Live TV start / stop stutter

[sub]

Processes - what should I look out for?

Honestly, I dont know. Its just a guess. Have a look in the task manager and see if you can see process using much CPU, or causing CPU spikes.

I dont have this problem, so its not something I've had to work through myself.

From past discussions here, I would have guessed one of two things: (1) video decoder, or (2) version of quartz.dll

[GoodGuys]

Thanks. Regarding CPU spikes, I seem to recall having run the task manager on the tab that shows a CPU graph, going into LiveTV, watching (with said stutter) for about 4-5 minutes, and then exiting quickly to see the CPU usage, and did see spikes. However, judging by the speed of update of the Task Manager's graph, these spikes were about 10-12 seconds apart, not 1-2 seconds like the stutter.

Video decoder - I will test when I get home (later today).
Version of quartz.dll - Well, I know for fact that I am using the DX90c version. However, perhaps when I tested DX90b version I tested a wrong file? Looking through the forums, I saw multiple links. Which one is the correct link to download a DX90b file?

Many thanks,
GGF

[sub]

Try the one two thirds of the way down this page: http://forums.snapstream.com/vb/showthre...ge=2&pp=15

[GoodGuys]

Thanks. But I downloaded that file and its version is 6.5.1.902, which is the same as the one I already have. The sizes are also the same. The only difference is that my one seems to have an extra attribute listed in the Properties pane Version tab: File Version.
Is this normal?

[GoodGuys]

Pre-test info:

1. I used my Linux to diff the file I downloaded with the file I have in System32 and in DLLcache. They are the same. So I guess I am using the 9.0b version already.
   
2. I decided to use Replacer to make sure I replace it properly and in all locations. My system is recording something for another 10 minutes, so I will reboot then and post results.
   

However, I wanted to add some more information that I neglected to put it earlier (sorry):

1. Many times, when I get this stutter, if I hit "Menu" to go back and then "Live TV" - it will disappear immediately, or disappear after an initial burst of short stutters.
   
2. Like I said - this happens mostly on some channels rather than others. I have my WinTV PVR350 connected directly to the wall, with an RF antenna splitter. The other half goes to the cable box. The analog channels are there nonetheless. I tried to split after the cable box but that didn't help.
   
3. Many times, it will start when I hit CH+/CH-. However, like I said - channels that exhibit this more can be cleared (95% of the time) by exit to menu + LiveTV again.
   
4. If the last channel I watched was not one of the more highly susceptible ones, then hitting LiveTV will almost always start OK. If it was one of the bad channels, there is a 50% chance it will start OK too, and stay OK.
   

Like I said I will try the new quartz.dll, and will also try the other decoders and post results here, although it may be tomorrow because it's late already. Sorry.

Thanks for all your help.

GGF

[GoodGuys]

To make a long story short - still not good. Still stutters.
Tried installing my copy of PowerDVD and use the CyberLink decoder - no good.
Will post details tomorrow.

GGF

[SleepyHollow]

Pre-test info:

• Many times, when I get this stutter, if I hit "Menu" to go back and then "Live TV" - it will disappear immediately, or disappear after an initial burst of short stutters.
  
• Like I said - this happens mostly on some channels rather than others. I have my WinTV PVR350 connected directly to the wall, with an RF antenna splitter. The other half goes to the cable box. The analog channels are there nonetheless. I tried to split after the cable box but that didn't help.
  
• Many times, it will start when I hit CH+/CH-. However, like I said - channels that exhibit this more can be cleared (95% of the time) by exit to menu + LiveTV again.
  
• If the last channel I watched was not one of the more highly susceptible ones, then hitting LiveTV will almost always start OK. If it was one of the bad channels, there is a 50% chance it will start OK too, and stay OK.
  

Like I said I will try the new quartz.dll, and will also try the other decoders and post results here, although it may be tomorrow because it's late already. Sorry.

GGF

Hi there,

its just the same like my system. I own a PVR350 Hauppauge too. I just want to add: The live TV with the Haupauge Software is still working perfectly. Except GB-PVR hangs. In this case the WinTV32 won't work too anymore. The play of recorded video works nevertheless when live tv and in this case WinTv32 too presents only a black monitor.

Whats different when I play live TV with GB-PVR in comparison to play it with WinTV32?

Greetings,
SleepyHollow

By the way the following suggestions didn't solved the problem. Maybe stuttering appears later, thats all. I tried all of them.

# Increase the pre-buffering (is that the name?) delay to 750ms.
This helped me a bit. Reduces the frequenecy of stutter happening.
# Switch to Overlay.
This also reduced the situation dramatically, but not completely, and for me - it has a problem of being displayed beyong my TV's scren edges (too far) and I can't control it.
# Disable LivePreview.

[GoodGuys]

Wow, sounds like exactly the same situation as mine.
Yesterday, I ran experiments as follows:

1. Used SystemFileReplacer to replace quartz.dll with the one suggested by Sub. Rebooted, and tested.
   
   Result: Still happens. At first it seemed to happen a bit less, but I am not sure.
   
2. Tried to change the decoder from InterVideo NonCSS for Hauppauge to Dscaler Mpeg2 decoder. Didn't touch the BDA Multiplexer (InterVideo).
   
   Result: Same as before.
   
3. Tried to change the BDA Multiplexer from InterVideo to SS (don't know - maybe a leftover from a trial version of SnapStream BTV).
   
   Result: Still happens.
   
4. Installed my copy of CyberLink PowerDVD 5.0. Changed decoder and BDA Muxer to CyberLink.
   
   Result: Still happens, but it changed the way the stutter looks. I can't pinpoint exactly how. I think it starts with a couple more seconds of good play before starting to stutter, when it does.
   
5. Tried CyberLink decoder with InterVideo Muxer.
   
   Result: Much much worse. A lot more stutter.
   

First, can anyone please explain what the BDA Multiplexer actually is?

I got some more clues:

• During the freeze part of the stutter, the audio still plays well.
  
• I noticed the OSD waits until the next stutter boundary.
  
  What I mean is this:
  
  If I am fast enough to hit the blue button when the picture freezes, the OSD will appear only when the stutter un-freezes.
  
  The opposite is also true - with OSD up, I hit the blue button during freeze, the OSD will disappear only when the picture un-freezes.
  

I wouldn't mind using Overlay if the size was not too large for the TV screen. I tried to control it using my nVidia controls, but the only effect it had was on the Video area. The OSD is still spilling outside the edges of my TV and I can't change that.

It seems as if the Overlay is set to 800x600 but my screen resolution is only 720x576 (yes, I set my nVidia PCX5300 to produce 720x576 resolution). That would account nicely for the OSD's "spill" to the sides that I see.

I also would prefer VMR because the semi-transparent OSD is way more cool.

Thanks,
GGF

[SleepyHollow]

Hi,

@GoodGuys

yes we have the same problem. Thanks for the advices.

Another aspect: I can't get the live TV to work after the start of gb-PVR without using the Button "live TV" twice or three times. That means start-stop-start-stop-start live TV till it works, works --- seems stable --- , until I change the channels three or four times then the stutter begins, stops with ending live TV and with start-stop-start again: There it goes till another hang with finally the black screen after changing the channel.

Feels like a buffer-overflow. At first its difficult to activate the TV-Card and during channel-changing it works until something hangs in the background (perhaps a buffer is overfloated).

Are there any problems with the new PCI-express bus system?

all in a nutshell:

pushing the button for live TV:
1.) Activate the Hauppauge-card (PVR350) is the first problem
-> first stutter, usually hacked noise with some sound screen black
2.) Stuttering, freezes and hangups during channel-surfing
-> really disgusting, one can't use it

The results are equal. It doesn't matter what Quartz.dll or what configuration-settings are in use.

Thats the status,
greetings,
SleepyHollow

[GoodGuys]

Well, I haven't given test time to see what happens immediately after reboot (i.e. first time LiveTV used after GB-PVR is started), but I don't think I have seen as much trouble as you have.

I doubt if the problem is PCI-express related, but maybe one of the more experienced members here might enlighten us.

In the past you said the original Hauppauge SW works. Same for me, and the reason is that the original SW uses Overlay...

I see 4 different types of solutions:

1. Fix the real problem. I.e. someone figures out what's wrong, or fiddles with settings enough until problem gets solved.
   
   This is my favorite, since we get everything working nicely.
   
2. Maybe we can get help fixing the Overlay size. My hunch is that for some reason Overlay in full-screen mode uses 800x600 instead of the TV's 720x576 resolution. The down-side is that Overlay means no semi-transparent OSD, AFAIK.
   
   Can any of the ops / mods / high-ranking members like Sub / reboot / tipstir please comment on this?
   
3. We avoid using LivePreview mode, and find some means to reduce the channel changing time. First guess is the pre-play delay. I wonder how far down we can lower it without causing problems?
   
   There may be other ways to reduce the channel change time. Anyone care to suggest how this might be done?
   
4. Use the PVR350's TV-out instead of our GPU's TV-out. Downside is that the OSD's colormap is only 256 colors, so we can't use the nicer skins...
   

Thanks,
GGF