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Try this to see how fast your drive is:

root > hdparm -t /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 3.59 seconds = 17.83 MB/sec
root > hdparm -T /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 0.23 seconds =556.52 MB/sec


Peter wrote:

>Is anyone running smooth LiveTV on the via M-9000 board?
>
>My board seems to be to slow... or the HD is to slow. I have read that there
>is a kernel Patch for speed up IDE things, but i can't see any
>improvements...
>
>Suggestions what i can do?
>
>Thanks Peter
>
>_______________________________________________
>mythtv-users mailing list
>mythtv-users@snowman.net
>http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
>
>

this are the test with the 2.4.18 kernel (Debian)

Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 10.89 seconds = 5.88 MB/sec
Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 1.71 seconds = 74.85 MB/sec

I have loaded the 2.4.20 Kernel, there the MB/sec 3times faster... but i
think this would be better when i get running the 2.5dev Kernel.(it compiles
perfect, but when i start it displays nothing, but i thing the kernel
started, because of fsck checks next boot time) On the Via site they sad
that there is a bug in the IDE driver and all seems to be fixed in the 2.5
Kernel.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Barry Davis" <bdavis@elipsan.com>
To: "Discussion about mythtv" <mythtv-users@snowman.net>
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2003 9:57 AM
Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] LiveTV with via M-9000 board


> Try this to see how fast your drive is:
>
> root > hdparm -t /dev/hda
>
> /dev/hda:
> Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 3.59 seconds = 17.83 MB/sec
> root > hdparm -T /dev/hda
>
> /dev/hda:
> Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 0.23 seconds =556.52 MB/sec
>
>
> Peter wrote:
>
> >Is anyone running smooth LiveTV on the via M-9000 board?
> >
> >My board seems to be to slow... or the HD is to slow. I have read that
there
> >is a kernel Patch for speed up IDE things, but i can't see any
> >improvements...
> >
> >Suggestions what i can do?
> >
> >Thanks Peter
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >mythtv-users mailing list
> >mythtv-users@snowman.net
> >http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users@snowman.net
> http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>

Peter,

sorry that I didn't answer on this earlier. I have a M9000 that I do live tv
with. But I'm only able to get RTJPEG at 320 x 240 running well enough to
consider it usable. Even that is a stretch. If I look at the top summary when
it's running I only have about 5 - 8 % free cpu cycles. (I'm using an ATI TV
Wonder VE, so everything is being done in software.) Some have suggested that if
I drop Gnome for a lighter weight window manager I may get another 10 % from the
cpu. That might make it possible to move up a little, but my real hope lies with
the EPIA M10000 instead. (And a PVR-250 card eventually.)

...Kevin

> Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 10:56:17 +0200
> From: "Peter" <l-case@gmx.net>
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] LiveTV with via M-9000 board
>
> this are the test with the 2.4.18 kernel (Debian)
>
> Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 10.89 seconds = 5.88 MB/sec
> Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 1.71 seconds = 74.85 MB/sec


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I doubt its down to the drivers - its probably more likley the need for
different hdparm options.
Have a look at the settings for 32/16bit mode access and the udma settings.

Tos display your settings:
hdparm -cd /dev/hda

To change the settings:
hdparm -c 1 /dev/hda # 32bit mode
hdparm -c 0 /dev/hda # 16bit mode
hdparm -d 1 /dev/hda # udma off
hdparm -d 0 /dev/hda # udma on

I'm running 2.4.18 suse8.0.
Heres the results from my disk with the 4 possible combinations:

---------------------------
> hdparm -cd /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
I/O support = 0 (default 16-bit)
using_dma = 0 (off)

> hdparm -tT /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 0.23 seconds =556.52 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 19.64 seconds = 3.26 MB/sec
----------------------------
> hdparm -cd /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
I/O support = 1 (32-bit)
using_dma = 0 (off)

> hdparm -tT /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 0.23 seconds =556.52 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 10.52 seconds = 6.08 MB/sec
-------------------------------
> hdparm -cd /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
I/O support = 0 (default 16-bit)
using_dma = 1 (on)

> hdparm -tT /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 0.23 seconds =556.52 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 2.63 seconds = 24.33 MB/sec
---------------
> hdparm -cd /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
I/O support = 1 (32-bit)
using_dma = 1 (on)

> hdparm -tT /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 0.23 seconds =556.52 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 2.49 seconds = 25.70 MB/sec
-----------------------------

My cached reads might be a bit higher than yours because I'm running on
a p4xeon workstation.

If you can get better results by playing with these options then try
mythtv again. You could always try using a ramdisk for storage as well,
just to make sure its not the disk thats the problem. Most people have
been saying you only need 0.5MB/s access speed.


Peter wrote:

>this are the test with the 2.4.18 kernel (Debian)
>
>Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 10.89 seconds = 5.88 MB/sec
>Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 1.71 seconds = 74.85 MB/sec
>
>I have loaded the 2.4.20 Kernel, there the MB/sec 3times faster... but i
>think this would be better when i get running the 2.5dev Kernel.(it compiles
>perfect, but when i start it displays nothing, but i thing the kernel
>started, because of fsck checks next boot time) On the Via site they sad
>that there is a bug in the IDE driver and all seems to be fixed in the 2.5
>Kernel.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Barry Davis" <bdavis@elipsan.com>
>To: "Discussion about mythtv" <mythtv-users@snowman.net>
>Sent: Friday, May 23, 2003 9:57 AM
>Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] LiveTV with via M-9000 board
>
>
>
>
>>Try this to see how fast your drive is:
>>
>>root > hdparm -t /dev/hda
>>
>>/dev/hda:
>> Timing buffered disk reads: 64 MB in 3.59 seconds = 17.83 MB/sec
>>root > hdparm -T /dev/hda
>>
>>/dev/hda:
>> Timing buffer-cache reads: 128 MB in 0.23 seconds =556.52 MB/sec
>>
>>
>>Peter wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Is anyone running smooth LiveTV on the via M-9000 board?
>>>
>>>My board seems to be to slow... or the HD is to slow. I have read that
>>>
>>>
>there
>
>
>>>is a kernel Patch for speed up IDE things, but i can't see any
>>>improvements...
>>>
>>>Suggestions what i can do?
>>>
>>>Thanks Peter
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>mythtv-users mailing list
>>>mythtv-users@snowman.net
>>>http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>mythtv-users mailing list
>>mythtv-users@snowman.net
>>http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>
>>
>>
>
>_______________________________________________
>mythtv-users mailing list
>mythtv-users@snowman.net
>http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
>
>