Experimental TsReader development (3 Viewers)

[doveman]

I don't know if you mean bad signal by "randomly corrupted data" but I'll assume so as I'm not aware that there's any other reason MP would be getting corrupted data.

Stream corruption / randomly corrupted data could be caused many different things - most of the time it is bad signal. For example:

• Long DPC latency caused by some driver (BDA driver has no change to deliver data and some of it needs to be discarded)
• Buggy BDA driver

I'd still think that if the signal was so bad that it couldn't decode the audio, the video would also be affected. In the cases where the audio drops-out for about a second, even if the scene is fairly static if there's someone talking I imagine I'd notice if the video skipped or froze.

Well, I have seen corrupted recordings on my own HTPC where some dropouts were affecting only the audio. Remember that it is completely random where the corruption usually hits. Transport Stream packets are 188 bytes long, and one packet carries only audio or video (or subtitle etc.). So with an extra bad luck you could have 1 hour long period of corrupted audio data and not a single hickup in video stream. Quite unlikely event, but losing 1 second of audio is much more likely (it depends much on the encoding and decoders how much a single lost audio packet will drop the audio stream in the decoding phase).

OK, thanks for explaining. I didn't realise the audio/video was carried in separate packets received at different times. I guess it's possible when the audio drops-out, that the bad signal was actually less than one second but it causes the audio renderer/audio device to lose signal and reset, making the drop-out more obvious.

How do you determine whether it's bad signal or one of the other possible causes though, without spending loads on replacing (possibly unnecessarily) the aerial?

I've just switched from LAV to MS DTV audio decoder and had a very obvious audio problem at around 20:21. I didn't see if it affected the picture as I was at my PC at the time. I notice that TsWriter shows Continuity errors at 20:20:56 - 20:20:57 and evr.log shows Dropping samples at the same time, whilst TsReader shows Continuity errors at 20:20:59 - 20:21:00, which I don't understand as I would have thought any display problems reflected in evr.log would be in sync with TsReader, not TsWriter.

You'll also notice I'm still getting the "PMT Pid wasn't found on the PAT" errors, despite doing a re-scan (on both tuners) and setting the debugoption.

 

[doveman]

Whilst some of the issues may well be due to bad signal, I've noticed that sometimes the sound glitches when refreshing a webpage or even running the log collector.

This happened once at around 21:18, which doesn't seem to be reflected in the logs at all, and again at around 21:20 which is in the logs.

Before this there were glitches at 21:09:53 and 21:14:44 (TsReader times). Whilst I was browsing at those times, I can't say I'd specifically refreshed a page just then.

I'll try closing my browser for a while and see if I continue to have sound issues with it shut.

 

[doveman]

Well after running with my browser closed, I just reopened it at around 00:43 and Live TV glitched like mad whilst it was loading all my tabs so that seems to prove that it's not really a bad signal issue.

After my last post I watched TV and only had one glitch at 21:52 when I opened TV Server config to check something. Then I started watching TV recordings (Thirteen, recorded in two parts, the first recording 20:56 - 22:10 and the second 22:11 -23:45) at around 22:10 and had glitches at 22:16, 22:21, 22:27, 22:34, 23:03 and 23:54. I think the first part started recording whilst I had the browser open and certainly whilst I was watching another channel live, which might explain why most of the glitches were in the first part.

 

[yhoogi]

You have tobe aware, that Windows does not respond well during startup of a HDD. It usually stops operating during spin up which may result in loss or bad packets due to buffer overflow.

Cheers,

 

[wouter1971]

Well after running with my browser closed, I just reopened it at around 00:43 and Live TV glitched like mad whilst it was loading all my tabs so that seems to prove that it's not really a bad signal issue.

After my last post I watched TV and only had one glitch at 21:52 when I opened TV Server config to check something. Then I started watching TV recordings (Thirteen, recorded in two parts, the first recording 20:56 - 22:10 and the second 22:11 -23:45) at around 22:10 and had glitches at 22:16, 22:21, 22:27, 22:34, 23:03 and 23:54. I think the first part started recording whilst I had the browser open and certainly whilst I was watching another channel live, which might explain why most of the glitches were in the first part.

Doveman: i'm not judging you, but i'll advise you to move to the general support forums as this is a special support thread for only a modified tsreader for experienced MP users. What you are experiencing is more a common issue and not especialy an issue for tsreader.

Also a good starting point is a stock 1.2.2 installation and from what i understood you don't have that (and with MDAPI). Also use a latency checker to check if the pc is capable of running a steady video stream.

Greetings,

Wouter

 

[doveman]

You have tobe aware, that Windows does not respond well during startup of a HDD. It usually stops operating during spin up which may result in loss or bad packets due to buffer overflow.

Cheers,

I only have one HDD and as far as I'm aware it doesn't spindown (or up) due to Windows accessing it often. My timeshift files are on a RAMdisk.

Well after running with my browser closed, I just reopened it at around 00:43 and Live TV glitched like mad whilst it was loading all my tabs so that seems to prove that it's not really a bad signal issue.

After my last post I watched TV and only had one glitch at 21:52 when I opened TV Server config to check something. Then I started watching TV recordings (Thirteen, recorded in two parts, the first recording 20:56 - 22:10 and the second 22:11 -23:45) at around 22:10 and had glitches at 22:16, 22:21, 22:27, 22:34, 23:03 and 23:54. I think the first part started recording whilst I had the browser open and certainly whilst I was watching another channel live, which might explain why most of the glitches were in the first part.

Doveman: i'm not judging you, but i'll advise you to move to the general support forums as this is a special support thread for only a modified tsreader for experienced MP users. What you are experiencing is more a common issue and not especialy an issue for tsreader.

Also a good starting point is a stock 1.2.2 installation and from what i understood you don't have that (and with MDAPI). Also use a latency checker to check if the pc is capable of running a steady video stream.

Greetings,

Wouter

That's fine. If you don't believe the problems I'm having are anything to do with the modified TsReader I'm happy to move this elsewhere.

I'm holding off upgrading to 1.2.2 just until a few issues with OnlineVideos and maybe a couple of other things are ironed out. Not sure what MDAPI is. I have used DPC latency checker before when idle and it looked fine but I'm running it now with Ant Movie Catalog scraping data and it's very high, so maybe there's an issue with my NIC drivers

EDIT: Seems my onboard Realtek PCIe GBE NIC and (to a lesser extent) the AMD High Definition Audio Device are causing high latency. I can manage with the latter disabled, but will have to try and find a way to fix the NIC.

EDIT: Actually, it seems to be Outpost Security Suite that's causing the problem. I'll have to see if they can fix this as I really like this firewall.

 

[grubi]

AW: Experimental TsReader development

I just checked the latest v. 41, but I have to say that still best working version here is the one of MP 1.2.1.

Zapping speed is better with MP 1.2.1 version and I also have less/no stutter directly after channel change.
Maybe there are some advantages which are only visible after viewing a channel for a longer time but that is someting I cannot estimate.

Cheers.

grubi.

 

[JackTramiel]

AW: Re: AW: Experimental TsReader development

Hi Tony. Unfortunatly there is just one log file left from yesterday. But the good thing its a short one where this issue appeared.

EDIT: Had a look at the log myself and even having no clue what it tells im very sure this was the time. I tested "Pause" and then
just watched a movie ( Kabel1 - Philadelphia ). I wonder a bit that the log is that short. Played around a long time before just watching tv.

Can you try running with the 'Don't drop discontinued packets.....' box in MP config not ticked - like it is here -> TV Client - MediaPortal Wiki <- (not ticked is the standard setting, which is more robust/stable with most video decoders)

Tony

Hi Tony. Just installed the mods again. I will use the .41 now for testing or are you more interested in a v.39 test?

Will post logs when i see some issues.

 

[tompa]

Hi!
If I toggle subtitles to "CC1" Iv got a lot of dropped frames. Anyone that can explain way?
What logs might be interesting?

/tompa

 

[Owlsroost]

Re: AW: Re: AW: Experimental TsReader development

Hi Tony. Unfortunatly there is just one log file left from yesterday. But the good thing its a short one where this issue appeared.

EDIT: Had a look at the log myself and even having no clue what it tells im very sure this was the time. I tested "Pause" and then
just watched a movie ( Kabel1 - Philadelphia ). I wonder a bit that the log is that short. Played around a long time before just watching tv.

Can you try running with the 'Don't drop discontinued packets.....' box in MP config not ticked - like it is here -> TV Client - MediaPortal Wiki <- (not ticked is the standard setting, which is more robust/stable with most video decoders)

Tony

Hi Tony. Just installed the mods again. I will use the .41 now for testing or are you more interested in a v.39 test?

Will post logs when i see some issues.

Use v41 for testing.

Tony