[mythtv-users] Gentoo + VIA Binary driver

[Mikhail D'Vane]

>From: Paul Smith <cvpsmith at ncche.olemiss.edu>
>Reply-To: Discussion about mythtv <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
>To: Discussion about mythtv <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
>Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Gentoo + VIA Binary driver
>Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:09:30 -0500
>
>At 07:29 PM 4/14/2004 +0000, you wrote:
>
>>Well, you definitely have a stepping 3, so the EDX fix is required if
>>you're using software decode.  Double-checking that is probably a
>>good thing to do (you might even want to blow away the work
>>directory and the .tar from distfiles and start from scratch).
>
>Doing this as we speak.  I'll let you know how it goes...
>
>>I'm running MythTV 0.14-r1 straight from the portage ebuild.  I've also
>>ran 0.13 on this box and had same performance.  It also looks
>>like your Epia setup (kernel version, XFree version) is very close
>>to the same as mine (and I haven't noticed any significant change
>>with the different -epia kernels or Xfree-epias).
>>
>>What process is eating most of your CPU bandwidth?  If it's
>>mythfrontend, the EDX fix is suspect.  If it's something else then
>>I can't help out much - the incorrect MMX detection on the M10K
>>was the only CPU-hog issue I've had with MythTV.
>
>It's the mythfrontend process, so the EDX is suspect.
>
>
>>Also, note that my ~50% CPU at 480x480 capture resolution is
>>with software decode.  With hardware decode, the CPU drops to
>>less than 20%.  Oh... and if you're using HW decode, the EDX
>>hack is not necessary (since the mpeg decoding doesn't even
>>touch the CPU).
>
>Is there something that I need to "turn on" to get HW decoding to work?  I 
>was under the impression that, since I'm using the latest MythTV version 
>with -EPIA kernel and XFree, HW decoding would be automatic.  Is there 
>something I can check here?

Assuming that you're running MythTV 0.14, then, if you've got the
settings.pro file set correctly, you should have a checkbox on one
of the TV playback settings setup screens for using Via Hw decoder.
It's on the same screen as the checkbox for the PVR350 Hw decoder.

If you don't see the box on that screen, you're not compiling Via
mpeg support into MythTV.  There are a few ways to do this with Gentoo:

1.  Add "cle266" to your USE flags.  (I don't recommend this, as the
     ebuild will try to compile libddmpeg.so from source and, last I tried,
     it bombed).

2.  Just like you edited cputest.c (between unpack and merge), edit the
     MythTV settings.pro file and uncomment the Via slice-related lines
     and re-merge.  With this method, you need to compile/install
     libddmpeg.so on your own (outside of portage).

Keep in mind that in order to use Via HW decoding, you need to be logged
in as root.

>
>
>>Oh... and the 480x480 is the MythTV capture resolution.  Actually,
>>that's something to check.  In the recording profiles section of
>>MythTV, check to see what your capture resolution/bitrate is.
>>Mine is 480x480 with 4.5/6.0 Mbps.  Also, I believe MythTV
>>just uses the ivtv binaries to change the resolution/bitrate.  It's
>>possible that Myth cannot find the binaries and you're at the highest
>>setting (720x480, 8/16 Mbps) - that would cause poor performance
>>just because the M10K can't handle that much information.
>>
>>A quick way to check the mpeg encoding is to run mythfrontend
>>from a terminal window and look at the output when you go to
>>watch live TV.  Myth should output the mpeg stream info (resolution,
>>bit rate, fps, etc.).
>
>I'll have to check this later on when I'm in front of the machine (I'm at 
>work now).
>
>
>
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