Video rendering failing in multi-seat with client on ga-ma78gm-s2h (1 Viewer)

[jhb]

TV-Server Version: 1.0.1 standalone
MediaPortal Version: 1.0.1 (Client Only)
MediaPortal Skin:
Windows Version: Vista SP1 (on Client)
CPU Type: AMD 3000+
HDD: Samsung 200G
Memory: 1GB DDR2
Motherboard: GA-MA78GM-S2H rev 1.1
Video Card: ATI HD3200 (built-in on MB)
Video Card Driver: Catalyst 8.11
Sound Card: Realtek (built in on MB)
Sound Card AC3: Realtek (built in on MB)
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: FloppyDTV + Viaccess CAM
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: Leadtek 1000S
2. TV Card Type: DVB-T
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: MPV
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA
h.264 Video Codec: PowerDVD8 (none right now)
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Boxer
HTPC Case: Enlight Mediacenter
Cooling:
Power Supply: Enlight
Remote: Microsoft MCE
TV: 37" LCD
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI

Hi, I have a problem that I have tried to get help with that now is ready to be reported as a bug (see also thread: https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/mediaportal-1-talk-45/multi-seat-not-working-57914/). It worked in 1.0, even though there I had other problems, but in 1.0.1 the problem is way too big to be acceptable.

The problem is that one of my clients (gigabyte ga-ma78gm-s2h with ATI HD3200 graphics processor) is failing to show live TV other than with a clean start of MP directly after a reboot of the operating system.

I don't even need to start any video application within MP before closing the application, the next time I start it video rendering of TV is not working, but the audio starts after a while.

I have made a clean install of the OS and the drivers and tested different versions of the catalyst drivers without any success. No additional codecs are installed (as I said the OS is clean!), only the ones from vista and MP. The only drivers that are installed are the ones for audio (Gigabyte/leadtek) and video (Gigabyte/ATI) and daemon tools lite.

The attached logs shows a successful TV-viewing (directly after reboot of the OS), a failed scenario (after the application has been closed down and is restarted again), and finally a failed scenario after starting MP directly after reboot from the logs collector. If I am not autostarting the MP-application at reboot, the application always fails to render video, even if the OS had a clean restart just before starting MP.

The first thing that seems to differ in the TSreader-log seem to be that "aud: set discontinuity" is done in both successful and failing cases, but "vid: set discontinuity" is only done in the successful cases. After this is set, the successful stream is identified as late b/p/i-frames but that never happens in the failing stream.

In the Mediaportal log there seems to be warnings regarding that VMR9 Pins 0-2 are not connected in the failing logs.

The problem is reproducable with both VMR9 as renderer (added a failed log for that case also) as well as with EVR as renderer. With VMR9 the problem results in a black screen, but with EVR the last MP menu (e.g. EPG) will be shown instead of the TV-show. Audio will start (but late) in both cases.

I hope this helps someone to identify the problem. It also may be related to the VMR9 problems that some others have reported for 1080i etc. Look also at this thread (https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-support-51/sound-but-no-image-tv-after-stop-start-56091/) that reports almost the same problem but a little bit different...
...symptoms are also similar to the ones in this (https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-support-51/odd-problem-vmr9-not-working-evr-works-41497/) thread. Btw, Aero is enabled...

...and I had similar problems on my XP client when using VMR9 there, but there it works with EVR.

I am starting to guess that the problem is timing related and that only some systems encounter it and under different conditions in different builds...

For me this is a very crucial bug, since 1.0.1 solves the big problems I had with 1.0 (https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...screen-after-channel-change-53609/index4.html). Interesting enough it seems like many people are the same that have similar problems as I have, maybe because we are not that many that are running MP in a multi-seat environment?

 

[jhb]

Workaround

I found a workaround that might work for a while:
- by not restarting the application when going to standby, and
- by minimizing the MP application when closing it instead of actually closing it

This takes down the number of restarts quite a lot...
...but I really need this to be solved...

 

[jhb]

Anyone else having this problem?

It seems to be related to the HDTV problems and move viewing problems some others seem to have...

Is there anything more that I can do to help identifying the problem?

 

[jhb]

Ping...

What more can I do to help getting this trouble report accepted or rejected?

I would at least like to get some feedback to the problem...

This is a big issue for me and I really want to solve it...

 

[elliottmc]

Hi,

Since this is related to TV playback in a client/server environment, it should be reported in the TV server section of the forum.

1.0.1 final and SVN Builds - MediaPortal Forum

I would recommend finding a simple sequence of steps which you can use to reproduce the problem. Try various combinations of codecs in order to narrow down the possible reasons for the problem. Personally with no HD channels, MPA/MPC decoders, I have no problems at all. This doesn't mean you aren't having a problem, just that it might be unique to your system, which makes things harder to find.

Hopefully this will help a little.

Best wishes,

Mark

 

[jhb]

Thanks Elliotmc.

Made a new thread in the correct fora (https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...iling-video-rendering-one-my-clients-58679/)-

But answering your questions:
- changing codecs is not solving the issue. Have tried many combinations...
- I can only get the client to work when starting it automatically at boot. Have never managed to get as many codec combos to work as with this SW release (goes for all my clients), but on this specific client-HW they only work when starting MP automatically at boot...
- my best guess is that the problem is unique to the combo of client-motherboard and running a split architecture. I have earlier also had a lot of problems that were related to having a split architecture (e.g. https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...screen-after-channel-change-53609/index4.html). I was not the only one having those, but we were not that many....

 

[jhb]

Fixed by 1.0.2