[mythtv-users] Gentoo + VIA Binary driver

[Paul W. Smith]

On Wednesday 14 April 2004 11:21 am, Mikhail D'Vane wrote:
> Hmm... I'm running Gentoo on my M10K and playback at 480x480 resolution is
> smooth (CPU at ~50%).  I needed to apply the EDX hack to cputest.c, though,
> since I have a stepping 3 CPU.
>
> A few questions:
>
> 1.  What kernel are you running?  I'm on 2.4.24-epia1.  (I've also had
> success
>      with 2.4.25-epia1, but I didn't notice any difference in performance).

I'm running 2.4.24-epia1-r1and xfree-epia version 4.3.99.902-r3

>
> 2.  What's your CPU stepping?  (Look in /proc/cpuinfo.)

CPUINFO:
cpu family      : 6
model           : 9
model name      : VIA Nehemiah
stepping        : 3
cpu MHz         : 999.540
cache size      : 64 KB

>
> 3.  Are you sure that the EDX patch has been applied?  Depending how you
>      chose to install MythTV, it's possible that cputest.c got overwritten.
> To
>      install on mine I have to use a slightly different approach than
> normal emerge.  I have to:
>
>     - ebuild /usr/portage/media-tv/mythtv/<mythtv-ebuild-filename>.ebuild
> unpack
>
>     - go to the unpacked work directory and edit cputest.c
>
>     - ebuild /usr/portage/media-tv/mythtv/<mythtv-ebuild-filename>.ebuild
> merge

I used the same approach, but I'm gonna try it again just to be sure...

>
> 4.  When you refer to binary drivers, do you mean the binary video drivers
> or the
>      mpeg decoder driver (libddmpeg.so)?  I don't currently use the HW
> decoder
>      (can't apply any filters with it), but I have used it in the past and
> I found
>      you can pretty much just replace the libddmpeg.so file in the library
> with
>      whatever version you wish (Via's, Ivor's).  Performance/issues are
> different
>      between the various versions.

Since you're getting decent performance with Ivor's mpeg decoder driver, this 
leads me to think that it is a configuration issue and changing the driver 
won't help much.  What version of Myth are you running?  Also, where did you 
set up your playback to be 480x480 resolution?  Is this an XF86Config 
setting?

Thanks for the help, Mik!

>
> Mik
>
> From: "Paul W. Smith" <cvpsmith at ncche.olemiss.edu>
>
> >Reply-To: cvpsmith at ncche.olemiss.edu,        Discussion about mythtv
> ><mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> >To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> >Subject: [mythtv-users] Gentoo + VIA Binary driver
> >Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 08:47:48 -0500
> >
> >
> >I pretty much have my M10000+PVR250+Gentoo system set up now, except for
> >the
> >fact that my CPU is hitting 100% when watching LiveTV, which causes
> >occasional freezing.  I've tried adjusting all of the MythTV settings, as
> >well as the EDX field correction in cputest.c.  I've also gone through
> > this post:
> >
> >http://www.gossamer-threads.com/perl/mailarc/
> >gforum.cgi?post=110741;search_string=epia-m10k%20mpeg2%20decoder%
> >20performance;guest=2880558&t=search_engine#110741
> >
> >
> >I'm at the point now where I'm seriously considering attempting to go with
> >the
> >VIA binary driver to see if this helps any.  A few quick questions:
> >
> >Does anyone know if there is a difference in the playback of live TV when
> >using the binary driver as opposed to Ivor's open source driver (does live
> >TV
> >even use the hardware decoding of the M10000)?
> >
> >Is there a procedure on the net somewhere that will help me to get the VIA
> >binary driver working with Gentoo 1.4 (2.4 kernel)?  Is this even
> > possible?
> >
> >Could my problem have more to do with my X configuration, rather than a
> >driver
> >issue?
> >
> >
> >TIA
> >
> >Paul
> >
> >PS.  Thanks everybody for the excellent help that I received on previous
> >issues that I was having!
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
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>
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-- 
Paul W. Smith
Coordinator of Computing Facility Operations
National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering
http://www.ncche.olemiss.edu