[OakBankBart]

Hi,

I have been experimenting with mythbuntu and my 3416 to see if I can pick up the HD channels for shaw.
My system consists of an AMD dual core cpu on an Asus M2N-SLI deluxe board, 4 gigs of ram and a Geforce 8800 gt video card. I'm using a dual monitor configuration of a Samsung 22 in monitor on DVI 0 and a Sony 32 in LCD on DVI 1 with a dvi to hdmi adapter.
I'm running the 64 bit version of mythbuntu 10.10, using firewire for my input.

I'm able to get the SD channels with no issue, but when I switch to the HD channels, I get a lock and then my system flips to a login screen.
It's like the desktop crashes and I have to log in again and start over.

I've tried different monitor configurations with no success and before I start setting up logging to capture all the events, I was wondering if anyone else has had success with the shaw HD channels on the 3416 with myth?

 

[shadowlordkt]

Assuming you are connecting via firewire ports, the 3416 should work with MythTV for some of the HD channels. Try some of the basic HD Canadian channels (CBC HD, CTV HD).

However, the fact that you end up back at a login screen suggests something is crashing X; rather than an issue with MythTV.

I had a DCT6416 and DCT6200 both successfully capturing from Shaw in the Vancouver-area using firewire. Most of the channels were in the "HD Basic" package (CBC, CTV, American channels), but some of the specialty channels had issues. When I did have capture issues, MythTV would fail to obtain a "channel lock" and quit back to the MythTV menu.

What area of the country are you in?

 

[OakBankBart]

I'm in Winnipeg.
My HD channel testing was with 209 (CBC)
I had my 3416 working on HD last year in my main home theatre where I had a setup with a different geforce video card. When shaw updated the 3416 for an external drive, I stopped using myth for recording and the pc sat dormant for a long time.
I actually re-activated it last night, after my issues with the new system and I haven't had a chance to compare it to the new system.
I'll have to play with it tonight to see if things are different now.

I'm suspecting that maybe it's time to re-evaluate my system setup and try some different configurations. I'll also turn the detailed logging on and see if I can pinpoint where the crash occurs.

 

[shadowlordkt]

Sounds like it might be a case of "too many hardware/software changes at once", which will make it difficult to pin down your problem.

However, I would focus efforts on the video card. One possible indicator is to schedule a short recording through the UI or MythWeb, but don't watch through mythfrontend and/or don't use LiveTV. If the recording seems to work (using Mythweb; or copy the file to a Windows machines and view through VLC)... then you can rule out the Motorola box and its connection to MythTV as the source of the problem.

A couple of things to consider:

Are you using VDPAU on a VDPAU-capable video card? What is your old Geforce video card? Have you updated the nvidia drivers? I'm not sure if Mythbuntu uses the VDPAU-enabled ones by default, since they're considered proprietary.

 

[OakBankBart]

I also suspect the video card, which I'll confirm with my original HTPC tonight.
I'll try a recording from HD and watch using VLC to rule out my 3416.

I'll look into VDPAU. This is the first I've heard of it. The system I'm trying to bring up is actually a dual boot main computer in my office that I now want to use as a back end and sometimes front end for mythtv. It has a GeForce 8800 gt.

I'm using the default proprietary drivers from Nvidia that mythbuntu suggests.

My original HTPC has a newer Geforce card with HDMI out on it. I didn't have issues with HD output on that card.
I'll play with options and work to isolate the issue.
Worst case scenario is I get the excuse to build a new system.

 

[OakBankBart]

Follow up to my testing.
I am able to view certain HD channels.
221 works, but 209 and 219 (cbc and tsn) do not.
I've set up logging and I have a recording queued for the weekend when I can monitor the job.

 

[shadowlordkt]

When you say the recording failed, do you end up with a recorded program entry in the MythTV recordings list, but the size is of 0 bytes? If not, what symptoms do you see?

Also, when you were able to view certain channels, I'm assuming it is not through mythfrontend; but one of the alternate methods (mythweb or VLC)? Unless you happened to get your video card working in X.

In the past, when people have reported that some (firewire-captured) channels working and others not working, it was *often* due to the per-channel copy protection flags set by Shaw. However, your list doesn't seem to concur with a list someone in Winnipeg/Shaw also posted.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=1187801&postcount=90

 

[OakBankBart]

I suspect I have configuration problems.
My scheduled recording completed, but I am unable to view, let alone find the source for export to another system.
I'm going back to the books on this one and I'll post here when I have some more info.