TVHeadend without internet

1st Official Post

    Hi,

    I'm using TVHeadend Server on a wetek 1 and the client with a PI3.

    TV is working fine. But i don't have EPG and cannot start recordings.

    The problem seems to be not getting time without internet.

    What can i do?

    Thanks

    • Official Post

    you could manually set the time each time (not really a solution i guess)

    otherwise you could get an rtc shield (2-6€) for the RPi and get the time from the RPi (also not really ideal)

    do you just have no internet or no connection ? do you have access to your router ?

    Is dvbdate available in any LibreElec add-on?

    dvbtools/dvbdate at master · linuxstb/dvbtools · GitHub

    That would set the time and date from a currently tuned DVB stream? It might be possible to create a startup script that tuned a main channel and ran dvbdate, and then ran it again, say at 0300 or 0400 each morning? This is how most non-smart set top boxes and TVs work to get their time and date after all.

    (It's a relatively old bit of code but might be worth a look?)

    Looks like there are two options in Tvh - the Update time will work if you are root and is supposed to be more reliable, the NTP driver will run as any user but is less reliable?

    Quote

    Time Update

    Tvheadend has a built-in capability to update the system time. However, you should bear in mind that DVB time is not highly accurate and is prone to both jitter and variation between different transponders.

    Where possible, it’s probably still better to use an internet based NTP source to synchronise the system clock (i.e. through the underlying operating system).

    Update time : Enable system time updates. This will only work if the user running Tvheadend has rights to update the system clock (normally only root).

    Enable NTP driver : This will create an NTP driver (using shmem interface) that you can feed into ntpd. This can be run without root privileges, but generally the performance is not that great.

    Update tolerance (milliseconds) : Only update the system clock (doesn’t affect NTP driver) if the delta between the system clock and DVB time is greater than this. This can help stop excessive oscillations on the system clock.

    General - Tvheadend 4.0

    Happy new year to all,

    I'm connected to a Router. But i have no Internet. It's Not needed.

    I already activated time Update function. But i saw no effect on Client.

    I didn't check any changings at wetek Box. It's not connected to Monitor/TV.

    I also don't understand, that i cannot record without epg. Only Pressing Button and go..

    Quote from Dickermoby

    Happy new year to all,

    I'm connected to a Router. But i have no Internet. It's Not needed.

    I already activated time Update function. But i saw no effect on Client.

    I didn't check any changings at wetek Box. It's not connected to Monitor/TV.

    I also don't understand, that i cannot record without epg. Only Pressing Button and go..

    Have you watched a channel since you enabled Time Update?

    Yes, i watched other Channel.

    Quote

    Is dvbdate available in any LibreElec add-on?

    dvbtools/dvbdate at master · linuxstb/dvbtools · GitHub

    That would set the time and date from a currently tuned DVB stream? It might be possible to create a startup script that tuned a main channel and ran dvbdate, and then ran it again, say at 0300 or 0400 each morning? This is how most non-smart set top boxes and TVs work to get their time and date after all.


    (It's a relatively old bit of code but might be worth a look?)

    i'm Not Sure, where i can find the shell? Should it be done on Server or Client?

    Ah - I think we've missed that you're running TVH on a Wetek and your Client on a Pi.

    The TV Headend tick boxes and DVBDate will set the time on the Wetek (which is running TV Headend) NOT the Pi client AIUI.

    A RTC on the Pi is still a good bet - but if you can get your Fritzbox to run a proper NTP server that might work - though you'll have to configure the Pi to NTP from it?

    I'm Not Sure If Fritzbox has a time without internet. Providing as time Server is possible.

    Do i need a correct time on Server and Client?

    It seems to be a difficult topic.

    If i set Update time in Backend, then the time at wetek should be ok? This point i didn't checked.

    Quote from Dickermoby

    I'm Not Sure If Fritzbox has a time without internet. Providing as time Server is possible.

    Do i need a correct time on Server and Client?

    It seems to be a difficult topic.

    If i set Update time in Backend, then the time at wetek should be ok? This point i didn't checked.

    To make recordings properly, your backend time needs to be set (as it needs to know what time to start recording) In this case your Wetek.

    To display a programme guide I would expect your front-end time needs to be correct, as it will need to know the client's time to display the 'right' section of the guide. (ISTR TV Headend can cope with a client and server in different time zones)

    An RTC on the Pi is probably the easiest way of keeping the Pi time/date correct?

    It could be DVB Time on the Wetek (either via TV Headend or dvbdate) and an RTC on the Pi is the approach you could take.

    Can your Fritzbox use a cheap 3G/4G USB broadband dongle with a Pay-and-Go data SIM? If you only need to set NTP now and again that might be a neater solution.

    (I have a Dovado router that accepts a 3G/4G USB dongle for use when in summer cabins, on-the-road etc., and as a failover if cabled broadband goes down. They are quite popular in Sweden for this purpose, but other routers also offer this functionality)

    Quote



    It could be DVB Time on the Wetek (either via TV Headend or dvbdate) and an RTC on the Pi is the approach you could take.

    i think i must Check If the wetek Server is getting time with dvb Broadcast (Update function).Can i See it in Backend?

    If yes i must Look for a rtc for pi3. Any prefered Module? Is it Plug and Play?

    Quote from Dickermoby

    i think i must Check If the wetek Server is getting time with dvb Broadcast (Update function).Can i See it in Backend?

    If yes i must Look for a rtc for pi3. Any prefered Module? Is it Plug and Play?

    Can you ssh into the Wetek? I think typing

    Code
    date

    will return the system time and date.

    Afraid I don't use RTCs - I have an internet connection on all my networks.