I have been having some problems with my video connection to my TV but recently purchased a 100' HDMI cable. For the past week I have had the computer sitting next to the TV with the new HDMI cable coiled next to it. I had no problems with this set up. Today I moved the computer back to my desk and strung the HDMI cable. Now one video I watched kept having lines run through the picture slightly offset. Another recording would run normal speed for a couple seconds then real fast for a couple seconds all the time. And a third would just be jerky with no audio. I am playing back MPEG2 files directly from EyeTV recordings. I am using Big Cirrus skin and XBMC 10.1 (Git e9e9099). I have a 2.8 GHz quad core Mac Pro. Any thoughts?
I know someone is going to say it is the 100' HDMI cable. But if I play these files in EyeTV they play just fine. They are the same file since I use symlinks in my XBMC database.
try borrowing a different HDMI cable to see if the cable is defective
XBMC is the only program that is having problems with this set up. Plex9, Eyetv, VLC all play the files with now issues across this HDMI cable. I wish it was the other way around since XBMC is the interface I like the most.
Debug log is usually appropriate
Here are 2 debug logs. The first one is running the TV and the desk monitors as separate monitors and I get jerky video. THe second is with the computer monitor and the TV as mirrored monitors and with that I get smooth video.
Jerky video log
Smooth video log
I did look at Plex play back closer and it is smoother than XBMC but still not perfect like VLC and EyeTV.
Here are 2 debug logs. The first one is running the TV and the desk monitors as separate monitors and I get jerky video. THe second is with the computer monitor and the TV as mirrored monitors and with that I get smooth video.
Jerky video log
Smooth video log
I did look at Plex play back closer and it is smoother than XBMC but still not perfect like VLC and EyeTV.
Quote:The first one is running the TV and the desk monitors as separate monitors and I get jerky video. The second is with the computer monitor and the TV as mirrored monitors and with that I get smooth video.
I'm not sure, but I do get the feeling this is graphics card related if the difference between success and problem is in monitor configuration.
It is conceivable that XBMC uses more GPU resources (plex a similar increased amount depending on skins etc) than other apps due to the interface rendering etc and that this would impact when multiple screens (read: high GPU usage).
p.s. @Anyone: is it weird that the log records installing loads of addon at once then uninstalling them all at the end.
E.g:
Quote:DEBUG: ADDON: cpluff: 'Plug-in skin.cirrus.extended has been installed.
DEBUG: ADDON: cpluff: 'Plug-in script.libraryautoupdate has been uninstalled.
as well as lots more
pseudo7 Wrote:It is conceivable that XBMC uses more GPU resources (plex a similar increased amount depending on skins etc) than other apps due to the interface rendering etc and that this would impact when multiple screens (read: high GPU usage).
The interesting thing is that I used to have the TV connected via Cat5e HDMI extender and it worked well until the extender and the MDP-HDMI adapter both died. That is when I got a new MDP-HDMI adapter and a long HDMI cord.
I did just unplug the desk monitor and just ran the TV and it ran fine. I can't believe XBMC and Plex are such GPU hogs that they can't run on a high end current Mac with 2 monitors, especially since I did have it working before.
Quote:I can't believe XBMC and Plex are such GPU hogs that they can't run on a high end current Mac with 2 monitors, especially since I did have it working before.
Depends what graphics card your high end current Mac has got.
Also around these parts people often change things without realizing which may be the root of their problem.
Quote:The interesting thing is that I used to have the TV connected via Cat5e HDMI extender and it worked well until the extender and the MDP-HDMI adapter both died. That is when I got a new MDP-HDMI adapter and a long HDMI cord.
would seem like this is worth a try then:
Quote:try borrowing a different HDMI cable to see if the cable is defective
Let me describe the problem in different terms. The problem play back I get is the video pulsing fast and slow to a regular rhythm. The audio is okay. Does that help anyone understand what might be the problem?
Well, it looks like you're playing a 60 fps video with the refreshrate set at 24 hertz, set the refreshrate to 60 hertz instead.
bobo1on1 Wrote:Well, it looks like you're playing a 60 fps video with the refreshrate set at 24 hertz, set the refreshrate to 60 hertz instead.
Thank you very much. I found it hard to believe it could actually be resource problem with XBMC. Fixing the refresh rate fixed the problem.
I´m having the same problem.. where do you go about setting the refresh to 60hz? Does this mean that it's not possible to have it sent out 24hz? I thought it just sent out the native refresh of the file if set to "Adjust display refresh rate to match video".