[mythtv] A couple of questions about mythtv 0.19

Tue Jul 11 09:29:44 UTC 2006

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Michael T. Dean wrote:
> On 07/10/2006 04:37 PM, Hamish wrote:
>> I have a couple of questions... I'm not sure whether these are
>> features I just don't understand, or genuine bugs... Hoping
>> someone can help. The system is combined front/back ends. AMD 64
>> X2 4200+. 3GB memory. Hauppage Nova card.
>>
>> 1. Why, when a file doesn't exist, does mythfrontend try 5 or 6
>> times to open the file... Counting down the attempts each time?
>> If it's not there the first time, it isn't going to  be there the
>> second... Or third. Or fourth etc.
>
> Unless the file is a LiveTV file or preview pixmap or ... that's
> just been created but hasn't yet appeared in the frontend's view of
> the filesystem (i.e. due to file attribute caching for networked
> filesystems).  Or unless it's a LiveTV file that's being created,
> but hasn't yet been written to disk.  Or ...

I'm not running a network filesystem... Hence no file attribute
caching etc. Is anyone interested in a patch to only check once for a
local filesystem? Or making the retries configurable? (i.e. if I did
one, would it be accepted or rejected?).

>
>> Isthere any way to tell it just admit the file isn't there?
>>
>
> Only by changing the code and running a non-standard version of
> Myth (that probably won't be able to play LiveTV and may have other
> problems).
>
>> 2. It seems to be random chance but sometimes when a file isn't
>> present on disk, but is  onthe DB, you can't delet it. Yet other
>> times you can. Why?
>>
>
> Long story.  Fixed in SVN trunk in [9490].  See ticket #1480 (
> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/commits/188835#188835
> ) and my very verbose description at
> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/dev/188846#188846 .
>
> The fix hasn't been applied to 0.19-fixes because it technically
> adds a new feature (therefore, it's not a pure "fix").  Since it
> keeps coming up again and again, I'll see if I can convince Chris
> Pinkham (the one who committed the patch to trunk) to commit it to
> -fixes under a more liberal definition of a fix.
>
> Basically, though, if you delete it first (i.e. enter Watch
> Recordings, scroll to the file directly, and then delete it without
> doing anything else), it should allow you to delete it.
>
>> 3. Why is the interface so slow?  Ihave an AMD64 X2 4200+.
>> Sitting in the 'select a recoding to watch' screen mythfrontend
>> is using 99% of one core. Doing what I have no idea... (strace
>> says it's looping on
>>
>> select(17, [16], NULL, NULL, {0, 5000}) = 1 (in [16], left {0,
>> 5000}) ioctl(16, FIONREAD, [0])                = 0
>> gettimeofday({1152563349, 448771}, NULL) = 0 select(17, [16],
>> NULL, NULL, {0, 5000}) = 1 (in [16], left {0, 5000}) ioctl(16,
>> FIONREAD, [0])                = 0 gettimeofday({1152563349,
>> 448843}, NULL) = 0 select(17, [16], NULL, NULL, {0, 5000}) = 1
>> (in [16], left {0, 5000}) ioctl(16, FIONREAD, [0])
>> = 0 gettimeofday({1152563349, 448911}, NULL) = 0 select(17, [16],
>> NULL, NULL, {0, 5000}) = 1 (in [16], left {0, 5000}) ioctl(16,
>> FIONREAD, [0])                = 0 gettimeofday({1152563349,
>> 448983}, NULL) = 0 select(17, [16], NULL, NULL, {0, 5000}) = 1
>> (in [16], left {0, 5000})
>>
>> )
>>
>> This translates into extreeme slowness. Like 2-3 second between
>> pressing a key & taking action on it.
>>
>
> Bad configuration.  (Can't really say more than that with the info
>  you've given.)
>

Hmm... I wonder then why it worked with my old hardware, but doesn't
work with the new processor & graphics card. That's with no change to
the mythtv configuration at all.
>> 4. Why do I get duplicate recordings? I thought it was designed
>> to record one showing of a program. Yet things like Dr Who, which
>> is repeated, when set to record any time any channel gets EVERY
>> repeated episode. Same for channels like ABC, Sky3 etc which may
>> repeat the same thing 3 times in a single day. I get all 3 runs
>> of it.
>>
>
> You didn't set the duplicate-matching policy or there are actually
>  differences in the episode titles (subtitles) and/or descriptions
> or ...
>

Well... There's no difference between the episodes that the listings
show on the recorded programs. Maybe it's checking something else.
I'll see if I can find what.

>> 5. When deleting, sometimes the dialog that pops up says allow
>> re-record, sometimes not... What is this dependent on?
>>
>
> Because you haven't set a duplicate-matching policy on your
> recording rule?  (Hmmm.  This is becoming even more likely to be
> the answer to 4.)
>
>> 6. What's the prebuffering pause for logged below? It seems to
>> cause jerkiness on playback (I've seem several people with it,
>> but no answers. I did have it a while ago & posted then, but it
>> 'went away'. Not sure why. When I upgraded to the X2 from an
>> amd64 3200+ it came back... The software didn't change, just the
>> hardware..
>
> (and configuration)
>

Not the mythtv config. That didn't change at all. In fact the only
change was to enable DRI on the XServer. But that didn't affect xine
or any other application playing mpegs... (Ok, it's a different alsa
driver. snd-hda-intel instead of the one the AV8-deluxe uses).

>> Since mplayer can play the same file no problems (With about 25
>> CPU), I know it's not the machine.
>>
>> 2006-07-10 21:33:49.122 Video timing method: DRM 2006-07-10
>> 21:33:49.189 dropping back audio_buffer_unused 2006-07-10
>> 21:33:49.253 dropping back audio_buffer_unused 2006-07-10
>> 21:33:52.176 NVP: prebuffering
>> pauseAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAuLL 2006-07-10 21:33:52.209
>> WriteAudio: buffer underrun 2006-07-10 21:33:55.229 NVP:
>> prebuffering pauseAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAuAALAL 2006-07-10
>> 21:33:55.266 WriteAudio: buffer underrun
>>
>
> Probably due to the configuration problem that's causing 3.
>
>> 7. Is there any way to resize the playback on the fly?
>
> It always does.  It should scale to full-screen or full-window or
> whatever size is appropriate for your playback settings.
>

Ah no... I don't think we're talking about the same thing. I run
mythtv on the same monitor as that I'm working on. I'd like to resize
on the fly. e.g. as the program is being shown, switch full-screen &
windowed etc. To change mythtv I have to go into the settings, run
through multiple selections etc... What I'd really really like is
dragging the window corner. Resize on the fly. Unless there's
something I'm missing and you can set mythtv up to do that?
>> Failing that, can you tell myth to use mplayer to payback?
>
> Nope.  I think that's called Freevo.
>

Hm... never heard of it. Thanks, I'll look at it.

>> I have no problems with mplayer, xine etc, but myth playback
>> seems to be a dark art to get working & fails on me at the rop of
>> a hat (Usually with the prebuffering pauses above).
>
> Fix 3 and then see...
>

Any hints?

regards
  Hamish.

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