DVB-S audio stuttering on some channels (1 Viewer)

[mnp]

I've just setup a Mediaportal system and it seems to be working quite well for most of my channels, except for one DVB-S TV and one DVB-S radio channel here, where the audio keeps stuttering. It runs at a high pitch for about half a second, then pauses, then repeats this. The channels are Parliament TV and Radio NZ National on Optus D1 in New Zealand

All the advice I can find seems to be centred around video stuttering or synchronisation issues, but I don't see how that'd affect the radio channel. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome

Please could you follow our support guidelines:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...-and-fill-in-system-specs-for-support.118468/

It's much harder (or impossible) to help you without that information.

...and one additional question: are you certain that you don't have problems with any of the other channels that are broadcast from the same transponder as Parliament and Radio NZ (eg. TV3, FOUR)?

 

[mnp]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply, and sorry for not doing that from the start. System specs filled out and log attached.

I also made a recording of Parliament TV (couldn't figure out how to record a radio channel, not sure if Mediaportal supports that) and played it back afterwards both in Mediaportal and with MPC-HC. It played back fine in both, so I'm assuming the issue is in the client/renderer, rather than the TV Server. Possibly not enough of a delay between recording and playback?

In response to your question, all other channels are working fine. Even Radio NZ Classical.

 

[mm1352000]

Thanks for the info and log files

I also made a recording of Parliament TV ... and played it back afterwards both in Mediaportal and with MPC-HC. It played back fine in both, so I'm assuming the issue is in the client/renderer, rather than the TV Server.

Yes, agreed.

I suspect the problem is simply that you haven't configured your TV codec settings:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...nfiguration/9_Codecs_and_Renderer/1_TV_Codecs

This means MediaPortal will be using the codecs configured as preferred in Windows/DirectShow. The log files clearly show that's not working out so well.

So, the solution should be as simple as visiting the above-referenced section of MediaPortal Configuration and adjusting settings as preferred. For you it should be fine to select the LAV option for all settings except the audio renderer, which I'd recommend should be a DirectSound option (usually "Default DirectSound" - the computer's default audio output - is fine). Note that when you visit that section of configuration you'll see all the settings appear to be set to LAV already. That's just because MediaPortal Configuration loads those settings as recommended defaults. They weren't previously saved/used.

Regards,
mm
P.S. Just a quick response to this comment:

couldn't figure out how to record a radio channel, not sure if Mediaportal supports that

Yes, MP supports recording radio. There's a brief description of it in our wiki (manual):
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/14_Using_MediaPortal/4_Radio/Record_Radio

In short: recording radio is basically the same as recording TV... and recording TV is achieved in a variety of ways, some of which are also described in the wiki:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...MediaPortal/3_TV/3_Record_TV#How_to_record_TV

 

[mnp]

Thanks for the info and log files I suspect the problem is simply that you haven't configured your TV codec settings:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...nfiguration/9_Codecs_and_Renderer/1_TV_Codecs

...and the default codecs that MediaPortal is falling back to are not working out so well. That's certainly what the log files appear to show.

So, the solution should be as simple as visiting the above-referenced section of MediaPortal Configuration and adjusting settings as preferred. For you it should be fine to select the LAV option for all settings except the audio renderer, which I'd recommend should be a DirectSound option (usually "Default DirectSound" - the computer's default audio output - is fine). Note that when you visit that section of configuration you'll see all the settings appear to be set to LAV already. That's just because MediaPortal Configuration loads those settings as recommended defaults. They weren't previously saved/used.

Regards,
mm

I'd already tried an alternative MPEG / AC3 audio decoder (Microsoft DTV-DVD Audio Decoder) but that had the same issue, so switched back to LAV. The Audio Renderer is already set to Default DirectSound Device, haven't tried anything else.

 

[mm1352000]

I'd already tried an alternative MPEG / AC3 audio decoder (Microsoft DTV-DVD Audio Decoder) but that had the same issue, so switched back to LAV. The Audio Renderer is already set to Default DirectSound Device, haven't tried anything else.

None of that shows in the log files. TV codecs are definitely unconfigured. Perhaps you were looking at the video codecs tab? (Videos and TV have separate settings on separate tabs.)

 

[mnp]

I'd already tried an alternative MPEG / AC3 audio decoder (Microsoft DTV-DVD Audio Decoder) but that had the same issue, so switched back to LAV. The Audio Renderer is already set to Default DirectSound Device, haven't tried anything else.

None of that shows in the log files. TV codecs are definitely unconfigured. Perhaps you were looking at the video codecs tab? (Videos and TV have separate settings on separate tabs.)

Just checked again. TV Codecs page has LAV Video/Audio Decoder selected for everything except the Audio renderer, which is Default DirectSound Device.

 

[mm1352000]

Just checked again. TV Codecs page has LAV Video/Audio Decoder selected for everything except the Audio renderer, which is Default DirectSound Device.

This is what I was telling you about when I said:

Note that when you visit that section of configuration you'll see all the settings appear to be set to LAV already. That's just because MediaPortal Configuration loads those settings as recommended defaults. They weren't previously saved/used.

You should find that all channels now work correctly.

 

[mnp]

Yes, that's fixed it. Again, sorry for not seeing that the first time you wrote it. I was sure I'd been in the 'TV Codecs' tab when I tried switching codecs before, but obviously not.

Thanks again for all the help.

As for radio, I figured out how to schedule recordings, but it seems like you can't just hit the 'Record' button on the remote like you can for TV.

Now I just need to get my internet TV channels working and I'll be set.