[mythtv-users] remote playback problem

[Chris Palmer]

Hi...

Things were working pretty decent at the end of last week, but for 
some reason, I'm now having trouble with remote playback.  I'm running 
from a CVS checkout from some time yesterday (I'd be happy to provide 
more info, if someone wants to find out which versions of any particular 
files I have).

Summary: remote playback doesn't always work, and when it fails, the 
backend becomes unresponsive to any more requests.


Here is my setup:
host 1: lazarus: mysql server
host 2: hazel: mythbackend and "local" mythfrontend
host 3: pixel: "remote" mythfrontend only


Here are the symptoms:
At some point, the backend becomes unresponsive, causing the
frontends to hang as well.  The only recovery is to stop all
frontends, stop the backend, and start everything up again.


What (usually) works:
Local frontend can play LiveTV or recorded shows just fine.
And the remote frontend can play LiveTV just fine.

The remote host can (usually, but not always) play the same or 
another recorded show or from LiveTV at the same time that the
local frontend is playing just fine.


What doesn't work:
If I try to play a recorded show on the remote frontend when the local 
frontend is not actively playing another recorded show, then this is 
when the backend stops responding, which makes the remote frontend 
hang right away, and the local frontends hang at some point.  I've 
seen LiveTV playback on the local frontend hang when the remote 
frontend also hanged (or is it really just 100% about the backend 
failing to respond).


Just now, it was slightly different, because I was about
to write that the remote frontend works whenever the local
frontend is playing, but this time the remote frontend was
not able to play, though the local frontend continued playing
the show it was currently showing (even responded to fast
forward and rewind) until I hit ESC and went back to the
menu, at which point, the local frontend also stopped
responding.


Here's some debug output (thanks, Bruce) that I got from the
remote frontend on the playback attempt that failed:

31      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 29[]:[]PAUSE
74      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 29[]:[]SEEK[]:[]-1[]:[]-176829[]:[]1[]:[]0[]:[]24277003
50      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 29[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK[]:[]128000
50      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 29[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK[]:[]128000
50      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 29[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK[]:[]128000
Changing from WatchingPreRecorded to None
30      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 29[]:[]DONE
Changing from None to None
21      QUERY_RECORDINGS Play
337     QUERY_CHECKFILE[]:[]Hamtaro[]:[]Courage Cappy[]:[]Cappy dreams of being a field hamster.[]:[] []:[]1048[]:[]48[]:[]TOONP[]:[]Channel 48 TOONP[]:[]myth://192.168.23.35:6543/1048_20030312153000_20030312160000.nuv[]:[]0[]:[]118592331[]:[]Wed Mar 12 15:30:00 2003[]:[]Wed Mar 12 16:00:00 2003[]:[]0[]:[]1[]:[]0[]:[]hazel[]:[]-1[]:[]-1[]:[]-1
20      ANN Playback pixel 0
66      ANN FileTransfer pixel[]:[]/1048_20030312153000_20030312160000.nuv
Changing from None to WatchingPreRecorded
50      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 15[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK[]:[]128000
31      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 15[]:[]PAUSE
70      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 15[]:[]SEEK[]:[]0[]:[]118583967[]:[]0[]:[]0[]:[]620
50      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 15[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK[]:[]128000
31      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 15[]:[]PAUSE
70      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 15[]:[]SEEK[]:[]0[]:[]620[]:[]0[]:[]0[]:[]118592331
31      QUERY_FILETRANSFER 15[]:[]PAUSE


when things are working, it "just works".  note that this output 
shows that it was working, then (on the remote) I exited to the menu, 
then chose another show to playback, at which point the remote 
frontend hung..


The backend has this output:


1       0
1       0
1       0
Changing from WatchingLiveTV to None
2       ok
49      BACKEND_MESSAGE[]:[]DONE_RECORDING 1 82[]:[]empty
49      BACKEND_MESSAGE[]:[]DONE_RECORDING 1 82[]:[]empty
1       0
2       OK
651     2[]:[]Dexter's Laboratory[]:[]Copping an Attitude; A Failed Experiment; The Grand Daddy of All Invention[]:[] []:[] []:[]1048[]:[]48[]:[]TOONP[]:[]Channel 48 TOONP[]:[]/var/video/1048_20030312123000_20030312130000.nuv[]:[]0[]:[]300345275[]:[]Wed Mar 12 12:30:00 2003[]:[]Wed Mar 12 13:00:00 2003[]:[]0[]:[]1[]:[]0[]:[]hazel[]:[]-1[]:[]-1[]:[]-1[]:[]Hamtaro[]:[]Courage Cappy[]:[]Cappy dreams of being a field hamster.[]:[] []:[]1048[]:[]48[]:[]TOONP[]:[]Channel 48 TOONP[]:[]/var/video/1048_20030312153000_20030312160000.nuv[]:[]0[]:[]118592331[]:[]Wed Mar 12 15:30:00 2003[]:[]Wed Mar 12 16:00:00 2003[]:[]0[]:[]1[]:[]0[]:[]hazel[]:[]-1[]:[]-1[]:[]-1
1       1
adding: pixel as a player 0
2       OK
adding: pixel as a remote file transfer
29      OK[]:[]15[]:[]0[]:[]118592331
1       0
2       ok
15      0[]:[]118583967
1       1
2       ok
9       0[]:[]620


and then no more output, since it stopped responding.

I think (this time) I switched to LiveTV on the local frontend for
a moment to see that it still worked just before I went to try 
another playback of another recorded show on the remote frontend.

I'll be happy to provide any kind of output needed, or do a build
with debug options... just guide me to what you need.

-Chris