[dieselboy27]

I am trying to set up PS3 MS so that it will transcode videos so I can watch them on my Apple TV 2G. I have some movies that are in .mp4 and .m4v format 720p that stutter and buffer too much, and audio issues when using the SMB option.

I have use PS3 MS before with my PS3 and it worked great. The issue I am experiencing right now is as follows: The status tab on PS3 MS indicates a orange cone, and indicates it could work with my renderer. Fine. But the weird part is that when I select a video using the UPnP settings in XBMC the transcoding buffer status indicator never moves. When I was streaming to the PS3 you could tell the computer was doing something, transcoding.

Can someone who is using PS3 MS to accomplish streaming maybe chime in with their experience?

[dazex]

.MP4 and .M4V are the native format that the ATV2 enjoys. So I am surprise you're having issues with it.

We had to use PS3MS as a crutch because of the lack of support to natively decode a lot of content. Since the beauty of XBMC is that it can decode more content than what ATV2 can do natively, I wouldn't want to pipe my video files through a software like PS3MS.

Removing as many layers as possible is always best. With SMB natively supported on XBMC and Windows/Mac/Linux, that would be the preferred way to go.

I think many endusers with buffering issues are still trying to figure out why some people are having issues with SMB shares and why others like myself are not. I am not sure if the issue has to do with the process of jailbreaking or a bug in XBMC or the end user's network.

I suggest those with problems to offer as much detail as possible. We can at least start with which XBMC version and how we are connected to the SMB share, including what router model the home network is connected to? Also, what OS is the SMB host?

Perhaps with these info, we can start seeing a pattern. Otherwise, I see too many people saying they have problems but not enough detail info for us to help. I did IT support for many years and I say, help us help you better.

[dieselboy27]

I am running Windows 7 x64 O/S
I used greenposi0n to jailbreak.
I am using the version of XBMC that is available through cydia on the ATV.
I am connected to the SMB on the ATV using the SMB (windows) option.

The one film I am having issues (along with others) is How Do you Know 720p BRRip XVid AC3. The audio keeps going in and out and there are many dropped frames. The file is 3.41GB in size.

On another note, watched the Oscars MKV in 720p, which was 4.4GB file with no issues whatsoever.

[dazex]

Ah, that's probably the source of your problem right there. It's already known that high def 720p Xvid/Dvix content is gonna be taxing the ATV2 to the max.

Go ahead and map one of your remote buttons to CodecInfo in your joystick.AppleRemote.xml so you can bring that OSD up while playing the xvid movie. You'll see that Xvid is currently decoded by the CPU and not the GPU. Therefore, it'll tax the ATV's CPU to 90-100%. Just not playable.

Movies encoded in a format that is capable of being accelerated by the ATV's GPU can be 1080p with high bitrate of 25Mbps and still be smooth, buffer free and no dropped frame. I bet the latest Oscar MKV is encoded in h.264 and thus takes advantage of the GPU.

Anyways, there gotta be a rule that if you're only testing with a file or two. And one of them has buffering issues, that's not good enough to write about. It sounded like nothing was working for you.

Anyways, currently...standard def Xvid/Divx formats runs good. 720p is starting to push it, depending on how it was encoded. h.264 is the preferred format.

[roygbiv]

FYI in default settings PS3 Media doesn't transcode when streaming to the XBMC on the ATV2. It recognizes XBMC and acts as a generic UPnP server.

Personally I use PS3 Media Server because:

A.) SMB buffers, while with PS3 Media Server I can stream 1080p wirelessly with no issues.

B.) I like my most recent downloads at the top of the list. PS3 Media Server is the only UPnP streamer I've found that let's me make this happen.

[dieselboy27]

Is there a way to get PS3 MS to transcode by changing the settings? I mean it does do that for the PS3.

[dazex]

@roygbiv,
Definitely, use what works. Mine is just a suggestion and one opinion on the matter since I know uPNP also has issue with no Library mode support and such.

cheers,
-dazex

[dieselboy27]

Ah, that's probably the source of your problem right there. It's already known that high def 720p Xvid/Dvix content is gonna be taxing the ATV2 to the max.

Go ahead and map one of your remote buttons to CodecInfo in your joystick.AppleRemote.xml so you can bring that OSD up while playing the xvid movie. You'll see that Xvid is currently decoded by the CPU and not the GPU. Therefore, it'll tax the ATV's CPU to 90-100%. Just not playable.

Movies encoded in a format that is capable of being accelerated by the ATV's GPU can be 1080p with high bitrate of 25Mbps and still be smooth, buffer free and no dropped frame. I bet the latest Oscar MKV is encoded in h.264 and thus takes advantage of the GPU.

Anyways, there gotta be a rule that if you're only testing with a file or two. And one of them has buffering issues, that's not good enough to write about. It sounded like nothing was working for you.

Anyways, currently...standard def Xvid/Divx formats runs good. 720p is starting to push it, depending on how it was encoded. h.264 is the preferred format.

Well, I just purchased the aTV a couple of days ago, so I only had limited exposure to the variety of video formats. I didn't realize that 720p xvid was an issue. I will have to be more vigilant in which files I download from now on.

I appreciate the comprehensive answer, it makes much more sense now. Anyone know how long until we see an update to XBMC to perhaps address the slight sluggishness in the UI?

If the aTV doesn't meet my needs, then I'll just go to stringing a HDMI cable from my laptop to the tv and outputting it that way. It's not my favorite solution but at least I know all my file formats are compatible.