[mythtv-users] stuttering playback with MythTV EPIA-M/networked

Michael Carland mcarland at bitsgonewild.net
Fri May 20 15:25:41 UTC 2005


On May 20, 2005, at 7:29 AM, Thomas Aeby wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I am trying to use MythTV in a configuration where the backend is
> running on a central "media server" and playback goes via network on
> mythfrontend running on an VIA EPIA based box.
>
> Unfortunately playback on the VIA based box is stuttering, thus it 
> plays
> well for half a second or so, then stops for 1/3 second (video and
> sound), then plays for another half a second, stutters again ...

I am using an M10K. I have had a series of video stuttering problems, 
which I have mostly worked through. The one you describe is the like 
first one that I had.

In my case, I was still setting up, and experimenting, and had not yet 
set up the audio out yet. I had installed for ALSA, but my settings 
where still for /dev/dsp, which I got a warning about every time I 
started playing something. The video would pause just as you described, 
until I went in and changed my audio options to use ALSA, at which time 
both the audio worked, and that type of video stuttering stopped.

Also, what type of tuner are you using? Another source of stuttering 
was the ivtv driver, which doesn't quite support VBI yet (sounds like 
it is getting very close, but definitely didn't when I was having the 
problem). When I ran the mythtv setup, and turned VBI to NONE for my 
ivtv cards, all but the slightest stuttering was gone.

The only stuttering I have left happens for about 15 seconds every half 
hour or so. The CPU is normally 80% idle during playback, but during 
this time it is only 10% idle. It lasts for such a short time, and the 
the stuttering is so light, I haven't taken the time to really dig into 
the problem.

Hope that's what you're running into, it's an easy fix.

-Michael



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