SageTV Client stutters with h.264 mkv playback

[gtdave]

SageTV gurus, please help! I have an extremely frustrating problem with SageTV Client.

When I try to play h.264 encoded files (in mkv containers) on either of my SageTV Client PCs, it will play normally for a few seconds then...start...stuttering...like...this. I can increase the Haali Media Splitter buffer to increase the amount of time it plays normally, but it always ends up stuttering.

Here's the challenging part (a.k.a., the part that is making me want to throw my PC out the window): this only happens if I play a h.264 mkv file across my Gigabit Ethernet network using SageTV Client! If I put a file on the hard drive of the PC running Sage Client, the file plays fine. If I play the file on the SageTV server across the network, the file plays fine. This is definitely points to a problem with Sage Client playing files across the network.

The files are stored on a ReadyNAS NV+, but I've also tried playing across the network from other hard drives on other PCs with the same effect. The files play PERFECTLY across the network on the Client PCs using Graphedit, Windows Media Player, and Zoom Player using Directshow filters, just not in SageTV Client. The graph consists of Haali Media Splitter, CoreAVC Pro, and AC3Filter. I have the always_use_dshow property set to true on the client and the server.

I've confirmed that the Sage server has no problem playing the files, no matter how I access them--either mapping a drive letter to the ReadyNas using a UNC path. The Directshow filters and merits are the same on all of my machines, so again the points to a problem with SageTV Client.

I have been fighting with this for almost a month. I've submitted an official help request but have made no progress yet.

Anyone have any suggestions that may solve this problem? Please let me know if you need more information...and thanks in advance for your help!

Dave

[redondo_se]

I had this same problem playing .mkv files from DVD or across the network. Never tried to copy the file locally to the hard drive. Updating to the most recent version of Haali (dated 29/03/2008) seems to have solved the problem for me.

[redondo_se]

I spoke too soon. Seems the new version helped at the beginning of one clip, but then it stutters later. Increasing the input buffer size, and turning on "Decoder priority boost" seems to help some, but it's still not perfect.

[gtdave]

Originally Posted by redondo_se

I spoke too soon. Seems the new version helped at the beginning of one clip, but then it stutters later. Increasing the input buffer size, and turning on "Decoder priority boost" seems to help some, but it's still not perfect.

I tried the same things and had the same results...plays fine for a few seconds, then starts stuttering...some files are worse than others, but they all do it.

The fun continues.

[valnar]

Two things.

Are you using \\UNC names for your Sage Server videos, or drive letters? Are the files stored on the ReadyNAS I assume? Set Sage Server to use UNC paths so your clients can pull them directly.

For a test, set both your ReadyNAS and the Sage client PC to 100/Full hardcoded on the NIC. ie. Disable gigabit ethernet speeds.

Try those.

Robert

[gtdave]

Originally Posted by valnar

Two things.

Are you using \\UNC names for your Sage Server videos, or drive letters? Are the files stored on the ReadyNAS I assume? Set Sage Server to use UNC paths so your clients can pull them directly.

For a test, set both your ReadyNAS and the Sage client PC to 100/Full hardcoded on the NIC. ie. Disable gigabit ethernet speeds.

Try those.

Robert

Yes, I'm using UNC names.

I'd rather not put a governor on the GigE network if I can avoid it, but I'll give it a shot tonight.

The files play fine using Zoom Player, Windows Media Player, and Graphedit without limiting the speed. I'm convinced that it has to be something with the Sage Client directshow player. The Sage server plays the files perfectly...it's the strangest thing!

[redondo_se]

It's gotta be something about the sage directshow graph. I can't believe it's a hardware issue when it works fine in all other players.

[AWS]

I'm getting the same MKV delayed stutter but I don't have a client. One Sage PC (Vista Ultimate with SP1) and the MKV file is stored locally.

AWS

[gtdave]

All,

After upgrading to the beta 6.4.3.171 and using CoreAVC 1.7 with Haali Media Splitter and AC3Filter, the stutter playing h.264 encoded MKV files across the network is gone on all my clients!

However, after adding the HD-PVR to my system, I have trouble playing those h.264 encoded files using the CoreAVC codec...fix one thing, break another. Always something.

The saga continues...
Dave

[Taddeusz]

I gave CoreAVC a try and came out disappointed. For whatever reason it would always try to deinterlace my 480p files and they would end up looking as if they were half the resolution. So I finally got SageTV using the Cyberlink 8 H.264 decoder by adjusting merits and everything is fine now. Not sure why CoreAVC was doing what it was doing.

[Ryokurin]

I had something similar a few days ago. h264 locally would stutter after a few mins, and network files ran but some ran with invalid times. I fixed it by clearing out the folder except for wiz.bin and reinstalling. You'll have to go through setup again but those are the breaks. What caused it for me was that I accidentally installed a old beta on top of a newer one.

[JonSS]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

I gave CoreAVC a try and came out disappointed. For whatever reason it would always try to deinterlace my 480p files and they would end up looking as if they were half the resolution. So I finally got SageTV using the Cyberlink 8 H.264 decoder by adjusting merits and everything is fine now. Not sure why CoreAVC was doing what it was doing.

How did you get Sage to work with Cyberlink 8. I just bought Cyberlink PowereDVd 8 but when trying to watch h.264 files on my pc I just get a black screen with sound. It workd fine when watching through PowerDVD.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by JonSS

How did you get Sage to work with Cyberlink 8. I just bought Cyberlink PowereDVd 8 but when trying to watch h.264 files on my pc I just get a black screen with sound. It workd fine when watching through PowerDVD.

To get it to work correctly I had to make sure that always_use_dshow_player=true and mplayer/use_for_all_mpeg4_playback=false were set that way. You also want to set extra_mplayer_args=-channels 6 if you're not using SPDIF and you expect to get surround sound.

[JonSS]

Thanks will try that. What was the exact command you wrote for h.264:

videoframe/h264_video_decoder_filter=CyberLink H.264/AVC Decoder (PDVD8)?

Thanks

[Taddeusz]

I actually didn't have to do that. I just made sure that the DirectX merits allowed it to be the default. At least in my case, because I use almost mkv exclusively, installing Haali was also a huge help. I actually fought this one on and off for a while on my client trying to get my converted movies to play. It wasn't a huge deal though because it's only secondary. Most of the time I use my HD100 on my TV.

[technazz]

Try this it worked for me. 6.4.5 broke my H.264 playback, going back to MpegDeMux.ax from 6.4.4 fixed it.


http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...1&postcount=22

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by technazz

Try this it worked for me. 6.4.5 broke my H.264 playback, going back to MpegDeMux.ax from 6.4.4 fixed it.

Technazz,

are you referring to h.264 in matroska files or h.264 in general?

I don't have any issues with h.264 from recorded hdtv with 6.4.5.

I do however have serious issues with mkv files. They only play smoothly for a few seconds and then start stuttering like others have posted above.

[technazz]

Originally Posted by Lucas

Technazz,

are you referring to h.264 in matroska files or h.264 in general?

I don't have any issues with h.264 from recorded hdtv with 6.4.5.

I do however have serious issues with mkv files. They only play smoothly for a few seconds and then start stuttering like others have posted above.

No I was having trouble with recordings. Qian is looking at them. All my MKV play fine with 6.4.5

Technazz

[Lucas]

I was playing around with decoder merits using rad filter manager and managed to finally make mkv AC3 sound to passthru SPDIF to my receiver.
It looks like AC3filter is finally used.
The stuttering improved for AC3 mkv files although there are some scenes with high bitrates which stutter momentarily.

My fooling around broke my playback of DTS mkv files however. They won't play at all. I suspect that this stuttering issue may have something to do with particular audio decoder merits if there are more than one available as is most frequently the case.

Correct my logic if need be.

[Fuzzy]

Sort of off-topic, but I'm curious why the preference for MKV's when using with sage? What feature in the MKV format are you guys prefering over just using an mpg or avi container (which, apparently, has little to know problems it seems)?