[mythtv-users] Screen Goes Blank on Standby, Then Never Wakes Up

[Mike Carron]

On 09/28/2014 10:37 AM, Tom Wheeler wrote:
> I've been running a combined backend/frontend machine for several 
> months, but am setting up a connected frontend-only machine before 
> getting rid of cable for good. I've hit a very annoying problem and 
> thought I'd ask for help since it's likely that I'm not the first to 
> have encountered it.
>
> The frontend machine works great when I first boot it up. When I am 
> done watching TV and come back later (after an hour or more), all I 
> see is a plain blue screen. The screensaver and power management 
> features are disabled. I am using the NVIDIA proprietary drivers 
> (version 304.117) with VPDAU high quality setting.
>
> Upon further investigation, it seems that an important factor is that 
> my frontend is routed through my AV receiver/amplifier. In other 
> words, the HDMI out from the NVIDIA GeForce GT-610 on my frontend goes 
> into the DVR HDMI input on my Onkyo HT-S3500, and from the HDMI out on 
> the Onkyo into the HDMI input on my Samsung TV.
>
> Here is what I know:
>
> 1. The problem seems specific to the frontend. I can watch any other 
> device (e.g., DVD, Roku, etc.) plugged into other HDMI ports on the 
> Onkyo without problem.
>
> 2. It does not seem to be a bad HDMI cable. I have replaced the HDMI 
> cable between the frontend and the Onkyo, but the problem persists.
>
> 3. It does not seem to be the HDMI port on the stereo. I have tried 
> making the frontend go through another HDMI input on the Onkyo (i.e. 
> the DVD input), but the same thing still happens.
>
> 4. It seems to be related to X-Windows. When I see the blue screen, 
> hitting keys on the attached keyboard or clicking the attached mouse 
> has no effect (i.e., it does not "wake up" the screen). The machine is 
> responsive when I log in via ssh, and I can also hit Ctrl+Alt+F1 and 
> log in through the virtual console.
>
> If I reboot the machine, it works fine again until it goes idle for a 
> while.
>
> When I plug the HDMI cable from the frontend directly into the HDMI 
> port in the back of the TV, this doesn't happen.
>
> Another perhaps interesting fact is that the Onkyo seems to make a 
> periodic clicking noise (sounds like a relay) when watching the 
> frontend that I do not hear when video from other devices is playing 
> through it.
>
> I'm grateful for any ideas.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tom
>
***
I have seen what looks like the same situation on my system (headless 
MBE with multiple FEs on the network), all systems being Mythbuntu 
14.04/MythTV 0.27.3. Whichever FE was in the living room where its 
output goes through an AV receiver exhibited the problem as you describe it.

I went to Applications -> Settings -> Session and Startup -> 
ApplicationAutostart and unchecked Xfettingsd, then rebooted. Now I can 
switch to another device and still have normal operation when I return 
to the FE.

mike