Scythe42's fixes for 1.4.0 (2 Viewers)

[azzuro]

For French team or Team like French song

 

[Wo0zy]

@HomeY,

Do you use IRSS?

Wo0zy

 

[Scythe42]

 

[HomeY]

I can only offer currently one workaround to try: Set Windows refresh rate to 60Hz, set a default refresh rate for MP to 50Hz. Then the refresh rate changer ran at least once when MP started and the problem should not occur.

No go, just gave that a try, and DRR does NOT change refresh rate on startup (think g_Player.OnStart triggers it). After setting desktop to 60Hz and default DRR setting to TV (50Hz), GUI is rendered around 59Hz. With 60Hz, my RSS Feed is stuttering also (PAL country) and desktop looks more 'blurry' then on 50Hz.
Weird thing is that after setting it back to 50Hz, and starting MP, GUI was rendered @ 50Hz! I restarted MP at least 5 times, every time it's rendered @ 50Hz. now. Even rebooted, went to desktop, start MP -> GUI @ 50Hz.

I don't have DRR configured. Windows desktop is set @50Hz (I'm in PAL land). On launching MP to GUI renders at 32Hz. If I then start a TV channel and then stop it the GUI is rendering at 50Hz even though no refresh rate change should have taken place.

Hardware wise this system is quite old. GPU is an AMD Radeon 4650 running the catalyst "legacy" driver version 12.6 under Win7 x64 (will update to latest 13.1 and test when I can get access to the system).
Chipset is D975 (an Intel Badaxe MoBo) and CPU is a Core 2 E6420.

Display is a single HDTV connected directly to the HTPC via HDMI and running at 720p50Hz.

Audio runs through an old AVR connected via s/pdif. Audio chip is sigmatel using stock windows driver.

Will install stock MP 1.3 and test later.

@HomeY, anything in the above that matches your setup?

Not really (See my HTPC system specs for more info)

I've got DRR configured, 50Hz (TV) set as default
System has more then enough power (i7-860 + 4GB RAM)
Running ATi CCC 13.3 Beta drivers (i just noticed 13.4 official is out, so will upgrade and test again!)
My TV is connected through my AMP (wanted to test direct connection, but seems you have the issue with that also)
Dedicated HTPC, only drivers, AV, Logitech software + MediaPortal installed on Windows 8.

Edit. Even stranger. Starting music playback fixes it on my system as well?? @HomeY is it the same for you?

I'm trying to test this, but as decribed above, after setting desktop to 60Hz, starting MP (seeing it being rendered @ 59Hz), closed MP, set desktop (ATi CCC) to 50Hz, i'm NOT able to reproduce at the moment

@HomeY,

Do you use IRSS?

Wo0zy

Nope, my case has build in receiver, only need to check 'MCE Remote' in config and everything is working out-of-the-box

 

[catavolt]

Iset desktop (ATi CCC) to 50Hz, i'm NOT able to reproduce at the moment

Am I right that you never set the desktop refresh rate correctly according to the connected device (e.g. monitor, TV) in your graphics card driver?
Than Wolfgang could search forever why you have that problems

 

[HomeY]

Iset desktop (ATi CCC) to 50Hz, i'm NOT able to reproduce at the moment

Am I right that you never set the desktop refresh rate correctly according to the connected device (e.g. monitor, TV) in your graphics card driver?
Than Wolfgang could search forever why you have that problems

Nope, i always have it set to 50Hz, but since Wolfgang implemented the changes based on 60Hz, i played around with some (possible workaround) settings (and my TV can to 24 -> 60Hz.)

** EDIT **
Just upgraded drivers to 13.4 (unfortunately they still didn't fix the damn audio issue on Win 8) and after rebooting + starting MP -> GUI renders @ 32FPS

@Wo0zy Yes, starting music makes GUI render @ 50FPS!

 

[Wo0zy]

@HomeY,

Reason I asked about IRSS is because I was having trouble with the Abstract Remote so I uninstalled it and was planning on re-installing but the kids wanted to watch something so I just check "MCE Remote" in config (yes, my case has a built in receiver but I use the IRSS translator for something else ) and since doing so MP is rendering @50Hz on every restart so far (even before playing videos, TV or music) .

Anyway, if you don't use it then that can't be the common theme.

Will keep trying to reproduce this afternoon in between kids demands (the wife is at work).

Cheers,

Wo0zy

 

[HomeY]

Hard to track this down...
I'm afraid that after a reboot of your system, it'll fall back to 32 FPS rendering again. I just had it stick to 50Hz also a couple of times.

 

[Scythe42]

@Wo0zy Yes, starting music makes GUI render @ 50FPS!

So playback, bascially a direct show graph running initializes some values that can be "random" on your system. In fact not random, but the Timer values are tied to something else.

That music fixes it is at least something. We limiting it down. It has nothing do to with what the refresh rate changer "corrects".

I'll create some debug MediaPortal.exe later that logs all variables in the timer functions and hammering the logs. Maybe I can limit it further down from there.

 

[Scythe42]

Regarding some hanging plugins when loaded multi threaded: They all have one thing in common: they all use a network connection and try to access data outside the local network.

I can reproduce some of that behaviou by disconnection my router from the Internet (still alive but no DSL connection). Not sure if it is the same you guys see on hibernate/resume. But it seems very likely.

Some plugins will never run into a timeout or the timeout is set to very large values. Trakt just had a few seconds when alone, but as soon as I add some other it takes way longer, probably stuck in an infinite loop. Not sure. Need to run some more tests, like leave MP alone for an hour or so and check if it ever came back.

That would point to an issue in the network area. I assume these plugins all have some kind of Power Management methods as well and may use the same "retry counter" or something in regards to the network. Could be stuff from MP itself they are using.