[mythtv-users] Re: [Ivtv-users] EPIA-M PVR350 2.4.24-epia1 cvs X gentoo: mythtv live tv dies: waiting for data

[michael brown]

From: "Ramzy Darwish"


> Hello All,
> I have been working on getting a mythtv box setup for about 2 months
now and
> I am almost there. RIght now, I have gotten a Gentoo system up and
running
> and all of my hardware seems to be working fine. I have sound, nice
video
> with the latest CVS XFree86 and I think all of the latest patches to
the
> kernel and X.

Cool, I'm having a few stutters now and then using my new M10000, myth
CVS, X ver 4.3.99 (902) w/epia patches and open source via v4l drivers,
Linux 2.4.24 patched for epia, and the open source libddmpeg 1.5.
Sometimes it's smooth as glass, then others it wants to stutter a bit
even though the CPU usage stays well under 35%.  Currently I'm using the
vga output from the motherboard and have no PVR or bttv cards installed
(it's a remote frontend and the master backend uses a PVR-250).

I got the e-build files from http://epia.kalf.org/portage/  This makes
patching/installing the epia kernel and xfree stuff a breeze.  ;-)  Just
put these files in /usr/local/portage and emerge
full/path/string/to/ebuild/file.ebuild to install.  Lots of good info
can be found here:
http://www.alterself.com/~epia/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=EpiaHowto  I
also got a .config file for the epia patched kernel tailored to an
M10000.

What are you using for a case and power supply?  The 2699 case I have
has a wimpy 60W supply and won't even turn on with a tv caputure card
installed, and it gets quite warm when doing compiles for 24 hours
straight.  A PVR 350 would greatly add to the heat buildup problems.

> I am using the CVS-latest tarball of ivtv and I think it is working.

Hmm.....you'll have to be more specific on that.  What version does
dmesg report when ivtv loads?  If it says 0.2.x, then you're lucky your
machine even runs.  You'll want to fall back to one of the 0.1.9
drivers.

> I have mythtv 0.13 up and running, but then I have the following
problems:
> I can start mythtv and do everything perfectly, I can even watch
livetv
> beautifully on the monitor for about 15 minutes. then, suddenly, it
stops,
> and the mythtv system hangs up and the screen goes black.  I still
have
> control of the system and can kill myth. so i check the logs and i get
> messages such as "Waiting for data to become available:" over and over
again
> and it never seems to find data again.
>
> i can restart mythfrontend, but it will not reconnect to the backend.
the
> backend is running, and no error messages seem to popup, so i don't
> understand what is going on. there is not an exact time limit for this
to
> happen.

I've seen those messages in my playing with myth, but stopping and
restarting the front-end would usually clear things up.  Also restarting
the backend may help.  In all my dealing with myth, I have the most
trouble when running the frontend and backend on the same machine.
Watching LiveTV on my master backend is usually what gives me the most
troubles.

> i don't know what else you need to help me.
>
> what I think it may be:
> 1. MOnitor DPMS is shutting down the system and the input connections
are
> going to sleep.
> 2. bad y-splitter on cable wire
> 3. i have read some other posts about the system getting too hot.
>
> thanks for all of your help, sorry if i'm a moron.