TV repeatedly freezing momentarily (2 Viewers)

[doveman]

One thing I think I'll try is running timeshifting via TV Server config when I'm out and not able to monitor the TV for freezes. That might show whether the continuity errors occur less when MP isn't running and playing the stream at the same time.

 

[doveman]

OK, this is strange!

I've done various tests today and the continuity errors appear every hour at 35 minutes past!

From 15:03 - 17:05 I had the Xperf trace running with TV Server config running timeshifting and there were errors at 15:35 and 16:35
Then I stopped the Xperf trace and started MP and watched TV until 19:00 and there were errors at 17:35, 18:35
Then I closed MP, switched power mode to Balanced and ran timeshifting via TV Server config again until 21:04 and there were errors at 19:35 and 20:35 (seems to confirm your suspicion that power mode has nothing to do with this problem anyway).

The obvious thing to check was Task Scheduler but I don't see any tasks that ran at those times. Ractask is the only thing that runs every hour and that ran at 19:07, 18:08, 17:03, 16:13, 15:10. I'll try disabling that anyway.

 

[mm1352000]

Scheduled scan by virus or malware protection (eg. Windows Defender). Sounds like HDD stress...

 

[doveman]

Scheduled scan by virus or malware protection (eg. Windows Defender). Sounds like HDD stress...

Windows Defender is disabled and my antivirus (Avira Antivir) only has the engine loaded, not the GUI and isn't scheduled to scan. I think if it was it would appear in Task Scheduler anyway.

I'll have to see if disabling RACtack has fixed the problem.

 

[GeoffC]

I have had the same issue but probably not as bad - I also have an AMD based system. TV appears to freeze for a couple of seconds, then goes fast for a second and catches up.. Never really worried about it as it would be only once or twice a day.
It has happened with my previous TV card (avermedia) and my current card (Hauppage).
I have seen it inside recorded TV as well - rewinding and replaying the section and it will behave normally (most times) so I don't believe it is a reception issue

 

[doveman]

Well I left timeshifting running overnight (with TV Server config) from about 02:55 - 09:46 after disabling RACtask and it seems to have fixed it. There were some continuity errors at 2:57 but that was it. Those (and any future occassional errors) might be due to bad reception but as things like scheduled tasks seem to be able to cause them it would be good if there was a way to check for and disable anything on the system that's causing them before going to the trouble and expense of getting the reception checked. I'd like to re-enable RACtask sometime and check that is causing HDD stress, rather than some other sort of stress that causes these errors but I need something that logs better than Resource Monitor's 60 sec graph.

Anyway, I'll keep monitoring it for a few days with RACtask disabled first, just to be sure that has fixed the regular errors.

 

[doveman]

Well disabling RACtask certainly stopped the hourly freezes but I was still getting a fair few at random times and a fair number of continuity/discontinuity errors in the logs.

I've switched back to my "Main HTPC" at the moment whilst I move the other system into a new case and I've had no freezes at all and barely any continuity errors (there were a fair few discontinuities on 29-07 though, maybe I was watching a particular channel that has a weaker signal then?), so it's clearly not a signal strength problem that was causing the freezes. There's a fair few tasks, including RACtask, enabled on this system without causing any problem (not to mention a number of programs installed and running) so although that was clearly causing the hourly freezes, maybe that was a symptom of something else that's wrong.

I've got the Standard MS AHCI SATA controller driver installed on this system but had that on the other system as well until I installed the AMD drivers recently after seeing this recommended by someone to fix stuttering problems, so I don't think that's the problem.

I know it doesn't mean much but the Signal level/quality shows a lot higher with this Nova-T card (73/100, I think it was around 100/44 with the other system). I think what I'll try when I get a chance is to put this card in the other system and see if it's OK (i.e. no freezes) and shows the same stats there.

I hope I can get this sorted soon as I was hoping to send the PC to my brother for his birthday in a month but I can't do that until I sort out whatever's causing this problem.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again doveman

So do we have a verdict?
With all due respect I feel like the ball is in your court to show that the issues are with TV Server rather than with your PC and/or signal environment(s). TsWriter is quite mechanical, and as such if there were a problem with it I would have expected more reports...

mm

 

[doveman]

Hi mm

Unfortunately (and very annoyingly) my other motherboard has broken (won't power on), so it might be a while before I get to test with my Nova-T card in it

 

[mm1352000]

Sorry to hear that.