[TV] Continuity errors in scheduled HD recording (1 Viewer)

fenschop

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August 31, 2009
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TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: 1.1 Beta1
MediaPortal Skin: bluewide
Windows Version: Vista SP1
CPU Type: atom 330 1.6GHz
HDD: WD 1.5TB
Memory: 4GB DDR2
Motherboard: Point of view ION330-1
Video Card: NVidia ION
Video Card Driver: 190.62
Sound Card: Realtek HD
Sound Card AC3: 1/1/1
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card:
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: Terratec Cinergy HTC USB XS
2. TV Card Type: DVB-C
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver: 5.9.304.0
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: mediaportal default
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec: coreavc
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: MCE
TV: Philips
TV - HTPC Connection: VGA

I consistenly get "continuity errors" (analyzed with TSReaderLite) when recording from TVServer, or when doing scheduled recordings. It does only occur when MP is closed. When it is open and I record from TVServer, there is no problem. It occurs with the dutch HD channels, e.g. Nederland 2 HD, as recorded from Ziggo DVB-C.

The continuity errors lead to very artifact rich playback, as if the computer is not up to HD-content. However, on a proper recording everything is fine with 20% loads on my GPU. Also recording/viewing with DVBViewer does not give rise to the problem. I could upload a file eith the continuity errors in it, if helpful.

I enclosed a zip file, where the problem did not occur, due to MP being open, and a .rar file of the TV-server logs where the probem occured.

Hope this is sufficient to analyze the bug.

Regards,
Frank
 

infinite.loop

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  • December 26, 2004
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    continuity errors usually indicate a bad reception.

    we have no experience with those new Atom CPU's.
    My only guess is that recording and have MP running at the same time simply is too much for it.
    But since you say that it only occurs when MP is NOT running, i am totally confused...
    Since that does not make any sense ar all. :confused:
     

    tourettes

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  • January 7, 2005
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    Since that does not make any sense ar all. :confused:

    Actually it makes some sense, as Atom is really energy saver when it comes to power consumption it might be not able to use the low power mode when MediaPortal is running (GUI rendering causes CPU & GPU load).

    So, it could be some driver side issue. Please try to change the power scheme so that Windows is not allowing CPU to sleep.
     

    fenschop

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    August 31, 2009
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    The problem is 100% deterministic and reproducible. I am sure it is not related to bad reception. The Atom/Ion combo is very much upto the task for TVServer activities, but MediaPortal manage to load GPU and CPU around 50-60%. When I tested CPU clock did not get switched back as I remember, but I will take a better look soon.

    Ihave tested also with SD-TV. It also gives continuity errors, but they are not visible in the playback, but are reported by the TSReaderLite.

    If you are sure it does not happen with other recorder setups with Nederland 2 HD for example, than it is specific for my system. Playback of HD content should be perfect (or would a faster system be able to correct better?). If specific to my system, consider it as a "no bug".

    Thanks,
    Frank
     

    fenschop

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    August 31, 2009
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    I tested again with three different power policies: energy saving, balanced, performance. There is no difference. All three are giving continuity errors. I reasured myself that the clock was not stepping down (or up).

    Frank
     

    VASkO

    Portal Member
    September 18, 2008
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    Same issue here on the ION system. I'm using the IPTV plugin and Cyberlink PDVD9 H.264 decoder for HD channels. It must be something with the tsreader/tswriter. Channels with 1080i get continuity errors (also SD mpeg2 channels get them, but not as much), even when only running the tvservice and doing a manual timeshift/recording through it with no other processes running in the background. Also it must be very bad performance of the tsreader-tswriter, because it's not able to record without errors whereas i'm able to capture the same channel with VLC without ANY errors or dropping. The VLC recorded 1080i stream plays without a hitch on this same ION system using the PDVD9 H.264 decoder in DXVA mode (20% cpu utilisation).
    Damn, I bought this little system, to replace the STB in my parents house and I sweared to them, that they could watch all HD channels with this setup (using a STB they are locked - paytv). And now this.
    On the other side, I'm also having another system with an Core2Duo E4300@3GHz. Don't have this kind of issues there. The ION does also play the 1080i streams nicely when I use it only as a client with the faster computer as the IPTV server. . So it must be a badly written tsreader/tswriter with bad performance. Can someone turn off logging in these two and post the dlls here? Maybe it will help a little bit performance wise.

    fenschop
    I see, you are getting the signal not over IPTV as me but we have the same issues, although at first I assumed, that 20% network utilisation is causing my problems (20mbps stream), but it obviusly isn't the case. Points to tsreader/writer bad performance.

    @any of the developers
    can you somehow raise the buffer for the incoming stream? in VLC there is an option, to prebuffer an incoming stream. default is 300ms and it should be raised to at least 700ms for HD channels. can this be also done in mediaportal? i have 2 weeks time to finish the configuration of the ION nettop, so in these two weeks I can test anything, you throw to me :)

    edit:
    I was running the 1.1.0Beta, and the 2 latest SVNs till today with the same issue almost giving up on watchable HD content in a singleseat installation on this ION system. Now i wiped all of MP and gave 1.0.2 a try. First tests show, that at least the timeshifting and recording a channel now work without "continuity errors" and the recorded .ts file is 100% OK. I will also try to watch LiveTV (singleseat) on the ION with 1.0.2 and will report back. If it works, it's definitely the 1.1.0 to blame (TSWriter).

    edit2:
    In 1.0.2 i'm getting "unable to start timeshift for video/audio" in My TV, so can't test, but preview in TV server works!?!
     

    VASkO

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    September 18, 2008
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    Don't want to be a thread stealer... just to inform you, I am still battling the "unable to start timeshift for video/audio" in MP client 1.0.2. So I tried it in this way. I started the timeshift on the History HD (1080i) channel and simultaniously playing the timeshift buffer stream in PowerDVD with its own DXVA codec (Cyberlink H.264). The MP client works in a similar way to this. Just wanted to find out, if ION is capable of running the server and client by itself. The result is: the ION serves and plays the 1080i stream without a hitch in this scenario. Just doesn't work well (if at all) using MP client.

    edit: and this all at 1600MHz. It does however overclock to a stable 2GHz, but I don't need to overclock it, so it seems.
     

    VASkO

    Portal Member
    September 18, 2008
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    I solved the issue. It probably was down to the filters. Made an upgrade from 1.0.2 to the beta 1.1.0 and then to the latest SVN (although choosing fresh install in setup) and I can finally watch fluid LiveTV HD. I don't know, what was wrong before but now i don't get discontinuity errors anymore, LiveT and Videos are now working on the ION platform. Recording also works. My codec settings are following:
    TV:
    1.MPEG-2 decoder: Microsoft DTV-DVD
    -is decoding SD channels and also 720p channels fluid and also using DXVA :eek:
    2.H.264 decoder: Cyberlink H.264 PowerDVD9
    -taking over 1080 content, especially 1080i also using DXVA (~30% CPU usage). Have turned deinterlacing to off, the TV will handle that.
    3.Audio decoder: latest ffdshow SSE build

    Videos:
    1.MPEG-2 decoder: ffdshow
    2.H.264 decoder: Cyberlink H.264 PowerDVD9
    3.Audio decoder: ffdshow
    4.Also using DirectVobSub for autoloading subtitles. I prefer this filter over MPC-HC because you can specify your own folders for subtitles.

    Now let's just hope, the setup will continue to work. Will post this in the ION thread, incase someone is searching for a solution, that will play almost everything.

    fenschop
    What filters have you been using in your setup? I had SAF installed where I experienced above similar problems. I removed it completly before doing a fresh install of 1.0.2 where my problems with discontinuity went away. Btw, are your channels 1080i? How can CoreAVC hanndle to decode them? In my setup, it's not able to do so - decoding like slow motion at 19FPS.
     

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