[mythtv-users] RE: Why does it take 20% cpu power to run mythfrontend when it used to take 4%?

[Gregory J. McGee]

> Message: 7
> Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 19:18:35 -0400
> From: mark <fairlane at springcom.com>
> Subject: [mythtv-users] Why does it take 20% cpu power to run
>         mythfrontend    when it used to take 4%?
> To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> Message-ID: <200404221918.35746.fairlane at springcom.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;  charset="us-ascii"
> 
> when running top, it is currently taking 20% cpu power on my AMD 2500
> to play 
> an MPEG4 recording at 544 x480, with most everything cpu intensive
> turned 
> off.  In previous versions, from 0.10 to 0.13, it took about 4% cpu,
> with 
> everything cpu intensive turned ON.  Has anyone else noticed this?  I
> used to 
> think that an AMD 2500 was enough oats to record on one analog card
> and 
> playback one stream, but now I'm not so sure anymore.  I get
> occasional 
> skipping if the backend and frontend are both working at the same
> time.  I'm 
> using anywhere from 50%-80% cpu to record in MPEG4, and the rest to
> playback.
> When I first setup myth at 0.10, it took about 35% total to record
> and 
> playback a stream at the same time.  What else could have been added
> to suck 
> up this much processor?  anyone got any ideas?
> 
> In the event that I can't do anything about this, how feasible is it
> to roll 
> my database back to 0.10-compliant?
> 
> Thanks,
> Mark

Recording in MPEG4 is my guess. _HUGE_ CPU sucking going on there, esp
with HQ/4mv set---remember, recording is real time, and NOT niced in any
way. It will suck all the CPU power it needs to keep up.

When I crank my 2100+ to ~2700+, I can do it. Usually. Tried it for
awhile, but it was pointless, as my backend is on my main system I use
for everything. and it really bogged down.

My frontend now is an xbox, works great, and using mythtransode as
intended works so much better. The backend runs almost unnoticed now.

Record rtjpeg, auto transcode, and in your transcoding profile, use
mpeg4, hq/4mv, same resolution.

I record at 704x480, 210, transcode same res, hq/4mv 2200 bps.

It will look SO MUCH better, and run stably. It's a feature. Use it.
(Mythtranscode still thrashes the HD, even niced, think of it as a fast
processor penalty) Too bad nice can't be told NOT to use 100% cpu when
available...
-- 
Gregory J. McGee <gjmcgee at cableone.net>