Calling all MP New Zealanders (Both of you!!) (21 Viewers)

[mcraenz]

Hi Mcraenz, I am using the MP TV Server which work well for me.

The only problem I have is stuttered images when the wireless LAN reception is low - like in our bedroom. Do you perhaps know of a way to send out a leaner stream?

I don't use wireless for this very reason. I think the reason wireless streaming is so poor is because it uses UDP rather than TCP so packets are just fired down the network in one direction if they get lost in mid air then there is no re-send or error correction. I don't think it's so much a bandwith problem since you'll probably find you can stream video file off a network share just fine. There is really no way to make the the stream lighter, this would require re-encoding the MPEG2 video that comes from freeview down to a lower bitrate on the fly. not really possible.

My recommendation: drill 2 holes in the floor1 1 by the MediaPC and 1 in the bedroom and run some cat5! Problem solved no stuttering video again!

 

[mruane]

Thanks Mcraenz, yes is not always easy to explain things in the form of a question eh. Let me try out a few things over the weekend and see how I get on. Perhaps then I can be more specific about the issue. with luck, it will go together easily but if not I should be able to rephrase my question.

Cheers Mike

 

[Klathman]

The only problem I have is stuttered images when the wireless LAN reception is low - like in our bedroom. Do you perhaps know of a way to send out a leaner stream?

If you really need to use a wireless network then wireless-n MAY work or sticking a big external aerial on your AP but neither are guaranteed solutions.

I've had good results using a larger external aerial on the AP if the server is in good coverage as the client receives a stronger signal but results will vary and if you need traffic to go in the opposite direction (think handshaking/packet acknowledgments) then you'll still have problems.

Then again there's still no beating good old CAT5/6 cable for performance. I've gone that way now and the wireless network is more just for convenience when speed isn't an issue. I would recommend Cat6 though. Better to do it once and do it well than have to rip it out and replace it once you NEED Cat6 for that HighDef 10GB network that Cat5 won't support.

 

[mcraenz]

Then again there's still no beating good old CAT5/6 cable.....

That's it.

 

[littlematt]

I've noticed No Data on TV1,2,3,6, but I have data for C4??? Something is going! I'm going to try to do a full refresh EPG
How:
TVServer Config>ManualControl>Refresh EPG
Then wait! it's seem to work quicker if you don't watch TV while doing it also you can see what is happening if you look in the epg.log file.

I'll yet you know how I get on (and if I get any Guide data back at all!)

Did the trick! Thanks.... Funny how TVNZ6 was still there though...

Matt

 

[mepand]

I don't use wireless for this very reason. I think the reason wireless streaming is so poor is because it uses UDP rather than TCP so packets are just fired down the network in one direction if they get lost in mid air then there is no re-send or error correction. I don't think it's so much a bandwith problem since you'll probably find you can stream video file off a network share just fine. There is really no way to make the the stream lighter, this would require re-encoding the MPEG2 video that comes from freeview down to a lower bitrate on the fly. not really possible.

My recommendation: drill 2 holes in the floor1 1 by the MediaPC and 1 in the bedroom and run some cat5! Problem solved no stuttering video again!

If you really need to use a wireless network then wireless-n MAY work or sticking a big external aerial on your AP but neither are guaranteed solutions.

I've had good results using a larger external aerial on the AP if the server is in good coverage as the client receives a stronger signal but results will vary and if you need traffic to go in the opposite direction (think handshaking/packet acknowledgments) then you'll still have problems.

Then again there's still no beating good old CAT5/6 cable for performance. I've gone that way now and the wireless network is more just for convenience when speed isn't an issue. I would recommend Cat6 though. Better to do it once and do it well than have to rip it out and replace it once you NEED Cat6 for that HighDef 10GB network that Cat5 won't support.

Thanks Klathman and mcraenz. Problem solved! I never thought wireless can be so slow. I also appreciate the background info. I am drilling holes ...

I don't use wireless for this very reason. I think the reason wireless streaming is so poor is because it uses UDP rather than TCP so packets are just fired down the network in one direction if they get lost in mid air then there is no re-send or error correction. I don't think it's so much a bandwith problem since you'll probably find you can stream video file off a network share just fine. There is really no way to make the the stream lighter, this would require re-encoding the MPEG2 video that comes from freeview down to a lower bitrate on the fly. not really possible.

My recommendation: drill 2 holes in the floor1 1 by the MediaPC and 1 in the bedroom and run some cat5! Problem solved no stuttering video again!

If you really need to use a wireless network then wireless-n MAY work or sticking a big external aerial on your AP but neither are guaranteed solutions.

I've had good results using a larger external aerial on the AP if the server is in good coverage as the client receives a stronger signal but results will vary and if you need traffic to go in the opposite direction (think handshaking/packet acknowledgments) then you'll still have problems.

Then again there's still no beating good old CAT5/6 cable for performance. I've gone that way now and the wireless network is more just for convenience when speed isn't an issue. I would recommend Cat6 though. Better to do it once and do it well than have to rip it out and replace it once you NEED Cat6 for that HighDef 10GB network that Cat5 won't support.

Thanks Klathman and mcraenz. Problem solved! I never thought wireless can be so slow. I also appreciate the background info. I am drilling holes ...

My son came up with the idea of using VLC for the streaming. It works like a charm but obviously without all the neat features of MP.

 

[shacknasty]

I use wireless with a tv3 client down the other end of the house and it generally runs fine.

One thing you can look at doing is use ORB - www.orb.com - for streaming. This application is amazing, I use it every day for streaming my media from home to work and it auto adjusts the bitrate of video/audio to match the speed of your upload/download stream.

Eg, if you access over internal network it will do a speed test then stream at that bitrate, but if you access through 3G on your cellphone, it will do a seperate speed test and stream at a suitable speed for that device.

Pretty nifty, and has tv-in function (the EPG wont work for us nz'ers tho)

 

[Omen]

just want to point out that Cat 5e and Cat 6 are both exactly the same size cable, with the same amount of cores, as far as speed goes, cat6 e will never outperform cat 5e. Saying cat 6 will do 10gb where cat 5e won't is blatantly wrong.

the only difference between the two is a rubber spacer which makes cat 6 less susceptible to EMF interference, if you're going to run a network in your house, there's no point forking out an extra 30c a meter for cat 6 when cat 5e will do just as good a job

 

[zxcvbnm2]

It is faster. Cat6 is twisted differently to Cat5, I believe it it works buy cutting down on antenurisium (is that a word)

It is faster. Cat6 is twisted differently to Cat5, I believe it it works by cutting down on antenurisium (is that a word)

 

[Klathman]

just want to point out that Cat 5e and Cat 6 are both exactly the same size cable, with the same amount of cores, as far as speed goes, cat6 e will never outperform cat 5e. Saying cat 6 will do 10gb where cat 5e won't is blatantly wrong.

I've had enough problems getting new Cat5e to go at 1GB speeds and have rectified the problem with cat6 cable. As for taking Cat5 any further well I wasn't going to take that risk. It's enough of a pain running cable in the first place without doing it a second time so I'd rather pay the extra 30c thanks.

The spacer is intended to limit cross-talk and I'm sure I can come up with a few noisy devices in my house at least. Most likely the same things that screw with my wireless network. So a cat6 cable may be fine in the same situation that a cat5 cable was struggling to handle the surrounding environment.