[mythtv-users] remote frontend epia blocky thumbnail video

[glen martin]

Hi all,

I managed to get my remote frontend working now.
There remain a few issues, but one in particular
seems a bit weird.

Viewing live TV is working, as is viewing a
recording.  But in the list of recordings there
is a little video thumbnail - that is displaying
in an odd blocky fashion, where different large
rectangular sections update at different times,
each perfectly clearly. so it looks as if the
picture is being made up of a layered stack of
playing cards with static pictures (if that image
works for you). The little rectangular sections 
don't always seem to in the right place either to
make up the larger image, though I might be imagining
that part. I've seen this both at 1280x1024 full
screen, and Myth-in-a-window at 800x600. In case it 
isn't obvious, display is currently only to a 
monitor, no TVOut.

Both front and back are working from the CVS
head.

Frontend is Epia M10000 using Unichrome, XvMC, DRM.
cpu is ticking over at some moderate level. 54%
idle watching live tv, for example.

Backend for this purpose is using a PVR-250 in a
box with an Athlon 2600. Network is a 100Mbps
switch, both machines plugged into same switch.
Backend load during all this is very very low,
about 4% consumed. Front and back are using
different linux distros (FC2 and Debian unstable
respectively), though I don't see why that should
matter.

Other issues I mention in unlikely case there 
is any relevance:

1) Sound control is not working, though sound is
coming out. I'm using the desktop volument control.

2) picture seems washed out (muted colours). I've
seen mention of Unichrome having controls for chroma
etc but haven't tracked that down yet. The picture
also doesn't seem as sharp on the remote frontend
in a 800x600 window as on the backend in am 800x600
window (same monitor). Not sure if this is just the
muted colours - but it seems fuzzier. Again, display
currently set in xorg.conf as CRT only, no TVOut.

3) Getting occasional "Prebuffering pause" - every
few minutes, with one or two certainly if I do anything
in the desktop windows (eg. cycle to the frontend
console window or back to the video)

Any thoughts on the blocky thumbnail?

Cheers,

glen