[mythtv-users] 0.19, VIA, XvMC, Ezra/i586 - video corrupted - SOLVED :-)

Jules Gosnell jules at coredevelopers.net
Tue Aug 8 23:03:10 UTC 2006


So, I tried a number of things this evening.

1 of them was fiddling with my BIOS settings...

I increased a video memory setting (can't remember the name offhand) 
from 32mb to 64mb - all my recordings play happily now.

It looks as if recordings with smaller dimensions were playing ok whilst 
larger ones were being corrupted. I guess this was due to a failed alloc 
somewhere...

So, thanks for all the help guys, and sorry to trouble you with this.

I now have to go buy a new videocard for the backend box, which gave up 
the ghost just after I got the frontend working ! Always the way...

When I have got that going and have recorded another episode of 'lost', 
I will finally know whether I have fixed the stuttering as well.


Jules


Jules Gosnell wrote:
> Kevin Slater wrote:
> 
>>Jules,
>>
>>I need to go back and look at the configuration again. It could be that 
>>I have Standard XvMC for playback on my FE only VIA EPIA M-9000. I can't 
>>say for sure because I was playing with different settings for 
>>interlacing and such. I'll double-check and post a response one way or 
>>the other.
> 
> 
> cool
> 
> 
>>The stuttering on playback - I had that exact same issue with my .14 
>>setup on this same box. (I ran it like that for years.) A good example 
>>of what would trip it would be the LOST intro or any program that put 
>>white letters on a black background - instant stutter in those cases. 
> 
> 
> exactly - I have the same problem with 'lost' - drives the wife crazy :-)
> 
> 
>>Since using the unichrome (openchrome?) drivers from kelkoo and enabling 
>>XvMC, this is no longer an issue. The fact that it happens to you when 
>>you think you're using the VIA XvMC for playback, tells me that you may 
>>not be using that driver afterall.
> 
> 
> no - you misunderstand - the fact that it happens when I am NOT using 
> XvMC, amongst other things, is prompting me to try to get XvMC working....
> 
> however - when I enable XvMC, I get garbled video, most of the time - see :
> 
> http://www.gosnell.org.uk/tmp/00032.jpg
> 
> So, it sounds like our experiences are pretty similar - I await your 
> report on the settings that you are using - maybe I can copy them and it 
> 'will just work' :-)
> 
> Jules
> 
> 
> 
>>...Kevin
>>
>>On 8/4/06, *Jules Gosnell* <jules at coredevelopers.net 
>><mailto:jules at coredevelopers.net>> wrote:
>>
>>    Kevin Slater wrote:
>>     > Jules,
>>     >
>>     > I have an EPIA M-9000 (Ezra/i586) Mythbox running 0.19. It's a
>>    frontend
>>     > only, but it is using XvMC from Kelkoo as you describe above. If
>>    I get
>>     > another capture card it'll be a slave backend again. (Which is
>>    what it
>>     > was for the longest time running .14 without the libXvMC stuff.)
>>    So it
>>     > should be be possible for your machine to give you adequate
>>    performance
>>     > although when I was running without libXvMC I had to limit my
>>    capture
>>     > resolution to 480 x 480 otherwise playback response was pretty
>>    bad. (I
>>     > use PVR-250 cards.)
>>     >
>>     > I wonder if part of the issue is the difference in TV standards?
>>
>>    OK - so you have a PVR-250 in your frontend, no backend, 'VIA XvMC',
>>    enabled in setup and video plays back fine ?
>>
>>    I have a pair of Nova-T's in my backend and enabling 'VIA XvMC' results
>>    in the problem described.
>>
>>    I don't crop the video that I am recording, but my Ezra is fast enough
>>    to handle it (most of the time). Strangely, if the scene is very dark,
>>    or becomes black, I get stuttering. I don't see why this should put more
>>    load on the cpu - but it is annoying...
>>
>>    I was hoping that getting VIA XvMC running would solve the problem - My
>>    frontend is passively cooled and I would be much happier if I could get
>>    cpu usage down to 10-20%.
>>
>>    I wonder if I am seeing some incompatibility between the formats
>>    broadcast, the format put out by my Nova-Ts (two different models) and
>>    the formats understood by my CLE266 ? Could this be possible ?
>>
>>    Jules
>>
>>
>>     >
>>     > ...Kevin
>>     >
>>     > On 8/3/06, *Jules Gosnell* < jules at coredevelopers.net
>>    <mailto:jules at coredevelopers.net>
>>     > <mailto:jules at coredevelopers.net
>>    <mailto:jules at coredevelopers.net>>> wrote:
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >     Thought I would repost as I'm still seeing this sort of thing
>>    on _some_
>>     >     recordings when XvMC is enabled:
>>     >
>>     >     http://www.gosnell.org.uk/tmp/00032.jpg
>>     >
>>     >     I'm living without XvMC, but it's not ideal - I have to put
>>    up with
>>     >     stuttering now and then.
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >     I have just upgraded the box to the latest packages from
>>     >     washington.kelkoo.net/epia
>>    <http://washington.kelkoo.net/epia> <
>>    http://washington.kelkoo.net/epia> and
>>     >     atrpms (see below).
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >     but, still no better.
>>     >
>>     >     Underneath this it is running a pretty much vanilla FC4 with all
>>     >     updates
>>     >     from standard repos applied.
>>     >
>>     >     The only unusual thing about my setup is that the cpu is an
>>    Ezra and
>>     >     therefore an i586 - this has caused problems in the past.
>>     >
>>     >     Does anyone have an Ezra running successfully with XvMC
>>    enabled ? If
>>     >     so,
>>     >     I would be very interested to compare notes.
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >     I've just done a little more testing and found that the
>>    problem may be
>>     >     related to the channel - e.g. ITV2 and More4 (PAL, UK) seem
>>    to be the
>>     >     only channels on which I regularly record which produce
>>    recordings
>>     >     which
>>     >     do not demonstrate this problem (90% of the time). All other
>>    channels
>>     >     that I use generate recordings that I are not watchable with
>>    XvMC. Might
>>     >     different channels braodcast in slightly different formats,
>>    some of
>>     >     which work better with my hard/software ? any ideas ?
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >     Thanks for your time,
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >     Jules
>>     >
>>     >     kernel-2.6.17-1.2142_FC4
>>     >     libmyth-0.19-130.fc4.at <http://libmyth-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>    <http://libmyth-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythbrowser-0.19-126.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythbrowser-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythbrowser-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythcontrols-0.19-126.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythcontrols-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythcontrols-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythdvd-0.19-126.fc4.at <http://mythdvd-0.19-126.fc4.at> <
>>    http://mythdvd-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythflix-0.19-126.fc4.at <http://mythflix-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythflix-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythgallery-0.19-126.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythgallery-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythgallery-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythgame-0.19-126.fc4.at <http://mythgame-0.19-126.fc4.at> <
>>    http://mythgame-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythmkmovie-1.1.4-5.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythmkmovie-1.1.4-5.fc4.at> <http://mythmkmovie-1.1.4-5.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythmusic-0.19-126.fc4.at <http://mythmusic-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythmusic-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythnews-0.19-126.fc4.at <http://mythnews-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythnews-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythphone-0.19-126.fc4.at <http://mythphone-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    < http://mythphone-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythplugins-0.19-126.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythplugins-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythplugins-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     myththemes-0.19-106.at <http://myththemes-0.19-106.at>
>>    <http://myththemes-0.19-106.at>
>>     >     mythtv-0.19-130.fc4.at <http://mythtv-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythtv-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythtv-backend-0.19-130.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythtv-backend-0.19-130.fc4.at> <
>>    http://mythtv-backend-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythtv-frontend-0.19-130.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythtv-frontend-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythtv-frontend-0.19-130.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythtv-frontend-0.19-130.fc4.at>>
>>     >     mythtv-setup-0.19-130.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythtv-setup-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythtv-setup-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythtv-suite-0.19-59.at <http://mythtv-suite-0.19-59.at>
>>    <http://mythtv-suite-0.19-59.at>
>>     >     mythtv-theme-abstract-0.20040910-2.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-abstract-0.20040910-2.at>
>>     >     <http://mythtv-theme-abstract-0.20040910-2.at>
>>     >     mythtv-theme-MediaCenter-0.17-4.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-MediaCenter-0.17-4.at>
>>     >     <http://mythtv-theme-MediaCenter-0.17-4.at>
>>     >     mythtv-theme-photo-4-6.at <http://mythtv-theme-photo-4-6.at>
>>    < http://mythtv-theme-photo-4-6.at>
>>     >     mythtv-theme-ProjectGrayhem-1.7-1.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-ProjectGrayhem-1.7-1.at>
>>     >     <http://mythtv-theme-ProjectGrayhem-1.7-1.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-ProjectGrayhem-1.7-1.at>>
>>     >     mythtv-theme-purplegalaxy-0.20031214-3.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-purplegalaxy-0.20031214-3.at>
>>     >     <http://mythtv-theme-purplegalaxy-0.20031214-3.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-purplegalaxy-0.20031214-3.at>>
>>     >     mythtv-theme-Retro-0.20051208-1.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-Retro-0.20051208-1.at>
>>     >     <http://mythtv-theme-Retro-0.20051208-1.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-Retro-0.20051208-1.at>>
>>     >     mythtv-themes-0.19-130.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythtv-themes-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythtv-themes-0.19-130.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythtv-theme-sleek-0.35-2.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-sleek-0.35-2.at>
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-sleek-0.35-2.at>
>>     >     mythtv-theme-visor-0.16.2-5.at
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-visor-0.16.2-5.at>
>>    <http://mythtv-theme-visor-0.16.2-5.at>
>>     >     mythvideo-0.19-126.fc4.at <http://mythvideo-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    < http://mythvideo-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythweather-0.19-126.fc4.at
>>    <http://mythweather-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>    <http://mythweather-0.19-126.fc4.at>
>>     >     mythweb-0.19-78.at <http://mythweb-0.19-78.at>
>>    <http://mythweb-0.19-78.at>
>>     >     xine-0.99.4-0.lvn.3.4
>>     >     xine-lib-1.1.1-0.lvn.3.4.ucr.1
>>     >     xine-skins-1.8-0.lvn.1.4
>>     >     xorg-x11-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-deprecated-libs-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-deprecated-libs-devel-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-devel-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-doc-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-font-utils-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-libs-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-Mesa-libGL-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-Mesa-libGLU-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-sdk-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-tools-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-twm-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-xauth-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-xdm-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-xfs-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-Xnest-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >     xorg-x11-Xvfb-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.12
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >     Jules Gosnell wrote:
>>     >      > http://www.gosnell.org.uk/tmp/00032.jpg
>>     >      >
>>     >      > Last night I did a completely clean install of FC4 onto my VIA
>>     >     Ezra. I
>>     >      > added yum configurations for Kelkoo (Epia Unichrome
>>    related RPMs), AT
>>     >      > (Myth RPMs), and Livna (Xine RPMs) and did a complete
>>    update of the
>>     >      > system, including MythTV-Suite and Xine.
>>     >      >
>>     >      > The relevant pieces of my install now look like this :
>>     >      >
>>     >      > xorg-x11-6.9-0.FC4.ucr.5
>>     >      > mythtv-suite-0.19-57.at <http://mythtv-suite-0.19-57.at>
>>    <http://mythtv-suite-0.19-57.at <http://mythtv-suite-0.19-57.at>>
>>     >      > mythtv-frontend-0.19-124.rhfc4.at
>>    <http://mythtv-frontend-0.19-124.rhfc4.at>
>>     >     <http://mythtv-frontend-0.19-124.rhfc4.at
>>    <http://mythtv-frontend-0.19-124.rhfc4.at>>
>>     >      > libmyth-0.19-124.rhfc4.at
>>    <http://libmyth-0.19-124.rhfc4.at> <http://libmyth-0.19-124.rhfc4.at>
>>     >      > kernel-2.6.15-1.1833_FC4
>>     >      > xine-0.99.4-0.lvn.3.4
>>     >      > xine-lib-1.1.1-0.lvn.3.4.ucr.1
>>     >      >
>>     >      > I no longer seem to need an /etc/X11/XvMCConfig or package, or
>>     >     special
>>     >      > kernel module - I think all of this is now built into the new
>>     >     kernel and
>>     >      > x server releases.
>>     >      >
>>     >      > I have not rebuilt MythTV - I may try that today.
>>     >      >
>>     >      > I had 0.18/FC3/XvMC running fine - but 0.19 offered tempting
>>     >      > improvements in so many areas...
>>     >      >
>>     >      > After I upgrading 0.18->0.19 (still on FC3), I was seeing the
>>     >     same form
>>     >      > of corruption when running with 'VIA XvMC' decoding, plus
>>    a different
>>     >      > sort of corruption when playing the same recording with
>>    'Standard'
>>     >      > decoding (Colours seemed washed out of video, then a few
>>    brighter
>>     >      > colours like orange were striped across the video and
>>    smeared upwards
>>     >      > and to the right slightly).
>>     >      >
>>     >      > I figured I would be in better company if I moved from
>>    FC3->FC4 -
>>     >     now
>>     >      > 'Standard' decoding seems fixed - but my 1ghz cpu cannot
>>    keep up.
>>     >      > Unfortunately, 'VIA XvMC' playback still results in
>>    garbage being
>>     >      > displayed on large horizontal sections of the screen.
>>    Pausing or
>>     >      > changing position in the stream tends to corrupt the whole
>>    screen.
>>     >      >
>>     >      > I've noted two other things that may help:
>>     >      >
>>     >      > - some MPEG2 files (recorded on both 0.18 and 0.19) are not
>>     >     affected and
>>     >      > play perfectly - XvMC decoding is much improved over 0.18 for
>>     >     these :-).
>>     >      > Unfortunately, these recordings seem to be the exception.
>>     >      >
>>     >      > - the files that cannot be played cleanly on VIA/MythTV
>>    playback
>>     >     fine on
>>     >      > the same machine using 'xine -xxmc' (load is reduced to
>>    15-20%)
>>     >     and on
>>     >      > another non XvMC capable machine - so the files themselves
>>    are not
>>     >      > corrupted.
>>     >      >
>>     >      > many issues that I have had with this box come down to the
>>    fact
>>     >     that it
>>     >      > is an i586 - an unusual arch - so that may be worth
>>    bearing in mind.
>>     >      >
>>     >      > If anyone has any ideas, patches, things that they would
>>    like me
>>     >     to try
>>     >      > - just shout. I've fiddled with various settings, but to no
>>     >     avail. I may
>>     >      > try completely removing my ~/.mythtv in the hope that I
>>    have some
>>     >      > historical setting that is causing trouble.
>>     >      >
>>     >      > Thanks for MythTV !
>>     >      >
>>     >      >
>>     >      > Jules
>>     >      >
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >     --
>>     >     "Open Source is a self-assembling organism. You dangle a
>>    piece of
>>     >     string into a super-saturated solution and a whole
>>    operating-system
>>     >     crystallises out around it."
>>     >
>>     >     /**********************************
>>     >       * Jules Gosnell
>>     >       * Partner
>>     >       * Core Developers Network (Europe)
>>     >       *
>>     >       *    www.coredevelopers.net <http://www.coredevelopers.net>
>>    <http://www.coredevelopers.net <http://www.coredevelopers.net>>
>>     >       *
>>     >       * Open Source Training & Support.
>>     >       **********************************/
>>     >     _______________________________________________
>>     >     mythtv-users mailing list
>>     >     mythtv-users at mythtv.org <mailto:mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
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>>     >     http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>     >     <http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users>
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >
>>     > --
>>     >
>>     > -- "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is
>>    blind."
>>     > -- Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
>>     >
>>     >
>>     >
>>    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>     >
>>     > _______________________________________________
>>     > mythtv-users mailing list
>>     > mythtv-users at mythtv.org <mailto:mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
>>     > http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>
>>
>>    --
>>    "Open Source is a self-assembling organism. You dangle a piece of
>>    string into a super-saturated solution and a whole operating-system
>>    crystallises out around it."
>>
>>    /**********************************
>>      * Jules Gosnell
>>      * Partner
>>      * Core Developers Network (Europe)
>>      *
>>      *    www.coredevelopers.net <http://www.coredevelopers.net>
>>      *
>>      * Open Source Training & Support.
>>      **********************************/
>>    _______________________________________________
>>    mythtv-users mailing list
>>    mythtv-users at mythtv.org <mailto:mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
>>    http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>-- 
>>
>>-- "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
>>-- Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
>>
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>mythtv-users mailing list
>>mythtv-users at mythtv.org
>>http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> 
> 
> 


-- 
"Open Source is a self-assembling organism. You dangle a piece of
string into a super-saturated solution and a whole operating-system
crystallises out around it."

/**********************************
  * Jules Gosnell
  * Partner
  * Core Developers Network (Europe)
  *
  *    www.coredevelopers.net
  *
  * Open Source Training & Support.
  **********************************/


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