100% CPU usage while using Sage TV

[arnabbiswas]

I am a Sage TV Noob and I am trying to use Sage TV 5.4.0.4. Sage TV always uses 100% CPU whenever I launch the application.

Here are my system specs:

AMD 3000 64 bit running Windows XP SP2
MSI K8NGM2 motherboard
USB-UIRT for receiving and transmitting IR rays (to change channels on STB)
Gyration wireless keyboard and mouse.

I understand that this is pretty generic information and I wanted to provide more specific information that would help in troubleshooting. Could you please advise as to what more information I can provide?

[jquinlan]

Originally Posted by arnabbiswas

Sage TV always uses 100% CPU whenever I launch the application.

Part of this is normal when the main service is starting. My system will run about 100% for about 1 to 2 minutes and then it will drop down to zero when starting. I run my guide and favorites look-ahead at 2 weeks, so I anticipate this when I need to restart my system.

My system runs as a service, dedicated server, and I used 3 wired MVP's for my TV's.

Your system my be pulling it first TV guide data so it may take longer. Based on your CPU it should not run that high for more then 10 minutes. This is my best guess.

[bcjenkins]

what tuner are you using? video card? decoder?

[arnabbiswas]

Originally Posted by jquinlan

Part of this is normal when the main service is starting. My system will run about 100% for about 1 to 2 minutes and then it will drop down to zero when starting. I run my guide and favorites look-ahead at 2 weeks, so I anticipate this when I need to restart my system.

Your system my be pulling it first TV guide data so it may take longer. Based on your CPU it should not run that high for more then 10 minutes. This is my best guess.

Actually I get the 100% CPU for as long as Sage is up and not during the first few minutes. I left Sage up for a lot longer than 10 minutes and I got 100% CPU throughout that time.

[arnabbiswas]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

what tuner are you using? video card? decoder?

Sorry, I should have mentioned this earlier.

I am using the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-500 and I have 2 sources defined on this card (this is a dual tuner card). The first source is a coax connection from my wall outlet with channel changes done by the card's internal tuner. The second source is composite in from my cabe set top box with channel changes done by USB-UIRT.

I am using the on-board video on my motherboard which is the Nvidia GeForce 6150.

The MPEG2 decoder is the one that came with WinTV 500 tuner card.

Also, when I try to watch Live TV through this setup or view a recording the video comes out fine. The PVR functionality in general works OK except for the fact that my CPU is consistently at 100%.

[arnabbiswas]

Also, I dont know if this matters but I have 2 JRE's running on my system - JRE 1.4.2 and JRE 6.0. I dont really need both of them and I could remove one of them to see if it helps.

[bcjenkins]

So.. try the sagetv decoder, or download the trial for nvidia's purevideo. Also, unless you need the older java, I find that the 1.6 is much faster.

here's my pertinent info for comparison.

Java 1.6
2 PVR-500
1 Fusion 5 Lite
1 Fusion 5 Gold RT
P4 2.8 HT proc
2.75GB RAM
Windows Server 2003 (Although had been running XP Pro too)

Is there anything else running on the PC?

B

[Opus4]

Do you have media you are importing? If may be having problems with at least one of the files it is trying to read for import. You can enable debug logging to see if the log contains any info about a problem.

- Andy

[BobPhoenix]

NOTE I have a support request into SageTV for this but here is what I've done to trouble shoot this same problem.

USB-UIRT when used with SERVICE mode as both a transmit and receive (GUI) causes 100% CPU for me. Never noticed it before because I was using Firewire to change channels on my Moto6412 (Can't now because cable company disabled it on a software update - easier to change than fight stupid CSR's).

Tested:

1. Changed to just GUI mode - CPU usage normal.
2. Installed client and connected to another server but SERVICE mode still running - CPU usage normal
3. Installed placeshifter and connected to SERVICE mode on same computer - CPU usage normal
4. Client or placeshifter connected from another computer - CPU usage normal on both machines
5. Using Service mode and GUI on same computer with USB-UIRT - CPU usage of SERVICE mode is 100% GUI 0-5% menus/playback sluggish/stuttering.

My conclusion is that at least with my system anyway there is a problem. I currently am using the USB-UIRT as the blaster with SERVICE mode and the Fusion remote and receiver with HIP for the GUI - no problems with CPU usage. Am going to try HIP and the USB-UIRT later this week when I have time. Also this was with a previously working system and a fresh install of WinXPMCE (several times this weekend). And all software and drivers using both original version and the lasted official updates as well as all Windows updates.

System specs:
DFI Lanparty NFII Ultra B 3200+ AthlonXP 1GB
2 500GB PATA recording drives using UNC shares
1 60GB PATA OS drive.
PVR-250MCE
Fusion 5 HDTV Gold
NEC 2510 DVD-RW
nVidia GeForce 6600 vid card
Wired keyboard and mouse.

BobP.

My suggestion arnabbiswas - if you are using Service mode is to switch to GUI only or get a blaster separate from the receiver until this bug is fixed.

[mickp]

I've found that if I attempt to run the sage service as system (default) the services works fine but when I launch the gui it runs at 100%. From memory the debug log showed constant awt thread hangs.

For me, changing the service config so that it runs as the local admin account fixes the problem.

I also have an USB UIRT but had not made a connection with the high cpu problem. I'll try to check it out this afternoon.

Mick.

[arnabbiswas]

Originally Posted by BobPhoenix

NOTE I have a support request into SageTV for this but here is what I've done to trouble shoot this same problem.

USB-UIRT when used with SERVICE mode as both a transmit and receive (GUI) causes 100% CPU for me. Never noticed it before because I was using Firewire to change channels on my Moto6412 (Can't now because cable company disabled it on a software update - easier to change than fight stupid CSR's).

Tested:

1. Changed to just GUI mode - CPU usage normal.
2. Installed client and connected to another server but SERVICE mode still running - CPU usage normal
3. Installed placeshifter and connected to SERVICE mode on same computer - CPU usage normal
4. Client or placeshifter connected from another computer - CPU usage normal on both machines
5. Using Service mode and GUI on same computer with USB-UIRT - CPU usage of SERVICE mode is 100% GUI 0-5% menus/playback sluggish/stuttering.

My conclusion is that at least with my system anyway there is a problem. I currently am using the USB-UIRT as the blaster with SERVICE mode and the Fusion remote and receiver with HIP for the GUI - no problems with CPU usage. Am going to try HIP and the USB-UIRT later this week when I have time. Also this was with a previously working system and a fresh install of WinXPMCE (several times this weekend). And all software and drivers using both original version and the lasted official updates as well as all Windows updates.

System specs:
DFI Lanparty NFII Ultra B 3200+ AthlonXP 1GB
2 500GB PATA recording drives using UNC shares
1 60GB PATA OS drive.
PVR-250MCE
Fusion 5 HDTV Gold
NEC 2510 DVD-RW
nVidia GeForce 6600 vid card
Wired keyboard and mouse.

BobP.

My suggestion arnabbiswas - if you are using Service mode is to switch to GUI only or get a blaster separate from the receiver until this bug is fixed.

This actually sounds familiar since earlier I had a similar issue while using another pvr software - GBPVR. With GBPVR, I would get a consistent 100% cpu when I used USB-UIRT for both transmitting and receiving but not when I used it for either one.

I will go home and disable the receive (or transmit) functionality from USB-UIRT in sage and see if this fixes the problem.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by mickp

I've found that if I attempt to run the sage service as system (default) the services works fine but when I launch the gui it runs at 100%. From memory the debug log showed constant awt thread hangs.

For me, changing the service config so that it runs as the local admin account fixes the problem.

I also have an USB UIRT but had not made a connection with the high cpu problem. I'll try to check it out this afternoon.

Mick.

I neglected to say that it uses a USERID and Password for the service account but since I mentioned UNC paths and they don't work with system account I didn't think to mention it.


And don't think I'm upset with SageTV other than this (and I can work arround it) I don't have any real problems. It just Torks me off that the cable company turned off the firewire port. They already have every channel except locals 5C'd and encrypted. Now I can't even use the firewire port to change channels. And the CSR tries to tell me "We don't just turn things off" - b#ll sh#t! It took me about a week of missed programming and reinstalling software on the server before I discovered it was turned off. Am switching to Satellite in a few weeks this was the final straw. I just wish a decent speed DSL was available in my area and I would drop them completely.

BobP.

[BobPhoenix]

With supports help I have found a solution (I hope it is temporary but I can live with it). I use separate UserId's on my Server. One for SageTV service mode app that has a password so that I can use UNC paths and the other regular login account without a password. For me when I use a USB-UIRT and this combination I got 100% CPU in the Service Mode application. Once I used the same Userid as the Service Mode I could then use the USB-UIRT as both a blaster with SageTVService and a receiver with the GUI mode app and CPU usage was normal. Also I found that I could use HIP and the Fusion receiver/remote with the GUI and the USB-UIRT with SageTVService without a problem.

Hope this helps someone else and maybe this problem can be fixed in a future release. I have let support know my solution and will be conducting any further testing they might want on this.

BobP.

Edit heard back from support that this is actually a driver problem with the USB-UIRT. But I found a solution that lets me have it work now with a small program install from here that I thought might interest some of you. What it allows you to do is run a small program that does the same thing as Microsoft's RunAS but you can create an encrypted file that contains the application info/userid/password and then you just setup a shortcut to run that. With a RunAs(Microsoft's command line version) I can still login with my normal account but run the GUI as the userid that I use for the Service mode app. This app(Runasspc) allows you to do the same as the Microsoft command line apps but it doesn't prompt you for a password since that is stored in the encrypted file. Have only used it for a short time but it appears to work well.