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I've been running nightlies and for a while now I've had an issue where any video I start up stutters for about 5 seconds, while audio plays fine. Once the video smooths out playback is just fine.

I've running Ubuntu 11.10 on a quad core phenom, with a nvidia 430 video card with the latest nvidia drivers. I'm using the following settings for video playback:
Render method - auto detect
Allow hardware (VDPAU) - on
Allow hardware (VAAPI) - off
Adjust display refresh rate - off
Sync playback to display - on Audio clock (also tried off)
VDPAU Studio level color conversion - off

I have it set to 1080p60 and I don't bother with switching for different video refresh rates because I don't like all the flickering and resyncing my equipment does to get it running, although it does allow playback at 1080p24 if I let it.

When did you notice that the first time? Would you notice any difference if you set sync playback to display method to video?

FernetMenta Wrote:When did you notice that the first time? Would you notice any difference if you set sync playback to display method to video?

I have experienced the same affect. Git Version 5b3B0B3. and yes if the Sync Playback is turned off, there is not a problem.

If I have Sync Playback turned on 1080 and 720 video is fine. The screen goes blank for a couple seconds (I have the delay set to 1.7s) and then the video starts playing fine. However 480p stutters for a few seconds, then the screen blanks and the video mode appears to change.

It worked either way with the stable release just fine. When I switched to unstable earlier this month I noticed this problem. I was running a build from 11/07 or thereabouts until I updated last night.

What mode have you set the Sync Playback setting to? Video (drop/dupe) or audio? Do you see any difference when changing this sync mode?

Audio seems to be the best of the three sync settings. But all three demonstrate the same problem with 480p video.

Would you have a sample of a video that shows that behavior? Looks like the frame rate is not known for some reason when playback is started.

you can create a 2MB sample without changing the format or header like this:

It's all video, even happens with youtube. Some of the 1080p files I tested were made with MakeMKV on Windows. Others were obtained elsewhere.

Please post a debug log (remember to turn on debug logging).

Log file is here. I started Downfall (filename is Der Untergang) at around 19:04:04.

Further information:
Currently running XBMC Pre-11.0 compiled Nov. 21 from alexandr surkov's ppa. Occurred with several prior builds.
Ubuntu 11.10 kernel 3.0.0.12-generic x86_64
AMD Phenom II X4 810 with 8GB DDR3
nVidia GT 430 drivers: 280.12-0ubuntu6
Video is connected via HDMI to a Denon 4810 which is then connected to a Mits 82738. All 1080p video is set to pass through the Denon, anything less than 1080p will be upscaled by it.

Thanks much for looking into this guys.

OK, here's another log file. On that first one somehow XBMC got set to 1080p24. Still the behavior with video set to sync was demonstrated with a 480p video.

In this log I set the resolution to 1080p60 and turned off sync. Then I played Star Wars from the beginning through the opening crawl. Video stuttered during the Fox logo but by the time Lucasfilm appeared it was fine.

Looks like the frame rate was reported wrong when playback was started. Hmm, are you saying that this is the case with every 480p video? Can you point me to a sample?

Well every 480p video I've tried, including some stuff off youtube. Likewise when video sync is turned off every video I've tried does this. And considering these problems don't happen with the stable release I don't think it's anything in my videos that is causing a problem.

I can tell you one thing on youtube that did this were the Dragon Age Redemption webisodes. I have youtube set to use 1080 if available, I'm not sure what it actually got for those videos.

Is that 480p file an NTSC dvd ripped to mkv by handbrake? Because the last time I tried that it messed up the video timestamps pretty badly.
How much stutter did you get with the 1080p file? The first problem I see is that the refreshrate is set to 60 hertz and the video is 23.976 fps, that's going to cause telecine judder.
The second problem is the sync method is set to audio clock, that's going to cause a small stutter every 17 seconds or so, to avoid that the refreshrate should be 59.94 hertz, or a different sync method should be used.