[mythtv-users] Re: PVR350 Timing issues? (WatchingLiveTV->None->RecordingOnly and vice-versa)

Thu Oct 23 11:04:10 EDT 2003

[Somehow, this got posted to the wrong thread on gossamer... I'll
try again... sorry.  BTW, is it possible to login and create
and reply to messages using the gossamer site?  It'd be much
easier!]

Yeah, right. Or so I thought. I replaced my VIA chipset with an nForce2 
(bad idea?). I haven't had much time to test things, but I still notice 
the same stupid timing issue when watching LiveTV and when a scheduled 
recording kicks in. If I let the popup dialog (that asks you what you 
want to do, keep watching, stop recording, ...) timeout, the frontend 
locks up and the recording stops. bleh! 

I used to have a stable myth box with 0.11 and using the nVidia FX 5200 
for tvout. (those were the days!). It's just that I've passed the 
point of no return with getting the pvr350 tvout thing working (plus, 
now that I've witnessed the quality and compare to the FX 5200 tvout, 
I can't go back to the FX! It looks like crap). 

Considering the ivtv decorder driver is alpha, I wouldn't mind so much. 
But, it appears that I'm the only one experiencing this problem! 

-----
chris delis
chris delis.net

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003, Chris Delis wrote:

> After searching the web some more, it appears that my ASUS A7M266 mobo
> does in fact have that stupid VIA chipset bug.  The "AMD 761 chipset"
> name they use to advertise confused me into thinking otherwise. :-(
> 
> I went to the via website and noticed they have kernel patches for RedHat,
> Suse, Mandrake, Red Flag, but no DEBIAN!  ARgh...  Anyone know of a
> Debian patch anywhere?  Or do I simply have to get a new motherboard?
> I can't do without the PVR350 tvout!
> 
> 
> -----
> chris delis
> chris delis.net
> 
> On Tue, 21 Oct 2003, Chris Delis wrote:
> 
> > 
> > I am really racking my brain on this one :-(
> > 
> > Are there many folks using the PVR350 for both encoding and decoding
> > successfully?  I've had no problems in the past when using the card for
> > encoding while using my nVidia FX 5200 for decoding/tvout.  However,
> > when seeing the amazing results of PVR350 tvout, I am having a really
> > difficult time switching back to the nVidia.
> > 
> > Currently, I now have my system in a "livable state".  After applying
> > the aforementioned hacks to tv_rec.cpp, I can now watch LiveTV and not
> > have mythfrontend freeze up on me when a scheduled recording kicks in.
> > 
> > However, there exists on more REALLY annoying problem.  When I exit LiveTV,
> > mythbackend randomly dies.  The following messages apear on mythfrontend:
> > 
> > Changing from WatchingLiveTV to None
> > Changing from None to None
> > Partial WriteStringList 0
> > Partial WriteStringList 0
> > Partial WriteStringList 0
> > Partial WriteStringList 0
> > Partial WriteStringList 0
> > Partial WriteStringList 0
> > Partial WriteStringList 0
> > ...
> > 
> > I am running myth version 0.12.  I have an ASUS A7M266 motherboard
> > with AMD 761 chipset, so I don't _think_ I'm experiencing the dreaded
> > VIA chipset bug.  However it appears that I do have a "VIA vt82c686b"
> > IDE controller.  Does this mean anything?  I'm not a "hardware person"
> > so I have no clue, just being suspicious:
> > 
> > % dmesg | grep -i via
> > VP_IDE: VIA vt82c686b (rev 40) IDE UDMA100 controller on pci00:04.1
> >     ide0: BM-DMA at 0xd800-0xd807, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:DMA
> >     ide1: BM-DMA at 0xd808-0xd80f, BIOS settings: hdc:DMA, hdd:DMA
> > hda: 240121728 sectors (122942 MB) w/7936KiB Cache, CHS=14946/255/63, UDMA(100)
> > hdb: 60030432 sectors (30736 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=3736/255/63, UDMA(66)
> > ivtv-fb: ivtvfb_alloc_user_dma_to_device
> > 
> > Also in dmesg, I happen to see the following from time to time:
> > 
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: DMA interrupt, but no err and no success. odd.
> > ivtv: Got DMA-done, but not expecting one
> > 
> > These occur not so frequently and do not appear to be crashing
> > mythbackend or freezing up mythfrontend.
> > 
> > Thanks for reading all of this!
> > 
> > Chris
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > > 
> > > > Hello,
> > > > 
> > > > Has anyone else noticed a problem with the PVR350 decoder when switching
> > > > between modes?
> > > > 
> > > > When I am watching live tv and a scheduled recording is about to start,
> > > > mythfrontend seems to lockup.  Also, there are times when I simply leave
> > > > live tv to get to the main menu and mythbackend dies.
> > > > 
> > > > Note that all of this happens only when using the decoder (/dev/video16)
> > > > with the ivtv-fb framebuffer device.  All seems to work ok when I use
> > > > the Xv display (my monitor).
> > > > 
> > > > The reason I suspect a timing issue of sorts, is twofold: 1) When I
> > > > pause live tv or prerecorded show, the OSD reflects the wrong time
> > > > (when I first start up myth and go live tv and hit pause right away,
> > > > I notice the OSD says its 4 minutes behind).  2) In tv_rec.cpp, I was
> > > > able to get things working by adding time to the usleep() system calls
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Sorry, but I have mispoken a bit here.  I didn't add time to the usleep(),
> > > but instead I added time for the state change polling in tv_rec.cpp 
> > > (where the timeout variable is being set below):
> > > 
> > >     if (internalState == kState_WatchingLiveTV && !cancelNextRecording)
> > >     {
> > >         QDateTime timeout;
> > > 
> > >         QString message = QString("QUIT_LIVETV %1").arg(m_capturecardnum);
> > > 
> > >         MythEvent me(message);
> > >         gContext->dispatch(me);
> > > 
> > >         //timeout = QDateTime::currentDateTime().addSecs(3);
> > >         timeout = QDateTime::currentDateTime().addSecs(10);
> > > 
> > >         while (internalState != kState_None &&
> > >                QDateTime::currentDateTime().secsTo(timeout) > 0)
> > >             usleep(100);
> > > 
> > >         if (internalState != kState_None)
> > >         {
> > >             gContext->dispatch(me);
> > > 
> > >             //timeout = QDateTime::currentDateTime().addSecs(3);
> > >             timeout = QDateTime::currentDateTime().addSecs(10);
> > > 
> > >             while (internalState != kState_None &&
> > >                    QDateTime::currentDateTime().secsTo(timeout) > 0)
> > >                 usleep(100);
> > >         }
> > > 
> > > 	...
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > > in TVRec::StartRecording (I haven't yet figured out how to fix the crash
> > > > when leaving live tv).
> > > > 
> > > > --Chris
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 