USB DVB-T TV Stick and HD freeview channels issue

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Deznz

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#150563 26-Jul-2014 22:05

Hey all,

I've just purchased a DVB-T USB TV stick and am having trouble with playback.
The issue is with the HD channels broadcast. TV1,2,3,4 are all choppy and jerky when playing, but the other non HD channels are fine.

I'm assuming it is due to the higher bitrate and my PCs ability to decode the stream in real time. The codec used to decode is H.264.
Does anyone have any suggestions on tweaking settings to improve the performance?

I'm running Windows 7 with a intel P4 3Ghz, 1.50Gb of RAM and 128Mb NVidia graphics card.
Hopefully it's not just a case of "I need a new PC"

Cheers.

Shoes2468

785 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1096371 26-Jul-2014 22:20

I'm no expert but I think it might be a case of, you need a new pc, basically unless you are getting hardware decoding of the h.264 stream that CPU will more than likely be struggling, as a test have a look at the CPU usage between the SD and HD channels if its maxing out on HD channels then you know that the CPU is doing all the hard work.

andrewNZ

2487 posts

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Inactive user

#1096402 26-Jul-2014 23:19

Try VLC. If VLC can play it there's hope, if not, you need a better PC.

B1GGLZ

1961 posts

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#1096474 27-Jul-2014 08:45

Deznz:

I'm running Windows 7 with a intel P4 3Ghz, 1.50Gb of RAM and 128Mb NVidia graphics card.

Cheers.

With those specs I would say it's struggling just to run Windows 7.

Behodar

10506 posts

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#1096478 27-Jul-2014 08:51

I have to agree that the CPU is too slow for 1080i; I used to get dropped frames on a 2.33 GHz Core 2, so I shudder to think how much strain it's putting on your P4!

sbiddle

30853 posts

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#1096490 27-Jul-2014 09:43

You need a new PC.

There isn't a hope in the world of decoding H.264 with such an old system and GFX card. CPU wise a P4 could cope, but such an old GFX card won't do H.264 hardware acceleration like pretty much GFX card produced in the last 5-6 years.

garbonzai

315 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1096502 27-Jul-2014 10:29

I have same issue as OP with my laptop, 1,2,3 are choppy and rest play fine, CPU sits 80% or more for HD and 5-20% for SD, thats with a T8300 CPU, but the X3100 GPU is poor, had a desktop a while ago with a E5200 CPU (pentium dual) and a GS8400 GPU and it played HD fine, the GS8400 did all the work and left CPU free.

So you need to upgrade, a dual core cpu of some kind but most important a GPU that decode H.264 with ease.

I don't use my stick anymore, it's to painful with my laptops onboard low end graphics.

Deznz

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1096684 27-Jul-2014 17:30

Cheers for the quick replies. Looks like an upgrade might have to be on the cards.

I've been trying to moving away from my Android STB and use a PC running XBMC.
Another question then - How come the Android box can decode the channels fine, with I'm assuming is using lower speced hardware?

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sbiddle

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#1096686 27-Jul-2014 17:44

Deznz: Cheers for the quick replies. Looks like an upgrade might have to be on the cards.

I've been trying to moving away from my Android STB and use a PC running XBMC.
Another question then - How come the Android box can decode the channels fine, with I'm assuming is using lower speced hardware?

Hardware won't be lower spec - the GPU will be going H.264 hardware decoding.

garbonzai

315 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1096695 27-Jul-2014 18:21

Not too much of an expert on the Android thing, but I have a media box (ATV400) and it plays/streams everything fine (I love it and XBMC), has a old Mali400 GPU and cortex A9 CPU, my laptop cant do h.264 in HD or stream/play 720p has a old x3100 GPU, but good CPU,

so I think it is the GPU that specializes in certain codec's etc?? that does the job as CPU's don't (most) do decoding I think and when they try to it is to much for the CPU to handle.