[mythtv-users] A test for anyone using vdpau on 32-bit x86, especially with 30.0

[faginbagin]

On 5/23/2019 2:29 PM, Tom Dexter wrote:
> On 5/23/19, Peter Bennett <pb.mythtv at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 5/23/19 8:57 AM, Tom Dexter wrote:
>>> On 5/23/19, beppo <beppo75 at web.de> wrote:
>>>> On 5/19/19, Tom Dexter <digitalaudiorock at gmail.com[1]> wrote:
>>>>> / I'm trying to narrow down some vdpau decode issues with some (but
>>>>> not/
>>>>> / all) h264 videos as discussed here:/
>>>>>
>>>>> / https://lists.gt.net/mythtv/users/625246[2]/
>>>>>
>>>>> / I could use a favor in the form of a quick test from anyone here is/
>>>>> / using vdpau on 32 bit x86...especially anyone running version 30.0.
>>>>> If/
>>>>> / you could try playing this clip:/
>>>>>
>>>>> / http://jell.yfish.us/media/jellyfish-60-mbps-hd-h264.mkv[3]/
>>>>>
>>>>> / ...and see if it falls back to software decoding or if it uses
>>>>> vdpau./
>>>>> / For example from the playback menu Playback -> Playback Data, and
>>>>> see/
>>>>> / if it shows "H264 vdpau" or "H264 ffmpeg". That would be a huge
>>>>> help./
>>>>>
>>>>> / The failure of the vdpau decode for me seems to be related to the/
>>>>> / change in 30.0 to replace the ffmpeg avcodec_decode_video2 call with
>>>>> 2/
>>>>> / calls...one of which (avcodec_send_packet) is returning an/
>>>>> / AVERROR_INVALIDDATA error causing the fallback to software. I'm only/
>>>>> / guessing that it might be a 32 bit specific issue, because Peter
>>>>> (see/
>>>>> / the related bug) couldn't reproduce the failures./
>>>>>
>>>>> / The videos where I have issues decode and play fine with xine using/
>>>>> / vdpau, and I just verified that the version of xine-libs I'm using
>>>>> is/
>>>>> / still using the old avcodec_decode_video2 as was MythTV 29.1./
>>>>>
>>>>> / Thanks in advance!/
>>>>> / Tom/
>>>>>
>>>>> I've added a few notes regarding tests I've done to the related bug:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://code.mythtv.org/trac/ticket/13223[4]
>>>> _>_
>>>>> As noted there I've also reverted to 29.1 and can confirm that the
>>>>> problem videos play with vdpau decoding just fine. Again, I have no
>>>>> idea as to whether this is possibly a 32-bit only issue or not, but
>>>>> I'm hoping someone else might be able to duplicate the issue. Thanks!
>>>>> Tom
>>>> Hi Tom,
>>>> I have two ASRock ION 330HT
>>>> https://www.asrock.com/nettop/NVIDIA/ION%20330HT/
>>>> and I can reproduce the fallback to software decoded video, or better an
>>>> flip-book @ 10
>>>> frames per sec.
>>>> 1. ION is 18.04 Ubuntu 32bit
>>>> 2. ION is 16.04 Ubuntu 32bit
>>>> both maschines are on MythTV 30.0/fixes
>>>>
>>>> How can I help?
>>>>
>>>> Beppo
>>>>
>>> Thanks for the reply! That's significant because it supports my theory
>>> that the issue may be specific to 32bit. I'm not sure there's anything
>>> you can do to help offhand, but just confirming that you can reproduce
>>> this is great. I'll post a comment to the bug indicating this.
>>>
>>> Thanks again
>>> Tom
>>> _______________________________________________
>> Is x86 still a viable platform? I see from that web page that ION is a
>> 64-bit box. Ubuntu only supports 64-bit now, although Xubuntu is still
>> available in 32-bit version. I recommend installing a 64-bit version on
>> that ION.
>>
>> I can look into this problem if there is a consensus that i386 still
>> needs to be supported.
>>
>> Peter
> 
> Thanks Peter. I'm certainly still using a 32bit (i686) frontend...an
> old small form factor system. Since I'm using Gentoo it's very much
> still supported. I'm running a 4.19.27 kernel actually. The only real
> catch right now is that the nVidia drivers past the 390 version are
> now 64bit only...but they still support the 390.xx as legacy drivers.
> 
> I know x86 is getting old in the tooth and all, and sure I could build
> a new 64bit frontend...but here's the main reason I've yet to do that:
> I've been able to get redundant hardware on the cheap used, so my
> frontend can die and I can be back in business within about an hour by
> swapping out a hard drive. That's really hard to give up, and I'd
> basically have to spring for two new systems to have that.
> 
> It's certainly a perplexing issue especially given the various ffmpeg
> tests I've noted in that bug. Certainly no rush for me on any of that,
> but if you get a chance to look into it it'd be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Tom

I've got a couple of 32 bit laptops (an ibm thinkpad and a dell
inspiron) dating back to 2004 running mythfrontend with the Slim
profile. They have lubuntu 18.04 and mythtv 29.1 installed.

Although Canonical isn't providing current Ubuntu desktop or server
versions for i386, they are providing a netboot installer for 18.04 and
they're supporting 18.04 flavors of Lubuntu and Xubuntu. They're also
providing mainline kernels for i386. My inspiron is running 4.19.31
because it fixes a problem I had on that laptop. Yes, a linux developer
(an Intel employee) took interest and worked with me to fix the problem:
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=107600

I do think the time is approaching when I'll either have to retire my 32
bit computers or accept the fact they're too old to upgrade. I've
already hit some problems running mythfrontend on both laptops. They're
unstable on 18.04 (kernel panics and soft cpu lockups). It might be a
hardware problem, but they both pass memory, cpu and gpu stress tests.
So I've gone back to 14.04 with a 29.1 mythfrontend. So far, that seems
to be a stable configuration.