR Client to your needs:
  • The most important fields to configure
    • ARGUS TV Hostname: set the IP address or server name of the machine on which your ARGUS TV Scheduler Service (=core) is running, it should be noted that all server and user names used with Kodi linux flavours are case sensitive please double check your server and user names have been entered correctly. Keep 127.0.0.1 for a single-seat installation (Kodi and ARGUS TV are running on the same machine). Chose the server host name or IP, if not.
      You may enter also a dynamic DNS entry, if you registered a dynamic DNS service and set up dynamic DNS and NAT / port forwarding on your router (→ see also ICN WIKI INLINE.PNG our Wiki article Remote Access).
    • ARGUS TV webserver port: set to 49943 if you used the default settings when installing ARGUS TV
    • Windows User Account: set the user name of the above mentioned machine, that should be used. This user has to have full access to the recording folders, it should be noted that all server and user names used with Kodi linux flavours are case sensitive please double check your server and user names have been entered correctly . And - see trouble shooting section - it has to have also full access to the timeshift folders definded within ARGUS TV configuration. Please note, that ARGUS TV Scheduler is running by default under the local SYSTEM account. This user/password configuration needs not needingly exist on a local (remote) machine, on which Kodi is installed - if "client only".
    • Password: enter the password of this user that you just entered to be used on ARGUS TV Core's (=ARGUS TV Scheduler's) machine.
  • Activate ARGUS TV PVR Client → see next section.
Kodi ARGUS TV PVR Client setup (using WAN dyndns-access)... click to enlarge →
Activation of the PVR functionality

Enter System / Settings / Live TV and go to the tab General

  • Activate "Enabled" - the PVR add-on immediately starts up.
  • Adjust other settings to your needs, they're self-explanatory.
  • Troubles? See also ICN WIKI INLINE.PNG Troubleshooting & Restrictions
Kodi System Settings / Live TV... click to enlarge →


As soon, as you enable the PVR functionality as described above, you will see the PVR starting up, connecting to ARGUS TV, importing recordings, schedules and finally also the EPG.
If you didn't configure the PVR add-on(s) properly, you'll encounter on-screen error messages, therefore we recommend to configure the PVR add-ons first.
You'll find now in the main menu the entry "Live TV" (Kodi: simply called "TV") as shown in the pictures above.

Please keep in mind, that the PVR functionality as a whole is not supporting all options of ARGUS TV: not all functions are yet supported.

Enjoy the combination of these two marvelous software packages: ARGUS TV & Kodi.


Tips & Tricks

  • After adding / editing / moving or removing channels from the back-end, you should reset the PVR database.
  • Recording lifetime settings
    • 1 = keep until space needed
    • 2-364 = keep number of days (so lifetime of 14 → recording deteted after 14 days)
    • 365 = keep forever
  • Setting the "Tunedelay" to 0 in the ARGUS TV PVR Client's Addon Config screen will force a new stream on tuning. This usually solves hangs on channel changes with different content channels (i.e. SD ←→ HD).
  • If your EPG data is often incorrect(and correct within ARGUS TV Scheduler Console), check the "Don't save TV Guide in Database" option in the TV section. This will force a full EPG import at Kodi startup.
  • If you have buffering issues / glitches on Live TV / Radio, you can try to increase the buffers to 20 for example. You'll need to add this to Kodi's advancedsettings.xml:
  <pvr>
     <minvideocachelevel>20</minvideocachelevel>
     <minaudiocachelevel>20</minaudiocachelevel>
  </pvr>

Side effect: channel switching time will be higher.
Can't find advancedsettings.xml? More information under ICN WEB INLINE.PNG Kodi advancedsettings.xml

  • If you're running ARGUS TV Scheduler with MediaPortal's TV Server, please make sure, that only the ARGUS TV PVR add-on is activated and used from within Kodi. See below's section ICN WIKI INLINE.PNG Troubleshooting & Restrictions for details.


Troubleshooting & Restrictions

Troubleshooting

ICN EDIT YELLOW.PNG The following list may not be complete. If you encounter additional issues or find, that some of them have been fixed, please add your experience for other users or report them in ARGUS TV's forum section ICN FORUM INLINE.PNG Kodi Client Plugin.
This ARGUS TV article or section needs your support. Please help us to create, correct or extend it. You may want to refer to "Contribute to our Wiki".


ICN INFO.PNG Information:
In addition to below troubleshooting hints, please see also our article ICN WIKI INLINE.PNG No card found to record program - No Free Card Found To Start Live Stream - No tuner was able to start the live stream which may cover additional causes for the mentioned troubles, covering ARGUS TV configuration, Windows configuration and card issues.
Occurring issue Potential reason Solution / work-around
Live TV is not working Access rights to the timeshift folders especially under OpenELEC, Android & LinuX, parts of it also for Windows
  • It seems, that on Linux-based systems (depending on platform and version), it is not always enough to setup the Windows user name and password within the add-on-configuration of kodi.
    • It may be important to actually access the remote side (ARGUS TV server) through Kodi's file manager (System / File manager) and save the credentials once
    • It is important to do this with Kodi's File manager and NOT just within Video/Audio-Section
    • Add a source from within Kodi's file manager (System / File manager) pointing to ARGUS TV's timeshift folder(s)
    • It is nevertheless reported, that this may not work as the time of writing on Intel-based Android machines


  • The ARGUS TV Scheduler-service and also ARGUS TV Recorder-service is running under the local SYSTEM-ACCOUNT, which may cause additional issues if you record/ timeshift on a remote share.
    • The SYSTEM-ACCOUNT can't "leave" the local PC under Win Vista/7 and later
    • This is NOT just Kodi-related - it's important for every setup, that uses remote shares for argusTV directly
    • It is thus not possible, to test access to the share with Windows Explorer or similar - you'll test it under your own user credentials not under "SYSTEM" of the services
    • To solve this, the ARGUS TV services must be run on a useraccount that's known (and allowed) on remote machines, too
LAN: No connection to ARGUS TV Wrong configuration
  • Please make sure, that your port settings (49943) and the used user name and password are correct. User name must be a valid user of the ARGUS TV Scheduler machine with the appropriate password. It needs not to be the user, under whose rights ARGUS TV services are running.
  • check please, if ARGUS TV and Kodi both have full access to incoming and outgoing connections in your firewall
WAN: No connection to ARGUS TV Wrong configuration
  • First check please, if ARGUS TV and Kodi both have full access to incoming and outgoing connections in your firewall
  • If you installed / added Kodi already earlier and selected only some ports to be opened, add the ports 49941 through 49943 to be open as well
  • Check if your port just configured in PVR Client is correct
  • Check that all server, user names and passwords have been correctly entered, they are case sensitive and will not work if the incorrect case has been set.
  • If you're using dynamic DNS, check
    • that your dynamic DNS service is properly set up and active (check with your dynDNS service provider)
    • that port forwarding or NAT is set up correctly for ALL new ports (49941 through 49943)
Buffering issues / glitches on Live TV or Radio Video/Audio buffers (especially on older hardware) too low - but the reasons may be manyfold!
  • Increase Video & Audio buffer: you'll need to add this to Kodi's advancedsettings.xml:
  <pvr>
     <minvideocachelevel>20</minvideocachelevel>
     <minaudiocachelevel>20</minaudiocachelevel>
  </pvr>
  • Side effect: channel switching time will be higher.
  • Can't find advancedsettings.xml? More information under ICN WEB INLINE.PNG Kodi advancedsettings.xml
Non-resolvable recording conflicts / not recorded shows/schedules using MediaPortal's (MePo) TV Server Parallel use of Kodi's ARGUS TV AND MediaPortal PVR add-ons Using both PVR add-ons in parallel may result in non-resolvable recording prediction and seemingly non-working conflict management of ARGUS TV. In fact, scheduling recordings from within Kodi can only be planned with the MePo PVR add-on (ARGUS TV's add-on is not yet able to add/delete/edit schedules).

Any schedule that is directly submitted from within Kodi is planned through MePo add-on and thus is "invisible" to ARGUS TV. Thus the ARGUS TV planning relies on the number of physically present TV cards - not knwoing, which schedules are submitted through MePo. If an ARGUS TV recording shall start, it may thus occur, that a tuner is already busy - "booked" by MePo TV-Server.
Solution: plan all schedules/recordings through ARGUS TV Scheduler Console.
See also below's Restrictions section of this article.


Restrictions

Currently - as the time of writing - known restrictions on Kodi's ARGUS TV PVR add-on:

  • Creating / Updating / Deleting of ARGUS TV schedules is currently not available. This concerns:
    • Activating / de-activating schedules
    • Creating schedules
    • Deleting schedules
    • Editing schedules / changing schedules details


Further Information

ICN WEB.PNG

Please read & follow:

  • ARGUS TV's forum section ICN FORUM INLINE.PNG Kodi Client Plugin. The "Development Progress" thread covers Kodi's ARGUS TV PVR functionality in detail. You will also get the latest news there.


Archive: XBMC 11.0 (Eden) with PVR Support

If you want to know about XBMC 11.0 (Eden), please visit the article ICN WIKI INLINE.PNG Archive: XBMC 11.0 (Eden) with PVR Support. Eden's information has been wiped out of this (active) Kodi article.


Credits

Our credits go especially to the ARGUS TV-Users Margro, Red_F, Glenn 1990, luetty, PaulAEvans and many other contributors of the ARGUS TV Forum. Argus PVR Live TV "Argus-TV" ArgusTV ATV "A-TV" ForTheRecord 4TR "For The Record" Scheduler Recorder Console Kodi XBMC PVR Client "add-on" addon Helix Gotham Eden Frodo 11.0 12.0 12.2 13.0 13.2 14.0 download setup installation

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