GB-PVR Freezing

[Mad Professor]

Well I could zip the log files but at the moment I'm watching Dirty Jobs.

Well anyways I'm having problems, some with timshift mode, and others watching recorded shows...

My Setup:
Gigabyte Model is 6a something....
P3 1ghz
Chipset driver: Via 4.43 Allin1
BFG 5700 Ultra Drivers: 81.98 *have tried 84.XX drivers*
512MB pc133 sdram
256MB pc133 sdram
256MB pc133 sdram
1 gig total

3 Hard-drives:
2 Maxtor *1 runs hot*
1 Western Digital *runs hot*
All 40Gigs
1 Maxtor and WD is in a dynamic Stripped volume set.
1 sound card
1 network card

Tuners:
Asus Tv7133
Using software recored plugin and using the vmr9 with custom render.

Software:
Running Windows Xp Pro with SP2

The Problem:
Well When I Tried DualView Mode on my 5700 Ultra, one connection went to my 15" monitor, and my other one went to my 20" Television with a Svideo to Rca connection type.. Well the Tv stutters, but not my 15". It only worked fine in overlay on the tv. If I change the resoultion while gb-pvr running in live tv, the stuttering is gone. but when I change channels the stuttering is back and stays. *That was with Vmr9/7*
I've fixed this by switching from DualView to Clone Mode that fixed the issue, but I would like this resolve in the next release.

Second Problem:
My Gb-PVR is freezing up.. Well after awhile in timeshift mode or watching recorded shows, it seems like gb-pvr decides to freeze up. When in timeshift mode, if gb-pvr freezes up and sometimes the sound continues. I have to Alt-Ctrl-Del to get back to windows. I've also noticed that the recording continues.
When watching recorded shows, it doesn't matter what time or how long a show/movie is. What I mean is that I could watch a 2 hour movie fine but when I watch a 30 min show gbpvr will freeze up. *And it just froze up as I write this..* Well This time it was 26mins into the 1 hour show, I was watching Deal or No Deal about 30 mins ago, and it did the samething. after I restarted gbpvr, it did IT within 5 mins... Not only that gbpvr will respond to the mouse and then totally lockup as in OSD going up and freezing but the timer still going don't know why that is...

It keeps doing this alot.. I doubt its hardware because it can playback fine, record fine *tv guide select* and watch Live Tv *in clone view, when it was in dualview it froze up alot like almost every 5-15 minutes*

It doesn't crash the machine tho...
So I'm going to attach the logs now since it fresh..
well I wasn't sure what you were looking for. So I just ran a search for .log in my gbpvr folder..
hopefully someone can help me...

[stefan]

I'd say your machine spec is on the low end for bot encoding mpeg and decoding mpeg on the same time (as you do in timeshift mode). I assume your CPU is running *very* high? VMR7/9 is even more CPU consuming than overlay, so the fact that it works better in overlay is not surprising.

I think you should try to ask this over in the support forum for the software recorder, since that is what you use.

[Mad Professor]

That was when I was in dual view, when I switch from dual view to clone, it worked fine... On the other hand I can maybe watch 3 or 4 epsiodes before it freezes unless it decides to be GAY! and freeze like 1 or 2 maybe 3 times in a row before working fine again... I doubt its a hardware problem, not only that if it were having such trouble my video quality should be SHIT and my sound out of sync...

I'm sorry but I know alot about hardware, if needed I could overclock another 200 Mhz and another, if it cures the problem... but I don't feel like messing with old jumper settings, and buying new hardware...

I just registered here, because its a gb-pvr issue.. if it were something else, the recording and maybe Windows should have crash too, then I would know its overloaded..
I've built this from scratch, and I'll be damn if I need new hardware...
My cpu only remains under 20% ~ 50% when doing sutff in GBPVR, with the usual 80% spike with opening closing stuff..
I apologize for my rudeness, but I have alot on my hands at the moment and I just want one thing to go right...

[stefan]

Ok, but I still suggest that you ask your question over at the support forum thread for the software recorder plugin since that is what you use for recording. Maybe more people over there have run into this issue. Could it be an issue with the graphics card driver?

[Mad Professor]

I've been just hanging around this forum for the last 2 weeks, trying to find my solution, and manage to get this far to get everything to work... But I didn't even know they had a site or would it be that software recorder plugin 4 down from support in this forum?

[stefan]

I'm not sure where they hang out... but they do have a thread in the forums somewhere... *checking*... yes, it's in the "hardware" section of the forum:
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=2753
They also refer to it from their section in the wiki:
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Plugi...reRecorder

[normanr]

Because recording is working fine, and you're seeing this problem only during watching it sounds like it's a decoding problem. This might be related to a encoder/decoder mismatch or it could be video card related.

You don't say which encoders you're using (I assume the ATI ones), you're using the 'system default' decoders, so I'm not sure what that ends up being. Does it always freeze in the same place of each video or is it random?

My guess would be that it's the video card. I've had untold troubles with my old dual-view at work, and only replacing it helped. (If you can get hold of the old 56.72 drivers, I found those to be the most stable). The drivers/firmware just don't seem to be stable when two screens are involved. Try running it with only one screen active (if required, only your tv out). Also you could try opening a very animated web-site (think tons of flash) on the PC screen while TV is playing. If that makes it freeze quicker, then it's video card related.

The only suggestions for helping if it's a video issue I have are: Do you have enough power running to the card? Is there enough cooling? What firmware is it running, and can you upgrade it? Unfortunatly I had to get my card replaced to fix the issues. (I couldn't upgrade the firmware because it was too old - I still think it was a firmware issue)

[Mad Professor]

Well my encoders are ATI and decoders are intervideo.. I did have cyberlink v.6 but uh... the OSD refused to come up... It might have defaulted to systemdefault. but I was having this problem before I installed cyberlink. Well When I replace the geforce mx200 64mb, which I thought it didn't have the power to pack the punch to run dual view*stuttering problem*. Which I upgraded to the 5700 ultra, plus this is my backup gaming card incase my 6800 is dead in future.

Now I may have damaged it during install because I cram the tv tuner/sound/network as close to the video card as I can, and I recently moved the whole system from a different case to its current case *desktop version* but the problem was even in the old case. But the only thing that did make it run stable was moving the Really hot maxtor out of it mount and let it run standing up which reduced heat on the Maxtor dx540 *5400 ata 100 the other 2 are 7200* The O/S is on the 5400 *Which this drive runs nice and cool or it did...* where as the storage are WD + Maxtor 7200.

I thought it was a heat issue, but I bought 1 fan cooler which only fit the Maxtor 7200 and put that in a swappable rack mount in 5.25 bay. *sry I ran out of metal brackets* Moved the WD over to where the 5400 was running, which was a bit cooler but 7200rpm drives run hot... Theres no room for another fan cooler.. My last options is to move both drives back and try a 60MM and strip tie it to the case..

I know what you are talking about, because I've seen a card die from results like this, but that involved windows locking up constantly. I have seen 2d/3d failures on Ati 9800pro.

But Like I said it works pretty good in clone just got to get rid of this freezing.
Now it runs smooth on the 15" monitor but has trouble running single on the
svideo out *as in PVR kind of stutters.*.. Not only that but tv's intend to blur small text when in windows doing stuff...

Another thing it might be is that it stuck in 2x Agp Mode instead of 4x. so I might have a bottleneck. I can't get it out of this mode because the bios just won't let me, even tho the option 4x is enabled..
but yeah I'll try that driver thing..

Edit:
P.S its random on the freezing I could watch deal or no deal til the last 10mins then boom freeze.. Restart 5mins later freeze, Restart again, finished, watched Dirty Jobs then boom 26mins into the show.. Yeah which is funny because last night I watched SS DoomTrooper *2hrs long* no problem..

[normanr]

If it's totally random, then it's very unlikely to be encoder/decoder matching, or anything recording software related. Pity there's no GPU usage monitor you can use. Does your CPU do hyperthreading or anything like that? Might be worth trying to disable it.

[Mad Professor]

If it's totally random, then it's very unlikely to be encoder/decoder matching, or anything recording software related. Pity there's no GPU usage monitor you can use. Does your CPU do hyperthreading or anything like that? Might be worth trying to disable it.

Wait what modern board has 2x AGP bus? NONE! I have a P3 "PENTIUM III" Board that has an AGP 2/4x, I doubt it has hyperthreading LOL.. *stuck in 2x*

Now I found my old 56.72 from my collection I downgraded, havn't had any freezing yet.. But I did try dual view again, its a slide show now on live tv... So I can confirm either it needs the 4x bus or GB-pvr is doing it..

Since this is a small problem doesn't bother me much, I got a bit of tearing when it comes to fast pace frames.. My tv is stuck to 60HZ and my pc monitor at 85hz... but I don't know if I can do anything for the tearing... But I got bigger fish to fry...