I just got done putting together a Zotac ION (Single Core Atom) with Ubuntu and XBMC. This was to replace a DSM-520.
The media server is another PC running Fedora 11 with Twonky.
When I play a ripped DVD (4-5GB vob file), the video starts ok. It then hits patches (seemingly random) where it is garbled. The it resyncs and everything is OK. The audio and video are still in sync.
Setup :
Zotac ION Atom Single Core with Nvidia 9400.
Latest Nvidia drivers
Jaunty Ubuntu
xbmc from repo.
2 GB memory (1 stick)
FSB 533 (have not bumped it up to 667)
XBMC resolution 1080i
VDPAU enabled.
These same files worked fine with the DSM-520.
Have tried several vobs and all the same.
Any help in this would be appreciated. I am no stranger to Linux, but am new to this xbmc stuff.
Marc
Update :
I was playing some MP3 and saw the same behavior. So maybe this is not limited to the video but I have a system setting not correct?
My TV is a 52" rear projection Sony model.
I am using the HDMI to connect the XBMC to the TV.
I did notice when I turned on debug the system showed two CPUs (I thought I had a single core Atom) and one cpu was at like 80+% and the opther 20-30%. For a total of 100+%.
I went looking for a log file on the machine, via ssh but could not find one.
Marc
I have done some more fiddling..
If I set the Sony display to it's max and have XBMC set to 1080i when I play a video
the CPU usage is pushing 100% on one and 20-40% on the other.
If I drop down XBMC to 720p then run a video the CPU usage is in the 10-20 for each CPU. (I also do not see any problems.)
Problem is how can I get the NVIDIA to set the display so XBMC is full screen at 720p?
It is currently in a window with part of the window off screen (upper left).
I have tried to set the display to 1280x720 but whne I reboot it goes back to auto and the 1980x1040(?) setting.
Any suggestions on how to get the display to play nice...
Marc
After much twiddling, etc...
Looks like my problem maybe in ubuntu. When I was trying to save the configuration from nvidia-settings to xorg.conf it could not do this. I think this is do to not running the util under sudo.
I hate Ubuntu for this... It is so much like Vista.. :-(
Any suggestions at to which one of the video options I should choose.
I want to get as close to 720p as possible.
I changed the resolution to 1280x720 and the video playback is a lot better. Still get some garbage at times, but not as often as at the higher rate.
Marc
ssh into the box and changed the permissions on /etc/X11 and xorg.conf so the nvidia tools could write to them.
I can now save my setup.
When I went into xorg.conf though to see what modelines it put into it it does not have any.
xorg.conf after nvidia setup
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder63) Fri Aug 14 17:54:58 PDT 2009
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection
Section "Files"
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "SONY AVAMP"
HorizSync 15.0 - 46.0
VertRefresh 59.0 - 61.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "ION"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "nvidia-auto-select +0+0; 800x600 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "1280x720 +0+0; 800x600 +0+0"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "720x480 +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Just realized... SONY AVAMP is the Audio Visual AMP I have between the TV and the XBMC box.
So it is picking up the settings from the AVAMP and not the TV. I am going to try direct to the TV and see if the video works better.
Hooked it up to the TV direct and while I did not play the whole movie the part I did played w/o a problem. I hooked back up the AV recv and back to problems once again.
Anybody ahve any suggestions on this.. I am at the end of my rope about what todo...
Seems the AV recv is causing sync issues?
New xorg.conf saved from TV hookup
# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder63) Fri Aug 14 17:55:55 PDT 2009
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder63) Fri Aug 14 17:54:58 PDT 2009
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection
Section "Files"
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "SONY TV"
HorizSync 15.0 - 46.0
VertRefresh 59.0 - 61.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "ION"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "nvidia-auto-select +0+0; 800x600 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "1280x720 +0+0; 800x600 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "720x480 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "1280x720 +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Do you think XBMC for windows might be better for this than the ubuntu version?
Or would another distro other than Ubuntu (I have always used Fedora) be better?
It seems to me this is a matter of getting the video settings "right".
Marc