[mythtv-users] Failed HD-PVR recordings

David Engel david at istwok.net
Wed Jul 8 16:01:52 UTC 2009


On Wed, Jul 08, 2009 at 12:33:11AM -0400, Jeremy Thornhill wrote:
> In my case, recordings seem to sporadically fail, and looking at the
> backend log reveals that the same "Stop(): Not running. /
> MPEGRec(/dev/video3) Error: Device error detected" stuff is coinciding
> with the failed program start. Sometimes the recording will succeed
> despite these errors, but it seems that failures correspond with an
> increased number of error messages. My STB is set to always use 720P
> output and the channel change script via firewire never has trouble.
> 
> The failure mode in my case is the recording actually does take place,
> but the TS stream seems to be corrupted in a way that makes it
> unplayable with any software I've thrown at it. Trying to play back
> the files on the mythfrontend causes a crash or a hang, and
> mythcommflag is unable to flag them. Neither VLC nor mplayer is
> capable of playback, refusing to even start playing. The one exception
> to this is the image preview in mythtv, which is somehow generated
> properly.

I've always had the recorder stopping and restarting problem.  Things
seem to have gotten worse in the last month, though.  Previously,
there would be a glitch during playback when a stop/restart point was
encoutered, but playback would usually resume.  This was pretty much
exclusively with software decoding.  Now, with software decoding, the
frontend usually segfaults when encoutering a stop/restart point.
With, VDPAU, playback tends to continue, but it gets very stuttery.

I think the apparent worsening of the problem around a month ago or so
is due to player change, but I haven't looked into it.  Another
potential culprit is a change in the stop/restart handling in the
recorder when John Poet's patch to handle it was incorporated.

My current workaround for the playback failing is to restart the
player and then immediately skip past the problem area.  I do this by
either making sure the bookmark gets save when I exit or I jumping to
the specific minute I want.

> I'm thinking (hoping?) that this is a firmware issue, and all I need
> to do is track down a Windows box and update the thing, but it sounds
> like your problems are very similar so I thought I'd chime in.

This is mainly for Janne.  What is the recommended firmware these
days?  I tried to follow the shspvr forum, but there seemed to be too
many versions floating around and no consensus on which one to use.

David
-- 
David Engel
david at istwok.net


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