MP Locks up when watching Recorded TV

[Noelix]

MediaPortal Version: 0.2.1.0
MediaPortal Skin: BlueTwo
Windows Version: Windows XP (SP2)
CPU Type: AMD Athlon XP 2200+
HDD: 180GB Western Digital, 7200RPM
Memory: 768MB
Motherboard:
Motherboard Chipset: KT600-8237
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: Nvidia Geforce FX 5500 (256 MB)
Video Card Driver: 9.1.3.1
Sound Card: C-Media AC97 Audio Device
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver: 5.12.1.50
1. TV Card: Hauppauge PVR-500 MCE
1. TV Card Type: Analog
1. TV Card Driver: 2.0.43.24103
MPEG2 Video Codec: Nvidia Purevideo
MPEG2 Audio Codec: Nvidia Purevideo
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Cox Communications (Basic)
HTPC Case: Antec Overture II
Cooling:
Power Supply: Special 450W SmartPower 2.0 ATX12V v2.01 compliant
Remote: Microsoft MCE Remote, EU version
TV: Zenith CRT
TV - HTPC Connection: S-Video to RCA connection

With the latest svn version of 0.2.0.0, I was having terrible problems with recorded tv freezing up MP. I switched back to a fresh install of 0.2.1.0 and this seemed to stop for a time. Then just as I'm halfway through watching a show, it freezes up MP on me. What happens first is the video freezes. The audio continues on for a few seconds, and then that freezes as well. If you press buttons on the remote, it makes sounds, but nothing happens on-screen. You have to kill the mediaportal process and restart MP to get back to where you were. It's really annoying, and I think it may have something to do with how corrupt video files are handled. This particular video was recorded a few weeks ago when I only had 256mb of ram on my machine and I was trying to watch another show while recording Day Break. I'd be happy to let someone download the 2gb+ file from me for testing, just PM me and I'll set you up with an ftp account to get it. I posted this issue about the svn builds as well and it was determined to be not a bug, but I'm telling you it is, because MP should not freeze up and crash even if the video file has a corrupt frame. It should either skip past the bad section of the file or just stop the video altogether while keeping MP alive. I don't mind missing a few seconds of the video if it's screwed up. What's more annoying is having to restart the program/computer each and every time this happens. I would be forever grateful if someone could look into this.

MediaPortal.log:
http://pastebin.team-mediaportal.com/11409

Error.log:
http://pastebin.team-mediaportal.com/11410

vmr9.log:
http://pastebin.team-mediaportal.com/11411

Please help!! Thank you!

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by Noelix

it was determined to be not a bug, but I'm telling you it is, because MP should not freeze up and crash even if the video file has a corrupt frame.

Do you get the same behaviour, at the same point in the file, if you play the recorded video directly in Windows Media Player 10?

It is my understanding that MediaPortal uses WMP 10 to play the video, so it would be interesting to see if WMP 10 displays the same behaviour.

[Noelix]

No it's totally inconsistent... I can restart MP and it will play the section it froze on previously just fine. Also, I will add that it's freezing up on me on videos that were recorded with the new tv server just a few days ago, which is after I added my extra ram. I don't see any tiling with the new videos but still it decides to freeze up randomly...

[Taipan]

So, if you play these same TV recordings directly with Windows Media Player 10, they are fine - no freezing or hanging at any stage?

And playing DVDs or other videos (not TV recordings) in MediaPortal is also OK?

And watching live TV with timeshifting ON is OK, too?

What is the MediaPortal.log file entry at the exact time that the TV recording freezes - does that give you a clue?

[Noelix]

I just watched the file in question all the way through on Windows Media Player. It ran a bit sluggish in full screen but did not hang up or freeze.

Playing other videos is hazardous as well.

I have problems with live TV as well, timeshifting OFF, where it freezes up the same way and a little window pops up saying the signal was lost (and then I switch my tv over to the direct connection, and it's fine).

I have looked in the logs of this occurrence each time it happens, and I really can't see anything out of the ordinary. I don't know what the things in the error.log mean so that may be a clue...

I'm thinking it might be the decoder - Nvidia PureVideo? I didn't start using that until recently because it's supposed to not use nearly as much processing power as the others, which is true. Should I give others a try? If so, what do you recommend?

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by Noelix

and then I switch my tv over to the direct connection, and it's fine.

What does this mean - what do you mean by "direct connection"?

Originally Posted by Noelix

I don't know what the things in the error.log mean so that may be a clue...?

Sorry, but I don't know what that error message means, either ... maybe someone else will comment?

Originally Posted by Noelix

I'm thinking it might be the decoder - Nvidia PureVideo? Should I give others a try? If so, what do you recommend?

I assumed that you had already tried other video decoders and the Nvidia gave you the best results - definitely try others - starting with the MP supplied MPV and Dscaler decoders. They don't support hardware acceleration, but they are the best place to start. Two others that work well are the CyberLink and InterVideo decoders - you can try these by installing the trial versions of their DVD viwers (PowerDVD and WinDVD). I get the best results with CyberLink decoder.

Also, I assume you have checked all the suggestions in "Tips & Tricks" related to smooth video playing?

[Noelix]

Well I've run into some other problems but I'll stop posting about this issue until I've gone through and tried absolutely everything ;-)

Thanks for the advice.