Major random lip sync and performance issues

[sub]

Really odd. I'm not sure what might cause that. I'm suspect it's something to with the sound device (which is responsible for most of the timing with directshow).

If you disable closed captions does it make any difference?

How is you CPU usage during playback?

[madbrain]

Really odd. I'm not sure what might cause that. I'm suspect it's something to with the sound device (which is responsible for most of the timing with directshow).

If you disable closed captions does it make any difference?

How is you CPU usage during playback?

Sound device is my Marantz AVR using the nVidia HDMI high definition audio driver from the most recent driver package, 496.49 . In the LAV audio settings, I have bit streaming turned on. I have attached a screenshot with the settings.

All the programs I record and watch with NextPVR are encoded with Dolby Digital 5.1 .

I just checked, and disabling closed captions does not make a difference.

CPU usage during playback is very low - under 3%.
GPU usage is between at 22-45%/

The player has become bad enough has to be nearly useless, unfortunately. If there was a way to download/test back older versions, I could tell exactly which one broke it, and you could look at source diffs to narrow it down.

Not sure if this helps, but the audio seems to be ahead of the video. Or, in other words, the video is behind. How far behind varies greatly each time.

I have started using JRiver Media Center to play back the OTA recordings recently, because of the regression. Constantly having to stop/restart after every commercial break or restroom break gets old. I don't have any lip sync or performance issues with it.

[sub]

Sound device is my Marantz AVR using the nVidia HDMI high definition audio driver from the most recent driver package, 496.49 . In the LAV audio settings, I have bit streaming turned on. I have attached a screenshot with the settings.

It'd be interesting to try a different audio device temporarily to see if it makes a difference (like if you're able to plugin in speakers or something). This will at least help us narrow down if the problem is somewhere around audio renderer.

[sub]

Alternatively, it might be worth trying the other Audio Render options in the Settings->Decoders screen, in case there is an alternative audio renderer for the same device.

Usually we'd only ever recommend leaving it on the default option, but there can be some types of setups that require selecting another audio renderer.

[madbrain]

Alternatively, it might be worth trying the other Audio Render options in the Settings->Decoders screen, in case there is an alternative audio renderer for the same device.

Usually we'd only ever recommend leaving it on the default option, but there can be some types of setups that require selecting another audio renderer.

I tried to change the audio renderer . There were two options with the name of my Marantz AVR. One with DirectSound, the other not.
I saw the lip sync problem in pretty short order with both of them. And I saw the case of audio being late also, not just early. Saw the choppiness a few times, also. It's really not consistent.

As far as trying a different audio device, I can plug in a Bluetooth dongle and use my Bluetooth headphones. Have never used them to watch TV so I don't know how bad wireless lag might be. It might not be the best test for lip sync. I'll try that device with JRiver also to see if lag is tolerable there.

If not, I can enable the built-in DAC of the motherboard, and connect the headphones with a wire. But I would rather not sit on the hardwood 3ft away from the 106" screen while testing all this. I prefer to be 15ft back, on the first row of seats.

I have 2 other PCs in the house I could test this with also, but none of them have a local tuner and antenna to be able to record. And there is no UI in NextPVR to import any media files from, say, NAS. Ultimately, even if it works on those other systems, the PC I want to use with NextPVR is the one in my home theater, with the specs listed in my signature.

[sub]

As far as trying a different audio device, I can plug in a Bluetooth dongle and use my Bluetooth headphones. Have never used them to watch TV so I don't know how bad wireless lag might be. It might not be the best test for lip sync. I'll try that device with JRiver also to see if lag is tolerable there.

If not, I can enable the built-in DAC of the motherboard, and connect the headphones with a wire. But I would rather not sit on the hardwood 3ft away from the 106" screen while testing all this. I prefer to be 15ft back, on the first row of seats.

I'm not sure bluetooth is best option to test, since this complicated scenario that can often have problems of it's own. If you can test the onboard audio with wired headphones, that'd be a worthwhile test. Or check on another PC.

I have 2 other PCs in the house I could test this with also, but none of them have a local tuner and antenna to be able to record. And there is no UI in NextPVR to import any media files from, say, NAS.

You can just right click with a mouse and select 'open file' and browse to whatever file you want to play. (best to stick to a .ts file though, so you're testing approximately the same thing)

[madbrain]

I just tried with the Bluetooth headphones. No lip sync issues with either JRiver or NextPVR.  Got a few audio hiccups, but might be that my airwaves are too saturated with wireless devices between the 5 Wifi APs, wireless keyboard/mouse, and 6 DECT 6.0 cordless phones around the house.
I have always hated wireless audio and today didn't change my opinion.

There was still some minor choppiness in the video. I don't think it was really hitting the full 60fps. There might have been a couple frame drops/skips. But nothing like the Youtube link I posted earlier.

[madbrain]

As far as trying a different audio device, I can plug in a Bluetooth dongle and use my Bluetooth headphones. Have never used them to watch TV so I don't know how bad wireless lag might be. It might not be the best test for lip sync. I'll try that device with JRiver also to see if lag is tolerable there.

If not, I can enable the built-in DAC of the motherboard, and connect the headphones with a wire. But I would rather not sit on the hardwood 3ft away from the 106" screen while testing all this. I prefer to be 15ft back, on the first row of seats.

I'm not sure bluetooth is best option to test, since this complicated scenario that can often have problems of it's own. If you can test the onboard audio with wired headphones, that'd be a worthwhile test. Or check on another PC.

I have 2 other PCs in the house I could test this with also, but none of them have a local tuner and antenna to be able to record. And there is no UI in NextPVR to import any media files from, say, NAS.

You can just right click with a mouse and select 'open file' and browse to whatever file you want to play.  (best to stick to a .ts file though, so you're testing approximately the same thing)

I think the test with bluetooth audio was conclusive enough. I couldn't see the lip sync problem within the space of 10 minutes. Normally I would have seen it at least 4-5 times after trying a few skips/skip back/stop/play.

I never noticed the "Open file" option in the menu. I don't normally use the mouse with the HTPC. I try to use only my Nevo C3 infrared remote as much as I can. But with HTPCs, this is often not possible Not for maintenance anyway, but to operate NextPVR in the past, it's always been enough.

I do have another HTPC in my master bedroom. It's pretty similarly specced though. The CPU is older Intel i5-6400, and Z170 motherboard. Also 16Gigs of RAM. GPU is also a GTX 1050Ti. It's also connected to the sound system via HDMI, to a Marantz receiver, but newer model, SR8015.
It's connected to the network via a Wifi bridge, also, not wired 10gig like the one downstairs. I can copy a TS file to the local SSD from the other HTPC to take any network issue out of the picture. I will be able to try the same TS file on both.

[HarryH3]

madbrain is perfectly describing the same issues that I've been seeing here ever since the October update. We have to use Kodi to watch recordings, even though we loathe its interface. I installed the patch from this thread, but still seeing the same issue.

[madbrain]

madbrain is perfectly describing the same issues that I've been seeing here ever since the October update.  We have to use Kodi to watch recordings, even though we loathe its interface.    I installed the patch from this thread, but still seeing the same issue.

Well, at least I'm not the only one suffering :-( I would go crazy with Kodi not just because of the UI, but also because I don't think it will do commercial skip with NextPVR, will it ?

As a renderer, JRiver MC is not free, but it does handle commercial skip. In fact, it automatically recognizes the comskip files created during NextPVR recordings.
The JRiver MC Theater view doesn't look nearly as good as the UI in NextPVR, though, IMO. One feature I do really like in JRiver MC is that it has a media server built in, which allows playing over the network, including the commercial skip support. The video rendering is also better than NextPVR. Close captions look much better for my usage as well. So, for now, I'm using this combo of NextPVR to record, and JRiver MC to playback, and it's really very good.
It's still sad to see the regressions in NextPVR, though, especially with the online-only installer and inability to rollback to working versions.