Browsing shares in MyVideos, MyMusic, Tv-Series and Moving Pictures SLOW (1 Viewer)

[brstowe]

TV-Server Version: 1.0 RC2
MediaPortal Version: 1.0.0.0 RC2
MediaPortal Skin: Xface/Black and White 1080p
Windows Version: XP Professional SP3
CPU Type: Intel Pentium Dual @1.6GHZ
HDD: Hitachi 150GB & 2TB NAS
Memory: 2Gb DDR2
Motherboard: Intel G965 Express
Video Card: Intel Integrated Graphics
Video Card Driver: 6.14.10.4704
Sound Card: Soundmax Integrated Digital HD
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver: 5.10.1.4580
1. TV Card: Compro Videomate U500
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver: 3.3.1.0
MPEG2 Video Codec: ffdshow Video Codec
MPEG2 Audio Codec: ffdshow Video Codec
h.264 Video Codec: ffdshow Video Codec
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Asus Pundit P3-PH5x
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: Microsoft MCE 1039
TV: Dell 2007WFPb 20.1"
TV - HTPC Connection: VGA
Additional:
Network: Netgear Powerline HDX101

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has had a hand in developing this marvellous bit of software, without which my partner and I would be resigned to endless DVD changing, and possibly seperate marital beds.
Everyone's help is sincerely appreciated ....

But unfortunately over the past few weeks, or even 1 month, we have noticed a severe downturn in performance on not one, but all three of my machines running MediaPortal.
I have outlined specifications above not for the oldest and most reliable box, but for the newest, and most uptodate. I am still reticent to update the other boxes unless someone else says to, or it will solve a problem.

The problem reveals itself not in the loading of MediaPortal, nor using the menus, shortcuts, and various funcitons inbuilt, but in the use of any program that requires navigation of my apparently modest 2TB Windows Home Server network. 400+ Movies, 1200+ TV episodes (huge!), 10,000+ mp3's, and 1000+pictures.

Now before anyone points a finger at a possible culprit (Windows Home Server, 1.0.0.0 RC2, TV Server, etc), a quick summary timeline until when I believe I started noticing a downturn in performance - this endevour may indeed make a subtle problem very obvious!

since always: Dell Vista Desktop and HP Xp Pro Laptop connected to 300GB Linkstation - all fine.
February 2008 - XP professional Laptop installed MP beneath TV - no problems (still runnning 0.2.3.0 RC1)
June 2008 - built Home Server, 2TB Windows Home Server - all still fine.
July 2008 - installed same MP (0.2.3.0) on Vista desktop - no perfect, but primary laptop OK - possible degradation.
August 2008 - inherit Asus Pundit XP Professional from lazy friend, and install in bedroom with Powerline network, and same 0.2.3.0 RC1 - not perfect. (Still cannot get network transfer rate above 4.8Kb/s). MP appears to suffer.
September 2008 - Cenralise all databases according to MP Manual. effective, but no performance improval.
- Upgrade new box in bedroom to TV-server 1.0.0.0 RC2 and client - install compro VideoMate U500 DVB-T card - EPG setup, TV working briliantly - but jump to current situation, and browsing shares is tantamount to torture.

So.... i have: Cleaned Videos, Music, Folders, and TV-Series databases of erroneous directories (linkstation, etc) and all corresponding records (I'm a SQL/ASP/VB developer, so I'm sure I've caught it all) & cleaned all the EPG programs from TVdatabase.
Still no joy. I've done some clever stuff on the Powerline network - still no better.
I've tried using MyVideos in database (i.e. title view). not perfect, as there are adult movies on there, that no-one else should be able to view (password protected and all that). Quicker, but definatley not the solution, as i would really like to get into using Moving Pictures.

So the Grand Question is ... who can help?
I am such a huge fan on MediaPortal and everyone's work, but want to cry when partner demands the return of DVD player to bedroom.

Looking forward to anyone's input soon.
Many Many thanks
Brett

PS: ask any questions, and I'll try to answer as soon as possible.

 

[Spragleknas]

How is the browsing speed when using DB, and not "share" view?
How much RAM is assigned to the IGP? (<- Remember from IRC ) Not sure if this makes any difference, but it should be at leas 128 MB according to Wiki.

 

[brstowe]

The database view on MyVideos is almost like nothing is wrong, (except for the duplicate entries, files that no longer exist, and the dirty films showing up!)
For the meantime, i might remove all that from the database, and try using that.
So not a 'database' problem as such then ... it's obviously reading records, and showing all the coverart, large and small perfectly. Must be the actual scouting of the shared folders. Curiious.

Still however doesn't solve the share problem which affects, My Music, Tv-Series, Moving Pictures.
but a start!

I've inlcuded the video diagnostic file from the IGP utility (see what i did there ). If I'm right, then 256MB of Ram is allocated as maximum available for the card.

Thanks.
Brett

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Cenralise all databases according to MP Manual. effective, but no performance improval.
- Upgrade new box in bedroom to TV-server 1.0.0.0 RC2 and client - install compro VideoMate U500 DVB-T card - EPG setup, TV working briliantly - but jump to current situation, and browsing shares is tantamount to torture.

Did you upgrade all the existing setups to RC2, because they should be the same, especially if you are streaming any TV.

 

[brstowe]

paranoid:
No I haven't yet, as I'd like to exhaust all other oprions before I break the other two systems!

but, for information's sake: I started thinking about the difference in scouting the windows home server share through explorer and MP, and did some research ...

I found some very informative articles regarding the state of WHS and it's load balancing, and storage. Someone advised PerfectDisk8 for Windows Home Server - for its Defrag utilities ... I downloaded, and installed, and lo and behold, my 3 drives on WHS were at critical defragmentation! 40%+ ... the advice showed that this severly compromises any share navigation.

The defrag is busy running at the moment, so I will give everyone an update when i get home this evening.

Laters
Brett

 

[Swede]

Yes please update us, I also have problems with much slower clients. Recently they updated to XP SP3. I was wondering if that could be the problem? I have RC2 in all setups by the way.

 

[TommySharp]

Did you ever get this problem resolved?

My browsing of shares on the home server is also very slow...

 

[Swede]

Still slow...

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-support-51/re-slow-browsing-shares-47953/

 

[zumbeam]

Hi

First Thanx for all developers, this software is awesome, made me to by htpc equipments
I hope some one can find out a fix to this odd slownes with shares, really annoying bug or feature.
I'm old xbmc user and browsing network shares has been so enjoyable on that one, I will be missing that.
Reason I actually writing this is that I hope this is not buried somewhere, reading Swedes list of articles of this problem there must be great deal of peoples that are still suffering this same problem?

p.s. Waiting mboard and gforce to arrive and then starts HTPC building

 

[Swede]

Pretty much seems to be a SQLite problem when using clients that share the same database. We could say that SQLite doesn't support that very good.