[mythtv-users] Slow Video with PVR-150

[Rod Smith]

On Saturday 05 May 2007 13:23, Michael Wisniewski wrote:
>
>     I have an AMD Athalon 64 Dual Core chip and running Ubuntu 7.04.
> I'm also running the 64-bit version of Ubuntu.  I have a PVR-150 as
> well, with the ivtv drivers that come with the 2.6.20-15 kernel.
>
>    Now comes the strangeness.  It seems like when I use the stock
> Ubuntu kernel, the video looks funny.  It's hard to describe...I don't
> want to say it's jumpy or slow motion....but it isn't very smooth.
> Compared to a regular video feed from another TV, you can tell a
> difference.
...
>    Just wondering if anybody has had any similar experiences or knows
> what a fix may be.

I don't mean to sound snide, but you already know the answer: Compile your own 
kernel! The kernels delivered with Linux distributions use generic settings 
that are designed to work -- but not necessarily to work WELL -- on a wide 
variety of hardware and for typical uses. By compiling your own kernel, you 
can adjust options for your hardware and for your purposes (namely, running 
MythTV, at least for the system in question).

That said, it's conceivable that somebody has a MythTV-tuned precompiled 
kernel out there that you could install using a Debian package on an Ubuntu 
system. If so, I don't know where it is. Note that such a kernel might set 
options that are useful for MythTV (or other AV applications), but chances 
are it wouldn't set any hardware-specific optimizations (such as for your 
specific CPU). Alternatively, you might be able to find something with at 
least some better hardware tuning, but chances are it wouldn't have the best 
options for use as an AV platform.

-- 
Rod Smith
http://www.rodsbooks.com