USB UIRT - Slow/Intermittent response

[DynamoBen]

This proble just recently creeped up. For years when you FF through a show every remote button hit would respond within sage. Recently you have to hit FF, REW, or SKIP multiple times before sage does anything. Menu response is just fine it only occurs when watching a show.

Checked CPU usage, its not that. Increased ram from 256 to 512, its not that. Tested and replace remote batteries, its not that. Removed any porgrams that run in the background or as a service, its not that.

The only thing that really has been done is I update the 9200SE drivers.

System:
XP Pro
512M ram
1.9G Processor
Radeon 9200SE
Latest version of sage
Currently USB-UIRT drivers

I'm at a loss for things to try. Thoughts?

[DynamoBen]

Well looks like the problem has surfaced after a few days under the beta release.

Any thoughts?

[ToxMox]

I'd be curious to see what would happen if you tried a different video decoder or switch from VMR9 to Overlay or vice versa.

[Kanati]

I know this will sound stupid... but adjust the location of the remote sensor? I have a USBUIRT and a streamzap remote sensor as well... My streamzap sensor is a bit finicky and if it's turned juuuuust right it won't pick up the remote all the time. But if it's in the correct position I can be pretty lackidaisical with the remote and it'll still pick up every signal. Just a possibility... (also clean the eye on the sensor maybe?)

[DynamoBen]

All good suggestions. I have tried each of them. Its just the strangest thing. The problem gets worse over time.

It looks a lot like the CPU is running at 100% and is only processing every 3rd request. However thats not the case. I'm just not sure what to make of it. Like I said its only during playback.

What makes this stranger is that it did occur yesterday in the beta version, for most of the day. Late that night the problem had gone away again.

The sagemon + LCD setup I have just makes the issue worse. I have since uninstalled LCDSmartie but not sagemon.

I guess it could be sagemon but that seems a bit odd. Thoughts?

[ToxMox]

Maybe try a different USB port or update the USB chipset drivers.

[Kanati]

And if it's a usb 1.1 system, do you have any other usb devices that might be sucking all of the bandwidth? USB1.1 doesn't have a lot to play with I don't think.

[DynamoBen]

I've tried different ports to no avail. I will try the usb driver update.

As far as USB devices I have a UPS, and compact flash reader. I have had those both for some time and never had this problem.

This is just the oddest thing. Now I'm trying to think of a way to find the problem.

[DynamoBen]

Still no luck problem is getting worse. I have contacted Sage via the support email and USB-UIRT. Any other help is welcome at this point.

Below is a full explanation of what is happening:

For the last month or two, I have been having trouble with SageTV and the USB-UIRT. When I'm playing a recorded file the USB-UIRT is really slow to respond. I.E. I can hit FF numerous times in a row and nothing occurs. However if I play a DVD, mp3, or navigate menus everything functions normally.

I have checked CPU usage at this is nothing abnormal. The CPU usage for a DVD and recorded file is the same. I have tried updating all drivers and the USB-UIRT driver. That did not seem to make a difference. I have tried updating to the beta release to no avail. I have even downgraded my java version to 1.4.x. I have even gone as far as uninstalling and deleting the sage directory and reinstalling and that did not help.

I am really at my wits end. I have no programs running on the PC besides sage.

Another odd thing is that during the mid day it seems to function fine. However, during the early to mid evening that’s when the problem occurs. I have disabled windows update and do not have any virus programs running on the machine.

At this point, the only option I have left is to format the drive and start over which is not viable.

What are some things that I can try to get this working?

[DynamoBen]

After working with Jon (USB-UIRT creator) via email we have remedied the problem.

Turns out the 5V rail in the PC was becoming noisy as I was watching files. This noisiness was affecting the receiver and altering the incoming codes.

A powered hub inline with the usb-uirt corrected the issue permanently.

Thanks Jon!!

[Fluffdaddy]

D@mn who would have thunk it

[sundansx]

What is a "powered up inline" ?

Something that someone could try if they have this problem is to hook the USB-UIRT dongle up to a POWERED USB hub. The powersupply from the USB hub would then be powering the USB-UIRT and the motherboard usb power (on the connector) would not be loaded.

Could you tell us what motherboard and power supply you are using?
-ck

[DynamoBen]

What I ment was that I used a powered USB hub that allowed external power to travel to the device. It physically disconneted power from the PC's USB buss.