HD Extender locks up on occasion?

[Ken C]

My HD100 locks up while watching normal recorded shows. Sure hope a fix is forthcoming.

Of course, it could be a subtle hint for me to get some exercise. Gotta get up from the recliner, trudge ALL the way over to the box, flip the switch off then on, and then ALL the way back to the recliner ... whew ... lots of work !!

[carlgar]

I am pretty sure that if you wait 3-4 minutes, you will be able to use the remote to turn the unit off and back on.
I have told support that I now think it is two different issues. The first problem is a 3-4 minute internal loop that make the HD extender non-responsive. That loop causes the server to terminate the connection with the HD extender. The second issue is this loss of connection to the server requires a power off and back on to get going again. You can see this second issue by disconnection of the ethernet cable for about 30 seconds while playing a video. When you upplug the cable just wait till the video stops.

[Ken C]

Carl,

Well, this is good news. At least the techs have something to look at. Can you keep us posted as to progress ?

[Narflex]

Originally Posted by toricred

I have 2 of the HD100s and I've been very lucky to have almost no lockups so far. When I installed the beta firmware, I started getting lockups at the same point in a file every time I tried to play it. This happened with several recordings so I just went back to the production firmware (0204) and it works fine on the same files.

If you have files that cause reproducible lockups on the extender (especially if they worked before, but are broken now), please file a bug report at:

http://sagetv.com/bugs.html

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by toricred

I have 2 of the HD100s and I've been very lucky to have almost no lockups so far. When I installed the beta firmware, I started getting lockups at the same point in a file every time I tried to play it. This happened with several recordings so I just went back to the production firmware (0204) and it works fine on the same files.

I get the lockups very rarely. I had almost forgot about them a few weeks ago. I'm semi-laid up with an injury so I've been watching a LOT of stuff I'd recorded over the last several months (old series like Quantum Leap, etc).

I hadn't seen a lockup in weeks, and then the machine in the living room locked up. I had to power down/up to get it back, the remote wasn't responsive (sometimes you can just turn it off/on via remote).

A few hours later I was watching the unit in the bedroom and it locked up requiring a power off/on. Strange that I'd gone weeks without a lockup on either HD Extender and then they both lockup within hours of each other.

It's been a couple weeks since and no lockups on either since then.

[hemicuda]

Mine turned off on its own last night while the wife was watching 1 of her HD shows. Powered it back on and everything seemed fine. Started the show back and you'd have thought it was a youtube/google video feed (no audio). In addition it didn't remember where she had watched to; started at the beginning. Turned it off and on again w/ the remote and cleared up the picture.

[david1234]

Had my first lockup while actually watching a recording last night...

What I've seen is that system info on the extender would work it's way up (over about 5 days) to 533/533/533 in heap size, and then it would just not connect (stuck in the Sagetv is starting up screen) to the server the next time I turned it on. I could connect to the service from the local client and it would show low heap size, but the extender would continue to show large sizes. Once the extender starts to show the heap size maxed out, I have about 2 days before it stops connecting. It really looks more like a network problem, but I can't see anything wrong with the server machine. I think I may actually be seeing the Vista tcp bug.

The only way to then fix the problem and get the extender to connect again is to reboot the server, power off the extender and then start everything up again.

I'm still a bit behind on Sagetv (6.3.5) and Java(1.6.03 - release 5 is available now) versions, but didn't want to update them until I'd exhausted all my Vista as the culprit first.

[carlgar]

Originally Posted by david1234

It really looks more like a network problem, but I can't see anything wrong with the server machine. I think I may actually be seeing the Vista tcp bug.

The only way to then fix the problem and get the extender to connect again is to reboot the server, power off the extender and then start everything up again.

The Vista tcp bug is a red herring unless you have not updated to SP1. It is a RESULT of the HD extender not responding. It is not the CAUSE of the HD extender issue. I have looked at server wireshark captures of the issue. I had to spend a lot of time to convince support that it was not a network issue.

A reboot of the server should not be needed. This may be a different issue that you have. Using the remote to power off and back on is the preferred method to recover. You may have to wait 3-4 minutes for the remote to be responsive again. If you are impatient then the power switch is the fast way of restarting the HD extender.

[david1234]

Originally Posted by carlgar

The Vista tcp bug is a red herring unless you have not updated to SP1. It is a RESULT of the HD extender not responding. It is not the CAUSE of the HD extender issue. I have looked at server wireshark captures of the issue. I had to spend a lot of time to convince support that it was not a network issue.

I haven't updated to sp1 yet. It's on my list. I've only done the updates that have shown up in Windows Update.

Originally Posted by carlgar

A reboot of the server should not be needed. This may be a different issue that you have. Using the remote to power off and back on is the preferred method to recover. You may have to wait 3-4 minutes for the remote to be responsive again. If you are impatient then the power switch is the fast way of restarting the HD extender.

I've tried cycling power just with the remote, and it hangs on the startup screen. Nothing I seem to do short of a hard reboot of the server and the extender seems to get it past this point. I've tried stopping and starting the SageTvService, but the extender just can't connect until I reboot everything.

The strange thing, and what makes me a bit concerned that I'm really seeing something very different, is that I've never seen anyone mention heap file usage similar to what I see. On the client I see the low numbers, but on the extender they just go up and up. What do these numbers really represent? I had assumed that it was heap usage by the SagetvService, but I started up the client on the server and it said 50/75/533 while the extender was reporting 533/533/533!

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by david1234

The strange thing, and what makes me a bit concerned that I'm really seeing something very different, is that I've never seen anyone mention heap file usage similar to what I see. On the client I see the low numbers, but on the extender they just go up and up. What do these numbers really represent? I had assumed that it was heap usage by the SagetvService, but I started up the client on the server and it said 50/75/533 while the extender was reporting 533/533/533!

How large is your media library? I had to raise my heap size above the default because with my 8000 song music library I was hitting the limit and was getting slowdowns at the time on my MVP and Placeshifter. If you have an extremely large amount of media in your library that could explain the large heap usage and could be causing problems for your playback.

How quickly does your Sage server reach the limit? What are your heap values just after you've restarted your server?

If you do have an extremely large media library you may need to increase the heap size even further.

[carlgar]

I suspect you are at SP1 or I would have expected you to have a lot of network issues. The MVP was very sensitive to the Vista TCP stack issue. I don't know if the HD extender had any issues pre SP1. Go to control panel->system and see if it shows service Pack 1. Does your HD extender use a static IP or obtain one from DHCP?

The server reboot issue sounds like it is a DHCP issue or maybe this issue http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...68&postcount=1. I believe the cause is still unknown but you probably should try to get a log and let support know.
I don't use SagetvService but I checked my sizes and the server shows 181/200/200 and the HD extender shows 170/200/200.

[david1234]

How quickly does your Sage server reach the limit? What are your heap values just after you've restarted your server?

If you do have an extremely large media library you may need to increase the heap size even further.

The funny thing is, I'm not sure what the server is actually doing anymore. Using the client on the server itself, the heap is using 100-200MB, but on the extender, it takes about a week, and it shows it using the entire 533MB.

The library isn't that big, maybe 100 cds and a couple of DVDs ripped.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by david1234

The funny thing is, I'm not sure what the server is actually doing anymore. Using the client on the server itself, the heap is using 100-200MB, but on the extender, it takes about a week, and it shows it using the entire 533MB.

The library isn't that big, maybe 100 cds and a couple of DVDs ripped.

The extender and Placeshifter show the usage of the server. Any SageTV Client will show it's own usage.

That's odd that it would be using so much if you only have that much in your library. Just as an example mine is currently reading 190MB/226MB/533MB. That's with 8236 songs and 386 videos. That along with 241 recordings. I don't believe I've ever seen it get above 300MB. I'm running my server on XP Pro.

[simonen]

I was having daily lockups until I upgraded to 6.4.2 beta and the beta firmware. So I guess it has been almost a week or so since that upgrade and not one lockup since then. I am not sure if this will work for others, but it has seemed to solve my problem so far.

[mattkr]

My daily lockups have also gone away with the install of the 6.4.2 beta and the beta firmware. Yay

Of course now at the end of a show when I click the delete button the screen goes black and I have to hit the home button to see the UI again. Much better than a lockupo but if it's not one thing it's another

[david1234]

Originally Posted by carlgar

I suspect you are at SP1 or I would have expected you to have a lot of network issues.

Definitely not up to SP1 yet- I'm working from home today, and working through all the prerequisites to get it to show up in Windows Update.

[Opus4]

david1234: if you get the memory usage issue in the SageTV v6.4 beta, while using the default STV without any plugins, please file a bug report. The beta period would be a good time to check that out, while more updates/betas are still on the way.

- Andy

[david1234]

I'm still at 6.3.5, but I just installed vista sp1 this morning, so I'm going to wait and see how stable everything is before making any more changes. I can't play around too much until American idol finishes next week or my wife will kill me

One thing I did notice right away with the move to sp1- when I hit play on a recording there is almost no pause now before playback starts. Before it would just sit there with a black screen for a couple seconds.

[Ken C]

Knock on wood !! No lockups for over a week !

Updated to the latest version of Java, 1.6.0_06, and, so far, all has worked flawlessly. No other changes. Does this make any sense ?

[simonen]

Now that I have upgraded to the latest firmware and beta software 6.4.3. My lockups are back.

It is now happening 4 times a day. I am don't know if they are lockups or not, but I get a black screen with sound. I can stop whatever is playing, but the UI does not come back. I simply get a black screen and have to toggle the power switch on the back of the unit to get everything back to normal.