[mythtv-users] Re: A7N8X-E Deluxe Stability with HD2000 FBUS, FDSR, IRQ Lockup

[Patrick Wagstrom]

> > ANY REASON TO BELIEVE I'D GET BETTER RESULTS WITH 2.6.14 THAN
> 2.6.12?
> 
> Not that I know of.  I needed a newer kernel to run the CVS DVB
> drivers
> to support the HD-5000.

This is starting to seem like a widespread problem if it's happening on
HD2000, HD3000, and the HD5000 (which, for new readers of this thread,
is not manufactured by pcHDTV).  Especially when the HD5000 uses
different drivers (still DVB based).  I wouldn't think they'd all by so
suceptible to EMI/IRQ/whatever issues.  Unfortunately, I don't have time
to look at the drivers right now.

> I expect that a different chipset would correct the issues I'm having
> with my SATA drive.  If I replace my motherboard, I'll also get a
> different CPU, and a faster CPU might help hide the problem.  (I would
> love to see a site that lists lots of CPUs by performance and heat, so
> I
> can see what would be an improvement over my 2500+ without running
> hotter.)

I wouldn't count on it.  I just picked up an ASRock 939 Dual SATA2 board
with a ULi chipset to try against my MSI k8n-neo4 platinum.  The new
board has 2 SATA and 1 SATA2 connectors - but I'm not using any of them
right, just PATA drives.  I'm still experiencing corruption.  Heck, I'm
experiencing corruption even when the data is never being saved to the
disk (saving and streaming from a network connection), but only when
there is high amounts of I/O (any flavor).  Making me think that it's
less of a EMI/mobo issue and much more of a driver issue.  Of course, it
could be related with not servicing the interrupts fast enough, I tried
the interrupt trick you mentioned and didn't get much better results.

I may have to find an antenna and see what I can do with the old school
v4l drivers (if they even compile anymore).  Failing that, it looks like
I'll go pick up a dirt cheap reject computer and just have a huge system
for an external HD tuner and have that be all that it does.  At least
the system can be woken up remotely to record only at specified times.

As far as performance and heat, the newer AMDs with Venice and San Diego
cores run pretty cool.  I've got a 3200+ OC'd to 2300MHz (from 2000) and
it never gets about 100F.  Cool and quiet is a GREAT thing too.  For SD
TV the system never needs to ramp up to faster rates even.  Only issue
is that it doesn't ramp up the processor for nice processes, so
transcoding and commercial flagging are really slow still.

--Patrick