Stuttering worse than before

[alert101]

Area: Media Portal Program
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.1.0-SVN-16.10.2006-16:27:53,60-Build 11116
 (2006-10-16)
MediaPortal Skin: BlueTwo
Windows Version: Windows XP (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 64 4000+
Memory: 2 GB DDR400 Dual Channel
Motherboard: A8N-SLI Premium (ASUSTeK Computer INC.)
TV Card Model: Terratec Cinergy 2400i
TV Card Type: DVB-T
TV Card Driver: BDA Driver 1.0.3.260 Beta
Video Card Model: Nvidia Geforce 7800 GT (256 MB)
Video Card Driver: Forceware 91.31
Video Card Resolution: 1600x1200
Video Render Type: VMR9
Audio Card Model: Creative Audigy Audio Processor (WDM)
Audio Card Driver: -
Synopsis::

I had some problems with stuttering while watching live TV and recordings. After some spending some time on the forums I found different tips & tweaks, none of them seemed to work. After I followed the steps in the thread about MS patched in 'Tips and Tricks' watching recordings became quite smooth, this happened after installing the DRM patch from MS. But know watching live TV is worse than before. Now also the sound stutters and it's impossible to watch live TV.

Before installing the patches I used MP 0.2.0.4. After the problems started I decided to give the SVN builds a try, no luck though. I've tried disabling C'n'Q and have reinstalled the MS dual tuner patch after installing the DRM-patch.

[Paranoid Delusion]

Hi alert101

Hardware no problem, recommend use latest driver for you video card that club3d supply, rather than Nvidia.

Also can you use MPA + MPV codecs for testing purposes.

Notice your using a beta driver for the cinergy, any advantage over the proven driver ?

Then run MP and post any MP logs at www.mp.pastebin.com with a link back here.

Thanks

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by alert101

But now watching live TV is worse than before. Now also the sound stutters and it's impossible to watch live TV.

This sounds like your TV signal strength is very marginal.

Have you tried watching TV using the application that was supplied with your DVB-T card? If you have, is it "stutter free", or does it show the same symptoms as mediaPortal?

[alert101]

A small update... In the first post I said that recordings worked fine. Well, after a reboot and recording a one hour show, it seems that also recordings stutter now. I've tried the MPA + MPV codecs, same thing.

The Beta drivers for my tuner worked fine before applying the DRM patches. The card was supplied with Cyberlink PowerCinema which worked like shit. Signal strength shouldn't be a problem. Everything worked fine before the patches and when the problems started I reinstalled MP and scanned for channels. It found all TV and radio channels without any problems.

I'm thinking of uninstalling the patches when I get home from work later today. Any suggestions before I do that?

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by alert101

A small update... In the first post I said that recordings worked fine. Well, after a reboot and recording a one hour show, it seems that also recordings stutter now.

Is the stutter a part of the recording - in other words, does the stutter always occur at the same point in the recording?

Originally Posted by alert101

The Beta drivers for my tuner worked fine before applying the DRM patches.

But you said in your first post that the reason you applied the DRM patches was because of the stutter ...... now I am confused ....

Originally Posted by alert101

Signal strength shouldn't be a problem.

How can you be so sure? Do you always get stutter-free viewing with PowerCinema? Or does it behave the same as MediaPortal?

I still think that inadequate signal strength is the cause of your stutter problems....

Originally Posted by alert101

Everything worked fine before the patches ?

But you say in your first post that "After I followed the steps in the thread about MS patched in 'Tips and Tricks' watching recordings became quite smooth, this happened after installing the DRM patch from MS."

So, did the patches help, or did they make it worse? You have me confused as to exactly what happened....

Originally Posted by alert101

I'm thinking of uninstalling the patches when I get home from work later today. Any suggestions before I do that?

Yes, make sure that your TV signal strength is definitely NOT the cause.

[alert101]

Originally Posted by Taipan

Is the stutter a part of the recording - in other words, does the stutter always occur at the same point in the recording?

Don't know about this, I'm at work right now so can't test it.

Originally Posted by Taipan

But you said in your first post that the reason you applied the DRM patches was because of the stutter ...... now I am confused ....

OK, before the DRM patches I had some stutter. After the DRM patches I had minimal stutter. After the DRM patches and rebooting everything went straight to hell == Stuttering image and sound all the time, unbearable.

Originally Posted by Taipan

How can you be so sure? Do you always get stutter-free viewing with PowerCinema? Or does it behave the same as MediaPortal?

Viewing TV was pretty good before the patches and I'm not sure about PowerCinema, the app itself didn't work quite right for me.

Originally Posted by Taipan

I still think that inadequate signal strength is the cause of your stutter problems....

Originally Posted by Taipan

But you say in your first post that "After I followed the steps in the thread about MS patched in 'Tips and Tricks' watching recordings became quite smooth, this happened after installing the DRM patch from MS."

So, did the patches help, or did they make it worse? You have me confused as to exactly what happened....

Look a couple quotes up...

Originally Posted by Taipan

Yes, make sure that your TV signal strength is definitely NOT the cause.

As I said before I doubt it's about signal strength. Viewing was pretty OK before, all channels are found and there's no corruption what so ever.

[alert101]

OK, I solved the problem, but I don't understand how it happened in the first place.

Now, do NOT use HARDDRIVE ENCRYPTION on the drive/partition that contains your recordings. After I installed the SVN my default recordings path changed back to C:\Docs&Sett\My Recordings. And my boot partition happens to be encrypted. Apparently the transfer rate on that partition is not enough for DVR.

The thing I don't understand is: The MAJOR stuttering started before I installed the SVN, so I can't figure out why a MS DRM patch would have changed my recordings path as MP and MS have nothing in common except the file format for recording as far as I know.

Now I'm all up and running again except for the minimal stuttering every now and then. Thinking about getting a dual core proc, maybe that would solve it.