[mythtv-users] Frozen Video -- SOLVED!!!

[Drew Tomlinson]

On 11/5/2005 8:33 PM Drew Tomlinson wrote:

> 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


For the archives...

In upgrading my system to use a component to VGA converter, I copied a 
xorg.conf file I found on the web as a starting point.  One of the 
modules it loaded was "fbdevhw" which I have no idea what it does.  
Judging by the name, I get "frame buffer" from "fb" and "development" 
from "dev".  I could not find any info on Google about what modules are 
included for X and what they do.  But this module just seemed like it 
might be interfering and it wasn't included in my old xorg.conf so I 
commented it out and restarted X.  Now the video works fine.

I'd appreciate any link that describes X modules so I could learn more 
about them.

Cheers,

Drew

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