[solved] (Micro)Stutter when playing TV (2 Viewers)

[BlueMax1916]

Hi,

is your display a TV or a computer monitor and what is your setting unter Settings -> Player -> Codecs -> Audio Codecs -> Audio Output Device?

Also is Settings -> Player -> Video Player -> Dynamic Refresh Rate Changer checked or unchecked?

Cheers

Blue Max

 

[Digsy]

is your display a TV or a computer monitor and what is your setting unter Settings -> Player -> Codecs -> Audio Codecs -> Audio Output Device?

Its a plasma TV with VGA input running at 1024 x 768 60Hz. Its capable of higher resolutions but they aren't available with the video driver on the NUC, I use the "stretch" zoom mode to correct the aspect ratio.
Audio codecs are all set to LAV and "Default Direct Sound Device."

Also is Settings -> Player -> Video Player -> Dynamic Refresh Rate Changer checked or unchecked?

It was switched on, but I have tried it both on and off. It makes no difference that I can see.

 

[Digsy]

Also keep in mind that a 100 MBit Ethernet connection can come to its limits if other traffic is happening at the same time in your network, particularly if sent over the same server network interface. HD bitrates can reach 7-8 MB/s which doesn’t leave much room for anything else.

Here's two screengrabs of network activity on my server while playing TV on my client. Looks like I am only managing to send out about 3 or 4 Mbits/s.
If I do a simple transfer of a large file from my server to my NAS I get about 90Mbits/s

HD


SD

 

[BlueMax1916]

Hi,

Its a plasma TV with VGA input running at 1024 x 768 60Hz. Its capable of higher resolutions but they aren't available with the video driver on the NUC, I use the "stretch" zoom mode to correct the aspect ratio.
Audio codecs are all set to LAV and "Default Direct Sound Device."

then sound is put out via analogue audio?

It was switched on, but I have tried it both on and off. It makes no difference that I can see.

For me I need to switch it off with a HDMI connection (video and audio) to a LCD TV. The video driver 'finds' the right frequencies of the TV screen anyways. But mileage may vary.


Cheers

Blue Max

 

[HTPCSourcer]

a plasma TV with VGA input running at 1024 x 768 60Hz.

The 60 Hz is the important info. TV is broadcasted at 50 Hz. Displaying this at forced 60 Hz leads to the observed stutter. There is no other cure for the problem than to buy another screen.

 

[BlueMax1916]

Hi,

if the plasma TV can not switch to various frequencies e.g. 23,976 Hz, 24 Hz, 25 Hz, 50 Hz, etc. as a LCD TV does then I agree with @HTPCSourcer

Cheers

Blue Max

 

[Digsy]

then sound is put out via analogue audio?

Yes, that's correct. 2-channel analogue audio to a 2.1 amp. Bear in mind this is a bedroom setup using legacy equipment left over from my very first home cinema from 2003

The 60 Hz is the important info. TV is broadcasted at 50 Hz. Displaying this at forced 60 Hz leads to the observed stutter.

I'm starting to think that stutter isn't really the right word for it. Its more that either the client or the server just can't keep up with streaming 50 fps from an HD programme. SD is solid at 50fps whereas HD struggles and sits between 40 and 50. In scenes with a lot of movement I have seen it drop as low as to 30. Have you watched the video I posted? I would quite like to find out if this is a limitation of my server, my network, or my client, but I will need some help to do this. I promise I will post logs ASAP.

FWIW my main screen (HDMI for video / optical audio) was also set to 60Hz with no observable stutter even for HD TV programmes, but of course this isn't using the network to receive the video signal.

There is no other cure for the problem than to buy another screen.

Well, unfortunately that won't be happening, at least not yet. My bedroom HTPC inherits obsolete equipment whenever I upgrade my lounge, and that doesn't happen very often. I can still watch SD channels on my bedroom setup, so if that's a limitation then so be it. I am just trying to get my setup working as well as they can with the hardware I have to hand

 

[HTPCSourcer]

SD is solid at 50fps whereas HD struggles and sits between 40 and 50. In scenes with a lot of movement I have seen it drop as low as to 30.

Then please verify what I have written in a previous post about CPU loads, hardware acceleration, etc.

 

[Digsy]

if the plasma TV can not switch to various frequencies e.g. 23,976 Hz, 24 Hz, 25 Hz, 50 Hz, etc. as a LCD TV does then I agree with @HTPCSourcer

Back in the days when this screen was attached to my main HTPC I had more resolutions and refresh rates available. However now that it is attached to my NUC then I only have a very limited range even though I have installed the latest graphics drivers. According to the instruction manual, the screen is capable of displaying 1080/50i.

 

[Digsy]

Then please verify what I have written in a previous post about CPU loads, hardware acceleration, etc.

I posted it last night here.

Hardware acceleration is switched on in LAV and according to dxdiag it is "enabled". Whether it is actually being used or not, I do not know how to check that.