[mythtv-users] firewire with 3250

[Scott Alfter]

nik gibson wrote:
> I'm pulling content over firewire off a 3250HD box.  All the modules
> load find, plugreport looks good and my first 2 or 3 test-mpeg2 streams
> work perfectly.  Then after the 2 or 3 successful streams all the sudden
> I get nothing, the command test-mpeg2 -r 0 > testcap.ts just returns an
> empty command.  I'm forced to reboot and then it works a couple time
> until breaking again.

Mine runs for a few days (or maybe more), then it starts recording empty files.
 Resetting the FireWire bus gets things working again for a few more days.
Here's the script I use, which saves the bother of rebooting the machine:

#!/bin/sh
size=0
while [ $size -eq 0 ]
do
  echo Resetting FireWire bus...
  modprobe raw1394
  modprobe ohci1394
  /usr/local/bin/sa3250ch 105
  sleep 1
  rmmod raw1394 ohci1394 ieee1394
  modprobe raw1394
  sleep 5
  modprobe ohci1394
  sleep 5
  ( test-mpeg2 -r 0 foo.mpg 2>&1 >/dev/null & sleep 10 && pkill test-mpeg2)
  size=`du foo.mpg | awk '{print $1}'`
  rm foo.mpg
  sleep 2
done
echo Reset complete.

This script gets run at boot time before mythbackend, and is run manually
whenever I notice screwed-up recordings.  It puts the cable box on a known
digital channel, unloads and reloads the FireWire modules, makes a quick test
recording, and verifies that there's actually something in the recording.

I should probably get an HDHomeRun and use that, but this'll get me by in the
meantime.

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