# Pixelation and stuttering, repeating video



## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

Hmmm Tivo has just begun to grumble.
Watching liveTV I noticed a bit of pixelation and then a loop.
Checked a couple of recent recordings and they have green bars shorter than the actual displayed length and they also stutter and loop.

Checking in TVlog I see entries I've not spotted before.

```
Mar 1 20:16:10 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:16:41 (none) last message repeated 277 times
Mar 1 20:17:02 (none) last message repeated 189 times
Mar 1 20:17:02 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Drift = -39 
Mar 1 20:17:02 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:17:33 (none) last message repeated 279 times
Mar 1 20:18:19 (none) last message repeated 423 times
Mar 1 20:18:42 (none) Recorder[151]: AllocateFiles for live cache
Mar 1 20:18:42 (none) Recorder[151]: Live cache size 1462272
Mar 1 20:18:42 (none) Recorder[151]: User recording 377809280 free 1572608 
Mar 1 20:18:42 (none) Recorder[151]: TivoClip total 10000000 free 9712256 
Mar 1 20:18:42 (none) Recorder[151]: Allocated stream Id 1281140, size 208896
Mar 1 20:18:42 (none) mediamgr[151]: AddLiveFile input#0
Mar 1 20:18:43 (none) Recorder[151]: Adding check schedule task
Mar 1 20:18:43 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:19:14 (none) last message repeated 277 times
Mar 1 20:19:59 (none) last message repeated 416 times
Mar 1 20:19:59 (none) TmkTransform::Trace[150]: ClipCache 0x300167a0 Secondary Reset
Mar 1 20:19:59 (none) ClipCache[147]: 0x300167a0 in Entry(), thread 147
Mar 1 20:20:00 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:20:31 (none) last message repeated 282 times
Mar 1 20:21:10 (none) last message repeated 355 times
Mar 1 20:21:10 (none) mediamgr[151]: RemoveWrittenLiveFile input#0
Mar 1 20:21:10 (none) MultiMpegCache[151]: Delete stream 1281131(inx = 0, read = 7, write =7) totalCount 8
Mar 1 20:21:10 (none) Recorder[151]: Free live cache chunk: 1281131
Mar 1 20:21:10 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:21:10 (none) Recorder[151]: Adding check schedule task
Mar 1 20:21:10 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:21:41 (none) last message repeated 278 times
Mar 1 20:22:07 (none) last message repeated 236 times
Mar 1 20:22:07 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: CHECK_VIDEO_LOCK took too long: 45
Mar 1 20:22:07 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:22:07 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:22:07 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: CHECK_VIDEO_LOCK took too long: 43
Mar 1 20:22:07 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
```
And

```
Mar 1 20:36:52 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:36:52 (none) DbGc[135]: DbGc::StoreCompletionInDb: 15034/74212 (0x00000000)
Mar 1 20:36:52 (none) DbGc[135]: DbGc::Mark succeeded, sweep soon
Mar 1 20:36:52 (none) DbGcBaseAction[135]: Background->SetTimeout( 0 )
Mar 1 20:36:52 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: Lost VBI lock
Mar 1 20:36:30 (none) last message repeated 6 times
Mar 1 20:36:53 (none) convertPrefs[154]: Reassociating person perfselements in directory /Preference/a/7
Mar 1 20:36:53 (none) convertPrefs[154]: Reassociating person perfselements in directory /Preference/a/8
Mar 1 20:36:53 (none) convertPrefs[154]: Reassociating person perfselements in directory /Preference/a/9
Mar 1 20:36:53 (none) convertPrefs[154]: Reassociating person perfselements in directory /Preference/a/10
Mar 1 20:36:53 (none) convertPrefs[154]: Reassociating person perfselements in directory /Preference/a/11
Mar 1 20:36:53 (none) convertPrefs[154]: Reassociating person perfselements in directory /Preference/a/12
Mar 1 20:36:53 (none) convertPrefs[154]: Reassociating person perfselements in directory /Preference/a/13
Mar 1 20:37:07 (none) last message repeated 138 times
Mar 1 20:37:07 (none) TvDbUtil[153]: LogRecordings3: Begin (202): 389271552, 379271552, 376236672, 3034880, 376236672, 669350, 4496
Mar 1 20:37:07 (none) TvDbUtil[153]: LogRecordings3: 160581, 699008, 960, 5825, 0x4, 0x3, 0x1
Mar 1 20:37:07 (none) TvDbUtil[153]: LogRecordings3: 162706, 1359872, 1984, 5483, 0x4, 0xb, 0x1
Mar 1 20:37:07 (none) TvDbUtil[153]: LogRecordings3: 159958, 737280, 960, 6144, 0x4, 0x9, 0x1
Mar 1 20:37:07 (none) TvDbUtil[153]: LogRecordings3: 166011, 688128, 960, 5734, 0x4, 0x9, 0x1
```
TVerr shows

```
Mar 1 19:59:58 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: BOGUS AUDIO LENGTH: 97632
Mar 1 19:59:58 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: BOGUS EVENT LENGTH: 612333 SID:0xe0
Mar 1 20:01:14 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: BOGUS AUDIO LENGTH: 48384
Mar 1 20:03:13 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: BOGUS EVENT LENGTH: 652583 SID:0xe0
Mar 1 20:03:13 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: BOGUS AUDIO LENGTH: 32832
Mar 1 20:05:18 (none) TmkMediaswitch::Trace[150]: BOGUS AUDIO LENGTH: 18144
Mar 1 20:28:24 (none) MediaManagerGuts[155]: 0x00040001 at line 2119(mmguts.C) 
Mar 1 20:28:24 (none) MediaManagerGuts[155]: 0x00040001 at line 1720(mmguts.C) 
Mar 1 20:28:24 (none) TvVideoLoopsetProxy::LeadIn[155]: PlayLoopset failed with Status(0x40001)
Mar 1 20:52:47 (none) Recorder[151]: CheckSchedule took 17248 milliseconds
```
Again not seen that before.

This morning's dailymail shows no SMART errors.

I'd like to keep Tivo running until the end but I'm not going to replace the drive this late in the day.

I've rebooted Tivo and the Freeview box but not sure if it's changed anything

Any suggestions?


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## spitfires (Dec 19, 2006)

Have you tried running mfscheck to check the file system?

.


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

```
bash-2.02# mfscheck
EventSwitcher stopped


mfscheck scan begins
Checking reference counts
All reference counts are OK.
mfscheck scan ends
mfscheck: 0 fatal errors, 0 severe errors, 0 warnings.

You must manually restart the EventSwitcher
bash-2.02#
```
Nothing apparent - I'm rebooting now.
Nothing odd in the tvlog or tverr logs since last night but then no one has been watching telly today...

BTW "mfscheck ?" doesn't give you any help, just hangs itself up -  doh.
I know one should always RTFM before typing random stuff into a commandline but that was so graceless it made me scream - I flipping love Linux.


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## mutant_matt2 (Dec 16, 2008)

I would recommend running GRC's Spinrite on it, whilst connected to a PC. Spinrite doesn't know or care what the file system is, but will fix any sectors that might be dodgy (within reason).

It's the only non-destructive disc fixing tool of it's type, and you can have your money back if you are not satisfied (or it didn't fix it). As it can scan, check and re-write each and every sector on the disc, sometimes, it fixes issues that SMART and other file system checkers can't or don't spot.

HTH! 

Cheers,

Matt.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Yep, while I don't agree with much of the authors ranting on his website,
spinrite has revived a few customers' failing tivo HDDs long enough to copy shows off.


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

Is that the likely problem then - the disk is dying?
I was wondering if something between the freeview box and the tivo video encoder was in a mess and a restart might fix it.

I'll see if it can struggle on for a bit as the media PC components are on their way and Tivo's days are already numbered.


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

Checking my emails the samsung drive that's in it is 3 years and 26 days old. I thought it would be near the end of its warranty but not that tiny part beyond - grrr.


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## bigwold (Jun 4, 2003)

You might be still within the time limit based on serial number! I was going to point you to rexo.co.uk who handle Samsung HDD warranties but it looks like you now need to get an RMA from http://www.samsunghddvalue.com/WebRMA/WarrantyCheck/endUserWarrantychecker.aspx first, so get over there fast.


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## spitfires (Dec 19, 2006)

AMc said:


> Is that the likely problem then - the disk is dying?
> I was wondering if something between the freeview box and the tivo video encoder was in a mess


Pixelation is usually the decoder (Freeview/Sky box) but if the pic is looping then that is likely to be caused by the TiVo, which in turn is usually caused by a failing sector.

Get a copy of Samsung's ES-Tool diagnostic program and test the disc in a PC.

FDD: http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/support/downloads/ESTOOL_FDD(3.00g).zip
CD: http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/support/downloads/ESTOOL300g_CDROM.zip

Edit: I've just re-read your original post and you say it happens with multiple recordings - in which case it's probably not the disc. A looping picture just _has_ to be in the TiVo rather then the tele' so I would be inclined to think the TiVo software has got corrupted... somehow (did you accidentally leave the root paritition writeable?). 
Hmmm.... Try ES-Tool anyway!

.


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

I know the pixelation and looping was Tivo as I was able to use AUX bypass through it at the time - a very rare time when Tivo had just popped back into LiveTV

No, I haven't left the root partition writeable - I haven't done anything to it in months, perhaps years. It's also been manually rebooted a couple of times recently which would have reset the permissions (AFAIK).

Yesterdays recordings look OK (full length green bar) without watching them all through.

I'll pull the disk when I can face disrupting the rats nest under there and spend a bit of time ripping my PC apart to connect the drive.

Thanks for the suggestions.


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## Olly (Sep 29, 2001)

I have experienced exactly the same problem as described and a replacement hard drive was the solution for me. Oddly, when it got into the repeat loop it always repeated the same number of times (three I think).


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

No reoccurrance of this in 2 weeks. So it was either something weird in the Freeview signal tripping up the encoder or there are duff blocks that have either been reallocated or are currently part of an unwatched recording.
Either way glad not to have had to waste time extracting Tivo from the AV cupboard, opening the case and checking the drive.


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