Interface white-outs and slow-downs (1 Viewer)

[WildW]

Trying to fix my media centre. . . given up on old version 0.something Media Portal and tried 1.0.1 for the first time on this box. Clean Windows install, all Windows updates, latest drivers, Media Player 11, .net 3.5 SP1, etc, etc.

Installed MediaPortal 1.0.1. Initially running on a monitor at 1680x1050 for testing. At first everything seemed quite good. This version of MediaPortal seemed more responsive, menus faster to navigate and browse, and so on.

Next time I started up the computer, no configuration changes, loaded MediaPortal. . . the interface is bright white with only a few menu items visible in yellow. Checked forums for ideas - switching to 16-bit did help, but yucky image obviously, and the menus slow right down. Switched to lower resolution (1024x768), colours are fixed, but again the interface has slowed right down, and CPU usage in the My Videos menus is over 90% . . . it had been 10 to 20% the first time I'd run it. The menus are SO slow. . . the highlighted item will only move about once per second. The first run it would scroll down a list of a couple of hundred items in a couple of seconds.

I know, my Intel 915 graphics chip is crappy. . . but it was fine until I rebooted. My skins have gone weird. Everything has gone reaalllyy sloowww. Going to try rolling back the system and installing MP again. . . but still, any ideas? Currently working on the hunch that the DirectX update applied during the MediaPortal install has ruined everything.


TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: 1.0.1
MediaPortal Skin: Blue2Wide
Windows Version: XP Home SP3
CPU Type: Intel Pentium M 1.86GHz
HDD: 80GB IDE 2.5"
Memory: 1GB DDR2
Motherboard: AOpen MiniPC
Video Card: Intel 915 Onboard
Video Card Driver: Latest
Sound Card: On board
Sound Card AC3: N/A
1. TV Card: N/A
MPEG2 Video Codec: N/A
MPEG2 Audio Codec: N/A
h.264 Video Codec: N/A
Satelite/CableTV Provider: N/A
HTPC Case: AOpen MiniPC

 

[WildW]

Well, rolling back doesn't seem to be possible once I have the problem. . . have found that out twice now after another clean Windows install.

Mediaportal can be made to run right after installing .net 3.5 SP1 and Mediaplayer 11, but installing the next lot of Windows Updates after that seems to cause the problems and my Mediaportal goes very very white. Guessing it's not the DirectX now, most likely the .Net3.5 updates that come after after SP1 as it's the only thing I'd guess is related to Mediaportal functionality.

Since I don't need internet connectivity I shall probably get it to the working point again and then never let it update, which I guess is a solution of sorts.

 

[KevL]

Graphics card needs to be DX10 capable and have 128MB + video RAM (check wiki for exact specs). Does the 915 integrated graphics chip meet the minimum requirments???

If not consider getting a cheap radeon card. ATI4550 works nicely.

Kev

 

[WildW]

DX10 now? It was 9 when I looked yesterday. . .
<checks front page>

Video card: DirectX 9 compatible video card with at least 128 MB of video memory such as:
ATI Radeon series (9600 and above or X300 and above)
NVIDIA GeForce, GeForce FX (5200 or above) and NForce series
Intel Extreme Graphics 2 (integrated i865G)

Besides, I know it works - like I said, it does work okay until you apply more of MS' critical windows updates. Something in there breaks it. Alas there is no way to upgrade the video on this machine, it is a Mac-Mini sized PC with no slots for anything.

If Mediaportal wasn't so darned nice I would use something else. I will never understand why it needs DirectX 9 graphics hardware and eats SO much processor to display static 2D menus.