[mythtv] LiveTV playback timing problems

[Ed Wildgoose]

>Ok, I have managed to use /proc/asound to show that the soundcard is
>receiving and playing a 48khz signal so I do not think it is related
>to that.
>  
>

Great.  First step out of the way.

>My soundcard, as I said in my last e-mail, is a C-Meida CMI 8738 PCI
>(onboard) soundacard.  I have also tried a usb sp/dif soundcard that I
>have and exactly the same thing happens.
>  
>

OK, sorry I missed that point.  I don't know what that is, but as long 
as the driver works then fine.

Can you please try playing back one of the myth tv files in mplayer and 
telling me whether that works ok?  Please try using both alsa and oss 
drivers in mplayer (use the "-ao" param).  The code in mplayer is 
"somewhat" similar to myth and so this gives a few clues.

Can you also confirm whether you ARE using an external digital 
receiver?  Can you try just using analogue out on the card.

Now, once you have done the above, try both the alsa and OSS drivers in 
myth.  OSS is done just by changing the output device to "/dev/dsp" or 
whatever.  To get alsa, just give it the device something like " 
ALSA:plughw:0"

>I do not think that this is a problem related to sound/video hardware,
>I think that it is something to do with the linux timing services,
>like the RTC.
>  
>

Perhaps.  However, Myth works as follows:

1) Feed the audio to the card as fast as possible
2) Count the bytes going into the card and assume 48000 samples per 
sec.  When we have sent 48000 / 25 samples (=1920 samples) then it must 
be time to draw the next frame (assuming 25 fps).

The RTC is just used to help us wait for the magic moment using a little 
less CPU.  The alternative is to simply use "usleep" or even count 
sheep, which is less accurate and can consume more CPU.  There are other 
methods as well.

If you give myth an impossible audio device then it should error when 
you start playback and offer to play without audio.  This will then stop 
feeding data to the card and should revert to simply using the clock for 
video sync.  Perhaps doing this will confirm if it's really an audio problem

In summary, feeding stufff down spdif has a few funny gremlins which can 
bite with some dodgy drivers.  Try the tests above and we can see if 
it's your audio drivers or not.

Ed W