Massive video stutters on NUC i3 Haswell (2 Viewers)

aspik

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    Application experience disabled, I even disabled completely the task manager, I don't need it anyway. Further I disabled few services, uninstalled few windows features, will see how the NUC perform now.

    MePo skinning, i.e. when you operate outside of (full screen !) TV and video displaying is where graphics power is appreciated
    Yeah! I see that in power consumption. Playing a video in full screen the NUC draws 9-12W, but when I go to home screen and the video is playing in the small box it gets up to 23W! I wonder how MP2 behavior in that case... I know it's also an directx application, but the GUI is WPF (MPF). I need to test this once:)
     

    aspik

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    Hi @HTPC_Sourcer,
    until today the NUC performed well, but today I saw something similar to the stutter. Playing in full screen a tv show from NAS the video sometimes freezes for about 1sec, it is like pushing the pause button. The audio doesn't get "paused" only video. In the attached logs it happened at 18:00, do you see something in the logs?

    PS: ATM typing this post I see the same behavior viewing a TV channel.
     

    HTPCSourcer

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    There is not much visible in the log at 18:00 other than something has happened. My hypothesis would be that something is suddenly causing high CPU usage, however, nothing can be seen in the event log.
    Are you certain that this drop is not part of the original stream? If you go back 15 seconds and play again, is the same scene playing correctly?
    Are you doing any post-processing for video and TV? You can also change the codecs for video and TV to see if that makes any difference.

    ATM typing this post I see the same behavior viewing a TV channel.
    Can you post the tsreader.log please? This is to verify if there was any discontinuity on the client side.
     

    HTPCSourcer

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    Have you taken a look at the curves that you can display by pressing Shft + 1 on the keyboard? Are they all flat and smooth?
    Another question: what type of video where you watching at 18:00?

    In evr.log I see:
    [2014-11-26 17:41:40,337] [1e4466a8] [1278] - Display (from windows): 1920 x 1080 @ 23.976024 Hz | Measured refresh rate: 23.976669 Hz
    ...
    [2014-11-26 17:41:40,617] [1e4466a8] [1278] - New format: 1280x720, Ratio: 16:9
    ...
    [2014-11-26 17:41:40,942] [1e4466a8] [ eb4] - MF_MT_FRAME_RATE: 23.976 fps
    [2014-11-26 17:41:40,942] [1e4466a8] [ eb4] - Frame size: 1280x720
    [2014-11-26 17:41:40,942] [1e4466a8] [ eb4] - Aperture size: 0:0, 1280x720
    [2014-11-26 17:41:40,942] [1e4466a8] [ eb4] - New media type successfully negotiated!
    ...
    [2014-11-26 17:46:03,599] [1e4466a8] [1474] - Adding first sample to empty queue
    [2014-11-26 17:46:03,605] [1e4466a8] [ a98] - Present first sample - start
    [2014-11-26 17:46:03,606] [1e4466a8] [ a98] - Present first sample - end
    [2014-11-26 17:55:39,240] [1e4466a8] [1474] - Scheduling sample from the past (1342.71 ms, last call to NotifyWorker: 1.39 ms, Queue: 0)

    Between 17:46 and 17:55:39 nothing is logged, then you have a lot of these "scheduling sample from the past" until it catches up again at 17:55:40. Maybe there was stuttering, but you not have noted it.
    Same thing happening again at 17:56:16 until 17:56:42 - again obviously without visible impacts.

    At 18:00:47 the sample from the past start again, this time you seem to have stopped playing video. Can you confirm that visible stuttering actually occurred at 18:00 and not earlier?
     

    breese

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    There appears to be issues with the hardware / drivers on this machine.
    Here are a few highlights of what I see...
    There is a lot more....

    System Events
    "24.11.2014 18:25:35";"Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power";"(7)";"Warning";"The speed of processor 3 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.";"37"
    "24.11.2014 18:25:35";"Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power";"(7)";"Warning";"The speed of processor 0 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.";"37"
    "24.11.2014 18:25:35";"Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power";"(7)";"Warning";"The speed of processor 1 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.";"37"
    "24.11.2014 18:25:35";"Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power";"(7)";"Warning";"The speed of processor 2 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.";"37"

    Windows Firewall service entered the running state.";"1073748860"
    Windows Defender service entered the running state.";"1073748860"

    Application Events
    "24.11.2014 16:46:24";"iumsvc";"(0)";"Information";"The description for Event ID '1073742079' in Source 'iumsvc' cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display the message, or you may not have permission to access them. The following information is part of the event:'Service started.'";"1073742079"
    "24.11.2014 16:46:54";"iumsvc";"(0)";"Information";"The description for Event ID '1073742079' in Source 'iumsvc' cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display the message, or you may not have permission to access them. The following information is part of the event:'Service stopped.'";"1073742079"


    "24.11.2014 18:20:24";"System Restore";"(0)";"Information";"Successfully created restore point (Process = C:\Windows\servicing\TrustedInstaller.exe; Description = Windows Modules Installer).";"8194"
    "24.11.2014 18:20:43";"Desktop Window Manager";"(0)";"Information";"The Desktop Window Manager has exited with code (0x40010004)";"1073750833"
    "24.11.2014 18:20:43";"igfxCUIService1.0.0.0";"(0)";"Information";"The description for Event ID '0' in Source 'igfxCUIService1.0.0.0' cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display the message, or you may not have permission to access them. The following information is part of the event:' Logoff: Test
    '";"0"
    "24.11.2014 18:20:43";"igfxCUIService1.0.0.0";"(0)";"Information";"The description for Event ID '0' in Source 'igfxCUIService1.0.0.0' cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display the message, or you may not have permission to access them. The following information is part of the event:' Logoff: 1
    '";"0"

    "24.11.2014 18:21:22";"igfxCUIService1.0.0.0";"(0)";"Information";"The description for Event ID '0' in Source 'igfxCUIService1.0.0.0' cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display the message, or you may not have permission to access them. The following information is part of the event:'Log on event received User1
    '";"0"
    "24.11.2014 18:21:22";"igfxCUIService1.0.0.0";"(0)";"Information";"The description for Event ID '0' in Source 'igfxCUIService1.0.0.0' cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display the message, or you may not have permission to access them. The following information is part of the event:'Logon: 1
    '";"0"
     

    HTPCSourcer

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    Hi @breese ,

    These events can be safely ignored, they are only temporary and usually occur at Startup only. All except the limited speed of processor, which indicate incorrect BIOS Settings or over-heating (?). However this does not match the reported time of stutter.
     

    aspik

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    Attached tsreader.log, but there are gaps, because I have other problems with my TV Tuner:
    https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/tt-ct2-4400-problems.128361/
    Sometimes viewing a tv channel the videos unexpectedly stops and I have to plug out the tuner and restart the tvservice. I've not yet updated the tv tuner thread with this "findings", because I'm waiting for a usb adapter for the NUC to test it with USB 2.0. Anyway back to the stutter.
    I was viewing a 720p x264 video and the video is 100% clean, I've tested it with VLC.
    Are you doing any post-processing for video and TV?
    No post-processing.

    Have you taken a look at the curves that you can display by pressing Shft + 1 on the keyboard? Are they all flat and smooth?
    They was flat and if I remember correctly in the stats were 3 dropped frames.

    At 18:00:47 the sample from the past start again, this time you seem to have stopped playing video. Can you confirm that visible stuttering actually occurred at 18:00 and not earlier?
    The freeze at 18:00 was already a third or so stutter, earlier there were also about two stutters, you are right.

    These events can be safely ignored, they are only temporary and usually occur at Startup only. All except the limited speed of processor, which indicate incorrect BIOS Settings or over-heating (?).
    Nevertheless this worries me, how could something mess up the system? The BIOS settings are mostly default settings, no overclocking.
     

    Attachments

    • TsReader.zip
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    HTPCSourcer

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    Hi,

    So it looks as if eveytime there is this "from the past" thing you had stutters. As this occurs with video also, it is not related to your Technotrend USB tuner.

    This does not look like being a MePo issue, I am afraid. It is more likely that something else is happening. Are you an experienced Windows user? You could try the following simple approach:

    Start MePo in Windows mode
    Start the Resource Monitor to watch CPU, network load and processes (sort the latter by CPU load)
    Start a video and have an eye on CPU and network
    When the picture pauses, immediately verify what the resource monitor is showing

    There are more sophisticated ways using better tools but this could be a start.

    With respect to CPU throttling: you should also be able to show CPU speed with the resource monitor. Check out the Bios for Amy setting that could affect throttling and play with parameters to check for effects. When I search for this event message, I come up with various solutions. Check them out.
     

    aspik

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    I've checked the The speed of processor 3 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware event. This is what I've found:
    https://communities.intel.com/thread/48132
    At the end of the thread the intel guy suggest the 030 BIOS, but I've already had this version. As for today the latest version is 032 from 19.11 and with this version I've flashed the NUC just now. Additionally I've completely disabled the Intel SpeedStep technology and observe how the NUC perform without it
    Previously I had enabled in BIOS the C9/C10-States and it looks like windows doesn't like the states or the intel firmware was buggy. I think it was something like windows had a different "view" about the CPU frequency as Intel:D This could cause the stutter... the bios firmware was going to put the CPU to a efficient (slower) state while the video was playing...

    Start MePo in Windows mode
    Start the Resource Monitor to watch CPU, network load and processes (sort the latter by CPU load)
    Start a video and have an eye on CPU and network
    When the picture pauses, immediately verify what the resource monitor is showing

    Thanks! I think I'm able to do that ;)
     

    HTPCSourcer

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    Obviously you are not a PC rookie ;)

    Hopefully the new settings will have solved the problem.
     

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