[mythtv-users] Nehemiah Performance

rwk at americom.com rwk at americom.com
Wed Sep 3 22:29:48 EDT 2003


> No, I installed the full version with the mpeg library but as far as I
> understood from Isaac the mpeg decoding is still in development and not
> enabled by default when you compile MythTV. So what I'm actually testing
> here is the fact that an optimized driver could at least have sufficient
> performance to run everything without having to use hardware decoding.

I am able to play recordings with no problem.  Livetv if fine except it
stutters briefly with OSD.  This is with the "old" via.o mudule (at
lease older than the newest one we are discussing).

> Once I have that running I'll try the hardware decoding (but it's not
> finished yet anyway). Or that was my plan at least until I ran into the
> problem that I can't use MythTV anymore because of the corrupt GUI. So
> now I have to fix that first before I can do anything else.

Can anyone tell me if there are compile time options to try the hardware
decoder?

Is there a chance it will work with the RH9 driver in: CLEXF40030/RedHat/9.0/c3

Dick

> -Tako
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org 
> > [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of rwk at americom.com
> > Sent: woensdag 3 september 2003 12:53
> > To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Nehemiah Performance
> > 
> > 
> > I am surprised that you are getting only a 10% improvement in CPU
> > usage.  If the driver you are using *is* using the on-board mpeg
> > decoder, your CPU should be almost idle.  I would expect the 
> > CPU to show
> > under 10% usage total when playing mpeg2 files through the hardware
> > decoder.
> > 
> > I don't know what the difference is but I noticed that there was a
> > "lite" version of the drivers which did not include 
> > libddmpeg.so.  I am
> > assuming that libddmpeg.so is required for the onboard 
> > decoder to work.
> > 
> > Did you install the "lite" version?
> > 
> > I may be completely wrong about this as I am making this assumption
> > based only on the library name (libddmpeg).
> > 
> > Can anyone confirm this (i.e., that libddmpeg is needed for 
> > the hardware
> > decoder)?
> > 
> > To me, it is not worth the effort for a 10% increase in performance if
> > the hardware decoder still isn't being utilized.  I don't experience
> > much stuttering as it is, even with OSD.  What I am looking 
> > for is a way
> > to free the CPU almost completely for other processing.
> > 
> > Dick
> > 
> > > Exactly the same except for the fact that my kernel is 
> > version 2.4.20-8
> > > 
> > > I installed the via drivers using their vinstall (and 
> > minstall) scripts
> > > and it asked me only for my processor type, so I guess it 
> > detected that
> > > I have a RH9 system.
> > > 
> > > Afterwards I undid some of the changes the script had made 
> > to my system
> > > because ivtv didn't work anymore:
> > > 
> > > - it added the following lines to modules.conf
> > > 	alias char-major-81-0 via_v4l_drv
> > > 	alias char-major-81-1 via_v4l_drv
> > > 	alias char-major-81-2 via_v4l_drv
> > > 
> > > which conflicts with the fact that ivtv needs the char-major-81-0 (I
> > > have _no_ idea how all this works so please forgive me if what I say
> > > sounds like nonsense, it probably is ;-) so I removed them.
> > > 
> > > - it added the following lines to rc.local
> > > 	modprobe agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1
> > > 	modprobe via
> > > 	modprobe agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1
> > > 	modprobe via_v4l_drv
> > > 	modprobe via
> > > 
> > > which also conflicted with ivtv for some reason (I had 
> > already changed
> > > the modules.conf) so I removed them as well.
> > > 
> > > Now ivtv works again and MythTV showing live tv now takes 
> > 10% less CPU
> > > than before which is quite nice considering it was taking somewhere
> > > between 85-95% CPU. Now at least I can pop up the OSD and 
> > most of the
> > > time it will do so without stuttering (which always 
> > happened before).
> > > 
> > > I've not yet encountered another program that messes up it's display
> > > like MythTV now does, but I haven't got that much installed 
> > to test with
> > > anyway.
> > > 
> > > I compared versions with a friend of mine just now who has the same
> > > sytem as I do (and doesn't have our problem) and he uses the same
> > > version of X (4.3.99.6). The only thing different is that 
> > he thinks he
> > > has a slightly older version of the via driver (40025 or 40029 or
> > > something he believes).
> > > 
> > > So maybe I'll check if I can use his drivers before I'll think about
> > > recompiling X again.
> > > 
> > > Cheers, 
> > > -Tako
> > > 
> > > 
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org 
> > > > [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of 
> > rwk at americom.com
> > > > Sent: woensdag 3 september 2003 10:26
> > > > To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > > > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Nehemiah Performance
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Hmmm...  Maybe I should wait for your success.
> > > > 
> > > > Are you running:
> > > > 
> > > > . EPIA-M10000 Nehemiah
> > > > . RH9 (kernel 2.4.21)
> > > > . On-board TV-out
> > > > . New RH9 via drivers (i.e. 
> > > > ./CLEXF40030/RedHat/9.0/c3/libddmpeg.so from file: 
> > CLEXF40030-bin.zip)
> > > > 
> > > > Does anyone else have this working?
> > > > 
> > > > Dick
> > > > 
> > > > > Maybe I have the same GUI problem. Since upgrading to those 
> > > > newer VIA
> > > > > display drivers the mythfrontend gui messes up completely 
> > > > any time it
> > > > > tries to display a tree. The gui basically becomes unusable 
> > > > afterwards
> > > > > because now none of the screens will paint correctly.
> > > > > 
> > > > > I'm still thinking about what would be the best way to 
> > try and solve
> > > > > this. Getting the latest version of X from CVS for example.
> > > > > 
> > > > > -Tako
> > > > > 
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org 
> > > > > > [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of and
> > > > > > Sent: woensdag 3 september 2003 6:17
> > > > > > To: Discussion about mythtv
> > > > > > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Nehemiah Performance
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I now have myth more or less working and the first report 
> > > > was vastly 
> > > > > > optimistic.
> > > > > > Mplayer still looks great with full size and stream, but 
> > > > the video in 
> > > > > > myth has to be much smaller *480x480) for my m10k to 
> > handle it!!
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > My screen graphics is also completely screwed up. Screens 
> > > > > > don't redraw 
> > > > > > and some graphics don't show up or move when a button is 
> > > > > > pressed...etc. 
> > > > > > Might be the video driver, but it's pretty wiesrd and I 
> > > > have no idea 
> > > > > > how to fix it. I'm going to try to switch to another 
> > > > video drivers 
> > > > > > (vesa generic), but if some one have a suggestions or 
> > > > recommendation 
> > > > > > for my rh9-epiam10k system I'd greatly appreciate it.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > thanks
> > > > > > anders
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Sorry about the confusion.
> > > > > > On Friday, August 29, 2003, at 09:02 AM, and wrote:
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I haven't fully installed mythtv 0.11 yet (using atrms from 
> > > > > > berlin and 
> > > > > > > I can't get the lirc to install/compile), but tried 
> > it out with 
> > > > > > > mplayer and there was absolutely smooth video.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I also originally tried on debian with the regular cvs 
> > > > xfree86-4.3 
> > > > > > > drivers and had to settle for the via (with lots of 
> > > > mpeg and other 
> > > > > > > undeclared and other errors) and had to settle for 
> > > > lower rez and 
> > > > > > > birate, but even then I had bad sound unless I timeshifted 
> > > > > > the content 
> > > > > > > a little...The xfree drivers are still a little buggy 
> > > > > > acording to vias 
> > > > > > > opensource reprasentative and only provides 2d accl with 
> > > > > > out the mpeg 
> > > > > > > stuff.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Too bad  the binary drivers are not available for debian. 
> > > > > > I'm having a 
> > > > > > > hard time adjusting to redhat world... ;-)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > rgds
> > > > > > > anedrs
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > On Friday, August 29, 2003, at 02:34 AM, Tako 
> > Schotanus wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >> You got 16m/8m at 720x480 running with Myth Live TV?
> > > > > > >> That would be seriously cool because I'm currently 
> > > > using something 
> > > > > > >> like
> > > > > > >> 5m/4m at 460x576 to get stutter free video.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >> But I'm not using those binary drivers you mention but 
> > > > the drivers 
> > > > > > >> that
> > > > > > >> came with the CVS version of XFree86 some months ago.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >> Did you have to do anything special to get those 
> > > > drivers to work?
> > > > > > >> (Recompile X like I had to do for example) The reason 
> > > > I ask is that
> > > > > > >> previous binary drivers I had encountered all seemed to use
> > > > > > >> functionality/API from X that was not included in the 
> > > > > > standard RedHat 
> > > > > > >> 9
> > > > > > >> version.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >> Cheers,
> > > > > > >>  -Tako
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>> -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > >>> From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org
> > > > > > >>> [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of and
> > > > > > >>> Sent: vrijdag 29 augustus 2003 9:12
> > > > > > >>> To: Discussion about mythtv
> > > > > > >>> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Nehemiah Performance
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>> Are you using redhat 9?
> > > > > > >>> If you are, there are binary video and accl mpeg drivers 
> > > > > > available at
> > > > > > >>> viaarena.com that really helps. I've been playing 
> > around with
> > > > > > >>> it today
> > > > > > >>> and even with the 16m/8m stream at 720x480 from 
> > my pvr250 I
> > > > > > >>> didn't see
> > > > > > >>> any problems.
> > > > > > >>> I used to be running debian where there are no 
> > binary drivers
> > > > > > >>> avaliable
> > > > > > >>> for the cle266 and could therefore not take advantage of 
> > > > > > the hardware
> > > > > > >>> accl....at least that is what I think is making the big 
> > > > > > difference on
> > > > > > >>> my m10k.
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>> anders
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>> On Thursday, August 28, 2003, at 09:21 PM, 
> > > > rwk at americom.com wrote:
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>>> Hi,
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> Just to see if I could tell the difference, I 
> > set my record
> > > > > > >>> resolution
> > > > > > >>>> from 480x480 to 720x480.  However, when I started 
> > > > watching I was
> > > > > > >>>> surprised to find that my 1Gh Nehemiah EPIA processor
> > > > > > >>> couldn't handle
> > > > > > >>>> it.  It sputtered every few seconds.
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> I ran a top from another machine and indeed observed that
> > > > > > >>> mythfrontend
> > > > > > >>>> was using 99% of the cpu.
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> My EPIA machine is connected to a TV through the onboard
> > > > > > >>> S-Video out.
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> As a comparison I tried the same thing on my Athlon 2200+
> > > > > > >>> running a ATI
> > > > > > >>>> Technologies Inc Radeon VE QY video card.  I was again
> > > > > > >>> surprised to see
> > > > > > >>>> that mythfrontend was using less than 0.1% of 
> > the CPU and X
> > > > > > >>> was using
> > > > > > >>>> about 10%.  Needless to say it plays without 
> > missing a beat.
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> What is it about the EPIA (hardware or drivers) which 
> > > > > > makes it soooo
> > > > > > >>>> much slower than the Athlon system?  The 
> > difference is CPU
> > > > > > >>> power is not
> > > > > > >>>> enough to explain it.  Is it the video drivers?
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> And why is all the processing in mythfrontend on the EPIA
> > > > > > >>> box, and in X
> > > > > > >>>> on the Athlon?
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> Thanks for any and all opinions!
> > > > > > >>>>
> > > > > > >>>> Dick
> > > > > > >>>> _______________________________________________
> > > > > > >>>> mythtv-users mailing list
> > > > > > >>>> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > > > > > >>>> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>>
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >> _______________________________________________
> > > > > > >> mythtv-users mailing list
> > > > > > >> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > > > > > >> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > > mythtv-users mailing list
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> > > > > > > http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
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> > > > > > 
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