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 Post subject: Live TV
PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 3:08 pm 
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Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 5:56 pm
Posts: 104
What are other LinHES users using to watch live tv? Since switching to HD I have had problems with live tv. Right now I am using a set top box connected to a firewire interface. This isn't too bad but sometimes I get screen locks, frame buffer failures, or firewire buss failures. I have tried Hauppauge DCR-2650, a usb device, and a Ceton Infinitv 4, a PCIe device, with very inconsistent results. They record OK but live HDTV usually just results in a frozen frame until live tv exits with a frame buffer failure. I use various Nvidia cards (GT230, GT320, GT720) and VDPAU. CPUs are 2.7 GHz Duo Core (E5400) and an i3. Hardware seems irrelevant since the results are always the same. Maybe I am missing some adjustments somewhere. There are so many options on Mythtv. So many I don't understand. It's been very frustrating so I am asking how others deal with this.

sparks


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 Post subject: Re: Live TV
PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 6:39 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 7:06 pm
Posts: 690
First thing I would test is from the command line

Code:
top


This will show how much memory your system is using.

For example if you don't have enough physical memory then you system will go to virtual memory off the hd which is way slow.
Second, run a test with only live tv running. Don't have it commercial flagging or transcoding.
Third, reboot and then test live tv with top up and nothinng else running. Keep in mind that HD is very processor intensive.
Fourth, test with Nvidia (VDPAU) and make sure onboard graphics is disabled in bios if you have intel graphcs.


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 Post subject: Re: Live TV
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 1:20 pm 
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Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 5:56 pm
Posts: 104
I tested first using The Science Channel HD. This was using a DCR-2650 USB tuner, 2.7 GHz Core Duo CPU, 4 Gig installed memory. This channel played fine. top showed CPU was over 90% idle, 0 wait, used 1.3 G memory. Switching to Fox Sports, the initial frame hung with CPU showing over 90% idle then eventually dropping to about 20% idle, mythfrontend at 114% , after about 10 seconds and then failed with 'buffer fail' error. Memory was about the same, 1.3G.

Part of my question is what are others using to watch live TV?


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 Post subject: Re: Live TV
PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:10 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:20 am
Posts: 387
Location: South New Jersey, USA
Hate to say it but I almost never watch Live TV on the MythTV box. I have had more then my share of experiences similar to what you describe and its just easier for me to switch to the STB connected direct to the TV and bypass Myth altogether. No idea why these issues show up when watching live TV but if you start a recording and jump on 10 seconds later, it work fine. You would think they are both the same process.

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LINHES 8.6.1 BE/FE - MSI K9N6SGM-V with AMD A64 X2 4600+, 4GB Ram. 1.5TB WD. HDHR Prime. Nvidia GT210. MCE remote.
FrontEnd - Dell Vostro 400 3.0GHz Core2Duo NVidia GeForce210. MCE Remote


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 Post subject: Re: Live TV
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:33 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:14 pm
Posts: 425
Location: Charlotte, NC
Sparks, I am running 7.4 with 1 HD Homerun and 2 internal tuners (see signature). I have 2 tuners attached to cable and the other 2 connected to an HD antenna (over the air...). I use my Myth to watch over the air broadcasts (higher HD quality) - don't use Myth to watch cable - and have zero issues. My setup is pretty much out of the box standard. My machines (backend and separate frontend) barely breathe hard...

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Backend server - 4.0 TB 3.0ghz dual core 6 gig RAM, nVidia 9400, Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 MB, 2 HD-5500, 2 HD Homerun dual tuners, 3 frontend machines - LinHES 8.6.1


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 Post subject: Re: Live TV
PostPosted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:23 pm 
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Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:14 am
Posts: 1343
Location: Orlando FL
I notice those problems on channels that I have issues with OTA. For example WESH here in Orlando is broadcasting HDTV in the VHF frequency (old 12) most antennas are optimized to get VHF anymore I have dropouts all of the time. When I'm recording those dropouts in signal just get skipped over, If I try to watch live Myth will slowly grind to a halt.
Furthermore I never saw the use in watching live TV. I work odd hours so all of my watching is prerecorded hence why I love LinHES so much. The only thing I will watch on a almost live is Football, Just skip all the boring crap between plays.

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 Post subject: Re: Live TV
PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 9:57 am 
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Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 5:56 pm
Posts: 104
I had a breakthrough today. Finally had a cable tech out. He said not only does the cable card have to be authorized but also paired with the device. He finally did it after a few phone calls and I have had a couple hours (so far) of live TV via my Hauppauge DCR2650 on a channels that previously would not play. Much joy. My other tuner, a HD set top box via firewire, will no longer be my default live TV device. I suspect either my cheap firewire card or internal settings in the set top box are the problem there. My firewire bus is always going down.

The tech said that cable cards are used so infrequently now that it's hard to find someone who knows how to deal with them, especially in front line customer service.

s


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