[mythtv-users] HDPVR can only record one show (any thoughts)

Wed Dec 23 02:17:40 UTC 2009

On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 9:00 AM, Vern <spamvern at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I've been following this list for a while and playing with my HDPVR outside
> of myth but this week is light enough on recorded shows that I have a few
> days to work things out so it seemed like a good time to upgrade to myth .22
> and give it a real go.
>
> The problem seems to be related to several threads but maybe not exaclty in
> that once my HDPVR fails, it never comes back.  Others seem to see 5 second
> drop outs here and there but then it comes back and works.  Mine seems to
> loose the ability to talk to the HDPVR and never gets it back.
>
> After a full reboot/reset of everything, exactly one show will record
> flawless, as near as I can tell.  All following recordings fail.  You can
> see the HDPVR blue light flashing on and off after the first show like it is
> trying to record the next shows.  Trying to watch live TV after this results
> in a black screen and a hung computer (needs a hard reset).  Some
> mythbackend logs follow my configuration info.
>
> I would appreciate any suggestions on things to try next.
>
> For the record, my system is gentoo, so my upgrade to 0.22 process was
> roughly:
>
>   1.  fix the database (UTF8 -> latin1) since I saw a lot about that in the
> last few weeks here.
>   2. created a udev rule to make the HDPVR /dev/hdpvr as seen here
> previously.  HDPVR is connected via component and SPDIF.
>   3. unmasked and emerged myth 0.22 (version 0.22_p22860).
>   4. in mythtv-setup, removed all capture cards and re-added PCHD-5500 and
> HDPVR.  Left all defaults for HDPVR other than SPDIF as audio input.
>   5. modified directv.pl to add a 5 second delay after changing the channel
> (it uses a USB connection to a DirectTV setup box - model H20 I think)
>   6. I left all my playback stuff alone.  Eventually I will probably want
> VDPAU enabled but until I can get the bits reliably on disk, I'm not
> concerned about how to play them.
>   7.  started with a downgrade of the HDPVR firmware to version 0xf after
> reading in other threads that it was more stable for some.  I have tried
> both 0xf and 0x12 now and both don't work about the same.

I use 0x12 without any problems.

> In the mythbackend log, while the first show that works is being recorded,
> there are many messages along the lines of:
>
> 2009-12-21 22:43:33.546 [h264 @ 0x7f3c1a399880]B picture before any
> references, skipping
> 2009-12-21 22:43:33.563 [h264 @ 0x7f3c1a399880]decode_slice_header error
> 2009-12-21 22:43:33.579 [h264 @ 0x7f3c1a399880]no frame!
> 2009-12-21 22:43:33.603 AFD Error: Unknown decoding error

Those message come from avformatdecoder trying to find a keyframe to
start decoding on.  They don't cause any problems, but I would like to
figure out why afd thinks it is being told to seek to a non-keyframe.

> I assume those are from commercial flagging which I will try turning off for
> tonight's tests.
>
> After the first show records, the log has the following (it's a little
> polluted by a recording on the PC5500 that was part of last nights test
> run):

If you could restart mythbackend (with an empty log file) and post the
complete log after record just a couple of shows on the HD-PVR, it
would make the log a lot easier to follow.  I am not even sure which
card id is your HD-PVR.

I see references to both AAC and AC3.  Is your H20 set to output Dolby
Digital, or just PCM?  If it is currently PCM, does switching to AC3
bitstream help?

Have you tried the optional patches listed on the wiki page?  They
should make no difference in your situation, but they might be worth
trying.

2009-12-21 23:37:56.444 AFD: Opened codec 0x766f30, id(MPEG2VIDEO) type(Video)
2009-12-21 23:37:56.484 AFD: codec AC3 has 6 channels
2009-12-21 23:37:56.504 AFD: Opened codec 0x769500, id(AC3) type(Audio)
2009-12-21 23:37:56.534 AFD: codec AC3 has 1 channels

That is VERY strange.  It thinks the AC3 drops from 6 channels to 1?
This makes me think it is an audio problem.  Have you tried hooking
the audio up using a pair of RCA cables, instead of the S/PDIF?

2009-12-21 23:32:02.934 TVRec(1): HW Tuner: 1->1
2009-12-21 23:32:03.004 AutoExpire: CalcParams(): Max required Free
Space: 12.0 GB w/freq: 8 min
2009-12-21 23:32:03.034 Started recording: The Late Late Show With
Craig Ferguson: channel 2041 on cardid 1, sourceid 2
2009-12-21 23:36:00.808 Reschedule requested for id 0.
2009-12-21 23:36:01.118 Scheduled 261 items in 0.3 = 0.04 match + 0.27 place
2009-12-21 23:36:29.586 TVRec(2): ASK_RECORDING 2 29 0 0
2009-12-21 23:37:00.731 TVRec(2): Changing from Watching RecordingOnly to None
2009-12-21 23:37:00.768 Finished recording The Tonight Show With Conan
O'Brien: channel 1011
2009-12-21 23:37:00.801 Recording designated 720p because width was 1280
2009-12-21 23:37:02.497 Finished recording The Tonight Show With Conan
O'Brien: channel 1011
2009-12-21 23:37:02.544 mythbackend version:  [22860] www.mythtv.org
2009-12-21 23:37:02.557 TVRec(2): Changing from None to Watching RecordingOnly
2009-12-21 23:37:02.591 TVRec(2): HW Tuner: 2->2
2009-12-21 23:37:02.611 Using runtime prefix = /usr
2009-12-21 23:37:02.647 Using configuration directory = /etc/mythtv/.mythtv
2009-12-21 23:37:02.664 Unable to read configuration file mysql.txt
2009-12-21 23:37:02.681 Empty LocalHostName.
2009-12-21 23:37:02.697 Using localhost value of mast
2009-12-21 23:37:02.721 New DB connection, total: 1
2009-12-21 23:37:02.764 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: localhost
2009-12-21 23:37:02.804 Closing DB connection named 'DBManager0'
2009-12-21 23:37:02.844 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: localhost
2009-12-21 23:37:02.867 Current MythTV Schema Version (DBSchemaVer): 1244
2009-12-21 23:37:02.904 New DB connection, total: 2
2009-12-21 23:37:02.934 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: localhost
2009-12-21 23:37:03.097 ret_pid(4225) child(4225) status(0x0)
2009-12-21 23:37:03.137 External Tuning program exited with no error

You have a 5 second sleep, or a 5 minute sleep?  If the "23:32:03.034
Started recording" matches up with "23:37:03.137 External Tuning
program exited", you have a five minute sleep in there.  That might
cause serious problems.

2009-12-21 23:37:03.334 AutoExpire: CalcParams(): Max required Free
Space: 12.0 GB w/freq: 8 min
2009-12-21 23:37:03.364 Started recording: Late Night With Jimmy
Fallon: channel 1011 on cardid 2, sourceid 1
2009-12-21 23:37:04.437 Reschedule requested for id 0.
2009-12-21 23:37:04.734 Scheduled 260 items in 0.3 = 0.03 match + 0.25 place
<snip>
2009-12-21 23:37:56.444 AFD: Opened codec 0x766f30, id(MPEG2VIDEO) type(Video)
2009-12-21 23:37:56.484 AFD: codec AC3 has 6 channels
2009-12-21 23:37:56.504 AFD: Opened codec 0x769500, id(AC3) type(Audio)
2009-12-21 23:37:56.534 AFD: codec AC3 has 1 channels
2009-12-21 23:37:56.551 AFD: Opened codec 0x775460, id(AC3) type(Audio)
2009-12-21 23:37:56.578 MythContext: Connecting to backend server:
127.0.0.1:6543 (try 1 of 1)
2009-12-21 23:37:56.601 Using protocol version 50
2009-12-21 23:37:56.624 MainServer::ANN Playback
2009-12-21 23:37:56.651 adding: mast as a client (events: 0)
2009-12-21 23:37:56.668 RecBase(1:/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0):
GetKeyframePositions(10306,9223372036854775807,#17) out of 705
2009-12-21 23:38:01.510 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Poll giving up
2009-12-21 23:38:01.550 MPEGRec(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Device error detected
2009-12-21 23:38:01.570 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr): Stop(): Not running.
2009-12-21 23:38:13.588 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Poll giving up
2009-12-21 23:38:13.628 MPEGRec(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Device error detected
2009-12-21 23:38:13.648 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr): Stop(): Not running.
2009-12-21 23:38:25.286 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Poll giving up
2009-12-21 23:38:25.322 MPEGRec(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Device error detected
2009-12-21 23:38:25.342 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr): Stop(): Not running.
2009-12-21 23:38:36.980 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Poll giving up
2009-12-21 23:38:37.020 MPEGRec(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Device error detected
2009-12-21 23:38:37.040 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr): Stop(): Not running.
2009-12-21 23:38:48.675 DevRdB(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Poll giving up
2009-12-21 23:38:48.702 MPEGRec(/dev/hdpvr) Error: Device error detected

Poll errors can come from either invalid video or audio.  I find the
"Stop(): Not running" interesting.  That make me think that it is
trying to finish up the first recording, but is unable to do so for
some reason.  Since it cannot finalize the first recording, that might
explain why it cannot start subsequent recordings.

Do you have the pass-through component cables from the HD-PVR hooked
up to anything?  Can you verify that you are getting good video from
the H20 through the HD-PVR?

Please post a clean log with "-v record,channel".

John
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