[mythtv-users] FE artwork periodically flashes away

[Mark Perkins]

Hi, trying to chase down a very minor glitch in a standalone remote Ubuntu
Frontend.

Basically every once in a while (say average of 10minutes or so) when idle
in the Watch Recordings screen (Mythbuntu Theme) I get the fanart / coverart
flashes away (reverse flashes, ie off-on rather than on-off) a number of
times (1 - 30 times) before stopping again for a while (5 - 20minutes). I
have not noticed a pattern in the number of flashes, or the time between
blocks of flashes.

I have turned on some additional logging and have found that the pictures
flashing away coincide with messages like these. For each flash (off-on)
there is a single repeat of this block of messages and the block might
repeat 1-30 times over a period of 1-30sec, once for each flash at a rate of
about 1 flash per second. Note that the file names referenced change
depending on what program I am idling at in the Watch Recordings Screen:

2014-11-04 10:11:43.161964 D  PlaybackBox: Ignoring PREVIEW_SUCCESS, item no
longer on screen.
2014-11-04 10:11:43.162422 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140721121700.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk
2014-11-04 10:11:43.363774 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140714121700.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk
2014-11-04 10:11:43.364050 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140707110700.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk
2014-11-04 10:11:43.364940 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140630111200.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk
2014-11-04 10:11:43.365837 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140623111200.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk
2014-11-04 10:11:43.366160 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140616110700.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk
2014-11-04 10:11:43.367055 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140609110700.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk
2014-11-04 10:11:43.367313 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140602110700.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk
2014-11-04 10:11:43.368189 I  PlaybackBox: Loading preview
/home/mythtv/.mythtv/remotecache/1010_20140526110200.mp4.png,
			msg On Disk

I am assuming that the key is the 'Ignoring PREVIEW_SUCCESS' part and that
for some reason the FE thinks that the artwork is no longer on the screen
(when it is on the screen) so it reloads hence the brief flash. But as to
why I have no idea. Any suggestions on where to go next would be greatly
appreciated.

In case it helps, I see nothing unusual in the other menu screens and also
do not see any flashing during playback. It is only while idle on the Watch
Recordings screen. Also the flashing only occurs on the artwork and not the
mythtv generated preview file from the recording, or the text associated
with the recording. I can try and record the screen while it is happening if
anyone feels that would be of use.

Please attach all output as a file in bug reports.
MythTV Version : v0.27.1-14-g2720f45
MythTV Branch : fixes/0.27
Network Protocol : 77
Library API : 0.27.20140520-1
QT Version : 4.8.6
Options compiled in:
 linux profile use_hidesyms using_alsa using_oss using_pulse
using_pulseoutput using_backend using_bindings_perl using_bindings_python
using_bindings_php using_crystalhd using_dvb using_firewire using_frontend
using_hdhomerun using_ceton using_hdpvr using_ivtv using_joystick_menu
using_libcrypto using_libdns_sd using_libfftw3 using_libxml2 using_lirc
using_mheg using_opengl using_opengl_video using_qtwebkit using_qtscript
using_qtdbus using_taglib using_v4l2 using_x11 using_xrandr using_xv
using_profiletype using_bindings_perl using_bindings_python
using_bindings_php using_mythtranscode using_opengl using_vaapi using_vdpau
using_ffmpeg_threads using_mheg using_libass using_libxml2