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[Tor]

Since 15.0.142 i have been having serious problems with converter. I am converting from ape to mp3 from my NAS to local drive which never caused any grief in the past were i could convert 4 files at the same time flying on my gigabit network. My machine is WIN7 64-bit with 6GB ram and core i7 CPU

Now every 3-8 tracks it stops on 100% for some 10-30 sec before it continues and in this periode even web sites wont load, so might be something memory related?

Doing 4 files at the time on .142 a 100% stop on one file would render all the 3 other files as empty from the point the stop occured to the end of the tracks with result of having bunch of files with lots of missing sound?

I have upgraded to .150 and now doing one track at the time since at least that seems to create accurate mp3 files but it just thanks a lot of time and also renders my machine somewhat useless in the process whenever it stops for the said amount of time on random tracks.

Any tips would be appreciated?

[JimH]

Try turning off logging.

Any other changes to your system or network?  There was a recent report of a Kapersky virus checker problem.

[mark_h]

Yup definitely an issue that started within the last 20-30 builds.  I've reported an Analyze Audio bug and I feel this is somehow linked.  I see the same behaviour you describe, both in convert and analyze.

Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.  Core i7 here too...

[Tor]

No logging enabled. No other changes than upgrading the mediacenter.

Tried to copy some 20 albums to another local drive and convert internally between two drives and this seems to work as it should.

Maybe something wrong with how the prog handles network in recent releases? I don't use mediacenter for other than music and i am quite confident that my network is working fine.

[JimH]

Is it this problem?
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=60517.msg408455#msg408455

[Tor]

No, I run Norton and did not have problems prior to installing .142 (don't remember which version i was on prior to this)

Using copy from within MC as mentioned before works like a charm and gonna use that as a workaround for this problem with the process: copy from nas to local drive through mc - import into new library - convert from ape to mp3

-Tor-

[Vocalpoint]

This is still on-going for me as well. All MC exe's are excluded for ESET A/V...files are FLAC going to MP3 and I get freezes and "MC has stopped responding" messages very frequently - whether I convert locally or over the LAN...this started happening for me around build 122 or 125-ish?

VP

[JohnT]

Is there a particular flac file that will freeze repeatably every time you convert it?  If so you could send it to me and I'll try it here to see if I can reproduce the problem.  Also, please post your system info.
Thanks.

[Vocalpoint]

Is there a particular flac file that will freeze repeatably every time you convert it?  If so you could send it to me and I'll try it here to see if I can reproduce the problem.  Also, please post your system info.
Thanks.

I have no specific file(s) that consistently exhibit this behavior. Some days are fine...and others it's lock city. System specs are fairly standard:

•   CPU: Intel Core™2 Quad Processor Q6600
•   Motherboard: GigaByte EP45-UD3L
•   Graphics: eVGA e-GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB PCI-E
•   Network: Realtek RTL8168C/8111C PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC
•   Audio: RealTek ALC-1200 HD Audio
•   Memory: 4GB Corsair XMS2-6400 DMX TWIN2X Dual Channel DDR2 (4 x 1GB)
•   Optical: Pioneer DVR-212D
•   HD1: WD Caviar Black 500 GB SATA II (WD5001AALS)
•   HD2: Seagate 500GB 7200.12 (ST3500410AS)
•   HD3: ANTEC Easy SATA Hard Drive Docking Station
•   Case: ANTEC Sonata II
•   PSU: Corsair VX 550W PSU
•   OS: Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit

VP

[JimH]

Could you try disarming your virus checker?

[Vocalpoint]

Could you try disarming your virus checker?

I currently have ALL JR exe's on the exclusion list...but okay. I will disable and then try a few conversions....

VP

[JimH]

I currently have ALL JR exe's on the exclusion list...but okay. I will disable and then try a few conversions....

Thanks.  The reason is that the virus checker may also be checking every file that is opened.

Did you encode the flac files using MC?  Sorry if you've said above.

[Matt]

Is anyone having this problem when FLAC files are not involved?

It would be helpful if anyone with the issue would try working through the same flow, but instead with APE files, and see if the problem appears.

Thanks.

[Vocalpoint]

Did you encode the flac files using MC?  Sorry if you've said above.

No. None of the FLAC files are created with MC. It's always a mix of either dbPowerAmp, EZ-CD Extractor Pro...and occasionally FLAC.exe itself (via Trader's Little Helper) This is a last resort - only used when MC barfs during Auto Import and I have to redo the FLACs manually.

I also continue to have problems with MC reading certain FLACs created with the above tools - but that's another topic altogether...

For Matt's benefit - I will try a quick test for some APE files.....

VP

[JimH]

No. None of the FLAC files are created with MC. It's always a mix of either dbPowerAmp, EZ-CD Extractor Pro...and occasionally FLAC.exe itself (via Trader's Little Helper) This is a last resort - only used when MC barfs during Auto Import and I have to redo the FLACs manually.

Would you mind ripping and encoding some files with MC and testing them?

If that works, try sorting your files by method ripped, and then test each.

[Vocalpoint]

Would you mind ripping and encoding some files with MC and testing them?

If that works, try sorting your files by method ripped, and then test each.

Will do.

VP

[Vocalpoint]

Would you mind ripping and encoding some files with MC and testing them?

If that works, try sorting your files by method ripped, and then test each.

Jim,

So I did this test...with some interesting results. I used the same Otis Redding CD for each of the three "rips"...all to FLAC using MC then EZ-CD Creator and then dbPowerAmp. Conversions were done to my local drive via MC to MP3 (Lame) using these settings:

Converter



MP3 Encoder



Test 1 - using MC to convert MC created FLAC's...38 seconds to complete...with 2 brief freezes during conversion

Test 2 - using MC to convert EZ-CD created FLACS...34 seconds to complete with 2 brief freezes during conversion

Test 3 - using MC to convert dbPowerAmp created FLACS...32 seconds to complete with 1 brief freezes during conversion

Then for kicks...I using dbPowerAmp to convert the MC and EZCD created FLACs...using the same MP3 parameters as MC (I left out the dbPowerAmp created ones)

Test 1 - using dbPowerAmp to convert MC created FLAC's...25 seconds to complete...with NO freezes during conversion

Test 2 - using dbPowerAmp to convert EZDC created FLAC's...25 seconds to complete...with NO freezes during conversion

I do not know what's happening with MC...but it seems to be slower with converting it's own FLACs than those from the other apps. It also takes upwards of 10 seconds more to complete the task and has the freezes as well. For now - it seems that I am going to stick with dbPowerAmp as I am seeing no issues and faster, more robust conversions.

I look forward to any additional findings or observations on this.

Cheers!

VP

[JimH]

The time differences may be related to the original and converted format settings.  Try testing with default settings.

MC is also doing other tasks at the same time.  It is multi-threaded.

The "freezes" could be waiting for the disc and could be caused by a virus checker.

[glynor]

The "freezes" could be waiting for the disc and could be caused by a virus checker.

I assume you meant "disk" not "disc" (since there is no optical media involved in the conversions that VocalPoint was discussing).

I suspect that this may be related-to, but not the same exact thing as what I'm seeing with the handheld sync.  In my case, MC is actually crashing and not completing the sync...

[Vocalpoint]

The time differences may be related to the original and converted format settings.  Try testing with default settings.

MC is also doing other tasks at the same time.  It is multi-threaded.

The "freezes" could be waiting for the disc and could be caused by a virus checker.

Well - dbPowerAmp is very multi-threaded (and multi-core) and is not being excluded by the virus checker. It uses the same conversion settings and is writing it's files to the same location as MC. So "waiting for disk" and virus checking? Not buying that - especially since I have MC on my exclusion list.

My take - the AV and disk have nothing to do with this. And as I have mentioned in several other threads - I had no issues with this 10-20 builds ago.

Might be time to check your change logs and find out what has been changed/altered in terms of the Convertor Plugin or how it interacts with MC...because something has changed and not for the better.

VP

[Matt]

My understanding was that the problem was a program stalling and _never_ returning.

But the last posts talk about performance and temporary stalls of the UI.  That is a separate discussion, and somewhat complicated.  The number of concurrent conversions, encoder settings, and lots of other things come into play here.

Please help us narrow the scope of this problem.  It would be best to focus on freezes that never return and require killing the program with Task Manager.  

Are people seeing these permanent freezes?  Could someone having that issue try APE instead of FLAC to see if it is FLAC specific?

Thanks.

[JimH]

... the Convertor Plugin ...

Do you mean the MP3 encoder?

Please try the default VBR setting.

[Vocalpoint]

Do you mean the MP3 encoder?

Please try the default VBR setting.

Yes sorry - Encoder plugin. I will try it even tho it's not the setting that I desire.

Cheers!

VP

[glynor]

If you choose the VBR Target Quality High in MC, this uses -V 2 --vbr-new with LAME.  That's what "high" means in MC.  Extreme is -V 0.

[Vocalpoint]

My understanding was that the problem was a program stalling and _never_ returning.

But the last posts talk about performance and temporary stalls of the UI.  That is a separate discussion, and somewhat complicated.  The number of concurrent conversions, encoder settings, and lots of other things come into play here.

Please help us narrow the scope of this problem.  It would be best to focus on freezes that never return and require killing the program with Task Manager.  

Are people seeing these permanent freezes?  Could someone having that issue try APE instead of FLAC to see if it is FLAC specific?

Thanks.

Matt,

Fair enough - I only saw several hard freezes (that locked the program) several builds ago. However - so far with 150 - I cannot get a hard freeze/crash happening. Granted - this issue is SO sporadic that you never know what's going to happen - when. I am now getting very frequent - let's call them "delays" -  (freeze is a little more harsh and serious).

Like Tor at the top...I have 4 files at a time selected...and MC will start strong and then either the Convertor will hang on the first four files...(where the percentage values displayed sort of get "jerky") or it will pause/delay - sometimes as long as 4-5 seconds...then it continues on with the next batch of files....and the delays repeat.

If this is a separate issue - let's take it to another thread. However I thought Tor's description to start this thread was very valid and is exactly what I am seeing.

VP

[Vocalpoint]

If you choose the VBR Target Quality High in MC, this uses -V 2 --vbr-new with LAME.  That's what "high" means in MC.  Extreme is -V 0.

This is exactly what I use...but as my screen cap shows...I actually put the commands into the Encoder...will try the "high" setting at the top for this next round of tests....

VP

[JimH]

Please try using the defaults.  Putting the switches in manually could cause a parsing problem.

[glynor]

Like Tor at the top...I have 4 files at a time selected...and MC will start strong and then either the Convertor will hang on the first four files...(where the percentage values displayed sort of get "jerky") or it will pause/delay - sometimes as long as 4-5 seconds...then it continues on with the next batch of files....and the delays repeat.

If this is a separate issue - let's take it to another thread. However I thought Tor's description to start this thread was very valid and is exactly what I am seeing.

This sounds very much like my Handheld sync issue, except that MC itself also often crashes 15-30 minutes into the sync (of course, your conversions probably never go on this long).

I really wonder if the issues are related to the DISPLAY in MC's UI, rather than with the conversion/sync process themselves.  When I'm doing my sync, switching away from the "list view of syncing files" seems to improve performance and eliminate my crashing issue.

[Vocalpoint]

I really wonder if the issues are related to the DISPLAY in MC's UI, rather than with the conversion/sync process themselves.  When I'm doing my sync, switching away from the "list view of syncing files" seems to improve performance and eliminate my crashing issue.

I am with you on this one. I have had numerous issues in the past (freezing/crashing) - when syncing my iPod to MC - while have the actual "sync" window open. After learning those lessons - now I connect up...wait until MC displays the sync status down in the left hand corner and hit Sync. I NEVER open or have the actual sync queue on screen and all goes well.

As far as the Encoder/Conversion window goes...it's a separate dialog box and all you can do is minimize it. I will try that - but I am thinking there is more to the issue than this....

VP

[JimH]

This topic now has three different problems mixed together.  I'm going to lock it now.  Please start a thread with a single problem and a good description.  Copy and paste if you need to.