[Frank_aspen]

As i'm trying to troubleshoot the architecture of XBMC utilizing NPVR as the back end, I'm not 100% sure I understand the workflow. If anyone has a minute to explain the workflow I think it'll help me identify where issues may be, what tweaks I can make to speed it up. I finally cutover completely from WMC to XBMC and I like it, just wish I could get the PVR aspect of it a bit more solid. I apologize in advance if I'm using the wrong terminology just really trying to understand it better.

From my understanding

1. NPVR receieves request from XBMC via NEWA to tune to a channel
2. NPVR issues request to tuner (in my case HDHR) to change channel, then reads in the MPEG2 datastream

Not sure on this next part it either:

1. Transcodes this MPEG2 stream into a new MPEG2 Stream (though different codec?) saved as a .TS file, does this use the NPVR server's codec's to do this? or just user it's renderer?
2. Just buffers the existing stream by saving it in the origional codec as a .TS file
3. Other that I don't completely understand

From there:

1. XBMC reads the .TS file via the NEWA protocol?
2. XBMC connects directly to the .TS file over network share?
3. NEWA presents and RTP Stream which is controlled via web commands?
4. Other I completely don't understand

Then:

1. XBMC reads this file and decodes it using the specified MPEG2 codec
2. XBMC renders the file using the specified renderer
3. XBMC reads a "live" stream only and decodes / renders on the fly?
4. Other I don't understand at all

Thank you all in advance! I sincerely apologize if this information is available elsewhere, I've look for it but can't seem to find a workflow guide. This also may be better posted in the NPVR forums.

[sub3]

Not sure on this next part it either:

1. Transcodes this MPEG2 stream into a new MPEG2 Stream (though different codec?) saved as a .TS file, does this use the NPVR server's codec's to do this? or just user it's renderer?
2. Just buffers the existing stream by saving it in the origional codec as a .TS file
3. Other that I don't completely understand

It just save the unmodified transport stream (as received from HDHR) to disk. There is no transcoding or anything like that.

From there:

1. XBMC reads the .TS file via the NEWA protocol?
2. XBMC connects directly to the .TS file over network share?
3. NEWA presents and RTP Stream which is controlled via web commands?
4. Other I completely don't understand

XBMC doesn't directly read the file. Via the PVR addon, it asks the server to stream the channel. The addon uses either HTTP, or a proprietary TCP scheme (if timeshift is enabled). Either way, NextPVR is just delivering the same raw transport stream that NextPVR originally received from the HDHR.

Then:

1. XBMC reads this file and decodes it using the specified MPEG2 codec
2. XBMC renders the file using the specified renderer
3. XBMC reads a "live" stream only and decodes / renders on the fly?
4. Other I don't understand at all

XBMC reads the stream data passed to it from the PVR plugin, spends a bit of time looking at the stream to work out the correct audio/video PIDs etc, then starts playback using it's own built-in (ffmpeg based) decoders.

[Frank_aspen]

Well that makes sense, Thanks!