[mythtv-users] Hard crash, where to begin?

[Ray Olszewski]

At 04:35 PM 5/25/2003 -0500, Matt wrote:
>This is the second install that I have tried, and I my system continues
>to crash if I try to watch TV.  It crashes so hard/fast that the log
>file doesn't record anything.  I don't know what to try to resolve the
>issue.  This install is RH9, and the previous install was RH8.  I know
>that RedHat is not the preferred distro for myth, but that shouldn't
>cause this problem.  I know that there are at least several other people
>using redhat, and I followed the RH specific instructions to the letter.
>  I compiled the non-CVS version, and it seemed to compile and install
>fine.  I can go through the setup process just fine.  The mythfrontend
>GUI loads fine and I can browse the program guide.  However, the system
>locks up hard if I try to watch TV or record a show.  So, I think the
>problem must be with the capturing. I was able to watch TV using both
>xawtv and through mplayer.  Never tried capturing with mplayer.

Is this your first report of this problem? (There are other recent messages 
from other people named Matthew, so I'm just checking that you are not one 
of them using a different e-mail address here.) Assuming it is ...

If your guess that the problem is with capture is right (and it would be my 
guess too, based on what you have told us), the next question is ... 
hardware or software?

Have you captured to disk using ANY application other than MythTV? 
mencoder, for example, or avicap, or vcr/avifile, or ffmpeg? (Or, for that 
matters, xawtv's own crude capture facility.)

Do you have DMA enabled on the drive you are capturing to? (I confess to a 
bit of uncertainty as to how RAID might interact with the required speed 
needed for capture to disk.)

Does your kernel support the IDE chipset your controller uses?

I'd look at these non-Myth issues before I tried any of the things you ask 
about below.

If you post again, please describe your hardware (CPU, mobo, RAM) and 
describe "locks up" in more detail (can you switch to a console? ssh in? 
ping the system? does it require a power-cycle reboot to come back, or 
something less?).


>Misc. info:
>
>I've got a hauppauge with the bt878 (regular winTV not a PVR)
>I'm trying to record using the mpeg4 codec
>I'm using kernel software RAID 1 (mirroring) on a Promise IDE controller
>could this be a problem? (no errors from this device in the log file)
>
>What should I do?
>
>Try the RTJPEG codec?
>Newer bttv module (is there one?)
>The CVS version of myth?
>different distro?