TVHeadend Server and Client running on same Box

I started using TVH about 4 years ago with mostly great results.

I started this topic to encourage users to setup seperate TVH Servers.

My first setup using the one box to run both the TVH Server and TVH Client worked OK but within one week of use it was obvious that running both server and client had too many negative results for a stable working system.

The TVH Server is the most important part of the TVH setup.
Once set up it’s mostly set and forget.
The server box is running 24/7 doing what it’s meant to do.
Run all the time and available all the time to all clients on your network.

I’m still running TVH Server using old Kodi Krypton 17.6 with an old S905x box.

The TVH Server version and the Kodi OS version used for the setup should not need updates or settings changes for the vast majority of users.

If your OS is continually updating, there is a high chance you will break the TVH Server functioning as when first set up.

The TVH client updates are generally needed for better performance and stability as you upgrade your Kodi OS.
Running the server on the same box increases the chance of breaking your TVH server when OS is updated.

Running server and client on same box will also cause some hardware to overheat.
Fluctuations in temperatures will be triggered by TVH recordings being recorded or a combination of recording and TVH live TV playback at the same time.
Recording 2 programs and watching a movie or whatever fuctions on the same box can really increase temperatures and some hardware craps out with abnormal behaviour.

Below is a screenshot from a user who did some TVH testing on an RPI.
Link to his tutorial which may be of use to some newbies to TVH.

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Whilst separating resources for any process between machines, there are a various factors that will affect an individual machines performance.

I myself have always used the same box to run both client and server and have yet to come across an issue to make me want to consider something else.

Usage has included recording 2 channels whilst watching something else.

Yes it is inevitable that temps will rise but my experience lately is that a box having a general temp of around 48C can rise to around 60C when recording 2 channels whilst watching something from local storage, rising to around 68C when HD recorded content was being post processed by comskip.

So performance is quite acceptable all round.

Other boxes of course may go from warm to lava heat from the merest load placed on the SOC.

Therefore my personal recommendation would be to try it on one box first before going to any expense of using 2.

The only other thing that I would add is that if you do decide to purchase another box to share the load, for TVH you really only need something quite basic, so expense can be kept to a minimum.

Totally agree. I should have mentioned that.

Can i ask what hardware you are using ?
Any cooling mods ?

On my VIM2 using the s912 I had massive issues with running both server and client on the same box. Many lockups and system crashes.

Shoog

Just a side note… From TVH server perspective, streaming without transcoding shouldnt make any performance problems. Comskip on the other side, is very demanding for the CPU side.

I didnt have much experience with recording though, but from the observation above its propably CPU demanding for some reason? Not sure why, writing stream to USB HDD connected to the TVH server box shouldnt be a big trouble I guess (again, with comskip exception, if there is automaticly processing after record).

My main box used to be an S912 S10 and my current one is an S905X2 in the form of an A95X Max.

I tend to use internal storage for recordings and in the case of the A95X Max I both run CE from an internal SSD, piggy backing off the USB to SATA controller and used it as storage and recordings until a few weeks ago where I managed to get at the eMMC and now use that for recordings.

Yes, comskip is CPU heavy and will cause a raise in temps for the period that it is in operation.

Transcoding isn’t an option for any of the AMLogic based SOC’s (although I’ve not had opportunity to see what the S922X can do).

With SD recordings, an hour’s worth takes 5 or 6 minutes to process.

HD on the other hand is more real time based with an hours worth of recording taking a little over an hour to process, which is always largely pointless when it comes to BBC broadcasts, so when I don’t need comskip I simply disable and re-enable the TVH service as soon as it starts, which terminates comskip dead in it’s tracks for that individual recording.

I just looked up that box and it’s got a a larger than normal case which helps heat to dissipate and escape via decent ventillation venting.
Most of these new boxes are really slim with poor ventillation causing the small internal air volume to heat up and stay hot.

Yes that may well be an advantage, although my S912, when originally introduced, was maligned by Android users for it’s overheating.

It just goes to show the variations you will find from box to box, hence my thoughts of trying it for size first before venturing off for a solution to a problem that might not occur for an individual circumstance.

The vim2 without supplemental cooling will idle at over 60c in normal use.

Shoog

Thanks to @kostaman for starting this thread. It prompted me to ditch my Vbox TV gateway and return to 2 Xbox tuners. This time I’m using, an old S905 box to run tvHeadend server solo. It works great. Had some fun getting 746MHz Com 7 to scan for me here on Emley Moor but I did it and now have all available channels. Compared to Vbox:

  • Superior picture
  • Way faster PVR startup
    -EPG just works. No messing with pairing HD channels to their SD equivalent to get HD EPG.
  • No random video freezes on HD channels (after a day and going thro the 4pm to 6pm witching hours)

Vbox is going to the tip. Struggled with it for 2 years and never got it to run well.

I also have a “TV Vbox Gateway” XTi-3442 since 2017, and I use it as a main DVB-T/T2 tuner and it works quite well even with DVB-T2 channels with two simultaneous clients. What should not be done with this tuner is to use EPG scan or channel scan with tvheadend server for already tuned channels. You should also use Telegram to join the vboxcomm group and be able to download the latest firmware version XTI_VJ.2.66. My CE sends the http restart command to XTi_3442 every day when it starts.

I use a Wetek Play 2 for a while now running both Kodi and TVHeadend. For me it runs quite good, no real problems observed.

Albeit the little devices usually needs not so much power I prefer to have not so many devices running 24/7, when I only need them in the evening for some hours.

On the question of not updating the system if everything works, I absolutely agree.
I found that with Matrix 19.4 RC2 in some channels the recording gives me this errors and then creates problems in the playback.
With Leia everything works very well, I reach 5 simultaneous recordings and the temperature remains good, and I can watch one of the 5 recordings while they are in progress (all IPTV) and the cpu temperature remains stable at 50 degrees.