[mythtv-users] Mythtv/liveTV fades to grey....

[plainfaceboy]

Disabling compositing (by switching off visual effects) did seem to stop the 
fading to b&w, however, where it previously faded and the front end was 
unresponsive, it is now simply unresponsive - ie the freezing is still 
happening.
So actually, the fading is useful in that it lets me know (so I've switched 
it back on) - so what I actually need to know how is how to stop this 
'freezing' - still happening from time to time when watching liveTV and on 
menus. Other programs are fine - I can alt-tab to something else and all is 
fine ie it's only the Mythtv front end that is unresponsive, not anything 
else.
I've tried various combinations of settings in Myth and Ubuntu but as yet no 
joy - any more suggestions?
Thank U....



>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I've finally set up my UK Mythtv system and after a bit of fiddling 
>>>>> have
>>>>> generally got things working.
>>>>> I've not tested everything fully, but I've got a few niggles with
>>>>> LiveTV.
>>>>> Quite often (it seems mainly when it's not been on long) it fades to
>>>>> black
>>>>> and white and although the TV continues to play I can't do anything -
>>>>> I'm
>>>>> assuming maybe the backend is busy but wouldn't expect it to happen as
>>>>> often
>>>>> as it does? Sometimes happens on the menus too, not just liveTV.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I've seen the "fading to B&W" on my netbook running Ubuntu.  Not with
>>>> mythtv, but with other apps, and I think it corresponds to my wireless
>>>> network dropping out.
>>>>
>>>> I've assumed it's Ubuntu's version of Microsoft's "(Window Not
>>>> Responding)" indication.  After a few seconds the windows pops back to
>>>> life.
>>>>
>>>> So this might not be a MythTV  problem.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I have seen it too but I always thought it was to do with the system
>>> being overloaded.
>>>
>>
>> I suspect Gnome fades GUI apps to gray when they go too long without
>> checking for user input (from the X11 event queue), and/or don't update 
>> the
>> GUI.  There are many reasons an app may take a while to check for input 
>> or
>> do an update.
>>
>> I don't know if any of the other Ubuntu window managers (KDE, XFCE, etc.)
>> have this behavior.  If they do, then it could be an X11 setting that 
>> Ubuntu
>> configures, rather than being WM-specific.
>>
>
> As far as *buntu goes, I have narrowed this down to compositing..  I
> use Metacity's compositing manager so I can use AWNs dock.  Other than
> that, I do not need compositing.  I have an ATI card in my laptop, so
> running compiz is like nailing my nuts to the wall (well, even not
> running compiz is the same with ATI/linux)..
>
> If I disable compositing, the "fade to gray" timeouts go away...
>
> So...  If you want it to go away, disable compositing....
>
> -Greg