[mythtv-users] Issues with MythTV on an SS40G

Sun Mar 6 23:21:30 UTC 2005

I've been using MythTV for a while now.  Until recently, the 
installation has been in a custom built mid tower case using a GeForce2 
GTS for output to my TV.  This worked wonderfully, and I suspect it 
still would.

However, I recently freed an SS40G case from other duties and would 
like to use it for my MythTV installation.  I've moved the installation 
over to the new case and have found a few problems along the way.  Is 
anyone else here successfully using an SS40G in this scenario?

The issues I'm seeing so far are:
- B&W playback of videos and DVDs (when using xine)
- inability to watch Live or Recorded TV (unless running MythTV inside 
gdb)

Video playback command is 'xine -V xv -f -g %s' and the DVD playback 
command is 'xine dvd:// -f -V xv'.  The strange bit is that both of 
these commands appear to work fine (resulting in color playback) as 
another user on the box but not as the mythtv user.  I've been unable 
to locate any specific difference between the two users (same xine 
configs and same user groups).   For the time being have switched to 
mplayer for video playback.  However mplayer doesn't appear to support 
DVD navigation so it's not really an option for DVD playback.

Now, live TV is the fun one.  If mythfrontend isn't running inside gdb 
it either segfaults (first output below) or exits back to the menu 
(second output below).  The outputs listed below are taken from the 
myth user's ~/.xsession-errors:

#1:
2005-03-06 16:07:09.583 Connecting to backend server: 127.0.0.1:6543 
(try 1 of 5)
2005-03-06 16:07:09.609 Using protocol version 14
2005-03-06 16:07:09.710 Using protocol version 14
2005-03-06 16:07:11.794 Opening audio device '/dev/dsp'.
2005-03-06 16:07:11.794 Opening OSS audio device '/dev/dsp'.
2005-03-06 16:07:11.810 Using XV port 56
2005-03-06 16:07:12.081 Realtime priority would require SUID as root.
2005-03-06 16:07:12.160 Changing from None to WatchingLiveTV
/home/mythtv/.Xsession: line 3:  1163 Segmentation fault      
mythfrontend
ratpoison:number.c:110: error: ns=0x80623e0 Attempt to release 
-1!ratpoison:number.c:110: error: ns=0x80623e0 Attempt to release -1!X 
connection to :0.0 broken (explicit kill or server shutdown).

#2:
2005-03-06 16:08:54.153 Connecting to backend server: 127.0.0.1:6543 
(try 1 of 5)
2005-03-06 16:09:14.173 ReadStringList timeout (quick).
2005-03-06 16:09:14.174 Unexpected response to MYTH_PROTO_VERSION:
2005-03-06 16:09:14.193 Changing from None to None

Playback of recorded TV produces a black screen with the following in 
the mythtv user's .xsession-errors:

2005-03-06 16:00:03.918 All Programs
2005-03-06 16:00:05.023 Connecting to backend server: 127.0.0.1:6543 
(try 1 of 5)
2005-03-06 16:00:05.028 Using protocol version 14
2005-03-06 16:00:11.665 Opening audio device '/dev/dsp'.
2005-03-06 16:00:11.665 Opening OSS audio device '/dev/dsp'.
2005-03-06 16:00:11.677 Using XV port 56
2005-03-06 16:00:11.856 Realtime priority would require SUID as root.
2005-03-06 16:00:11.859 Changing from None to WatchingPreRecorded
2005-03-06 16:00:16.119 Timed out waiting for free video buffers.
2005-03-06 16:00:16.120 Attempting video sync thread restart
2005-03-06 16:00:20.120 Timed out waiting for free video buffers.
2005-03-06 16:00:20.121 Attempting video sync thread restart

and nothing in the mythbackend.log.  Unfortunately when this happens it 
leaves a dead (D) mythfrontend process running that I've only been able 
to get rid of by rebooting the box.

When either is run under gdb, everything seems to work just fine.  
There are also some video display issues that that I'd eventually like 
to iron out but I suspect these are with the X video driver and not 
with MythTV.

The system starts and displays the MythTV interface fine.  All other 
features of the interface an modules installed seem to work fine.  I 
have it running under a special mythtv user and use ratpoison as the 
window manager.

The SS40G's current hardware is as follows:

$ lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 740 Host 
(rev 01)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] Virtual 
PCI-to-PCI bridge (AGP)
0000:00:02.0 ISA bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS961 
[MuTIOL Media IO]
0000:00:02.1 SMBus: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS]: Unknown device 
0016
0000:00:02.2 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 
Controller (rev 07)
0000:00:02.3 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 
Controller (rev 07)
0000:00:02.5 IDE interface: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 5513 [IDE] 
(rev d0)
0000:00:0b.0 Multimedia video controller: Internext Compression Inc 
iTVC16 (CX23416) MPEG-2 Encoder (rev 01)
0000:00:0c.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! 
EMU10k1 (rev 05)
0000:00:0c.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! MIDI/Game 
Port (rev 05)
0000:00:0f.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. 
RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
0000:00:10.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Lucent Microelectronics FW323 (rev 
04)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Silicon Integrated Systems 
[SiS] 65x/M650/740 PCI/AGP VGA Display Adapter

-- 
Jamin W. Collins