Live TV pauses intermittently for a few seconds (1 Viewer)

[HTPCSourcer]

Hi,

My Live TV is often interrupted for a few seconds. The effect is like a pause, i.e. no loss of video/audio, and TV continues after a few seconds. Things can run for a couple of hours without problems and then have one or two breaks within the same hour.

The issue happened again today at ~16:50 and Live TV was paused for ca. 10s. I have verified all event logs on client and server but can't identify anything that would explain as to why the stream is interrupted.

Thanks,
HTPC_Sourcer

 

[mm1352000]

When a pause happens, does the video/audio resume from exactly where it stopped... or is the video/audio during the pause time lost?
Do the pauses only affect encrypted channels, or do they also affect free/unencrypted channels?

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Hello, a real fast reply

The effect is like a pause, i.e. no loss of video/audio,

It happens with both encrypted and FTA channels.

 

[mm1352000]

Sorry, I should have read more closely.

Given that video and audio aren't lost (and that the problem happens with both encrypted and FTA channels), I think it is probably safe to rule out the tuner and CI/CAM. I'm pretty sure there's no way they'd buffer ~10 seconds of data.

I start to think about HDD access/buffering (or maybe an HDD spin up/down)... because I don't see any errors or suspicious activity on the server or client side... and this is the only thing I can think of that could explain such symptoms.

[edit: Meant to ask, does the problem happen with both RTSP and UNC?]

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Indeed the tuner and CI/CAM are OK since recordings are not showing the issue.

I start to think about HDD access/buffering (or maybe an HDD spin up/down)... because I don't see any errors or suspicious activity on the server or client side....

Timeshifting files are stored on a ram disk. The server is a Windows 2012 Server system, hence I don't think that it is powering HDs down. What I could do is to have another client play for example music in parallel from the server to ensure that HDs stay up. But even if the HD was down, why would this affect the system with Windows being on the SSD and timeshifting happening in RAM?

[edit: Meant to ask, does the problem happen with both RTSP and UNC?]

I don't know, it is running on UNC for eternities now. But something to test, obviously issues are on the client side, including the network transfer from the server. What is not clear to me is how tsreader is functioning: if the network stream was discontinued at Windows level, shouldn't it then log something? I can set up WireShark and log the complete traffic (probably won't see pauses then for hours...)

and this is the only thing I can think of that could explain such symptoms

I've been thinking about this for eternities now and can't figure out the reason. It could be linked to the client's network hardware. In that case I should be able to watch TV on a different client without problems. Unfortunately all other clients are multi-purpose PCs that are not setup for exclusive HTPC usage but it's probably worth a try. Not big fun with a 20" screen...[DOUBLEPOST=1431795152][/DOUBLEPOST]

It could be linked to the client's network hardware.

No, that's stupid. If it was the network hardware, I would also get pauses when playing recordings, however, that has never happened. I believe that we can safely rule out the client's side of network.

 

[mm1352000]

But even if the HD was down, why would this affect the system with Windows being on the SSD and timeshifting happening in RAM?

In my experience, attempts to access HDD A while HDD B is spinning up or down will be delayed until the spin up/down is complete. I'm not sure if that's due to a shared driver or OS component... or whether it would affect SSDs and/or RAM... but it's the only situation I've seen that is even remotely similar.

...obviously issues are on the client side, including the network transfer from the server.

I wouldn't say it was obviously a client side issue.

What is not clear to me is how tsreader is functioning: if the network stream was discontinued at Windows level, shouldn't it then log something?

I don't know about TsReader... but I know that TVE 3's TsWriter would be silent if data just stopped, or if writing were slowed down.

I can set up WireShark and log the complete traffic (probably won't see pauses then for hours...)

Yep, a good idea... thought that's going to be a lot of data.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

I've been analyzing the complete service messages section of the event log on the server. Here is something that could be of interest:

Spoiler: Access denied

Die Freigabe hat den Zugriff auf den Client verweigert.

Clientname: \\192.168.178.34
Clientadresse: 192.168.178.34:56886
Benutzername: removed
Sitzungs-ID: 0x15800F8000001
Freigabename: \\*\Timeshift
Freigabepfad: \??\R:\Timeshift
Status: {Zugriff verweigert}
Ein Prozess hat einen Zugriff auf ein Objekt angefordert, aber ihm wurden nicht die Rechte für den Zugriff erteilt. (0xC0000022)
Zugeordneter Zugriff: 0x13019F
Gewährter Zugriff: 0x0

In essence the client is trying to address the timeshift folder on TCP port 56886. The folder is shared without limitations to everybody for Read Only access. However, this port doesn't look like it is related to MediaPortal. I would need to search through the event log on the client to better understand what is happening.

Interestingly the event log is full of this message, however, it started only yesterday at 21:30 (and was then using port 55164).

EDIT: It is now using 57673

 

[HTPCSourcer]

I'll check the application behind these ports as soon as the TV is free again...

 

[HTPCSourcer]

I'll check the application behind these ports as soon as the TV is free again...

services.exe is requesting write access to the timeshift folder. That's pretty unspecific...Now why is that I have no clue. I changed the acess rights from read only to write and the error logging stops immediately.

Back to the main problem:

I've been playing a 4 hour video file on another client in parallel to Live TV on HTPC1 and could not reproduce the effect - except maybe for a short glitch (~3-4s), but this one was different as the screen turned black for a second this time, which I have never seen before. Maybe some reason on the client.

I have now set the HD spin down power options on the server to "never". We'll see what this does.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

With the server HDDs always on I had no pause today at all.

I start to think about HDD access/buffering (or maybe an HDD spin up/down)... because I don't see any errors or suspicious activity on the server or client side... and this is the only thing I can think of that could explain such symptoms.

Looks as if you were right