[mythtv-users] DCT-6200 Out of sync TS Packets Leading to Backend Crash

[Andrew Casper]

I have searched the archives and haven't seen anything quite like  
this issue...

I receive 15 HD channels through a DCT-6200 that is connected via  
firewire to my Myth box. I have no trouble tuning and recording 11  
stations. But 4 stations (the 4 in a special HD package) are very  
problematic. While watching in LiveTV, I see picture and sound  
breakup every 5-10 seconds. Eventually the backend crashes. Records  
are no better and the backend will normally die within a few minutes  
of tuning in one of these stations.

I have switched my firewire settings to broadcast mode and changed  
the speed to 200 Mbps (I saw in the logs that the cable box was  
requesting that speed). That has not helped the situation.

Because these are special package channels, I can't dismiss the idea  
that it might have something to do with cable encryption or  
protection. But since it crashes the backend, I wonder if it has  
something to do with something else.

Here is a log entry that didn't crash the backend....

stream: start_time: 86152.893 duration: 23.420 bitrate=13881 kb/s
2006-07-11 21:56:51.348 AFD: Opened codec 0xd62070, id(MPEG2VIDEO)  
type(Video)
2006-07-11 21:56:51.394 AFD: Opened codec 0xc48b80, id(AC3) type(Audio)
2006-07-11 21:56:55.836 Firewire: Got out of sync TS Packet
2006-07-11 21:56:55.881 Firewire: Got out of sync TS Packet
2006-07-11 21:56:55.889 Firewire: Got out of sync TS Packet
(repeated until channel change)

Here is a log entry that did crash the backend...

2006-07-11 21:58:43.830 TVRec(3): RingBufferChanged()
2006-07-11 21:58:43.862 Finished recording Elvis Presley's Graceland:  
channel 1731
0: start_time: 5111.284 duration: 9.815
1: start_time: 5111.250 duration: 9.824
stream: start_time: 56791.668 duration: 109.434 bitrate=12775 kb/s
2006-07-11 21:58:44.067 AFD: Opened codec 0xd62070, id(MPEG2VIDEO)  
type(Video)
2006-07-11 21:58:44.098 AFD: Opened codec 0xc48b80, id(AC3) type(Audio)
2006-07-11 21:58:47.129 Firewire: Got out of sync TS Packet
2006-07-11 21:58:47.176 Firewire: Got out of sync TS Packet
2006-07-11 21:58:47.186 Firewire: Got out of sync TS Packet
2006-07-11 21:58:47.189 Firewire: Got out of sync TS Packet
2006-07-11 21:58:47.189 Firewire: Got out of sync TS Packet
(repeated until backend crashed)

System Info: Myth .19 from ATRPM built on Fedora Core 5 Kernel  
2.6.16-2122 running on a dual core Pentium 4 with 2 Gb of RAM

Thanks for any help you can offer.

- Andrew