My TV: Stuttering, and changing channels is extremely slow

ItzMeJoey · 2006-03-13, 00:04

Area: Media Portal Program
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.0.0 RC2 (2006-03-12)
MediaPortal Skin: mce
Windows Version: Windows MCE 2005 - SP2
.NET CLR Version: 2.0.50727
DirectX Version: 4.09.00.0904 (9.0c)
Audio Codec: NVIDIA Audio Decoder
Video Codec: NVIDIA Video Decoder
CPU Type: AMD Athlon XP 2500+
Memory: 1 GB
Motherboard: A7N8X-E (ASUSTeK Computer INC.)
TV Card Model: Hauppauge PVR-150MCE
TV Card Type: Hardware
TV Card Driver: 2.0.35.23258
Video Card Model: Nvidia Geforce FX 5900xt (128 MB)
Video Card Driver: Latest Nvidia
Video Card Resolution: 1280x1024
Video Render Type: VMR9
Audio Card Model: NVIDIA(R) nForce(TM) Audio
Audio Card Driver: Latest Nvidia
Synopsis::

Here's my MediaPortal.log

I've tried everything I can possibly think of, and yet I cannot get the TV portion of MP working nearly as well as just about every other program I've tried, including Hauppauge's WinTV.

(Keep in mind that the following details assume that timeshifting is on. I don't seem to have any issues when timeshifting is off). To begin, when I first go into My TV, the TV picture stutters for several seconds. If I'm lucky, it will calm down and I will be able to watch TV with no issues. Usually, though, I have to go out to the Home menu, stop TV, then restart it. The whole time this happens, MP's CPU usage is 100%. It takes several minutes. Once I get TV up ok, changing channels takes roughly 5-6 seconds before I actually get the new channel. Sometimes the stuttering reappears on this new channel as well. Often, I'll be watching TV for 45-60 minutes or so, and the stuttering will appear out of nowhere once again. The only way to resolve it is to stop TV and start it again. As I said before, with timeshifting off, everything works well. Channel changes are very quick, and there's no stuttering at all.

I have reinstalled MP several times. I have reinstalled Windows. Tried WinXP Pro, as well as WinXP MCE. Tried different versions of Hauppauge drivers. Lowered the PCI latency to 64, and then 32. Tried various video decoders in combination with various audio decoders -- Nvidia's PureVideo audio/video decoders seem to work best, but that's only because the CPU usage is a little lower. The same problems still exist.

I noticed that every time I change the channel, the PureVideo decoder is stopped, and then it's started back up again on the new channel. With all the other PVR programs I tried, this did not happen. Once the decoder was loaded up, it stayed loaded the entire time I was watching TV. I know there's a few second delay when first loading everything up, so perhaps this is the reason.

Has anyone else had this issue? If so, how was it resolved? I would love to be able to use this as my full-time HTPC solution and move my Windows MCE install to another room, but the TV issues are holding me back from doing that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Taipan · 2006-03-13, 00:10

I notice that you are using the latest CVS and several people have reported problems with timeshift on for recent CVS versions.

Has this ever worked correctly for you (on CVSs prior to the end of February)?

ItzMeJoey · 2006-03-13, 23:01

Actually, .2 RC2 did not have any sort of delay between channel changes, but the stuttering was there the entire time. I had to pause TV for a few seconds in order for it to work on any channel, at any time. I can tell you that 0.1.3.0 worked fine from both aspects...no stuttering, no delay in changing channels.

2006-03-13, 00:04	#1 (permalink)
ItzMeJoey Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	My TV: Stuttering, and changing channels is extremely slow Area: Media Portal Program MediaPortal Version: 0.2.0.0 RC2 (2006-03-12) MediaPortal Skin: mce Windows Version: Windows MCE 2005 - SP2 .NET CLR Version: 2.0.50727 DirectX Version: 4.09.00.0904 (9.0c) Audio Codec: NVIDIA Audio Decoder Video Codec: NVIDIA Video Decoder CPU Type: AMD Athlon XP 2500+ Memory: 1 GB Motherboard: A7N8X-E (ASUSTeK Computer INC.) TV Card Model: Hauppauge PVR-150MCE TV Card Type: Hardware TV Card Driver: 2.0.35.23258 Video Card Model: Nvidia Geforce FX 5900xt (128 MB) Video Card Driver: Latest Nvidia Video Card Resolution: 1280x1024 Video Render Type: VMR9 Audio Card Model: NVIDIA(R) nForce(TM) Audio Audio Card Driver: Latest Nvidia Synopsis:: Here's my MediaPortal.log I've tried everything I can possibly think of, and yet I cannot get the TV portion of MP working nearly as well as just about every other program I've tried, including Hauppauge's WinTV. (Keep in mind that the following details assume that timeshifting is on. I don't seem to have any issues when timeshifting is off). To begin, when I first go into My TV, the TV picture stutters for several seconds. If I'm lucky, it will calm down and I will be able to watch TV with no issues. Usually, though, I have to go out to the Home menu, stop TV, then restart it. The whole time this happens, MP's CPU usage is 100%. It takes several minutes. Once I get TV up ok, changing channels takes roughly 5-6 seconds before I actually get the new channel. Sometimes the stuttering reappears on this new channel as well. Often, I'll be watching TV for 45-60 minutes or so, and the stuttering will appear out of nowhere once again. The only way to resolve it is to stop TV and start it again. As I said before, with timeshifting off, everything works well. Channel changes are very quick, and there's no stuttering at all. I have reinstalled MP several times. I have reinstalled Windows. Tried WinXP Pro, as well as WinXP MCE. Tried different versions of Hauppauge drivers. Lowered the PCI latency to 64, and then 32. Tried various video decoders in combination with various audio decoders -- Nvidia's PureVideo audio/video decoders seem to work best, but that's only because the CPU usage is a little lower. The same problems still exist. I noticed that every time I change the channel, the PureVideo decoder is stopped, and then it's started back up again on the new channel. With all the other PVR programs I tried, this did not happen. Once the decoder was loaded up, it stayed loaded the entire time I was watching TV. I know there's a few second delay when first loading everything up, so perhaps this is the reason. Has anyone else had this issue? If so, how was it resolved? I would love to be able to use this as my full-time HTPC solution and move my Windows MCE install to another room, but the TV issues are holding me back from doing that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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2006-03-13, 00:10	#2 (permalink)
Taipan Portal Tester Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne Posts: 2,052 Thanks: 8 Thanked 21 Times in 21 Posts Country: My System	I notice that you are using the latest CVS and several people have reported problems with timeshift on for recent CVS versions. Has this ever worked correctly for you (on CVSs prior to the end of February)?

2006-03-13, 23:01	#3 (permalink)
ItzMeJoey Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Actually, .2 RC2 did not have any sort of delay between channel changes, but the stuttering was there the entire time. I had to pause TV for a few seconds in order for it to work on any channel, at any time. I can tell you that 0.1.3.0 worked fine from both aspects...no stuttering, no delay in changing channels.