[mythtv-users] No Video Problem

[Joseph A. Caputo]

On Tuesday 25 November 2003 10:48, RJV wrote:
> I've got my myth box set up but when I run mythfrontend and try to
> watch TV, I get sound only with a black screeen.
>
> I've run mythsetup, mythfilldatabase, and then mythbackend.
>
> Mythbackend puts this to the console:
>
> [root at wernicke xmltv-0.5.23]# mythbackend
> Starting up as the master server.
> 2003-11-25 08:41:28 Enabled verbose msgs : important general
> 2003-11-25 08:41:30 Found changes in the todo list.
>
> Now, when I start up mythfrontend, I get the normal screen.  I can
> select options and piddle around to my hearts content.  Mythbackend
> also registers the frontend:
>
> 2003-11-25 08:43:25 Changing from None to WatchingLiveTV
> Unknown video codec: open: Invalid argument
> open: Invalid argument
>
> At this time, the screen is black and there is sound coming from the
> speakers.  The mythfrontend console prints this out:
>
> connecting to backend server: 10.0.0.30:6543
> taking too long to be allowed to read..
> taking too long to be allowed to read..
> taking too long to be allowed to read..
> Waited 2 seconds for data to become available, waiting again...
> Waited 2 seconds for data to become available, waiting again...
> Waited 2 seconds for data to become available, waiting again...
> ...
>
> I've verified that artsd isn't running:
>
> [root at wernicke lisa]# ps -aux |grep artsd
> Warning: bad syntax, perhaps a bogus '-'? See
> http://procps.sf.net/faq.html
> root      3820  0.0  0.1  1824  600 pts/1    R    08:44   0:00 grep
> artsd [root at wernicke lisa]# ps -aux |grep arts
> Warning: bad syntax, perhaps a bogus '-'? See
> http://procps.sf.net/faq.html
> root      3822  0.0  0.1  1824  600 pts/1    R    08:44   0:00 grep
> arts
>
> I've verified that my soundcard is full duplex.
>
> cat /dev/dsp > /dev/dsp produces sound from the speakers.
>
> I've also verified that nothing else is using the /dev/dsp device
>
> [root at wernicke lisa]# fuser -v /dev/dsp
> [root at wernicke lisa]#
>
> Interestingly, the above output is the same regardless of whether I'm
> running mythtv or not.
>
> My Hardware: AMD Athlon 2600+, ESS 1371, 512 PC3200 RAM, BT878 card
> ?btaudio
>
> Any suggestions?



Well, let's see... you hear sound fine, no messages about sound or sound 
device errors, full duplex is fine, nothing else has the sound card 
open, and it's complaining about an unknown *video* codec.  Doesn't 
sound like (solely) a sound issue to me.

Is this just a LiveTV issue?  Can you schedule a program to record and 
play it back later?  Does the directory you specified (in mythsetup) to 
hold the LiveTV buffer exist, and is it writeable by the user running 
mythbackend?

If playback of recorded programs doesn't work, either, it may be time to 
start debugging video.  Possible culprits:  video device permissions, 
Xv support, general X-server configuration.

Please specify your tuner card & video hardware in future messages.

-JAC