[solved] Clients freeze playback when skipping steps (1 Viewer)

[Jamie Murdock]

This month I installed the MP1 server on my server machine and MP1 as clients in machines 2 and 3. In both clients, playback is generally OK as long as I don't skip forward or backwards. While skipping backwards, it may return to the same spot in the recording, or it skips a bit then playback freezes... but I can unstick it sometimes via pause / play or skipping forward again. It's just cranky. Skipping on the server machine works gloriously well on the same programs.

On machine 3, the playback sometimes gets into a mode where it freezes for 200 to 300 ms every couple of seconds or so. I don't know if this is related. It does not happen on machine 2, so I was assuming this was an unrelated problem.

Is this the quality of my network link? I have a new WNDR4500v2 router. I noticed the network card on the server stopped working and the windows LAN troubleshooter reset it and it worked again. Can a cheap network card cause this kind of thing?

thanks
Jamie

 

[mm1352000]

Hello Jamie

Is this the quality of my network link?

It's possible... but this can't be determined with the information you've currently provided. Diagnosis would require log file analysis, trialling different settings etc.

• if you're using wired or wireless connections
  
• if you're using RTSP streaming or UNC shares
• which codecs you're using on each client
• if you've disabled IPv6 and/or done anything to mitigate slow DNS lookup
• drivers and checking of DPC latency
  
• etc.

Can a cheap network card cause this kind of thing?

I suppose... but same as above.

 

[Jamie Murdock]

• All machines are wired either directly or through a gigabit switch to my router.
• I think UNC shares, I just picked the name of the server in the TV/Radio configuration. Is RSTP better? If so, how do I set it up?
• I just checked my codecs - the client in machine 2 all show LAV in Video and TV codecs. the client in Machine 3 all show blank (!) for all the codecs, yet I swear they used to say LAV. When I look at the options, LAV is not listed. How do I fix that?
• IPV6 seems enabled in all machines when I look at the network adapter properties. They also say "no internet access" for IPV6
• Do I follow http://www.sysnative.com/forums/win...c-latency-issues-wpa-windows-vista-7-8-a.html to test for DPC latency?
• "etc." is always a possibility, I agree!
• For which machine would log files be useful?

thanks for your help!
Jamie

 

[mm1352000]

All machines are wired either directly or through a gigabit switch to my router.

Okay.

I think UNC shares, I just picked the name of the server in the TV/Radio configuration. Is RSTP better? If so, how do I set it up?

If you only picked the name then you're almost certainly using RTSP (because it is the default). This can be changed in MediaPortal configuration:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...iaPortal_Configuration/22_TV/Advanced_Options

I just checked my codecs - the client in machine 2 all show LAV in Video and TV codecs. the client in Machine 3 all show blank (!) for all the codecs, yet I swear they used to say LAV. When I look at the options, LAV is not listed. How do I fix that?

LAV for all with default DirectSound audio renderer should be okay. If you're dealing with h.264/AVC video then you'll want to make sure you've enabled DXVA (hardware accelerated video decoding) in the LAV codec properties. Those properties can be accessed via the LAV video settings item in your start menu or via the wrench/spanner next to the codec selection fields in MediaPortal Configuration.

Regarding machine 3: I think you should post log files. It is extremely unusual for no codecs to be listed.
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/16_Support/3_Forums/2_Log_Files

Ideally use option 1 and reproduce the problem for us. Otherwise use option 3.

IPV6 seems enabled in all machines when I look at the network adapter properties. They also say "no internet access" for IPV6

Okay. When IPv6 is enabled, it can introduce random delays in communication. Without log files I have no idea if disabling it is appropriate and/or would have any benefit for you.

Do I follow http://www.sysnative.com/forums/win...c-latency-issues-wpa-windows-vista-7-8-a.html to test for DPC latency?

Yes, if not using W8 or newer.

"etc." is always a possibility, I agree!

For which machine would log files be useful?

All... because it sounds like you have different results/behaviour with each of them.

 

[Jamie Murdock]

Here is the "Server" files option 3. BTW after reboot it said "unexpected error, please post logs to the forum" so please look at this. Also, I realized that I did not properly point the recording folder to the new partition and am moving files now to keep the OS partition from filling up.

The first file is my server.
The Bedroom client is my old Beyond TV server, and it is full of various codec packs I have installed while trying to fix BTV playback issues. I plan to move it's two expansion hard drives to my new MP1 server and do a fresh install of windows Vista. If it is not clear how to make this machine limp along until I rebuild it, then I will set up another machine as my bedroom client and quit using this thing. Please let me know if there is no simple fix.

The skip step issue does appear in Machine 2 (kitchen) so I do need help with that regardless. To recap, skipping around a recording using left and right arrows often cause playback freezes or moves to the wrong point in the recording.

The bedroom log file includes viewing one recorded show. During playback, it started the short, repetitive pausing I mentioned above, and when I skipped 5 minutes forward, the video froze but audio played.

 

[Jamie Murdock]

WAIT I just found a router problem! The QOS services were turned on and somehow killing router throughput. I turned it off and the skipping issue is gone in the Kitchen. I will go test the bedroom now...

 

[mm1352000]

About machine 3 (bedroom)...
I think the settings showed as blank because your MediaPortal config file (MediaPortal.xml) says to use LAV, but you haven't actually got the LAV codecs installed there. You can install them using the MP Extension Installer (shortcut on your desktop or in your start menu). Search for the "LAVFilters" package.

 

[Jamie Murdock]

I went in the extensions manager, and it said LAV was the only one installed, yet all the codec entries were blank. There was an install button available, so I clicked it and it installed LAV and now all the codecs say LAV!

NEW Problem

Now, after moving all my files to a special partition of my drive, I cannot play many of them. I did the import after moving them. VLC player does play the files when I browse to them in explorer. Here are the logs while I tried to play one of the files.

 

[mm1352000]

NEW Problem

I see what you mean.

MediaPortal did try to play the file. However, it encountered a problem:
[2015-08-29 22:56:18,498] [Log ] [MPMain ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer: event:ErrorAbort param1:-2004353023 param2:0 param1:0x88880001 param2:0x0

Honestly I have no idea what this means. I've never seen such an error before. As far as I can see, it isn't coming from a MediaPortal component. If I were you, I would try different codecs.

@Owlsroost
Your input would be appreciated.

 

[Owlsroost]

NEW Problem

I see what you mean.

MediaPortal did try to play the file. However, it encountered a problem:
[2015-08-29 22:56:18,498] [Log ] [MPMain ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer: event:ErrorAbort param1:-2004353023 param2:0 param1:0x88880001 param2:0x0

Honestly I have no idea what this means. I've never seen such an error before. As far as I can see, it isn't coming from a MediaPortal component. If I were you, I would try different codecs.

@Owlsroost
Your input would be appreciated.

I assume it's a graph component sending an 'EC_ERRORABORT' event to the filter graph manager (which then passes it on to MP player) - https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd319538(v=vs.85).aspx. The MP handler is here - https://github.com/MediaPortal/Medi...ortal/Core/Player/BaseTSReaderPlayer.cs#L1733

0x88880001 isn't a common HRESULT code, it seems to be in the 'user defined' range so could mean anything.....although some Googling suggests that it might be audio related.