BIG TVService Memory leak - pls help! (1 Viewer)

[johns11]

MediaPortal Version: 1.0.2
MediaPortal Skin: Xface 1.8
Windows Version: XP SP3
CPU Type: Intel P4 2.8 Socket 478
HDD: 1.5Tb SATA2
Memory: 512Mb DDR400
Motherboard: AsRock P4i65G
Video Card: ATI RADEON R9550 128MB
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card: M-Audio Revolution 5.1
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Hauppauge HVR3000
1. TV Card Type: DVB-S, DVB-T, analog
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: Hauppauge Nova S1
2. TV Card Type: DVB-S
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Sirius Tiny Tower MicroATX
Cooling:
Power Supply: SilenX Ixtrema Micro 400w
Remote: Microsoft MCE
TV: Infocus SP 4805
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI

Hi

I look after 2 MediaPortal systems, mine and a family members. Both use MP 1.02 client/server on Windows XP SP3. Both have significantly different hardware of course, and mine had 1Gb RAM (seems enough for XP) and the other has 2Gb.

The issue is that my tvservice.exe consumes 10-15Mb more Ram per hour, seemingly whether it's doing anything or not. With Mediaportal client shut down I get the same result although there is potentially some scheduled recordings happening. After a couple of days things stop working and I've found this using up to 750Mb of Ram. The other machine chugs along using around 40-50Mb and doesn't change.

Some history: I used 1.0 Rc2 for a very long time with little issue. I upgraded to 1.02 and had all sorts of problem. I then restored my backup to rc2 again and had no problem... but I want the latest features/skins etc... so I upgraded again and once again am encountering this issue. I have uninstalled and rein-stalled MP and SQL server twice but to no avail.

So, what I would really like is some guidance as to the best way to debug this issue. Suggestions as to where I can look will be tested out in full. Without this issue I would be back to the perfect system, but I don't want to be stuck on Rc2 for the rest of my life!

Clutching at straws I have unclicked anything to do with EPG grabbing, removed all TV server plugins, and deleted all "every time on every channel" recordings.

Attached are the TV server log files (I hope thy're the rignt ones) and a couple of screen shots showing memory usage.

Thanks!!
John

 

[fedde]

I see the same thing on a 1.02 install. Goes up to around 750-780mb ram usage and then freezes. I also see the same thing that it consumes 10-15mb for each hour i run the tv. When stopping tv stream it stops hogging memory, but does not release any memory, have to restart tvservice make it usable again.

Also tried latest svn, same thing happend there.

Changing to a old twinhan card from '99 solves the problem...
No wonder it is hard to reproduce if all are using older cards, while newer hauppage hybrid cards make things go crazy.

just a tought...

 

[johns11]

Thanks for your reply Fedde!

You've probably noticed there's a few postings about memory leaks in tvservice and no real solutions, maybe it's not a single issue so it's tough to say there should be "a" solution. From the posts I do think that there are a number of people experiencing tvservice memory leaks though. Your suggestion is very exciting (I'd so love to solve this!), and may explain why I get the problem (I have a hybrid card) and the other system I mentioned doesn't. And best of all I think I could probably do without my hybrid card.

Currently I have this issue managed by doing an automated reboot each morning. This was causing me problems with my dedicated client but I think I now have that running reliably by killing mediaportal.exe on suspend, and starting mediaportal on resume, on the client.

I will remove my hybrid hauppauge card altogether and report back in a few days time if the issue is resolved.

cheers

 

[fedde]

Hi

For sure i have, searched whole forum, and mainly the problems are the same for a lot of people. And from what i recall is that it's similar for all hybrid cards.

What i see now for the last few days after swapping the card is more like it shouldb. 8-10% cpu usage while watching a channel, memory goes from 56-65mb, best of all it is releasing memory as it shuld. This is even with grab epg while thimeshifting and grab while idle works. Not ideeal setup as i need to have a tv server with at least 3 cards. Even more if i am going to have DVB-T in the network as well.

I have tried with 2 hybrid cards with same result, Hauppage HVR-4000 and Asus Mycinema PS3-100. They use the same philips chip so it could be either bad driver or some other crazy issue.

Card i swapped to was this here, pci 1.0 card

But apparently it does not support DVB-S2

Last thing i wonder now, as the only single tuner cards i can find here where i live is this :
TerraTec - Products - TV - Satellite (DVB-S / S2) - TerraTec Cinergy S2 PCI HD

I any have used them, please let me know what experience, if not i am going to try one for testing.

A final question if the developes are reading trough this, is it possible to combine more than 1 tv server?

 

[shog63]

Memory leak

Hi,

I used to find the server would run up on memory if the EPG Always try to update EPG (May cause processor overhead) box was ticked in the EPG section. Leaving this unchecked seemed to cure my issues... No memory leak issues on an HVR1300 with this setup on either XP or Vista.

Regards

Julian

 

[johns11]

Hi Shog63

I've unchecked that option and will see if it makes a difference.

Fedde, I won't be able to remove my Hybrid card for 2 weeks as I'm away and and promised the wife I wouldn't touch anything within a week of my going. Will certainly give it a go upon my return.

Also when you install mediaportal (custom installation) I'm pretty sure there are options to install multiple servers. I hope this is what you were meaning.

cheers

 

[fedde]

Possible it was that option i missed

It been running ok since card swap so basicly i assume that hybrid cards in mediaportal does not play very well.

Going to do some more test on another server i am going to set up here for testing.

Cheers!

 

[johns11]

Hi Fedde
I'm back and have removed my hybrid card. Unfortunately in my case this did not resolve the memory leak issue. I've also realised that there are times when mulitple channels are recording that I need the second card so it's back in place now. Thanks again for your response but I'll need to continue looking elsewhere I think. I wonder if it's something to do with my other issue that I've never resolved. See: https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...eduled-manual-recordings-how-stop-them-68440/
How did you go with the multiple servers setup?
John

 

[m00kie]

I have a system running 2 external usb hybrid cards and 2 internal dual tuner cards. The USB cards are Hauggpage 950Q - only one tuner works at once - hence hybrid (the analog tuner doesn't currently work in MP). The dual tuner cards are Hauggpage 1600 - they aren't hybrid, both tuners can run at once. My tvservice.exe leaks to the 'tune' of about 512M/day - which quickly brings my system to a crawl - even with 4G memory and dual core processor.

I have a raid setup and several cards that have to initiate at boot time, which makes for a slow boot. Additionally, the reboot makes for the potential loss of recording time. Rather than go through a full reboot, lose all the apps I have up and running, etc, I scripted a tiny batch file to restart the service. It's not the best fix, but I schedule the batch file to run every day at the least likely time to be recording. For added 'hope' of not screwing up a recording - I schedule the batch file to run at the last minute of the hour - for me, 3:59am.

So, if you're having the memory leak problem and don't want to have to go through a whole reboot - just create a batch file with the info below and schedule it to run daily when you're not likely to be recording. If you are recording, it'll pick right back up and just be a two part show.

Hope this helps anyone with the same problem.

REM Restart the tvservice - call from a scheduled task
net stop tvservice
REM Take a nap in case the service hangs on exit
sleep 20
net start tvservice
exit

 

[fedde]

It's some of the same i also saw. Restarting the tvservice.exe worked ok. But a never version of the tvservice.exe seems to work better.