SageTV or Java or Windows lock up?

[broderp]

My SageTV box (Only used with SageTV) has a bad habbit of LOCKING UP every day, at least once a day.

The lock up ONLY occurs when the PC is idle. I can watch video's all day long, with no issues. If I go away, several hours later, usually while I'm at work, I come home to a BLACK screen.

Pressing the power button on the PC shuts if off and I can restart normally. (slow boot up!)

Pressing CTL+ALT+ DEL get me nowhere, at least no where I can see. Screen is still black)

I have the latest SAGETV software (purchaced, not demo), latest java updates (as far as I can tell) and latest drivers for all my hardware.

My PC:
*3Ghz Intel Pent III
*2GB mem
*ASUS MB
*Seagate 1TB HD
*on board audio (Realtek)
*Gigabyte 9600XT video (using DVI to HDMI)
*Hauppage anolog tuners (250 and 500 dual tuner)
*Windows Vista

I never had these issues until I updated SageTV.

I also had a Fan go bad on my old ATI Video card, I got the BSD on it once due to the CPU getting too hot.

The new video card is fine.

Can anyone help??

Does SAGE log any type of errors? Where in windows can I get this infor?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Oats]

A sleep issue maybe? You could try setting the PC to never sleep and see if that helps.

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by broderp

Does SAGE log any type of errors? Where in windows can I get this infor?

there's an faq on enabling debug logging for sage. Looking at those error logs are your best bet to find out what sage is doing...

The other thing to check would be the windows event viewer (one way to get there: Start -> Run -> eventvwr.msc ... i think its also under admin tools in control panel) and see if there is anything enlightening in there

[broderp]

Originally Posted by Oats

A sleep issue maybe? You could try setting the PC to never sleep and see if that helps.

Windows already is set to never turn off the display or never put the computer to sleep.

Check that off the list. Thanks for the suggestion. If there a separate control for hybernation?

[broderp]

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

there's an faq on enabling debug logging for sage. Looking at those error logs are your best bet to find out what sage is doing...

The other thing to check would be the windows event viewer (one way to get there: Start -> Run -> eventvwr.msc ... i think its also under admin tools in control panel) and see if there is anything enlightening in there

Looked at the event viewer, cant make heads or tails out of it. TONS of events, many seem linked to not finding a CDROM drive (I have none) or a timeout os SageTV application loading.

How do I clear the even viewer to just see any new items starting from today?

I'll enable logging in SageTV as soon as I complete my current recordings.

Thasks.

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by broderp

How do I clear the even viewer to just see any new items starting from today?

i think by default they're ordered by date/time... with the most recent at the top... if not you can definitely sort it that way. You can also right click on the event log (Application, System, etc) and clear it.

[broderp]

Update:

Here's what I know. Windows is set to NEVER sleep, NEVER hybernate.

Event viewer is way over my head to be honest, it means NOTHING to me.

I boot the PC (dedicated PC attached to Sony KDS series 60" LCD/ projection) and all is well. If I CHANGE inputs or turn the TV off or on, THATS when the "lock up" takes place. BUT, it is not really locked up at all.

I can log into my laptop and use SageTV place shifter to access SageTV 100%.

So it appears I am losing output to the TV or something.

This all happened after 3 events:

1. SageTV was upgraded to the latest rev as of this date.

2. My video card was crapping out (1300x), so I replaced the card with a similar ATI graphics card (9600XT). The current ATI drivers and software work perfectly. The 1300X's fan was not working, so the card was litterely locking up/ BSD.

3. I switched from component video, (via dongle on the 1399x ATI card that supported component out to a DVI out), to DVI to HDMI cable on the 9600XT card.

Does this tell anyone anything? Is there a way to keep a continual output via the video card or sage tv?

[rrhorer]

My guess (and I'm no expert) is that you have an HDMI/HDCP hanshake problem where the required connection cannot be re-established once broken (i.e., your TV or PC turns off). The following info is from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-ba...ent_Protection).

"The technology sometimes causes handshaking problems where devices cannot establish a connection, especially with older high-definition displays."

[razrsharpe]

ya that's my guess as well...

[broderp]

Originally Posted by rrhorer

My guess (and I'm no expert) is that you have an HDMI/HDCP hanshake problem where the required connection cannot be re-established once broken (i.e., your TV or PC turns off). The following info is from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-ba...ent_Protection).

"The technology sometimes causes handshaking problems where devices cannot establish a connection, especially with older high-definition displays."

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

ya that's my guess as well...

I think so too... Not sure how this started. ( I had the issue with component conections as well, but only recently, after updates to sage and windows.)

I will shut down SAGETV completely, and just have windows or a web page up and switch inputs and see if I lose the picture. If I do this and it maintains the picture, SAGETV has something to do with it. If I lose the picture, then I know its a windows or TV issue.

[OneOfMany]

I'm wondering if using a DVI/HDMI dongle on that old 9600XT is causing your problem. I don't believe that card truely supports HDMI protocols.

Grant