Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[andrewt]

I'm testing out playing SACD ISOs and MC is having to pause to buffer approx. every 10-20 seconds or so (stereo and MCH). I have the iso on an external drive which I thought might be the bottleneck, so I copied it to my C drive (which is a SSD) and it's still the same. Any thoughts? Here is my setup:

ISO downsampled by MC to 24/96 (max supported by my soundcard)
ASIO to PreSonus FireStudio Project soundcard (24/96, 8 output channels)
Vista, 3 (or so) GB RAM, AMD Turion 64 dual-core processor

I tried downsampling to 44.1 and that didn't change anything. I can play 5-channel 24/96 FLACs just fine. I also notice that MC sets my soundcard buffer to 8192 ms (which I assume is the largest). I don't notice the CPU or RAM being stressed during playback or buffering.

[Matt]

I'm testing out playing SACD ISOs and MC is having to pause to buffer approx. every 10-20 seconds or so (stereo and MCH). I have the iso on an external drive which I thought might be the bottleneck, so I copied it to my C drive (which is a SSD) and it's still the same. Any thoughts? Here is my setup:

ISO downsampled by MC to 24/96 (max supported by my soundcard)
ASIO to PreSonus FireStudio Project soundcard (24/96, 8 output channels)
Vista, 3 (or so) GB RAM, AMD Turion 64 dual-core processor

I tried downsampling to 44.1 and that didn't change anything. I can play 5-channel 24/96 FLACs just fine. I also notice that MC sets my soundcard buffer to 8192 ms (which I assume is the largest). I don't notice the CPU or RAM being stressed during playback or buffering.

It's most likely a CPU issue.  SACD ISO files that use DST compression and more than two channels require a lot of horsepower to decode.

What is your JRMark (Help > Benchmark)?

[andrewt]

Here's my benchmark while running Firefox and the usual background stuff:

Code: [Select]

=== Running Benchmarks (please do not interrupt) ===

Running 'Math' benchmark...
    Single-threaded integer math... 13.465 seconds
    Single-threaded floating point math... 5.473 seconds
    Multi-threaded integer math... 13.740 seconds
    Multi-threaded mixed math... 5.693 seconds
Score: 495

Running 'Image' benchmark...
    Image creation / destruction... 3.668 seconds
    Flood filling... 1.654 seconds
    Direct copying... 3.473 seconds
    Small renders... 9.098 seconds
    Bilinear rendering... 8.875 seconds
    Bicubic rendering... 6.743 seconds
Score: 657

Running 'Database' benchmark...
    Create database... 1.124 seconds
    Populate database... 4.180 seconds
    Save database... 0.506 seconds
    Reload database... 0.151 seconds
    Search database... 5.029 seconds
    Sort database... 3.405 seconds
    Group database... 2.141 seconds
Score: 1300

JRMark (version 17.0.180): 817
Not sure how good that is. My computer is pretty old, though--CPU is 1.8GHz dual-core. However, I don't really see the CPU being stressed; while playing and buffering a MCH track, the CPU stays in the 60% range according to the Sidebar gadget. Although it could be another CPU issue that I'm not aware of.

Edit/sidenote: Just wanted to thank you, Matt (and Jim and everyone else) for making such a kick-a** product and responding directly to user feedback and questions; you're the only company I know of that does that. MC does everything I want and more. I just got done recommending MC to a friend who wants to play some FLAC files, and I recommend MC to anyone not attached to the seemingly ubiquitous iUmbilicalCord

[Matt]

JRMark (version 17.0.180): 817

Not sure how good that is. My computer is pretty old, though--CPU is 1.8GHz dual-core. However, I don't really see the CPU being stressed; while playing and buffering a MCH track, the CPU stays in the 60% range according to the Sidebar gadget. Although it could be another CPU issue that I'm not aware of.

Decoding the SACD is mostly single-threaded, which is why you're seeing 60% usage of a dual-core.  That likely means it's running one core at full speed, and it's not quite enough.

An 817 JRMark may just not be able to handle real-time DST decompression across multiple channels with resampling.  To compare, a medium range computer scores around 2000 and a fast computer will score over 4000.

[andrewt]

Gotcha... time to look forward to the day when I can afford a new computer... Thanks Matt!

[bulldogger]

Decoding the SACD is mostly single-threaded, which is why you're seeing 60% usage of a dual-core.  That likely means it's running one core at full speed, and it's not quite enough.

An 817 JRMark may just not be able to handle real-time DST decompression across multiple channels with resampling.  To compare, a medium range computer scores around 2000 and a fast computer will score over 4000.

  I got these results === Running Benchmarks (please do not interrupt) ===

Running 'Math' benchmark...
    Single-threaded integer math... 5.090 seconds
    Single-threaded floating point math... 3.013 seconds
    Multi-threaded integer math... 2.611 seconds
    Multi-threaded mixed math... 1.580 seconds
Score: 1545

Running 'Image' benchmark...
    Image creation / destruction... 1.856 seconds
    Flood filling... 1.017 seconds
    Direct copying... 2.100 seconds
    Small renders... 2.404 seconds
    Bilinear rendering... 1.633 seconds
    Bicubic rendering... 1.531 seconds
Score: 2087

Running 'Database' benchmark...
    Create database... 0.810 seconds
    Populate database... 3.561 seconds
    Save database... 1.634 seconds
    Reload database... 0.231 seconds
    Search database... 2.358 seconds
    Sort database... 1.844 seconds
    Group database... 1.397 seconds
Score: 1817

JRMark (version 17.0.180): 1816
Do I need a faster computer for multichannel playback form iso files? No trouble with stereo but can not play back Multi-channel without buffering.

[bulldogger]

Decoding the SACD is mostly single-threaded, which is why you're seeing 60% usage of a dual-core.  That likely means it's running one core at full speed, and it's not quite enough.

An 817 JRMark may just not be able to handle real-time DST decompression across multiple channels with resampling.  To compare, a medium range computer scores around 2000 and a fast computer will score over 4000.

I extracted the multi-channel tracks and it plays fine, no buffering. Guess I will need a faster computer to play multi-channel from the iso file.

[bulldogger]

Decoding the SACD is mostly single-threaded, which is why you're seeing 60% usage of a dual-core.  That likely means it's running one core at full speed, and it's not quite enough.

An 817 JRMark may just not be able to handle real-time DST decompression across multiple channels with resampling.  To compare, a medium range computer scores around 2000 and a fast computer will score over 4000.

Can your PC do it?

[eddyshere]

On my laptop it runs flawlessly without buffering (Sony VPCZ1) - also streaming from NAS :

Running 'Math' benchmark...
    Single-threaded integer math... 4.081 seconds
    Single-threaded floating point math... 2.294 seconds
    Multi-threaded integer math... 2.348 seconds
    Multi-threaded mixed math... 1.658 seconds
Score: 1830

Running 'Image' benchmark...
    Image creation / destruction... 0.922 seconds
    Flood filling... 1.171 seconds
    Direct copying... 1.230 seconds
    Small renders... 1.617 seconds
    Bilinear rendering... 1.868 seconds
    Bicubic rendering... 1.935 seconds
Score: 2516

Running 'Database' benchmark...
    Create database... 0.521 seconds
    Populate database... 1.655 seconds
    Save database... 0.198 seconds
    Reload database... 0.070 seconds
    Search database... 1.504 seconds
    Sort database... 1.291 seconds
    Group database... 0.830 seconds
Score: 3542

JRMark (version 17.0.182): 2629

[bulldogger]

On my laptop it runs flawlessly without buffering (Sony VPCZ1) - also streaming from NAS :

Running 'Math' benchmark...
    Single-threaded integer math... 4.081 seconds
    Single-threaded floating point math... 2.294 seconds
    Multi-threaded integer math... 2.348 seconds
    Multi-threaded mixed math... 1.658 seconds
Score: 1830

Running 'Image' benchmark...
    Image creation / destruction... 0.922 seconds
    Flood filling... 1.171 seconds
    Direct copying... 1.230 seconds
    Small renders... 1.617 seconds
    Bilinear rendering... 1.868 seconds
    Bicubic rendering... 1.935 seconds
Score: 2516

Running 'Database' benchmark...
    Create database... 0.521 seconds
    Populate database... 1.655 seconds
    Save database... 0.198 seconds
    Reload database... 0.070 seconds
    Search database... 1.504 seconds
    Sort database... 1.291 seconds
    Group database... 0.830 seconds
Score: 3542

JRMark (version 17.0.182): 2629

Have you since tried playing multichannel directly from the iso files? You previously ousted that your files were extracted dsf files? I can do that as well. I would like to build a htpc that can play multichannel directly from the iso files with no prior dsd or dsf extraction.

[eddyshere]

Just made a test with an SACD.iso. Yes it works. I have an initial buffering of approx 3sec when i play the first track (or drag the iso into the player) all the rest plays without buffering. And yes as I run MC on my server and 2 HTPC connect to it (remote library) I had to extract the files as iso's don't work in a remote library setup.

[salora]

I'm also  having buffering issues that I didn't have with the previous releases

the initial buffer is now set to 10secs and the asio buffer to 5 secs and I still have some buffering from time to time.

My cpu is normally strong enough as I used to play sacd with foobar2000 without any issue

[JimH]

Are the files local?  Or on a network drive.  I don't think there have been any changes that would cause that.

Try smaller buffer settings for ASIO.  100ms, for example.

[bulldogger]

Just made a test with an SACD.iso. Yes it works. I have an initial buffering of approx 3sec when i play the first track (or drag the iso into the player) all the rest plays without buffering. And yes as I run MC on my server and 2 HTPC connect to it (remote library) I had to extract the files as iso's don't work in a remote library setup.

Awesome. Thanks for the input.

[eddyshere]

To give U some hardware input : I stream from NAS (1511+) as backup but mainly from a DIY 12TB server (Origenae S21 case, Z77 asrock, 2100T i3, 16MB Corsair 1.35V 1600mhz, areca raid 1881, 2008R2). The HTPC is also a Z77 mini-itx from asusrock with a 2130 i3, 8MB RAM 1600mhz in a moneual moncaso 320 case, 6570 low profile amd gpu. In Server and HTPC the OS are on small SSD's. The LAN is giga wired. No playback or buffering flaws whatsoever. The server handles 2 simultanoeus BD streams + 1 SACD stream without a glitch.

[mia12]

I had the same pause problem when playing sacd ISO
playback would pause to buffer every 20 seconds. cpu was 36-40%
 
Setting bitrate to 88/24 in output format worked, no pause
I then tried setting the bitrate 48/24 and playback would pause
again. all was set to "no change" before I made any changes
hope my post can be of help to someone, but wouldn't blame
it on the Cpu. I was running kernel to ext dac

 

[bulldogger]

Mine will output at any of the availible sampling rates in 2 channel with no buffering, once it starts playing. Multi-channel will not work at any sampling rate and starts buffering about 20 seconds after playback starts.

[Tobbeswim]

I had the same problem with my little new Intel Celeron N2930 prcessor. I could not play any SACD iso. Chenged the output so that everything was halfed so that 384khz turned in to 192khz and 352.8 turned into 176.4 kHz. All above 384khz i changed to 176.4. That fixed all my problems. If I change the 384khz to 176.4 khz then I have the same problem. It seems that the processor easily half the Khz but have problem when it is not an even split.

Make sense?

Thorbjörn