Ghosts in the machine

MediaPortal Version: 1.2.1.0
MediaPortal Skin: Defaultwide
Windows Version: XP Pro SP3
CPU Type: AMD Athlon X2 2000+
HDD: Samsung 500Gb
Memory: 2x512Mb running Dual Channel Mode
Motherboard: Asrock
Video Card: PNY Nvidia Geforce 8400GS with 512Mb
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card: Onboard sound
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Compro S350
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
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: Freesat
HTPC Case: Ensign
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: MCE Remote
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI to HDMI


I´m newish to Mediaportal and am still setting up my HTPC, and am having 2 problems with resuming from standby:

1. The PC resumes from standby all by itself at random intervals. Sometimes it´s a couple of minutes after I sent it into standby mode (via the PC button on the remote), sometimes it can be a few hours after. It is not a particular time of day when it happens and I have no scheduled recording which could be doing this. I´m using the WebXML plugin to get EPG data and that is set to happen at 21:30 each day. I´m also using PowerScheduler++ plugin. Any idea why this is happening?

2. More often than not, when the PC resumes from standby my desktop is huge ( and so is my Mediaportal home screen )and I have to scroll around it with my mouse. I´ve set the display resolution using the Nvidia utility to 1080p and then resized it slightly to fit onto my TV. When I get the huge desktop the only way to get it back to normal is to run the "resize my desktop" option in the Nvidia utility then simply cancel it without doing anything. This brings the desktop back to normal again. Any idea what´s causing this issue?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Usually wiser to do that around 7am.

Are you using a nvidia driver after 270, then you can do gpu scaling to get desktop correct size, also under the MPconfig\general\startupresume tab, select the restart mediaportal option.

Regarding wakeup, anything electrical nearby, ie microwave, these have been know to trigger a resume when used.

 

I think this is what I´m doing with the Nvidia control centre, but after a resume the desktop is huge. Going into this again then cancelling before I change anything returns the desktop to normal.

The only other things near the PC are the tv, some speakers and a wireless router. It´s driving me nuts!!!!

Here´s the other strange thing - if the pc resumes by itself only a few minutes after I send it to standby then the desktop size is ok. If it´s in standby mode for longer then it is huge when it resumes.

Right, I´ve found the cause of the random resumes - it´s my wireless mouse! The slightest movement of the mouse causes the pc to wake up. I´ve now swapped it for a wired one so that should solve that problem. Just the desktop resizing now, then maybe my wife will stop referring to it as "that technological sh*t in the corner" and demanding that I reinstall the set-top box and DVD player!

 

Are you turning the tv on before or after pc\MP resumed, also someone has reported problems with hdmi to hdmi, dvi to hdmi does not seem to have this and thought it was a ATI card problem only but maybe not.

You could also try disabling the nvsvc service from starting and see if that makes a difference.

 

Thanks Ray,

You´re right - turning on the TV before resuming the PC from standby works perfectly.

 

I used to get this at first. The GF is pretty happy with how things work now - she has mastered the MCE remote and now records all sorts of sh!te for later playback. We have three MePo units throughout the house so she has no choice. I get the occaisional "Can you fix the TV", but it is usually that she has accidentally changed the input from HDMI to something else.

Q. What do you say to a woman with two black eyes?

A. Nothing, you told her twice already


HTH,


M

 

Ouch, that got to have hurt

Excuse us knobby, there are a lot of hard working nutters around here heh heh!!

 

Knobby - I had a similar problem, which version of the drivers are you using?
for me I had to

• Get the latest version (I'm using 290.36)

• Set the drivers to 1080p

• Use the nVidia util to resize the desktop to compensate for the overscan

• Under Desktop size & Position - set the scaling to use 'No scaling' and 'Perform scaling on GPU'

This works for me

Also - I concur about sending the HTPC into suspend, that works too - Some TV & HTPC combinations cause wierd issues like the ones mentioned on startup.

 

I´ve had similar problems as you have. Two things that I think will help you:

- You can disable the mouse from waking up the computer with the DOS command "powercfg". In an command window, type "powercfg -devicequery wake_armed". Look for the device you think is your mouse, and type
"powercfg devicedisablewake 'your devicename´", for example in my case it was: powercfg -devicedisablewake "Logitech HID-compliant Unifying mouse" .

- The problem you have with the screen size is probably a HDMI problem. If the TV is not turned on when the computer wakes up, the graphics card does not receive the EDID data from the TV, and this can cause different problems. I had a lot of problems with this, and the solution for me was to by a little piece of hardware called "Gefen HDMI detective plus". See Gefen, LLC - HDMI Detective Plus
There are some other hints in this thread, although they did not help me:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...power-up-sequence-issue-hdmi-detection-60706/