[mythtv] Firewire Problems (DCT6200)

[Steve Adeff]

On Thursday 05 January 2006 13:38, Jeremy Muhlich wrote:
> On Thu, 2006-01-05 at 09:08 -0500, Steve Adeff wrote:
> > And what firewire chipset are you using? I'm trying to track down the
> > problems people have with firewire and one thing that seems to keep
> > popping its head up is the VIA firewire chipsets. You said you had it
> > working except for
>
> I have a Shuttle box with a Via chipset, and as long as test-mpeg2 spews
> data, myth will always be able to record video.  (Bryan said test-mpeg2
> does work for him)
>
> The DCT6200 does seem to need a little prodding upon initial firewire
> connection (including myth backend reboot), but once I get it rolling it
> keeps working as long as everything stays powered and connected.  This
> info has been posted to the list before but here it is again (-n is the
> node number):
>
> plugctl -n 0 oPCR[0].channel=63
> plugctl -n 0 oPCR[0].bcast_connection=1
> plugctl -n 0 oPCR[0].n_p2p_connections=1 # plugreport will still show 0!
>
> If it still won't sent video after that, sometimes I can make it work by
> forcing a firewire bus reset with gscanbus.  In a few cases, I've needed
> to power cycle the cable box and rerun plugctl.  I haven't been able to
> nail down a sequence of operations that makes the box work 100% of the
> time after connection, but just those plugctl commands does the job most
> of the time.
>
> Does anyone with a non-Via chipset need to do this plugctl junk?
>
>
>  -- Jeremy

MythTV (SVN at least) does those plugctl changes manually, so it shouldn't be 
required, but for those just changing channels via firewire, I notice it 
does.

As for your bus resets, etc. I've not had to do that with my DCT6200.  I'm 
using NEC firewire chipset.
What I have noticed is that, and I'm still testing to see the exact 
circumstances, my box will alternate which of its two firewire ports its 
willing to output video on.
Right now I've noticed that if I'm not watching live tv through it it will 
switch, its done it ~4 times on me in the last 5hrs. I'm going to play livetv 
for the next few hours to see if it does it in the middle of output, etc. 
Thank god for a Battlestar Galactica marathon on Sci-Fi.

-- 
Steve