[danakajoel]

I would really appreciate some help on an ongoing XBMC Stutter problem that I have. My set up is a HP Proliant N40L server running Windows Server 2012 as my media source through shares. This plugs straight in to my router through a wired connection.

I have a media PC running windows 8 with XBMC installed and the shares added for movies, tv shows etc. Sometimes when I watch a movie is will play through completely fine. Other times, it will freeze once every 5-10 minutes for a period of 1 to 30 seconds. It is completely random, there seems to be rhyme nor reason. I have tried the usual settings changes etc and would really appreciate some advice. Here's the log:

http://xbmclogs.com/show.php?id=28155

[danakajoel]

Hi all, thanks for all the replies. Absolutely inundated

However, I found the issue which I thought I'd share. I am in the UK and have Virginmedia Broadband and the Superhub. My HTPC and server were both plugged in to the ports on the Superhub.

After checking just about everything I could think of on the HTPC and Server, I decided to try putting a switch in my network and connecting both the HTPC and Server to that. Effectively, taking the Superhub out of the network and using as a modem. Hey presto, the random stutter has stopped. I can only assume the Superhub was running a check or something every so often that would lag the network.

Hopefully this may help someone else in the future.

[danakajoel]

My issue came back and I've continued to have intermittent stutter on XBMC with Windows 8 64 bit. I've tried updating all drivers, changing all movies and audio settings per various threads. Nothing helped. I knew it wasn't my network connection due to running various speed tests confirming max throughput.

Finally I've found a solution!!! Plex!!!

It works fantastically well and no stutter. I can therefore only conclude XBMC has an issue with my hardware configuration or drivers. I am running a A8-3870K APU.

The only downside I can see so far is that it doesn't play rar files so I've had to unpack them all, a small (time consuming) price to pay. The pluses are huge, no stutter, frees up space on my HTPC since media info is stored on my server and NO STUTTER!

[Kib]

You should try XBMC without the rar files =)

[danakajoel]

I've tried various file types. Rar or non-rar, I still got intermittent stutter with XBMC but I don't with Plex. Don't get me wrong, I loved XBMC and slightly prefer the interface and ease of use but I can't go on tinkering forever when something like Plex works straight out of the box (so to speak)