High CPU usage of TvService.exe when timeshifting and recording. (1 Viewer)

[Sethiano]

TV-Server Version: TVEngine3 Snapshot: 06-21
MediaPortal Version: MediaPortal SVN-Snapshot: 06-21-2007
MediaPortal Skin: BlueTwo Wide
Windows Version: XP Professional SP2
CPU Type: Celeron 2,6 Ghz
HDD: Seagate 250 GB 16 MB cache
Memory: 1024 MB
Motherboard:
Motherboard Chipset:
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: Powercolor Radeon 9600 PRO 128 MB
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card: Soundblaster Augility 2
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Hauppauge PVR 350 (analogue)
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: MPV
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA
Satelite/CableTV Provider: ComHem
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply: FPS 350 W
Remote: Hauppauge 45 Button
TV: Sony HD 32 "
TV - HTPC Connection: VGA

Hi all!

I have used the TV-server (mostly the 2006-06-10 snapshot) for some days and suddenly today the total CPU usage when timeshifting and recordning (only in the TVSetup.exe not in Mediaportal.exe) peaks at around 75 -100 % compared to around 30 % before.
After investigating the running prcesses closer I have found that the TVservice.exe is accaully around 20 % - 30%, but the "System" process (not to be confused with the System Idle Process) is also aorund 20-30% witch seems kinda stange.

Any ideas?

 

[gibman]

Are u using any plugins on the server ?

ex. the XMLtv plugin will eat up quite a few cpu cycles when importing EPG data.

Try and disable all avail. plugins.
Then watch CPU usage.

/Gibman

 

[Sethiano]

Are u using any plugins on the server ?

ex. the XMLtv plugin will eat up quite a few cpu cycles when importing EPG data.

Try and disable all avail. plugins.
Then watch CPU usage.

/Gibman

Thanks for the tip. I did as you wrote and disabled all TV server plugins, but the CPU usage remained on the same level.
I also observed that the vsmon.exe process used by Zone alarm is quite demanding when recoding (around 10 % of total CPU).

Any other tips are more then welcome!

 

[Roberdin]

Any ideas?

Try using Process Explorer (it's like a super Task Manager) to determine which thread is causing the problem.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/ProcessExplorer.mspx

Once running, double click on TvService.exe and click on the Threads tab. After a few moments, it will show you how much CPU usage per thread is being consumed. I don't know how ZoneAlarm works but it may be introducing a 'hook' into one of the threads, if you double click on the troublesome thread it will show you a stack trace (that is, how the thread got to the stage it is at now) which may reveal a foreign process is interfering with the TV Service. In any case, it's a useful (and free) tool for diagnosing these type of issues.

 

[Sethiano]

Any ideas?

Try using Process Explorer (it's like a super Task Manager) to determine which thread is causing the problem.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/ProcessExplorer.mspx

Once running, double click on TvService.exe and click on the Threads tab. After a few moments, it will show you how much CPU usage per thread is being consumed. I don't know how ZoneAlarm works but it may be introducing a 'hook' into one of the threads, if you double click on the troublesome thread it will show you a stack trace (that is, how the thread got to the stage it is at now) which may reveal a foreign process is interfering with the TV Service. In any case, it's a useful (and free) tool for diagnosing these type of issues.

Hmm... I didn't see anything unusual really. There was alot of hardware interupts and the "Interupt process" was peaking at 30%, but that seems quite reasonable due to the continuously writing to the disk.

 

[Syntaxius]

Does anyone have another tips what can be the problem if your CPU is at 70%-100% constantly when timeshifting and recording if you have a card doing hardware decoding?

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Besides the obvious, if you are using as a HTPC, check if Virus or AntiSpyware running, as both will do the things you state, Windows update can also this (ok as long as it is scheduled).

All virus checkers are not equal.