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[rpalmer68]

This has been an ongoing issue for me for a long time, and has continued after upgrading my htpc.

When watching a video  stored on my local hard drive, or while watching television with timeshifting enabled, I get  a video stutter every few minutes.  Sound is OK, but video just freezes for a split second and then continues again.

I expect this is related to reading from the drive but I'm not sure what done be done about it to fix it.

I'm using an SATA drive, but only have one in the system to reduce heat/noise.

Does/can MC buffer video like it does with audio?  Or is there somethig I can configure/change that might help?

Cheers
Richard

[Yaobing]

MC does buffering for TV time-shifting (as well as playing .jts files). All other file types MC has no control as audio and video streams are dealt with by filters.

[raym]

Hi Richard. Believe it or not, these issues can sometimes be due to the auido renderer. You might like to try replacing the default one with Reclock.

From the website: " Reclock provides a new reference clock that is locked to the video card hardware clock, in order to ensure that frames are played at the exact speed of what is expected by the video card vertical sync. "

For the longest time, I had a similar issue when playing AVIs and MKV's. To my surprise, Reclock solved the problem and I've not looked back since.

Cheers,
Ralf

[rpalmer68]

Hi Richard. Believe it or not, these issues can sometimes be due to the auido renderer. You might like to try replacing the default one with Reclock.

From the website: " Reclock provides a new reference clock that is locked to the video card hardware clock, in order to ensure that frames are played at the exact speed of what is expected by the video card vertical sync. "

For the longest time, I had a similar issue when playing AVIs and MKV's. To my surprise, Reclock solved the problem and I've not looked back since.

Cheers,
Ralf

Thanks Ralf, on early testing it seems to be helping ....

Richard

[rpalmer68]

OK ... my new htpc (HTPC1) is running really well with no stutter thanks to reclock, BUT my old htpc HTPC2 is now stuttering badly on dvr-ms files for some reason.

So I need help!! (Before I throw the silly thing out a window!)

Some history....
1) HTPC2 is a 3.2Ghz P4 running XP Pro Sp3 with a Nvidia GPU
2) HTPC2 was my original htpc and was playing everything back just fine, although I had to use enhanced video renderer or the picture was all distotred/stretched (strange as my new htpc runs VMR7 just fine )
3) When I setup HTPC1 I took the audio card (m-audio delta 1010LT) out of HTPC2 but left everythiungb esle the same.
4) HTPC2 is now running the onboard audio (SoundMax driver)

So once HTPC1 was all running HTPC2 was put on a shelf for a couole of months as a backup in case the new pc died.

I connected HTPC2 up to the original screen it was connected to (only runs at 60Hz) and powered it up expecting everything to just work!

I upgraded the MC12 to MC13 and reconfigured all the video playback settings the same as I had in MC12.

DVD playback works fine, AVI playback is fine but when I play back recorded DVR-MS files (TV recordings) the picture stutters every 10 or 15 seconds! (The same recordings play back fione on HTPC1)

I have tried different codecs/filters and currently have the exact same settings on HTPC1 and HTPC2.

The only change from the original config on HTPC2 is the removal of the sound card and the use of the onbourd audio, so I connected a usb audio card and disabled the onboard audio - this still gives the stutter

So.... any ideas/suggestions as to what I can try to get rid of the dvr-ms stutter from a machine that didn't originally have the stutter !!  ?

Cheers
Richard

[JimH]

Installing the CCCP codec pack solves a lot of problems like this.  Please see the wiki (link above).

[raym]

I connected HTPC2 up to the original screen it was connected to (only runs at 60Hz) and powered it up expecting everything to just work!

I don't think you should ever expect to achieve smoothe video playback of PAL (50hz) material on a 60hz display. The fact that you say it used to work fine is really strange.

Some things to try though:

1. DVD playback is ok? Try using these same codecs/renderers for DVR-MS files (if you're not already that is)
2. Is it possible to hook up HTPC2 to a 50hz display to rule out this as the issue?
3. Reclock may not run with some onboard audio devices but have you tried?
4. I'd say that if the audio card is really the only thing that changed, try swapping your old one back (as a test) OR experiment with different audio codecs for dvr-ms files ONLY. AC3Filter or the Cyberlink ones for these.

Not sure what else to suggest but I hope that helps.

[rpalmer68]

Installing the CCCP codec pack solves a lot of problems like this.  Please see the wiki (link above).

Have tried this pack, along with my nvidia codecs and cyberlink ones, all to no avail.

[rpalmer68]

I don't think you should ever expect to achieve smoothe video playback of PAL (50hz) material on a 60hz display. The fact that you say it used to work fine is really strange.

Some things to try though:

1. DVD playback is ok? Try using these same codecs/renderers for DVR-MS files (if you're not already that is)
2. Is it possible to hook up HTPC2 to a 50hz display to rule out this as the issue?
3. Reclock may not run with some onboard audio devices but have you tried?
4. I'd say that if the audio card is really the only thing that changed, try swapping your old one back (as a test) OR experiment with different audio codecs for dvr-ms files ONLY. AC3Filter or the Cyberlink ones for these.

Not sure what else to suggest but I hope that helps.

Thanks Ralf, had already tried everything suggested
- I can't move to a different screen very easily, but did manage to run the screen at 75Hz... same stutter... every 5 or so seconds the video stutters.
- Hard to get audio card out of new PC, but did try USB audio without improvement.

I also have the same problem playing the dvr-ms files on my laptop, once again all other videos/DVDs play fine.

It's so frustrating when I know they used to play fine on HTPC2 and now don't!

Cheers
Richard

[JimH]

This is a long shot, but take a look at the problem I had recently:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=49789.0

[JimH]

And the hesitation with a 1.5TB Western Digital drive:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/hardware/08/11/11/2125227.shtml

[JimH]

And a firmware update solved a drive problem for nymaestro a couple years ago.

(from the Weird Problems thread)

Import Audio Fails
Updating the firmware for a Maxtor external drive solved it:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;topic=27912.22#msg202264

[rpalmer68]

Thanks Jim

Strange thing is it's only dvr-ms files, I got htpc1 to record a TV show to .mpg instead and that plays back perfectly on htpc2.

hmmmm

Richard

[JimH]

Are they different in size?

[rpalmer68]

Are they different in size?

The mpeg file are a little smaller approx 1.89gb vs 1.97gb for the same length  recording.

[rpalmer68]

OK, the plot thickens...

I converted a dvr-ms file to mpeg using video redo plus, this mpeg file also stutters on playback.

So I'm not sure what it is but for some reason the dvr-ms files recorded on htpc1 only playback correctly on that PC not on others, even when using the same codecs.

Is there header info or something that could cause this??

Richard

[jmone]

Ralph - I'll also have a guess at this.  Your dvr-ms files are probably MPEG-TS (Transport Stream) not MPEG -PS (Program Stream) which is more common (from memory the packet size and structure is different).  I also had trouble with my first HTPC build with these files (running XP) and I found that many filters did not like MPEG-TS and will stutter and carry on - try some different filters combo's especially the splitter (I liked the Nero Splitter with nVidia Video / Audio on XP).

[rpalmer68]

Ralph - I'll also have a guess at this.  Your dvr-ms files are probably MPEG-TS (Transport Stream) not MPEG -PS (Program Stream) which is more common (from memory the packet size and structure is different).  I also had trouble with my first HTPC build with these files (running XP) and I found that many filters did not like MPEG-TS and will stutter and carry on - try some different filters combo's especially the splitter (I liked the Nero Splitter with nVidia Video / Audio on XP).

Thanks Nathan
I've tried quite  a few filters, but only a couple of splitters... I really don'y know my way around this area very well...

But wouldn't all the PCs stutter if they are all using the same splitter/filters?  At the moment it seems only the recording PC can play back the files without stutter even though they are all using the same splitter/filters.

Richard

[JimH]

Isn't the one that's a little longer also the one that stutters?

[rpalmer68]

Isn't the one that's a little longer also the one that stutters?

Correct, but not on the PC that recorded it.... what are you trying to say Jim?

R

[JimH]

That a longer file would take longer to load, and could take longer to decode.  I'm not saying it's the cause.  It just seems like a possibility.

I believe from your description, that the hardware is not identical.  You might start swapping parts.

Configuration of Windows could also be an issue.  My recent stuttering problem I cited above was cured when I disabled an unused Ethernet interface.

[jmone]

Thanks Nathan
I've tried quite  a few filters, but only a couple of splitters... I really don'y know my way around this area very well...

But wouldn't all the PCs stutter if they are all using the same splitter/filters?  At the moment it seems only the recording PC can play back the files without stutter even though they are all using the same splitter/filters.

Richard

Bloody PC's - Who knows - it could be the added combo of 60hz on that box.  Can you try PC1 with that TV (or Vice Versa).  Also, how are you connecting your PC to your TV and what resolutions are you using on the two PCs.  Can you please post what filters are being used when playing the files on both PCs?  Also do you stutter on SD and HD recordings?  Note: I'll still bet that the filters combo don't like TS but I found out the hard way that my first Plasma had very poor processing of some signal types that resulted in all my DTV having an unnatural look.  I never really got a good watchable

[jmone]

Another thing - reclock has been purchased by Slysoft with the latest version (still free) at http://forum.slysoft.com/forumdisplay.php?f=85

[raym]

Ralph -

LOL - you do this quite a bit mate... I'm not rpalmer68

Another thing - reclock has been purchased by Slysoft with the latest version (still free) at http://forum.slysoft.com/forumdisplay.php?f=85

Yeah, I was a bit bummed out at first when I heard this but they don't appear to have screwed it up.... yet!

[jmone]

LOL - you do this quite a bit mate... I'm not rpalmer68

Yeah, I was a bit bummed out at first when I heard this but they don't appear to have screwed it up.... yet!

Woops I've stuffed my nics up a long time ago then!

[rpalmer68]

Woops I've stuffed my nics up a long time ago then!

And I was just starting to get used to being called Ralph

Richard (not Ralph)

[rpalmer68]

Bloody PC's - Who knows - it could be the added combo of 60hz on that box.  Can you try PC1 with that TV (or Vice Versa).  Also, how are you connecting your PC to your TV and what resolutions are you using on the two PCs.  Can you please post what filters are being used when playing the files on both PCs?  Also do you stutter on SD and HD recordings?  Note: I'll still bet that the filters combo don't like TS but I found out the hard way that my first Plasma had very poor processing of some signal types that resulted in all my DTV having an unnatural look.  I never really got a good watchable

Changing monitor didn't help.

HTPC1 is running 1920x1080@50Hz and is conected to the HDMI input.
HTPC2 is running 1360x768@75Hz connected to the RGB input.

Here are the graphs for the two PCs, just remember that the config on HTPC2 used to work fine until recently, but when it was working webscheduler was doing the recordings on HTPC2, they are now done on HTPC1.

I have tried different filters (Nvidia, ffdshow etc) nd also the haali splitter, same results.

I am running Enhanced Video render on HTPC2 as for some reason VMR7 distorts aspect rations on thnis PC or just gives me a blank screen! And Enhanced is wat USED to work fine on HTPC2.

I can't test webscheduler recording on HTPC2 at the moment as I don't have a tuner installed in the box or an antenna connection close by, but I will have in a few days time once I run the cable.

HTPC1 Graph fior DVR-MS playback, NO STUTTERING

Code: [Select]

Filter Graph Info:

    Filter 'Video Renderer'
        CLSID: {B87BEB7B-8D29-423F-AE4D-6582C10175AC}
        Host: C:\WINDOWS\system32\quartz.dll
        Input Pin 'VMR Input0'
            Connected to pin 'Video Out' of filter 'CyberLink Video/SP Decoder (PDVD7)'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Video  Sub type Unknown GUID Name: {1B81BE0C-A0C7-11D3-B984-00C04F2E73C5}, Format type FORMAT_VideoInfo2
        Input Pin 'VMR Input1'

    Filter 'ReClock Audio Renderer'
        CLSID: {9DC15360-914C-46B8-B9DF-BFE67FD36C6A}
        Host: C:\Program Files\ReClock\ReClock.ax
        Input Pin 'In'
            Connected to pin 'Audio Out' of filter 'CyberLink Audio Decoder'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Audio  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_PCM, Format type FORMAT_WaveFormatEx

    Filter 'CyberLink Video/SP Decoder (PDVD7)'
        CLSID: {8ACD52ED-9C2D-4008-9129-DCE955D86065}
        Host: C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\VideoFilter\CLVsd.ax
        Input Pin 'Video In'
            Connected to pin 'DVR Out - 2' of filter 'T:\tv_recordings\(2008-11-23 18-25) Thank God You-re Here TEN.dvr-ms'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Video  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG2_VIDEO, Format type FORMAT_MPEG2_VIDEO
        Output Pin 'Video Out'
            Connected to pin 'VMR Input0' of filter 'Video Renderer'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Video  Sub type Unknown GUID Name: {1B81BE0C-A0C7-11D3-B984-00C04F2E73C5}, Format type FORMAT_VideoInfo2
        Input Pin 'SubPicture In'
        Output Pin '~Closed Caption Out'

    Filter 'CyberLink Audio Decoder'
        CLSID: {284DC28A-4A7D-442C-BC2E-D7480556E4D8}
        Host: C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\AudioFilter\Claud.ax
        Input Pin 'Audio In'
            Connected to pin 'DVR Out - 1' of filter 'T:\tv_recordings\(2008-11-23 18-25) Thank God You-re Here TEN.dvr-ms'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Audio  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG2_AUDIO, Format type FORMAT_WaveFormatEx
        Output Pin 'Audio Out'
            Connected to pin 'In' of filter 'ReClock Audio Renderer'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Audio  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_PCM, Format type FORMAT_WaveFormatEx

    Filter 'T:\tv_recordings\(2008-11-23 18-25) Thank God You-re Here TEN.dvr-ms'
        CLSID: {C9F5FE02-F851-4EB5-99EE-AD602AF1E619}
        Host: C:\WINDOWS\system32\sbe.dll
        Output Pin 'DVR Out - 1'
            Connected to pin 'Audio In' of filter 'CyberLink Audio Decoder'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Audio  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG2_AUDIO, Format type FORMAT_WaveFormatEx
        Output Pin 'DVR Out - 2'
            Connected to pin 'Video In' of filter 'CyberLink Video/SP Decoder (PDVD7)'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Video  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG2_VIDEO, Format type FORMAT_MPEG2_VIDEO
HTPC1 Graph for DVR-MS playback, STUTTERING EVERY FEW SECONDS

Code: [Select]

Filter Graph Info:

    Filter 'ReClock Audio Renderer'
        CLSID: {9DC15360-914C-46B8-B9DF-BFE67FD36C6A}
        Host: C:\Program Files\ReClock\ReClock.ax
        Input Pin 'In'
            Connected to pin 'Audio Out' of filter 'CyberLink Audio Decoder'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Audio  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_PCM, Format type FORMAT_WaveFormatEx

    Filter 'Enhanced Video Renderer'
        CLSID: {FA10746C-9B63-4B6C-BC49-FC300EA5F256}
        Host: C:\WINDOWS\system32\evr.dll
        Input Pin 'EVR Input0'
            Connected to pin 'Video Out' of filter 'CyberLink Video/SP Decoder (PDVD7)'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Video  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_YUY2, Format type FORMAT_VideoInfo2
        Input Pin 'EVR Input1'

    Filter 'CyberLink Video/SP Decoder (PDVD7)'
        CLSID: {8ACD52ED-9C2D-4008-9129-DCE955D86065}
        Host: C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\VideoFilter\CLVsd.ax
        Input Pin 'Video In'
            Connected to pin 'DVR Out - 2' of filter 'T:\tv_recordings\NEWS\(2008-10-03 18-55) ABC News ABC1.dvr-ms'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Video  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG2_VIDEO, Format type FORMAT_MPEG2_VIDEO
        Output Pin 'Video Out'
            Connected to pin 'EVR Input0' of filter 'Enhanced Video Renderer'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Video  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_YUY2, Format type FORMAT_VideoInfo2
        Input Pin 'SubPicture In'
        Output Pin '~Closed Caption Out'

    Filter 'CyberLink Audio Decoder'
        CLSID: {284DC28A-4A7D-442C-BC2E-D7480556E4D8}
        Host: C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\AudioFilter\Claud.ax
        Input Pin 'Audio In'
            Connected to pin 'DVR Out - 1' of filter 'T:\tv_recordings\NEWS\(2008-10-03 18-55) ABC News ABC1.dvr-ms'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Audio  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG2_AUDIO, Format type FORMAT_WaveFormatEx
        Output Pin 'Audio Out'
            Connected to pin 'In' of filter 'ReClock Audio Renderer'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Audio  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_PCM, Format type FORMAT_WaveFormatEx

    Filter 'T:\tv_recordings\NEWS\(2008-10-03 18-55) ABC News ABC1.dvr-ms'
        CLSID: {C9F5FE02-F851-4EB5-99EE-AD602AF1E619}
        Host: C:\WINDOWS\system32\sbe.dll
        Output Pin 'DVR Out - 1'
            Connected to pin 'Audio In' of filter 'CyberLink Audio Decoder'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Audio  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG2_AUDIO, Format type FORMAT_WaveFormatEx
        Output Pin 'DVR Out - 2'
            Connected to pin 'Video In' of filter 'CyberLink Video/SP Decoder (PDVD7)'
            Major type MEDIATYPE_Video  Sub type MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG2_VIDEO, Format type FORMAT_MPEG2_VIDEO
Using MPEG seems to be working fine, so I might just end up having to do that, especially since the only reason I was using dvr-ms was becasue I could watch the TV show while it was being recorded by webscheduler.  But since recent MC changes to otto and it now doesn't import open files I can't do this anyway

Richard (not Ralph)

[jmone]

I've got nothin....it looks like you are using a MS Splitter (SBE?) there is a bit of a blurb on the MS site at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810243/en-us but nothing I think that will help.  What does MC report is the splitter and are their any options you can change (eg right click while playing ---> direct show filter and it should be the first one in the list, can you click on it or is it greyed out and what is it called?)

[rpalmer68]

I've got nothin....it looks like you are using a MS Splitter (SBE?) there is a bit of a blurb on the MS site at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810243/en-us but nothing I think that will help.  What does MC report is the splitter and are their any options you can change (eg right click while playing ---> direct show filter and it should be the first one in the list, can you click on it or is it greyed out and what is it called?)

Can't get any details from the splitter, just have the file path/name in the list but nothing happens when I select it.

I have tried several File source filters, some don't work (as expected) those that do work give the same result.

What I did look at was the video renderer details, it's reporting jitter at 75 to 85 while MPG fiels are only at 2 to 5.

All over my head now, so it looks like MPEG files are the way to go at this stage.

Cheers
Richard