Related Pages:

• Power Scheduler
• How it Works 
• Client Configuration
• Advanced Topics /Troubleshooting

Overview

How to configure the PowerScheduler Server Plugin. See also Client Configuration.

Quick Configuration

1. Start MediaPortal TV-Server Configuration
2. Enable the PowerScheduler plugin
3. Switch to Plug&Play Mode
4. Select a Profile and set a Sleep time
5. Click OK

Note: Do not configure anything in Windows Power Settings, this is done automatically by PowerScheduler.

Detailed Configuration

Note: If you have a TV-Server running on your computer, you should first configure the PowerScheduler Server-Plugin, because the Client-Plugin’s settings are mainly taken over from the Server-plugin. You may have a look at them afterwards.

1. Start MediaPortal TV-Server Configuration
   
2. Click on Plugins
3. Enable the PowerScheduler plugin
4. Next, open the Plugins tree and click on PowerScheduler

General

In the configuration tabs, you can make your settings and apply them immediately by pushing the Apply button. They will be applied as well if you leave the TV-Server Configuration with the OK button.

Available Profiles

Select one of the four predefined configuration profiles. The predefined profiles should cover most common usage scenarios for MediaPortal but you can always modify the settings manually in Expert Mode.

• HTPC: Dedicated multimedia appliance with MediaPortal GUI. Select this if your system is a HTPC (single-seat) that is used in a living room scenario only. I.e. not for office work or other purposes.
• Desktop: MediaPortal as application for viewing media and recording TV. Select this if your system is a desktop PC that is also used for office work or other purposes. MediaPortal can be used for viewing media and for recording TV (i.e. the system wakes up when a scheduled recording is due).
• Notebook: Optimized for mobile use - no scheduled wake up. Select this if your system is a notebook or netbook that is used for other purposes besides viewing media. Scheduled recordings are not available (i.e. the system will not wake up automatically for scheduled recordings).
• Server: Dedicated server without GUI provides TV and recording services. Select this if your system has no (active) MediaPortal client installation and is used solely as a TV-Server for one or more MediaPortal clients.

Put the computer to sleep after ... minutes

Here you can configure after what time the computer will be put to sleep if it is idle and nothing is preventing standby.

-> Expert Mode / -> Plug & Play Mode

This button switches between Plug&Play mode and Expert mode.

In Plug&Play Mode you only have to select one of the four profiles and set a sleep time. All other configuration is done by PowerScheduler automatically.

In Expert Mode you can configure all PowerScheduler and Windows Power settings manually. In this mode the tabs for detailed configuration appear. Now you can have a look at the configuration details and change them to your special needs. If you are not sure what all the settings mean, you should stay with Plug&Play Mode.

Note: You need not (and you should not) modify the Windows Power Settings from the System Panel, because all necessary settings are made by the PowerScheduler configuration. If you have modified the Windows Power Settings manually from the System Panel, you should repeat the PowerScheduler configuration.

Wakeup / Standby Status

In the Wakeup / Standby Status section you can see in real time what your settings affect. This is a convenient way to verify (and troubleshoot) your PowerScheduler configuration.

• The Next wakeup time indicates when and for what reason the computer is scheduled for the next wake up.
• Standby is handled by Windows indicates if putting the computer to sleep is handled by the Windows operating system or by PowerScheduler.
• Standby prevented by lists all current activities preventing the computer from going to standby.

EPG

Start grabbing EPG at .... o' clock

PowerScheduler can start EPG grabbing at a given time on each of the selected days. All defined EPG grabbing sources (the built-in DVB EPG and all enabled EPG grabber plugins) are triggered. If no day is selected, EPG grabbing will not be started by PowerScheduler.

Wakeup the computer for EPG grabbing

This option enables PowerScheduler to wake up the computer to start EPG grabbing if it is in sleep mode at the scheduled time. If this option is not checked, the computer will not wake up for EPG grabbing. EPG grabbing will be caught up on the same day as soon as the computer is up again.

Do not put the computer to sleep while grabbing EPG (Expert Mode only)

While DVB EPG or another EPG grabbing plugin is busy, PowerScheduler will not goto standby automatically.

Enter away mode when the user wants to put the computer to sleep (Expert Mode only)

Any program request or user action to put the system to sleep is ignored (Windows XP) or results in entering Away Mode (Windows Vista/7/8). In Away Mode the computer appears to be turned off, but actually continues to grab EPG.

Run command before internal handlers are triggered (Expert Mode only)

Before EPG grabbing is started, a command can be run with admin privileges. Select the desired executable file (

.exe

,

.cmd

,

.bat

) with the file browser button or type it in manually. Do not use any arguments. The command is called with the argument

epg

and PowerScheduler waits for its completion before it actually starts grabbing.

Reboot

Reboot system at .... o' clock

PowerScheduler can reboot the computer at a given time on each of the selected days. This might be useful to prevent system failures by ongoing standby and wakeup cycles and to update Windows automatically. If the reboot could not take place at the scheduled time, it will be caught up on the same day as soon as possible.

If no day is selected, there will be no reboot action by PowerScheduler.

The shutdown is performed only if there are no activities preventing standby, otherwise PowerScheduler waits for them to complete. When the system is up again it will go to standby after the configured sleep time.

Wakeup the computer for reboot

This option enables PowerScheduler to wake up the system at the scheduled time to perform the reboot if it is in sleep mode at the scheduled time. If this option is not checked, the computer will not wake up for reboot. The reboot will be caught up on the same day as soon as the computer is up again.

Run command before reboot (Expert Mode only)

Before the system is shut down, a command can be run with admin privileges. Select the desired executable file (

.exe

,

.cmd

,

.bat

) with the file browser button or type it in manually. Do not use any arguments. The command is called with the argument

reboot

and PowerScheduler waits for its completion before it actually reboots.

Processes (Expert Mode only)

Processes which should prevent standby

If you wish to configure processes that should prevent the computer from standby while they are running, then either type in the exact name of the process or click on Select process and choose the process from the process list (the process must be running to be able to select it). Multiple processes are separated by commas.

Do not put the computer to sleep while the MediaPortal client is not running

On single-seat systems you will usually stop the MediaPortal client if you have to do some administrative work. The PowerScheduler server-plugin is still running, but without the MediaPortal client and the client-plugin it cannot detect user activity. Thus it might enter standby though the system is not idle. Select this option to prevent this annoying behavior on single-seat systems.

Warning:
Do not use this option in dedicated server scenarios; otherwise the server would never go to standby.

Enter away mode when the user wants to put the computer to sleep

Any program request or user action to put the system to sleep is ignored (Windows XP) or results in entering Away Mode (Windows Vista/7/8). In Away Mode the computer appears to be turned off, but actually continues to run.

Shares (Expert Mode only)

Do not put the computer to sleep while shares are active

Select this option if active shares should prevent the system from entering standby automatically. Active shares are connections from remote clients to defined shares on the local computer (server) that are established by mapping a share to a drive letter or by accessing a file with a UNC path name.

Shares to prevent standby

The format for entering shares in the grid is:

• Share name

• Client name (without leading

  \\

  )

• User name

Blank fields are interpreted as wildcard (like

*

), so no entry at all means "any active share". This is the default if you do not enter any values into the grid.

Select share

You can enter settings manually or select from a list of currently active shares. If you are not sure about what to enter manually, you should open a typical connection from your client (e.g. listen to music or watch videos stored on the server) and then use the Select share button to see what active shares are in use.

Enter away mode when the user wants to put the computer to sleep

Any program request or user action to put the system to sleep is ignored (Windows XP) or results in entering Away Mode (Windows Vista/7/8). In Away Mode the computer appears to be turned off, but actually continues to run.

Network (Expert Mode only)

Do not put the computer to sleep while the network is active

The network monitor should prevent the system from entering standby automatically if there is network activity.

Minimum transfer rate considered as network activity in KB/s

If the network transfer rate in either direction on any of the network interfaces is above the given value, standby will be prevented.

Enter away mode when the user wants to put the computer to sleep

Any program request or user action to put the system to sleep is ignored (Windows XP) or results in entering Away Mode (Windows Vista/7/8). In Away Mode the computer appears to be turned off, but actually continues to run.

Ping Monitor

The Ping Monitor is enabled only on the TV server. It is particularly useful in multiseat environments where the TV server is a file server or hosts any functions unrelated to MediaPortal.

Do not put the computer to sleep while any hosts are active

You can set up some hosts to ping from the TV server. Any active hosts will prevent to sleep the TV server.

Enter away mode when the user wants to put the computer to sleep

Any program request or user action to put the system to sleep is ignored (Windows XP) or results in entering Away Mode (Windows Vista/7/8). In Away Mode the computer appears to be turned off, but actually continues to grab EPG.

Advanced (Expert Mode only)

Reinitialize TV controller on wakeup (also reinitializes tuner)

Selects whether you want to reinitialize the TV controller software and the tuners after a wakeup. This may help if you experience problems with your tuner after wakeup from sleep mode.

Run command before standby / after wakeup

Before the system is going to standby and after it has been waked up again, a command can be run with admin privileges. Select the desired executable file (

.exe

,

.cmd

,

.bat

) with the file browser button or type it in manually. Do not use any arguments. The command is called with the argument

suspend

or

wakeup

.

Apply recommended Windows Power Settings for selected profile automatically

If this option is checked, PowerScheduler will set all necessary Windows Power Settings automatically according to the selected profile.

Configure Manually

If unchecked, the Configure Manually dialog allows you to adjust all Windows Power Settings individually. The settings recommended by PowerScheduler are indicated, but you can overwrite them.

Warning:
You should not modify the Windows Power Settings manually unless you definitively know what you are doing. PowerScheduler may not work properly if the settings are made wrong.

PowerScheduler forces system to go to standby when idle

By default PowerScheduler only prevents automatic standby when necessary and leaves putting the computer to sleep to the Windows operating system. Select this option, if you want PowerScheduler to force the computer to standby actively.

This option is only recommended for dedicated HTPC:s or servers if you experience problems with hardware drivers that prevent Windows standby though the system is idle. If you suspect such problems, you can run the

powercfg -requests

command from the command prompt as an administrator. If it indicates any drivers requesting the system though there is no need for it, you might try this option.

Standby mode

Here you can configure which standby mode will be used if PowerScheduler forces the computer to standby. Besides from the real power-saving states (Hybrid) Sleep - S3 and Hibernate - S4 you can also select Stay on - S0 which will do nothing (for testing) and Shutdown - S5 which will shutdown (power off) your PC.

Warning:
PowerScheduler cannot wakeup a PC from Shutdown - S5 mode.

Legacy (Expert Mode only)

As of v 1.8.0, you can select you can configure Allowed standby hours settings separately for weekdays and weekend.

Pre-wakeup time in seconds

Default: 60

Select how many seconds before a scheduled event the system will wakeup.

Pre-no-standby time

Default: 300

If the next scheduled event is due within this time the system will not go to standby.

Allowed standby hours

Default: 0 - 24, which means always

Standby is allowed only during the time interval given. You can also select a time interval around midnight (e.g. 23 - 3, which means from 11 pm until 3 am).

Avoiding Unexpected Sleep or Hibernation

There are four different timeouts that control sleep and hibernation.  These timeouts can interact with each other, so it is important to understand these interactions in order to be able to choose suitable values.  These timeouts are:

• Windows forced-runtime for unattended wake
• MediaPortal's pre-wakeup time
• MediaPortal's pre-no-standby time
• Windows sleep time or hibernation time

The Windows forced-runtime occurs when your system wakes from sleep or hibernation.  Windows makes a distinction between:

• An attended wake (caused by user action)
• An unattended wake (caused by a wake timer, or by a network event)

For an unattended wake, Windows forces the system to run for a least 2 minutes. During this time period, Windows prevents the system returning to sleep or hibernation.

The pre-wakeup time has the following effect:

• If the pre-wakeup time is less than 2 minutes, the recording will start before the Windows forced-runtime expires. When TV Server starts a recording, it prevents the system sleeping or hibernating.  This means that the system will not sleep or hibernate before the recording starts.
• If the pre-wakeup time is greater than 2 minutes, the system can sleep or hibernate in the interval between the end of the Windows forced-runtime and the start of the recording.  Whether the system actually sleeps or hibernates depends on the other two timeouts.

The pre-no-standby time prevents the system sleeping or hibernating if the interval between the current time and the start of the recording is less than the pre-no-standby time:

• If the sum of the Windows forced runtime and the pre-no-standby time is greater than the pre-wakeup time, the system will not sleep or hibernate before the recording starts.
• If the sum of the Windows forced runtime and the pre-no-standby time is less than the pre-wakeup time, there remains a small interval during which the system is eligible to sleep or hibernate before the recording starts.  Whether the system actually sleeps or hibernates depends on the sleep or hibernation time.

The sleep time and the hibernation time are the time intervals that must elapse with no user interaction in order for the system to become eligible to sleep or hibernate:

• If the sleep time or hibernation time is greater than the pre-wakeup time, the system will not sleep or hibernate before the recording starts.
• If the sleep time or hibernation time is less than the pre-wakup time, the system can sleep or hibernate in the small interval that exists from the end of the Windows forced runtime to the start of the pre-no-standby time.

An example will make this clearer: suppose you have defined the following values:

• Windows forced-runtime:  2 minutes
• Pre-wakeup time:  10 minutes
• Pre-no-standby time:  5 minutes
• Sleep/hibernation time:  1 minute

These values would result in the system being eligible to sleep or hibernate in the 3-minute interval between 2 minutes after wake to 5 minutes after wake.

Some users like to define a very short sleep or hibernation time, so that the system sleeps or hibernates as soon as a recording has finished. In this situation, the following setting is recommended:

• Pre-no-standby time plus 2 minutes should be greater than the pre-wakeup time.

If your settings satisfy this condition, the value of the sleep or hibernation time will not cause the system to sleep or hibernate before the recording starts, and you can use a very small sleep or hibernation time if you wish.

Changelog