So much trouble.... (1 Viewer)

[kimnach]

MediaPortal Version: 1.1.2
MediaPortal Skin: Streamed MP (latest patch)
Windows Version: Windoze7 x32
CPU Type: Intel E6600
HDD: over 1TB
Memory: 2GB
Motherboard: Asus P5W DH Deluxe
Video Card: BFG 8800GT
Video Card Driver: nvidia --always latest
Sound Card: mobo realtek
Sound Card AC3: optical
Sound Card Driver: always latest
1. TV Card: Hauppague PVR-500
1. TV Card Type: analog, dual tuner
2. TV Card: Hauppauge HVR-1600
2. TV Card Type: ATSC + analog
3. TV Card: Hauppauge HVR-2250
3. TV Card Type: using only ATSC
3. TV Card Driver: latest
MPEG2 Video Codec: SAF ver5 b1
MPEG2 Audio Codec: SAF ver5 b1
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Ahanix MCE-701
Remote: Logitech Harmony One
TV: Samsung HLN507W (DLP)
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI

First off, I am not going to give up on MP. But that doesn't mean that it's not an aggrevating experience. (I do have a number of suggestions for the developer forum. Some have been requested by others over the years.)

I've used MP on and off since 2006 (ver 0.2.x, if I recall): it starts out ok, but then it always seemed that after it crashed or locked up the system once, it's bound to do it over and over. That's why I stuck with GBPVR all these years. It rarely crashed and, unlike MP, it was responsive (i.e., switching screens, startin TV, going back and forth from full screen to windowed mode, etc.). Since switching to Windows 7 in early December 2010 (to solve an issue I had with the Showtimes plug-in), I've been using MP solely.

Yes, I've put up with its quirkiness (e.g., having to wait for the TV signal be displayed when wanting to do nothing more than setup a TV guide recording) and the numerous lock-ups over the past three months. Worst part of the lock-ups has been that the Watchdog rarely created any crash logs, and when it did I subsequently let it slide and didn't post my proplems. Well, that changed tuesday night.

Here's what happened as has a number of times over the past month or so: I was watching a recorded TV show in MP. I decided to pause it, and check out something on the web with IE. I exited MP (minimized to the tray), checked out what I needed on IE, and then attempted to restart MP. Up came a big black screen. I waited. And waited.

Ctrl-alt-del: task manager. TM pops up, but then the balckness of MP takes over before I can end the task. Try again. And again. This went on for a number of minutes until I decided that I would just restart the system from the TM instead of attempting to end the task. Before the system exited to reboot, the Watchdog created a crash log, attached as MediaPortalLogs_01_03_11__22_16.zip. After the system rebooted, I finished watching the recording in MP.

Last night, Wednesday, when I started MP it was recommended that I install Win7 SP1. I did. I then downloaded and patched to MP 1.1.3. The installation (update option) hung at the uptate MP to 1.1.3 ("installing files"). I rebooted the machine after waiting about 20-minutes. I started the MP installation again to ensure that MP was updated: it flew through the process and all was supposedly "good."

Now, MP wont play any of the TV recordings or play Live TV. It ust sits there. OK, try to play trailers in Showtimes. Well, the videos play--without sound! (I then played the trailers and TV recordings outside of MP with Total Media Theatre and there was sound.) The MP 1.1.3 logs are attached as Configuration.zip.

Is my best bet to just un- and re-install MP?

I do keep the system up to date with the latest drivers. Other than MP/SAF5, Slysoft's AnyDVD HD, Total Media Theatre, Silverlight, and Paragon Backup, the HTPC does not have any uneccessary s/w installed.

 

[Swede]

Here's what happened as has a number of times over the past month or so: I was watching a recorded TV show in MP. I decided to pause it, and check out something on the web with IE. I exited MP (minimized to the tray), checked out what I needed on IE, and then attempted to restart MP. Up came a big black screen. I waited. And waited.

Ctrl-alt-del: task manager. TM pops up, but then the balckness of MP takes over before I can end the task. Try again. And again. This went on for a number of minutes until I decided that I would just restart the system from the TM instead of attempting to end the task.

Same problem (Bug?) here The black screen when resuming has been going on for almost a year now. And now (1.2 beta) it's worse than ever.

I really wish that this could be fixed. It's a nice and expected feature to be able to minimize for a while and do some other stuff.

 

[mbuzina]

Hmm, You have extremely large log files here. A very quick scan found the following in Error log:
System.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.

This could either be a corruption in the MP files, or some issue with your GFX cards memory (or system memory). So I guess a clean install would help and if this issue continues to exist (check your error.log for this) I would check if the HW is OK.

 

[Swede]

I doubt hardware, since I have the problem in all 3 setups (all Windows 7)

 

[jameson_uk]

AIUI the way MP is playing videos (DX9 in exclusive mode) means that you can not minimize whilst video is playing. It does work if no video is playing. I think this is something deep rooted in MP and I doubt this will change in MP1.

I am not however quite understanding what the black screen on resume issue is.

Are you running MP in windowed mode or full screen? How are you minimizing to tray? We need steps to reproduce else nothing will change

 

[Swede]

Full screen, Minimizing with Alt+F4 or X-button.

This has worked perfectly before while video or TV playing. The function even has an inbuilt pause + resume.
...do you mean that you don't have this problem with black screen for at least 5 seconds or sometimes a complete freeze, if you minimize to tray while playing video or TV, jameson?

Tourettes comments on the matter HERE