[mythtv-users] Newbie questions...

MagicITX magicitx at gmail.com
Wed May 25 16:12:11 UTC 2005


On 5/25/05, Michael T. Dean <mtdean at thirdcontact.com> wrote:
> Ben Bargabus wrote:
> 
> ><snip>
> >
> >
> >>1. I've not had trouble with the VIA DMA problem.  I seem to recall
> >>some talk that it could be an FC3 on VIA problem.  Maybe I shouldn't
> >>say that since I can't recall specifics of the conversation.  YMMV
> >>
> >>
> >FC3 as in Fedora?  I'm a debian guy, I assume then that would be fine.
> >
> >
> Although Fedora Core 3 may have its own set of DMA issues with Via's
> (broken) DMA implementation, the one that gets most Myth'ers is the
> massive amounts of DMA traffic required to run the PVR-x50 cards from
> Hauppauge.  The ivtv drivers tend to have more issues running with
> (especially older) Via chipsets (the issues are usually hard locks which
> require a hard reboot).
> 
> Although some people have ivtv working with new Via chipsets, it's
> probably worthwhile to go with the Intel chipset to start with and in
> future backends, you can take your chances with a Via.  The new ivtv
> drivers tend to work around the problem as much as possible, and some of
> the people using the most problematic Via chipsets brag about uptimes in
> the 2-3 day range.  I actually have to reboot my Dish network receivers
> more often (about once a month) than my Myth box (which has had uptimes
> in the 90+ day range--although I've never hit a max on it:  I do way to
> much hacking on it to get the uptime any higher).
> 
> I had one of the Via chipsets that caused significant problems (the
> KM133) in an old system I had lying around that I used to test out
> MythTV, and the $40 I spent to get an SiS-based motherboard (for an
> Athlon) was the best $40 I ever spent.  For a computer whose sole
> purpose it to take shows from other people's schedules and make them
> available on your schedule, availability is an important consideration,
> so IMHO, it's worth a little bit extra to make sure it will work when
> you need it (so you don't miss that 2-hour Lost season finale).
> 
> Mike
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> 

It is hard for me to comment on the DMA issue because I've never
encountered it.  I personally have 3 mythtv boxes in the room with me
running on the VIA M10000, the ME6000 and the SP13000.  All have
either a PVR150, 250, or 500.  I have one running as a backend for the
ME6000.  I rip dvd's to the backend, play videos from the backend,
watch recordings, etc - all high bandwidth activities and never had a
lockup.  My main system's uptime is:

 09:04:49 up 20 days,  1:47,  1 user,  load average: 0.27, 0.06, 0.02

(I don't remember why I rebooted it three weeks ago but it wasn't a
lockup.  I think it lost keyboard focus when MythWeather couldn't
connect to the Internet.)

I'm not denying the difficulties other's have had.  Only that the
problems probably no longer exist.  YMMV

-- 
Tim
www.magicitx.com


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list