diff --git a/azbox/dmx.cpp b/azbox/dmx.cpp
index 1353cfd..80d500a 100644
--- a/azbox/dmx.cpp
+++ b/azbox/dmx.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ bool cDemux::Open(DMX_CHANNEL_TYPE pes_type, void * /*hVideoBuffer*/, int uBuffe
 	int flags = O_RDWR;
 	if (fd > -1)
 		lt_info("%s FD ALREADY OPENED? fd = %d\n", __FUNCTION__, fd);
+
+	if (pes_type != DMX_PSI_CHANNEL)
+		flags |= O_NONBLOCK;
+
 	fd = open(devname[devnum], flags);
 	if (fd < 0)
 	{
diff --git a/azbox/video.cpp b/azbox/video.cpp
index f561f40..0e679c2 100644
--- a/azbox/video.cpp
+++ b/azbox/video.cpp
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ cVideo::cVideo(int, void *, void *)
 		close(blankfd);
 	}
 	openDevice();
+	Pig(-1, -1, -1, -1);
 }
 
 cVideo::~cVideo(void)
diff --git a/libspark/dmx.cpp b/libspark/dmx.cpp
index eae4aee..8e2c1f6 100644
--- a/libspark/dmx.cpp
+++ b/libspark/dmx.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ bool cDemux::Open(DMX_CHANNEL_TYPE pes_type, void * /*hVideoBuffer*/, int uBuffe
 	int flags = O_RDWR;
 	if (fd > -1)
 		lt_info("%s FD ALREADY OPENED? fd = %d\n", __FUNCTION__, fd);
+
+	if (pes_type != DMX_PSI_CHANNEL)
+		flags |= O_NONBLOCK;
 #if 0
 	if (pes_type == DMX_TP_CHANNEL)
 	{
diff --git a/libspark/video.cpp b/libspark/video.cpp
index 4ee8388..2922e19 100644
--- a/libspark/video.cpp
+++ b/libspark/video.cpp
@@ -490,8 +490,34 @@ void cVideo::Standby(unsigned int bOn)
 
 int cVideo::getBlank(void)
 {
-	lt_debug("%s\n", __FUNCTION__);
-	return 0;
+	static unsigned int lastcount = 0;
+	unsigned int count = 0;
+	size_t n = 0;
+	ssize_t r;
+	char *line = NULL;
+	char *p;
+	/* hack: the "mailbox" irq is not increasing if
+	 * no audio or video is decoded... */
+	FILE *f = fopen("/proc/interrupts", "r");
+	if (! f) /* huh? */
+		return 0;
+	while ((r = getline(&line, &n, f)) != -1)
+	{
+		if (r <= strlen("mailbox")) /* should not happen... */
+			continue;
+		line[r - 1] = 0; /* remove \n */
+		if (!strcmp(&line[r - 1 - strlen("mailbox")], "mailbox"))
+		{
+			count =  atoi(line + 5);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	free(line);
+	fclose(f);
+	int ret = (count == lastcount); /* no new decode -> return 1 */
+	lt_debug("%s: %d (irq++: %d)\n", __func__, ret, count - lastcount);
+	lastcount = count;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /* this function is regularly called, checks if video parameters
diff --git a/libtriple/playback_td.cpp b/libtriple/playback_td.cpp
index ed8684c..e5c8e19 100644
--- a/libtriple/playback_td.cpp
+++ b/libtriple/playback_td.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ static pthread_cond_t playback_ready_cond = PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
 static pthread_mutex_t playback_ready_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
 static pthread_mutex_t currpos_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+static pthread_mutex_t inbufpos_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
 static int dvrfd = -1;
 static int streamtype;
@@ -295,7 +296,10 @@ void cPlayback::playthread(void)
 		if (playstate == STATE_INIT)
 		{
 			/* hack for timeshift to determine start PTS */
-			if (inbuf_read() < 0)
+			pthread_mutex_lock(&inbufpos_mutex);
+			ret = inbuf_read();
+			pthread_mutex_unlock(&inbufpos_mutex);
+			if (ret < 0)
 				break;
 			usleep(100000);
 			if (pts_start == -1)
@@ -308,7 +312,10 @@ void cPlayback::playthread(void)
 			usleep(1);
 			continue;
 		}
-		if (inbuf_read() < 0)
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&inbufpos_mutex);
+		ret = inbuf_read();
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&inbufpos_mutex);
+		if (ret < 0)
 			break;
 
 		/* autoselect PID for PLAYMODE_FILE */
@@ -326,9 +333,13 @@ void cPlayback::playthread(void)
 			}
 		}
 
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&inbufpos_mutex);
 		towrite = inbuf_pos / 188 * 188; /* TODO: smaller chunks? */
 		if (towrite == 0)
+		{
+			pthread_mutex_unlock(&inbufpos_mutex);
 			continue;
+		}
  retry:
 		ret = write(dvrfd, inbuf, towrite);
 		if (ret < 0)
@@ -340,6 +351,7 @@ void cPlayback::playthread(void)
 		}
 		memmove(inbuf, inbuf + ret, inbuf_pos - ret);
 		inbuf_pos -= ret;
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&inbufpos_mutex);
 	}
 
 	pthread_cleanup_pop(1);
@@ -597,12 +609,14 @@ off_t cPlayback::seek_to_pts(int64_t pts)
 		newpos = mp_seekSync(newpos);
 		if (newpos < 0)
 			return newpos;
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&inbufpos_mutex);
 		inbuf_pos = 0;
 		inbuf_sync = 0;
 		while (inbuf_pos < INBUF_SIZE * 8 / 10) {
 			if (inbuf_read() <= 0)
 				break; // EOF
 		}
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&inbufpos_mutex);
 		if (pts_curr < pts_start)
 			tmppts = pts_curr + 0x200000000ULL - pts_start;
 		else
@@ -786,6 +800,7 @@ int64_t cPlayback::get_PES_PTS(uint8_t *buf, int len, bool last)
 	return pts;
 }
 
+/* needs to be called with inbufpos_mutex locked! */
 ssize_t cPlayback::inbuf_read()
 {
 	if (filetype == FILETYPE_UNKNOWN)
diff --git a/libtriple/video_td.cpp b/libtriple/video_td.cpp
index 7bf7c5b..356b023 100644
--- a/libtriple/video_td.cpp
+++ b/libtriple/video_td.cpp
@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ cVideo::cVideo(int, void *, void *)
 				free(blank_data[i]); /* don't leak... */
 				blank_data[i] = NULL;
 			}
+			else
+			{	/* set framerate to 24fps... see getBlank() */
+				((char *)blank_data[i])[7] &= 0xF0;
+				((char *)blank_data[i])[7] += 2;
+			}
 		}
 		close(blankfd);
 	}
@@ -497,8 +502,15 @@ void cVideo::Standby(unsigned int bOn)
 
 int cVideo::getBlank(void)
 {
-	lt_debug("%s\n", __FUNCTION__);
-	return 0;
+	VIDEOINFO v;
+	memset(&v, 0, sizeof(v));
+	ioctl(fd, MPEG_VID_GET_V_INFO, &v);
+	/* HACK HACK HACK :-)
+	 * setBlank() puts a 24fps black mpeg into the decoder...
+	 * regular broadcast does not have 24fps, so if it is still
+	 * there, video did not decode... */
+	lt_debug("%s: %hu (blank = 2)\n", __func__, v.frame_rate);
+	return (v.frame_rate == 2);
 }
 
 /* set zoom in percent (100% == 1:1) */