I think I have everything setup- I followed this: Installing and using mvpmc mostly, but that is not an exact match for this version (R5C7). I suspect I have inetd or tftpd messed up someplace.

I'm supposed to get something like this:
Nov 25 14:09:48 masterbackend dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:0d:fe:00:a2:ab via eth0
Nov 25 14:09:48 masterbackend dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.10.57 to 00:0d:fe:00:a2:ab via eth0
Nov 25 14:09:48 masterbackend in.tftpd[1470]: connect from 192.168.10.57 (192.168.10.57)
Nov 25 14:09:48 masterbackend tftpd[1470]: Trivial FTP server started (0.6.2)
Nov 25 14:09:48 masterbackend tftpd[1472]: Serving dongle.bin.mvpmc to 192.168.10.57:3909
Nov 25 14:10:04 masterbackend dhcpd: BOOTREQUEST from 00:0d:fe:00:a2:ab via eth0
Nov 25 14:10:04 masterbackend dhcpd: BOOTREPLY for 192.168.10.57 to mvp (00:0d:fe:00:a2:ab) via eth0
Nov 25 14:10:05 masterbackend dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:0d:fe:00:a2:ab via eth0
Nov 25 14:10:05 masterbackend dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.10.57 to 00:0d:fe:00:a2:ab via eth0
Nov 25 14:10:05 masterbackend dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST for 192.168.10.57 from 00:0d:fe:00:a2:ab via eth0
Nov 25 14:10:05 masterbackend dhcpd: DHCPACK on 192.168.10.57 to 00:0d:fe:00:a2:ab via eth0
Nov 25 14:10:05 masterbackend tftpd[1473]: Serving dongle.bin.mvpmc.config to 192.168.10.57:2048

What I get is this:
May 21 17:58:56 mythtv dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:0d:fe:00:79:2b via eth0
May 21 17:58:56 mythtv dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 10.125.0.10 to 00:0d:fe:00:79:2b via eth0
May 21 17:58:56 mythtv in.tftpd[26680]: connect from 10.125.0.10 (10.125.0.10)

Then nothing. I can't get the tftpd to give me a message that it started.
I've verified that DHCP can serve up addresses (with a windows box), and it looks like it is serving up the correct static address for the MAC on the MediaMVP box.

I've got this line in my inetd.conf:
tftp dgram udp wait root /usr/sbin/tcpd /usr/sbin/in.tftpd /tftpboot

Links to other walkthroughs gratefully accepted...

Zeph

Found this: http://www.knoppmythwiki.org/index.php? ... LinuxHOWTO

I'll work though that and see if it helps.

OK, not sure what exactly it was, but that link is great. It's up and booting now.

Zeph

Zephrant, can you get LiveTV to work on the MVP? Since upgrading to R5C7 my MVP says it is unsupported

Well, I'm still just playing with it- I wanted to make sure it all worked OK before I bought another Dish receiver, so I actually don't have any inputs hooked up to Myth yet.

I can select live on the MVP, and see a blackish screen, but I'm not certain it is doing anything.

I've got it so I can play MP2, and MP3 files (if I browse to the files in question in the file manager), but I can't shuffle play or set it to play more than one MP3 without it crashing.

In another day or two I'll have time to hook it up to a video source and see how it works there.

I'm a little disappointed so far- I had thought that I would get a full Myth front end on the MVP, but that is not so. (I'm not complaining about the free code for the MVP, it's just that my expectations were too high.)

I'm going to try the Hauppauge stock core with Windows serving it up too and see how that works.

Zeph

My expectations where high initially too but then i realised you can't expect too much from something so cheap! And tbh the picture quality beats the crap out of my tv-out.

I used an MVP front-end for quite some time. It has a limited feature set, but I found the s-video picture quality to be quite acceptable and my wife & daughter found it easy to use. A couple of "hints":

1. If you play the same show twice in a row, the box will hang and you will need to reboot it. Never found a fix for this, but once your understand this is the scenario that causes the hang, it's easy to avoid.

2. I have some scripts that will automatically generate playlists from directories of MP3's -- useful for playing multiple MP3's in a row.

3. The system will crash if you try to view too many jpeg images -- the exact number depends on the image siezs. I have a script that will convert a directory full of jpeg's in an mpeg movie so that you can play then back without triggering this problem.

4. Sometimes mpeg2 playback will loose a/v sync after doing a skip-forward or fast-forward. My understanding is that this problem happens more often with low bitrate recordings, which is what I was using (352x480 2200kbps) If this happens, the easiest way to force a resync is to do one or two "skip backwards". Alternative, you can hit the "record" button 4-5 times, to active a work around that will help.

If you're interested in the scripts, PM me with your email address and I'l email them to you.

Marc

I tried using MythMVP as a front-end. I was not happy with it though. When viewing a recorded TV show it played OK with a lower bit-rate setting, but if I FWD or REV to skip commercials or search I found that the audio would drift. At higher rates the audio and video was unwatchable.

In fact, if while viewing a program I stop it; the audio would continue to play for several seconds after going back to the menu. I ran some tests between different machines and found hints that my 100Mb switched network would only yield 1.5Mb or so through-put. I'm using a cheap 10/100 switch. Your network equipment maybe causing you problems as well.

I've found the audio sync is much better with the latest firmware

I noticed the audio-skip tonight as well, but figured it might be the older computer that is running Myth. I'm about to commit to getting an all new machine for it- most everything is working OK now except recording DVDs (of any kind, even home movies). I've not tried to record TV yet, as I have to move the box closer to the TV to do that. Another night or two I hope.

Marc- Let me play around for a while- I may drop the MVP for a while and put in a different head end. I really wanted the weather, and other features on that TV. Thanks a lot for the offer though-

I've got new gig NICs and switches on order, and will drop one in the Myth box. Should get them in a day or two. I had thought I was using a gig switch already, but 'tis not so. That won't help the MVP any, but will let me copy files around faster between my machines.

Has anyone run it both under the Myth Bootp and the stock MS stuff they include? Is the MS served stuff more polished?

Zeph

I'm using the mediamvp for one of my front ends and I must say the PQ is very good. I have compared it with one of my pc frontends with a 6200 connected to a projector via DVI and the MediaMVP connected with svideo. The picture was very comparable and the media mvp produced a flicker free image (tickers at bottom of screen were completely smooth).

It does have limitations as a frontend though:
1. At the moment it is not able to play live tv(it could before the changes in 19) but, the developers on that project are working on it.

2. Not able to setup recordings. They have also made some steps to being able to edit recording schedules that will be available in a future release.

3. Commercial skip not available, you can skip forward and backward a set time interval but when your use to automatic skipping.....Mtyh has spoiled me

4. Since it is a custom frontend for myth it doesn't have the plugins but, you can still setup a music server and can point it to a picture directory.

However all things considered for the price, size, electric that it uses, it is a amazing device. and defiantly worth a look.
The developers working on the project have created something really kewl out of a very simple device .
here is a link to the project;
http://mvpmc.sourceforge.net/

So after rebuilding Myth to a new (faster) box, I setup the MVP again today. I've got one new issue: it net-boots off of my Linux firewall now (not the Myth box), then is told to mount/play off of the Myth box. But it insists on trying to find Myth at the IP of the firewall (DHCP server).

I can telnet to it and change it manually (re-run the mvpmc command by hand, with the correct server information), or can step though the menus to change it. The right server information is in the dongle.bin.mvpmc.config file, but it seams to be ignoring it.

I think I may need to build my own dongle.bin to get it to work automatically.


But I'm back to my original issue- When playing .vob files the sound gets out of sync, and the video stutters. I found a note that pressing "record" on the remote may re-sync, but that did not help much.

I also found a note that mentioned that the box can't decode Dolby audio, and most all of my .vob files are Dolby 5.1.

So I suspect that I have to transcode the files before the MVP can play them well. It won't recognize .avi files and I don't have any other video files on the box to try.

Running top shows 50% cpu usage.

I'm not willing to transcode all of my files just to get them to play on it.

I think I'll try the Windows version of the MVP software, to see if it works the same way. In theory it keeps a server running on the windows box that can transcode on the fly, so that might make it usable for me.