[mythtv-users] PVR500 and recent mythtv-backend versions

[James Warden]

I simply downgraded the mythbackend package to lenny (my server runs debian sid + a touch of experimental, maybe not the smartest for a server but I like bleeding edge stuff). Since the debian packagers kept the myth protocol version at 40 across all the debian branches, my sid mythfrontend connects fine with the lenny backend. SO my system got back to normal. I have simply no clue as to the root cause of the problem I observed. I am using kernel 2.6.29.1 on the server, which comes with ivtv 1.4.0. I compiled v4l-dvb which includes ivtv 1.4.1 and I see no difference at that level. ivtv has never been the issue here. It really is a mythbackend upgrade. Whether I use the experimental package or compile it myself (even the QT4 port), I get the same crap. Since my using mythtv is rather simple, going back to a 6 months old version of the backend is no bother. Images are beautiful again and the system seems very stable again.

I hope you'll find a workaround or a fix.

Cheers!
J.

--- On Mon, 5/4/09, John Drescher <drescherjm at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: John Drescher <drescherjm at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] PVR500 and recent mythtv-backend versions
> To: warjamy at yahoo.com, "Discussion about mythtv" <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> Date: Monday, May 4, 2009, 8:44 AM
> On Sat, May 2, 2009 at 5:12 AM, James Warden
> <warjamy at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I've been using mythtv for a long while now on a
> home network. The server is debian based, contains a PVR500
> card (not the newer ones with digital chips, only the good
> ol' analog tuners). Clients are linux or windows based.
> >
> > Anyway, I recently upgraded the server to kernel
> 2.6.29.1-1-686 from debian. It contains ivtv version 1.4.0.
> >
> > I checked the driver was working well by the trivial
> 'cat' test:
> > cat /dev/video0 > file.mpg and played the mpg file
> with mplayer or others
> > same with /dev/video1
> >
> > So far so good. I also upgraded the mythbackend to
> what debian multimedia is providing : 0.21.svn20090430-0.0
> >
> > After this upgrade, all my frontend clients are
> showing a quite scrambled picture. I can still see what it
> is about but it is noisy, as if someone was detuning the
> channel frequency on purpose and randomly.
> >
> > When I do a /dev/videoX dump afyer that, I get a
> screwed mpg file. Only an rmmod ivtv followed by modprobe
> ivtv will fix it. But starting the backend again will screw
> it up once more.
> >
> > I tried the SVN code as well, the QT4 port. It
> compiled fine and ran fine but with the same image symptom.
> It is not the first time I see this in all these years,
> using the PVR500 with the debian mythtv-backend package.
> Usually, I just compiled the SVN code and things were fine
> again but not this time. I believe recent mythbackend
> updates must screw something with the PVR500. This is not an
> ivtv issue as a fresh modprobe and /dev/videoX dump will
> produce a clean image.
> >
> > Anyone with something similar ? If not, I'll
> provide more technical details.
> >
> 
> I am not seeing that effect however I after checking every
> recording I
> did have 2 bad recordings in the last 2 weeks. And what I
> mean by bad
> was one had no volume and the other had no volume and no
> picture. Now
> the problem is that I upgraded mythtv, my kernel and ivtv
> within the
> last 3 weeks so not sure what one caused it. And since this
> is
> different bad behavior from yours I am not sure.
> 
> John