[mythtv-users] Frozen Video

[Drew Tomlinson]

On 11/5/2005 6:58 PM Robert Denier wrote:

>On Sat, 2005-11-05 at 16:09 -0800, Drew Tomlinson wrote:
>  
>
>>I have a Gentoo box running kernel version 2.6.13-r5, and MythTV 0.18.2 
>>built from Gentoo's portage system.   I'm using a video card with the 
>>nvida nv18 chipset (6600?).  I also have a custom xorg modeline for my 
>>widescreen HDTV.  My video card is connected via a VGA to component 
>>converter.  The screen looks good and regular desktop mode works fine.  
>>The mouse moves.  MythTV menus are displayed and the cursor moves around 
>>when I hit the arrow keys.
>>
>>The problem is when I switch to a video mode.  The video freezes at the 
>>first frame.  The audio continues and plays just fine.  The freezing 
>>problem occurs whether I'm viewing LiveTV, previously recorded shows, 
>>and even video files via MythVideo.  All of this used to work until I 
>>upgraded hardware and rebuilt my system.
>>
>>I have no idea what the cause might be or where to start looking.  Any 
>>ideas?
>>
>>Drew
>>
>>    
>>
>
>Since your information is relatively generic, I am just tossing out
>possibilities.  You may be able to eliminate some right away..  Your
>best bet is probably video card drivers though...
>  
>

Thanks for your reply!

>---
>
>Does mplayer/xine/whatever play videos?  If so everything is probably
>working well.  You say mythvideo does not play so I assume this will
>fail too.
>  
>

mplayer fails.  Haven't installed xine.

>Can you play videos without sound?  Try 
>mplayer -nosound <filename.avi>
>If that works then you probably have sound card/driver issues.
>  
>

Same problem.  Video frozen.  When playing with sound, sound plays fine.

>You have an nvidia card.  What drivers are you using?  Get a pen and
>paper, or whatever, and note down your current combination.  Sometimes
>one just keeps trying different drivers and/or other things until a clue
>appears.  If you run out of other things you might try more conservative
>kernel options by turning off anything video card related..
>  
>

I'm using the nvidia driver, version 1.0.7676-r1.  I could try an older 
version.

>Is there a card in the next slot next to your AGP? card?  Sometimes that
>used to cause trouble.  Try removing it.  For that matter, at some point
>trying the system with only the video card, and no other cards might be
>worthwhile...
>  
>

Yes, and I've experienced this in other systems.  But when there's 
failures, they've always been "all or nothing".  In other words, the 
card either worked or it didn't work at all, not even during POST.

>Perhaps you should connect a normal computer monitor for testing just to
>remove that converter from the equation and be able to test
>independently.  Still if the video is freezing, it seems unlikely to be
>the converter unless the converter is actually sampling the signal,
>which seems unlikely.  Then again I suppose it could be the tv doing the
>freeze frame..
>  
>

I have tried the normal monitor and video freezes there too.

>Finally, is this a new card, or a card that has never been fully tested
>in that board before?  If so, can you try something else?
>  
>

This card has been working in a Windows system for about 2 years.  Then 
I upgraded that system and moved the "guts" to my MythTV box.  It's been 
a struggle since but I've worked everything out except for this final item.

>If that is not possible can you check the card elsewhere?  By check I
>mean, make sure you at least get it playing back videos under as similar
>a configuration as you can manage.  If that works, and you can't think
>of anything else then perhaps the card doesn't like the motherboard..
>If it doesn't work, the possibility of a bad card exists.
>
>Does the card or your motherboard have spots for more power cables?  Is
>the fan on the card running?
>  
>

No fan on the card. he motherboard just has the two plugs.  It's not the 
newer one that uses the 12v plug.  Thanks for your ideas.  I will try 
some other drivers and maybe some generic 640x480 modelines to see if 
that changes anything.

Thanks,

Drew

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