Two issues: Stuttering recordings / Playing recorded shows stalls MP (1 Viewer)

[GoldenEye]

TV-Server Version: TVE3 rev 17388 (14.02.08)
MediaPortal Version: Productive: 2.3.0.0 RC 2 latest SVN
MediaPortal Skin: XFace
Windows Version: Windows XP Professional SP2
CPU Type: AMD Athlon 64 3200
HDD: Samsung SP1614N 160GB
Memory: 1GB
Motherboard: Shuttle FT20
Motherboard Chipset: ATI RS480 + Uli M1573
Motherboard Bios: Phoenix Award WorkstationBIOS v6.00PG
Video Card: ATI Radeon XPress 200 Series (onboard)
Video Card Driver: Catalyst 7.9
Sound Card: Realtek HD Audio ALC880 (onboard)
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver: 5.10.00.5366
1. TV Card: Hauppauge PVR-500 (Tuner 1)
1. TV Card Type: analog
1. TV Card Driver: 2.0.43.24108
2. TV Card: Hauppauge PVR-500 (Tuner 2)
2. TV Card Type: analog
2. TV Card Driver: 2.0.43.24108
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: NVIDIA Puerevideo Platinum 1.02.150
MPEG2 Audio Codec: NVIDIA Puerevideo Platinum 1.02.150
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Cablecom DigiTV (via Settop Box)
HTPC Case: Shuttle XPC ST20G5 Mini Barbeone
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: Q-Sonic Master Remote 6in1 (X10)
TV: Sanyo PLV-Z2 Beamer
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI

Issue 1: Stuttering recordings on my NAS

Since a few weeks, all my TV recordings show stuttered shows (whereas liveTV is ok). I am recording onto a Terastation NAS, which is accessible as the network share \\data\aufnahmen. This used to work perfectly until recently. I have no idea what causes the stuttering, so I am a bit lost. Any help is appreciated.

During my investigations, I changed the recording path to the local disk D: on the server, which I share as \\VIPEOFFICE\aufnahmen.


Issue 2: Recordings on the server cannot be watched on media center client

When watching the recordings on the Mediaportal version installed on the server, everything works fine (even stuttering is gone, therefore I guess that the stuttering is caused a network or a NAS issue rather than by the TV engine).

But when I want to watch the recording on the media center in the livingroom, Mediaportal stalls. I have to close by ending the process in the task manager. However, moving the recording to the NAS and changing the path in the TV database's recordings table solves the issue (no stuttering, either).

A comparison of the mediaportal log files show that MP doesn't use the same method for accessing the file:

(MP version installed on the server)

2008-02-15 18:33:24.140625 [Debug][MPMain]: WindowManager: route TvPlugin.TvRecorded:603->MediaPortal.Dialogs.GUIDialogYesNo:100
2008-02-15 18:33:24.156250 [Debug][MPMain]: Window: MediaPortal.Dialogs.GUIDialogYesNo init
2008-02-15 18:33:25.968750 [Debug][MPMain]: WindowManager: unroute to MediaPortal.Dialogs.GUIDialogYesNo:100->TvPlugin.TvRecorded:603
2008-02-15 18:33:26.046875 [Info.][MPMain]: TvRecorded Play:D:\Aufnahmen\Für alle Fälle Amy-VOX\Für alle Fälle Amy-2008-02-15-08_05.mpg
2008-02-15 18:33:26.046875 [Info.][MPMain]: [B]g_Player.Play(D:\Aufnahmen\Für alle Fälle Amy-VOX\Für alle Fälle Amy-2008-02-15-08_05.mpg Recording)[/B]
2008-02-15 18:33:26.078125 [Info.][MPMain]: Loading external players plugins
2008-02-15 18:33:26.078125 [Info.][MPMain]:   found plugin:MediaPortal.ITunesPlayer.ITunesPlugin in C:\Programme\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Plugins\ExternalPlayers\ExternalPlayers.dll
2008-02-15 18:33:26.093750 [Info.][MPMain]:   player:iTunes.  author: Frodo
2008-02-15 18:33:26.093750 [Info.][MPMain]:   found plugin:MediaPortal.FoobarPlugin.FoobarPlugin in C:\Programme\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Plugins\ExternalPlayers\ExternalPlayers.dll
2008-02-15 18:33:26.093750 [Info.][MPMain]:   player:Foobar2000.  author: int_20h/rtv
2008-02-15 18:33:26.093750 [Info.][MPMain]:   found plugin:MediaPortal.WinampPlayer.WinampPlugin in C:\Programme\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Plugins\ExternalPlayers\ExternalPlayers.dll
2008-02-15 18:33:26.093750 [Info.][MPMain]:   player:Winamp.  author: int_20h
2008-02-15 18:33:26.203125 [Debug][MPMain]: g_Player.LoadChapters() - Chapter file found for video "D:\Aufnahmen\Für alle Fälle Amy-VOX\Für alle Fälle Amy-2008-02-15-08_05.mpg"
2008-02-15 18:33:26.203125 [Debug][MPMain]: g_Player.LoadChapters() - Automatic ComSkip mode is on.
2008-02-15 18:33:26.218750 [Info.][MPMain]: Streambufferplayer play:D:\Aufnahmen\Für alle Fälle Amy-VOX\Für alle Fälle Amy-2008-02-15-08_05.mpg radio:False
2008-02-15 18:33:26.218750 [Info.][MPMain]: [B]TSStreamBufferPlayer:play D:\Aufnahmen\Für alle Fälle Amy-VOX\Für alle Fälle Amy-2008-02-15-08_05.mpg[/B]

(MP version installed on the client)

2008-02-15 17:48:20.828125 [Debug][MPMain]: WindowManager: route TvPlugin.TvRecorded:603->MediaPortal.Dialogs.GUIDialogYesNo:100
2008-02-15 17:48:20.828125 [Debug][MPMain]: Window: MediaPortal.Dialogs.GUIDialogYesNo init
2008-02-15 17:48:24.421875 [Debug][MPMain]: WindowManager: unroute to MediaPortal.Dialogs.GUIDialogYesNo:100->TvPlugin.TvRecorded:603
2008-02-15 17:48:24.515625 [Info.][MPMain]: TvRecorded Play:rtsp://vipeoffice/2180AD1D
2008-02-15 17:48:24.531250 [Debug][MPMain]: CommandProcessor: add cmd: MediaPortal.TV.Recording.StopRadioCommand #1
2008-02-15 17:48:24.531250 [Info.][MPMain]: [B]g_Player.Play(rtsp://vipeoffice/2180AD1D Recording)[/B]
2008-02-15 17:48:24.546875 [Info.][15]: Command:Stop radio
2008-02-15 17:48:24.562500 [Info.][15]: Commandprocessor: MediaPortal.TV.Recording.StopRadioCommand failed reason: Keine TV-Karte installiert time: 0 msec
2008-02-15 17:48:24.593750 [Info.][MPMain]: TSReaderPlayer play:rtsp://vipeoffice/2180AD1D radio:False
2008-02-15 17:48:24.593750 [Info.][MPMain]: TSReaderPlayer: live tv
2008-02-15 17:48:24.593750 [Info.][MPMain]: TSReaderPlayer: Enabling DX9 exclusive mode
2008-02-15 17:48:24.593750 [Info.][MPMain]: Main: Received DX exclusive mode switch message. Fullscreen && maximized == True
2008-02-15 17:48:24.593750 [Debug][MPMain]: Main: Goto fullscreen: True
2008-02-15 17:48:24.593750 [Info.][MPMain]:   fonts.SetDevice()
2008-02-15 17:48:24.593750 [Info.][MPMain]: [B]TSReaderPlayer:play rtsp://vipeoffice/2180AD1D[/B]

Can somebody help me, e.g. by answering the question why g_Player.Play is different (local file vs. rtsp or why on the server TSStreamBufferPlayer is used on the server as opposed to TSReaderPlayer on the client.

Sorry for the long post. Full logs are attached.

G.

 

[GoldenEye]

Anybody?

 

[toz]

Is the problem still present if you record video in a local directory ?

 

[GoldenEye]

No, it's not. The video records without stuttering when I record it into a local folder
G.

 

[gibman]

The rtsp protocol is utilized when watching live TV or when watching recorded TV.

Thats why u have the difference.

the only way to avoid using rtsp on a multiseat client is to create a network share and map this to myvideos.
Then watch recorded TV from myvideos.

/gibman

 

[GoldenEye]

Thanks, gibman. The thing is: Both logs are produced in the same situation: Playing the very same recording - once from the MP installation on the client, and once using the MP installation on the server....

G.

 

[tourettes]

Are you using WLAN?

 

[GoldenEye]

Thanks, tourettes.

I have a WLAN installed but don't use it for the mediacenter.

The TV Server and MP client as well as the NAS server are attached to the same (10/100) switch in my Netgear Super Wireless ADSL Router DG834GT.

G.

 

[GoldenEye]

The rtsp protocol is utilized when watching live TV or when watching recorded TV.

Thats why u have the difference.

the only way to avoid using rtsp on a multiseat client is to create a network share and map this to myvideos.
Then watch recorded TV from myvideos.

/gibman

Gibman, thanks to your instructions on your updated TVPlugin, I inspected the stuttering issue further: The stuttering appears as soon as I access a folder through an UNC path or map a local path to a drive letter on the server. E.g. when I use the path \\server\c\recording or map the path c:\recording to the T: drive, the stuttering appears. However, when I access the folder directly using c:\recording, the stuttering is gone.

Any hints about what the issue on my machine or my network might be? I am wrong with my expectation that I could record TV shows onto my NAS server running Samba?

Thx a lot

G.

 

[tourettes]

Have you tried to run any network performance analyzer tools (sorry cannot remember any of such tools name). Maybe the network or NAS is just too slow.