MP freezes when looking at my pictures directories (1 Viewer)

[rtv]

Yeah, ronilse is true on that - I e.g. can confirm as well that realtek's newer drivers all have memory leaks and other problems when using S/PDIF only.

Btw: MediaPortal already does the "Reset device" call (Here playback has to be stopped). In fact you can almost be happy that this doesn't end up in a bluescreen

I guess you won't miss that much with an older ATI driver depite of application profiles for the most recent games to lower quality for a few more FPS which helps to win benchmarks. I could live with a stable HTPC that doesn't win 3D-Mark penis comparisons

 

[charli181]

Hi ronilse,

Seems like this is a known problem with MediaPortal's new version and ATI video cards on XP. I have searched on the term catalyst. And have found many people with the same error. It seems the solution is to go back to a version about 6 versions ago. But I find that kind of stupid. New versions come out to solve problems, and I am sure if I go back 6 versions ago, I will end up with other issues.

Allan

Allan,

I don't think it is that dumb to roll back video drivers to get an application working. As the old rule says, why fix it, if it ain't broke. Obviously, ATI broke somthing from 7.3 onwards to fix issues with other applications (mainly games I am assuming) so unless you use your HTPC from games as well, why not roll back. No one has reported any other issues with 7.2 drivers and from me personally using exactly the same hardware as yourself can vouch the 7.2 works flawlessly. Your call though is you feel you need to be stubborn and try to force the developers to fix something that ATI broke.

Please do not feel I am attacking you but can not understand why rolling back is such an issue?

 

[G.B. Wolf]

Your call though is you feel you need to be stubborn and try to force the developers to fix something that ATI broke.

That's not completly correct:
* Running 0.2.2-svn works perfect with a current catalyst version.
* Running 0.2.3 (RC3.. anyone tested RC1/2?) and above doesn't work.

So something has changed in MP what's causing the error now. Therefore it's more a problem on both sides.

so unless you use your HTPC from games as well, why not roll back.

And if you do so? My gf uses the HTPC for gaming since her laptop isn't able to run newer games.

And you have to think in the future, too. If someone will build a new HTPC in 2008/09/whenever with the delivered drivers/software... do you wanna tell him that he has to install drivers which are over a year old? Otherwise it wouldn't work?

Best regards
G.B. Wolf

 

[aweinman]

Hi everyone. I want to thank everyone for the discussion going on here. I do appreciate the support this site offers, as well as the great product.

I have rolled back the drivers. I could not find all files on ATIs website, but did find someone here who had set up a download site of their own. It works fine now, no more freezes. So I am glad to try out all the features of Mediaportal, as I was not able to before, as I only built my HTPC for the first time last week.

Which does bring up something, the drivers that are now coming with the included CDs of ATI products include drivers quite new, and while ATI does have probably all drivers on their website, I was not able to find all the installation programs I needed, and therefore had to rely on downloading them from somewhere else. Which all means it does not make it too easy for new people with ATI cards to use this software successfully.

It is unfortunate, as it is really good software, and I know it is hard to make sure it works with the variety of hardware out there, but ATI is one of the very big graphic card vendors, and unfortunately if they will not fix this problem we have to work around it. Which means the software should be able to support the newer drivers sooner or later, or it will hurt attracting new users who cannot easily find old drivers.

Again, thanks, I am working fine now, but I will await the day I can upgrade my ATI graphic drivers to the current offerings and still use Mediaportal.

(I do not feel I should change the status of this bug to FIXED as it really is not fixed, but more of a work around I am doing to use the software.)

Thanks again,
Allan

 

[ronilse]

Hi,
It's not a bug in MP & workarounds in MP because of bad drivers from ATI on XP comps could brake other stuff, the problem it's not on Vista & i think ATI's focus it's there these days & XP left alone(or maybe they cooperate to much with M$ so they can sell more Vista ).....
I think that this started(not 100% sure & ATI driver update) with some animation that was added to make the MP GUI look better & some reflection stuff & since it's build up on DirectX standard the graphic cards should handle it in a proper way, glad you have it working now

Regards
Roy

 

[G.B. Wolf]

I still think that this is no solution.

At lest I'd propose to collect some more information on this. I see that Allan has the same GPU-chip (ATI Radeon X1250) on his mainboard as I'm using in my HTPC. My normal PC doesn't have the problems running RC3 on an Radeon X1900 with a 4 month old catalyst.

 

[rtv]

I still think that this is no solution.

At lest I'd propose to collect some more information on this. I see that Allan has the same GPU-chip (ATI Radeon X1250) on his mainboard as I'm using in my HTPC. My normal PC doesn't have the problems running RC3 on an Radeon X1900 with a 4 month old catalyst.

Even if you would donate your hardware for a dev to check e.g. which Animation uses Direct-X functions that trigger the driver bug we weren't smart to add lots of workarounds like:
If gfx adapter is specific ATI board
AND driver is version from date x to date y AND not Omega/whatever
AND animation Z is enabled
THEN do not display animation Z and maybe break a skin or something else.

With those workaround the code would just clutter up and one year later when they fixed it noone else does understand what these workarounds have been coded for...

 

[charli181]

All,
it seems some progress may have been made on the driver issue. See the comments from Petsta in this thread https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/ati_690g_x1250_problems-t29894.html for at least the ASUS M2A-VM HDMI board.

I have not tried yet as I just got MP running again after upgrade and Server Hardware failure...