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<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">Hi Helen!</FONT></DIV><FONT size=3
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<DIV><BR>Did you intend to reply privately? Anyway ...</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">Nope -- accidentally clicked
<reply> and didn't change the TO: field. Think I got it right this
time! <g></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">In the interim between
work, life, and an event for which minor surgery next week have been
playing with 'stuff' here. Reluctant to upgrade the current Backend from
10.10 only because I don't have the best of luck at upgrades. (I'd
probably make a great beta tester! <g>) I do appreciate the link you
gave me and will probably attempt when I get the second (and kept current!)
Backend going.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">Have found the Frontend with 10.10
from the installation disk I have doesn't connect to the repositories - no big
surprise. That makes it a little difficult to try to add/modify config
files: no nano, no vi. Might be other editors available; don't think worth
the effort to search for something compatible. Oh, modifications gleaned
from Googling to try to get my audio working. It seems to be supported in
later versions. (For some reason even when booting to the originally
installed Windows 7 there is no audio via HDMI; only when a cable is plugged in
to the headphone or Line Out jacks does the Volume Mixer and/or Playback Devices
appear.)</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">Thought I'd try 12.04.1 -- newer --
LTS -- maybe...? Install, configuring, eventually get to where I test the
connection to the Backend: "No JSON object could be detected". Eventually
another error telling me to update the database (which is on the Backend) as I'm
45 versions behind. ...Yup: guess with the new system I'd better keep
things current!!</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><BR>> Since you're not ready to upgrade your backend, and since the new
frontend really isn't new, I would recommend you install mythbuntu 10.04 on the
M58 which is an LTS release and which should get security updates until April
2015. I managed to find some CD images here:<BR>> <A
href="http://psg.mtu.edu/pub/mythbuntu/lucid/release/">http://psg.mtu.edu/pub/mythbuntu/lucid/release/</A><BR>>
Once installed, enable the mythbuntu PPA and get the latest 0.23 version. I
think you should be able to get version 25362, which should be able to talk to
your 26437 backend without any trouble.<BR>> Thanks for the link -- I'll have
to give it a try and report back.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> As for playback
profile, if the CPU++ works well, fine. But if not, you might want to try
OpenGL, although I don't know how well it worked in 0.23.<BR>> I had tried
the OpenGL option (Qt is default) first and in my case there was no change: 1080
recordings still did not have overlays (OSD) while the 720 and lower resolution
programmes did. (No change.) I did notice some fading (slower
transitioning) when switching from menu to menu. While interesting it did
not fix the problem so had switched it back. As for the CPU+, CPU++, and
other options [Utilities/Setup > Setup > TV Setting > Playback.
At screen "Playback Profiles (3/8)" for those trying to follow along!], no idea
why this works; in my notes from years back have a chart from either Mythbuntu
or MythTV listing these options but it doesn't explain. At the time
someone suggested I try the option and it fixed whatever problem I was having at
the time; was the reason I had tried it this time (and it worked
again!).<BR><BR>I'm not talking about the "Paint Engine" which can be Qt or
OpenGL. But there's also an OpenGL playback profile as well as Slim, CPU+, CPU++
... playback profiles. At least the OpenGL playback profile exists in 0.27,
although I'm not 100% sure if it was available on 0.23. I only used VDPAU and
Slim profiles wen I was using 0.23, but I'm using OpenGL on one of my 0.27 boxes
now.<BR><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype"> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">Found out from my 'web wanderings'
"the use of VDPAU moves decompression and de-interlacing to the GPU from the CPU
of the Frontend". Did see 'VDPAU' on that "Playback Profiles (3/8)"
Frontend configuration page -- if I happen to get the audio working I'll check
to see if the audio supports.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><BR>> Another option, why not use this machine as a new backend? You can
partition the hard drive so it can dual boot. One boot option would let you run
it as a frontend that talks to your current backend, with mythbuntu 10.04, as I
outlined above. The other boot option would be a more current mythbuntu running
mythtv 0.27 and with the backend packages installed. Personally, I would
recommend mythbuntu 12.04 for older hardware. I have found it to be more stable
than mythbuntu 14.04. But 14.04 is the way to go with new hardware. This machine
could be the perfect learning platform for things like multiboot, upgrading
mythtv via clean install, etc. Plus, it will help you figure out if the blinking
problem, or any other problem, are due to bugs in older software, including
drivers.<BR>> <chuckle> More learning experiences! Smile
emoticon The Lenovo M58 I have seems to make a great Frontend but
IMO is too small, mostly physically, for a Backend. It's a Small Form
Factor, so compact. One PCIe x16 and one PCI slot available -- USB tuners
could be an option; current backend has two HVR-1600's and an
HVR-2250.<BR><BR>Even though it may not be suitable as a full backend
replacement, there are advantages to setting up a multiboot system. All of my
myth boxes have at least 2 operating systems, some have 3. Being able to boot
into an alternative OS lets me do a full backup of the primary OS, something I
try to do monthly before doing any upgrades. The third OS is some flavor of
Windows, which I use for streaming content that can't be streamed via Linux, for
example. And you don't have to install and configure a real tuner to set up a
standalone mythtv box for testing purposes.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">Agree -- there are some Frontends
here with dual booting (Windows and Mythbuntu) to allow use for email, etc.,
until we learn (which can be read as I learn and teach them!).</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><BR><BR>> Regarding the flickering at 1920x1080, I would try a different
hdmi cable and/or displayport->hdmi adapter. It could be your cable or
adapter are marginal, good enough for lower resolutions but not for the
highest.<BR>> Possibly a little bit of confusion: there was random blinking
(black screen) when the Desktop was at 1920x1080 but no flickering. This
seemed to be resolved by lowering the resolution a smidgen -- probably would
have lowered the resolution slightly when attached the TV anyway due to distance
and it seems a TV's display isn't as clear as a monitor's at the same
resolution. I had originally installed 14.04.1 and did not have the
random blinking problem. What was different? Probably the video
driver. (And I have experienced 'cheap cable syndrome'.)<BR>> Thanks
for your assistance!<BR><BR>Flicker/blink whatever. If there is no blinking
under a newer OS, that does suggest a driver bug in the older OS. This is
another example where being able to boot into a newer OS running a standalone
mythtv install would be useful. In this case, it can help you determine the root
cause of an issue, whether it's software or hardware. You can copy recordings
from your current backend to this box, put then in a video storage group and see
how well they play under the newer OS/mythtv. You can also set up samba or nfs
on the current backend and then mount the recording storage group on the
standalone box as a video storage group and play any recording you wish. Just a
couple of examples from personal experience.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">I agree it appears there is a driver
issue with the hardware on this new Frontend and 10.10, especially as I did not
have a blink problem with 14.04.1, and I don't think with 12..04.4 (didn't
experiment all that much as wouldn't connect to my 10.10 Backend).
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<DIV><BR><BR>Regarding clarity on a TV, I find it is best to make sure the OS is
configured to use the TV's native resolution. Unfortunately, some TVs lie and
you have to do extra work to configure the graphics properly. I've got some 720p
TVs that the OS thinks are best at 1920x1080, but that just puts the TV into an
interlaced mode that makes it impossible to read any text. Things look much
better when the OS is configured to use 1280x720 resolution.<BR><BR><FONT size=3
face="Palatino Linotype">I'm thinking native resolution would be best also -- as
long as can read across the table! Did find where 720p is 1280x720, and I
think 1920x1080 is 1080 -- have a note where that's 16:9 (and 1920x1200 is
16:10). (There are disadvantages in self-taught schooling where one learns
by delving into the Black Boxes as one has problems!)</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3 face="Palatino Linotype">Anyway, did want to thank you for
your reply and guidance, even though I am being reluctant to fix the real
problem: the antiquated Backend. ...What the new plan is is to create a
second Backend. Hopefully it will communicate with the original Backend
and the Frontends will be updated one at a time. Plan B is the two
Backends don't play nice together and at least one room will have two Frontends
attached, one a 10.10 FE for the older shows and the other a 14.04 FE for the
newly recorded shows. Do you need Aspirin or Tylenol?
<gg></FONT></DIV>
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