Print

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

[bwa]

Using MC18.0.158 I'm finally playing video from my library server, but I notice that the network traffic to way to high.

When I'm playing i normal video, aprox 4000 kbps, the network load is 70-100 Mbps (!).

The video options is set to no conversion...

The high network utilization is actually bringing the network resonse so slow, that I have trouble with connecting to the PC running the video.
Se attached picture. It's weird...

[jmone]

Something is not right.  Go into Resource Monitor and see what is eating the bandwidth.

[bwa]

I did that, and it's the media center 18 executable ....

[bwa]

It seems to happen when only when the MC18 is a Library Client. Looks like a extreme buffering issue, as it seems to normalize the traffic after 3-5 minutes.

The resourceMonitor shows that this file(s) is working a lot : example:
...../Temp/BufferedInternetReader-1224-10.dat.cnk

If I change the MC18 client to local library and plays the video from the filesystem, it's not happening. Really looks like the library server is transcoding or sending the whole file even if I have configured the client to do no Conversion.

[glynor]

It seems to happen when only when the MC18 is a Library Client. Looks like a extreme buffering issue, as it seems to normalize the traffic after 3-5 minutes.

This depends on your setup.  But either way, it isn't buffering.  It is loading the file.

The default option is to play local files if one matching the source file is found.  If the source is a file on a network share that both the client and server can access, then MC uses it directly rather than transcoding and streaming the file.  That's good because it provides better performance (especially seeking), and it doesn't require transcoding.  However, that also essentially just lets normal Windows networking transfer the file when you start playback.

And SMB will peg your network connection.  This normally isn't an issue at all, but you're running in a 100mbit LAN (maybe with a hub?), and they often don't handle saturation well.

If it is not directly accessible, MC often has to transcode.  Only certain source video formats can be streamed, and MC's "streaming" is really pseudo-streaming (it is a standard HTTP transfer, I think).  It doesn't transfer the whole file if you start playback mid-way (or seek ahead), but it doesn't buffer and stream.  It transfers it as fast as it can via HTTP.

With 1gbit switches available for $20, why are you running on an ancient network?

[bwa]

Ok, that makes sense.

I have a rather nice network at home with a 60/60 Mbit fibre internet connection and Gbit switches all the way, but in the living room. That edge switch is just 100 Mbit, as I have only used JRiver to stream audio. Video is done by the playstation 3 in the livingroom, but lately when I discovered that MC-B in the living room could act as a Library Client to the MC-A in the server room, and the MC-B in the living room was able to be controlled by my MC-C instance on my laptop (as a library client to MC-B) , I started to stream video to the TV in the living room.

So I have already ordered a new Gbit swith to put in the living room, I saw that coming ... :-)

But still I wonder why Playstation 3 work so much better in Video streaming, and I cannot see that it loads the file, but I will double check that.

But for now I will try to attach all serverdrives ( MC-A ) with the same driveletters on JMRC-B instance, and see it it will play files locally.

The main reason to connect this way is that I don't want to maintenance all playlists. In my current setup I maintain the playlistst on the server MC-A, and all library clients are using that playlist.

Would love if there was a way to share playlists or other stuff between several instances. Then I dont need to use library clients.

It would also sovle the problem if MC would understand UNC names across instances.

[bwa]

But, wait .... if I use UNC names on the main server MC-A .... all other instances would understand the same UNC.. I'll try that out

[glynor]

But, wait .... if I use UNC names on the main server MC-A .... all other instances would understand the same UNC.. I'll try that out

Correct.

This is the way I run my systems.  Then it'll only "stream" if you are "offsite" and the UNC path is unreachable.

You do, however, need to open the individual share in Windows Explorer (using the same hostname or IP) at least once on each client though, or Windows doesnt "know" it is available "locally" when you try to play it via MC.  Only once, though.  It persists through reboots.  But the server name and share name have to match what MC has stored in the database (so if you open it in Windows via \\192.168.1.8\sharename\ but it is in MC via \\servername\sharename\ it won't work, even if that's the same box).

The PS3 is supported via DLNA which works differently, so that's not apples to apples.  It may support a different streaming protocol or something (I'm pretty sure the PS3 supports RTMP among others, but I don't know what MC uses or how that relates to DLNA).

[bwa]

YES.

By replacing importfolder T:\Music with \\server\Music if worked perfectly, on all devices.... Thank you very much :-)

[glynor]

YES.

By replacing importfolder T:\Music with \\server\Music if worked perfectly, on all devices.... Thank you very much :-)

Glad to help.

The Auto-Import section of MC supports UNC paths just fine as well.  Thought I'd let you know.   

[bwa]

Yes, I'm using auto import, and the previous test was done with autoimport. Thanks.