Video stutter on 360 media extender

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Video stutter on 360 media extender

jamesla

85 posts

Master Geek

#51674 30-Nov-2009 17:00

I am using windows 7 media center and a tv tuner to bring in dvbt freeview. This computer operates headlessly and I actually use my xbox 360 as a media extender to watch everything from (i like its boot time and the remote works well and the fact that since I never log into my media pc no settings ever get changed so it makes it much more reliable.

For some reason when watching tv every 30-45 seconds I get about a half a second video stutter (sound is fine) on my xbox (really annoying) - this only happens when watching tv.

I decided to find out if it was my xbox or my media pc so i set up my media pc and this can actually watch the tv channels with no video stutter at all.

They are both plugged into a gigabit switch so I don't think it's a network issue.

Has anybody else experienced anything like this and what did you do to fix it?

sbiddle

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#277996 30-Nov-2009 18:14

Are you running the Windows7 RC or final release?

There were issues with extenders in the beta and I believe they might have not been fully resolved in the RC.

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jamesla

85 posts

Master Geek

#278038 30-Nov-2009 20:00

im running final release, im wondering if its due to the fact that the xbox 360 uses software x264 decoding and my media pc does hardware decoding??? (I presume that xbox 360 uses software x264 decoding?)

edit - or the x264 codec that the xbox uses sucks?

Can anybody who is running an xbox confirm if they get stuter?

sbiddle

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#278077 30-Nov-2009 22:05

DVB-T used H.264 - x264 is simply an encoding format and is not the same thing.

The xbox360 is capable of decoding H.264

billgates

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#278118 1-Dec-2009 01:05

Try 100/100 switch instead.

Media extender (Xbox 360) does not likes gigabit switches.

Do whatever you want to do man.

RustyGonad

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#278144 1-Dec-2009 07:59

billgates: Try 100/100 switch instead.

Media extender (Xbox 360) does not likes gigabit switches.

My one doesn't mind them... I highly doubt its this...

I'd look for something in your setup. The 360 streams h.264 just fine, including both Freeview and Sky HD. You shouldn't be getting any glitches at all.

One way to test is to try playing either some recorded content, or a Divx video on the exteneder ie non live content - see of these still have the issue.

Another thing to check is the 360 ethernet cables ie the gray ones with the metal bits on the connector - the ones I've used (3 of them all the same) are crap...

jamesla

85 posts

Master Geek

#278155 1-Dec-2009 08:54

Good to know this isn't a known issue on the xbox...

Yeah other videos including large high quality movies stream fine.... it's only live tv that does it. I will try plug in to a different switch tonight and try a different cable (seems like a bit of a long shot).... any other ideas?

I have googled it and it seems like a known problem with windows 7 media center and extenders

Some suggestions were to disable homegroups and to disable ipv6 also to disable the windows indexing service and to check the bios that the hard drive is on the fastest mode, also to enable flow control on the nic.

I don't really see how it could be a performance issue since it can play the tv fine not through an extender, but I guess some of those suggestions are worth a shot..

I'll report back and let you guys know i presume this is probably going to come up again on these forums

billgates

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#278368 1-Dec-2009 16:14

if you are going to enable flow control then you don't have to worry about using a 100/100 switch. If you want to have flow control disabled then you need to use a 100/100 switch. That's why I recommended a 100/100 switch instead. This is a known issue with Xbox 360 being used as a extender.

Do whatever you want to do man.

jamesla

85 posts

Master Geek

#278505 1-Dec-2009 21:40

hmm I've done all those things including plugging straight into my firewall which has a 10/100mb switch on it but still lagging.. this is really starting to drive me crazy

jamesla

85 posts

Master Geek

#278509 1-Dec-2009 21:46

One step closer!!! ok if it has one of it's glitches then if I rewind the TV and watch that same scene again it will have another lag out at the exact same point. Now this means it has to be a problem with the recorded stream doesn't it??

Does this give you any clues as to what it could be?

jamesla

85 posts

Master Geek

#280436 8-Dec-2009 16:23

Ok I have figured it out. Basically it is due to signal strength. The reason it looks ok when watching it from the mediapc is because they handle with signal loss differently. When the mediapc sees signal loss it kind of scrambles part of the screen but sometimes it will be such a small area you don't even notice it, but the xbox will just freeze the video.

Does anybody know a good app to test signal strength and anything that can be done to increase it? I'm living in an appartment, so won't be able to touch the antenna. Is there like an amp or something I can put between my mediapc and the antenna?

cheers

argo

87 posts

Master Geek

#284060 19-Dec-2009 18:29

jamesla: Ok I have figured it out. Basically it is due to signal strength. The reason it looks ok when watching it from the mediapc is because they handle with signal loss differently. When the mediapc sees signal loss it kind of scrambles part of the screen but sometimes it will be such a small area you don't even notice it, but the xbox will just freeze the video.

Does anybody know a good app to test signal strength and anything that can be done to increase it? I'm living in an appartment, so won't be able to touch the antenna. Is there like an amp or something I can put between my mediapc and the antenna?

cheers

Hi jamesla

Coverage of DTT signal strength here:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=83&topicid=23840
(scroll to the bottom of thread)

Other option is to use the strength meter of your (or your neighbours) settop box or DTT-TV assuming you have access to either. Problem with an amp is you won't change the SNR (signal noise ratio), you'll just get more of everything. It may be enough to get you above the threshld of your problem, but maybe not. Assuming its a shared aerial do your neighbours complain? Is the appartment aerial even set up for Freeview, could just be a happy accident you are able to receive DTT. Maybe time for a word with your friendly landlord or body-corp?