[darkie]

i also played  another movie where the aq would fluctuate between 50-75 with the vq pegged at 99 most of the time, but every once in a while, the vq would drop to about 60 and when this happened the aq would max out at 99 until the vq came back up and then the aq would go back down.  this movie also played fine.  in all the movies i tried, i never saw the aq and vq at 99 at the same time.

that is normal, either the audio queue or the video queue stays at 99%, how full the other one is depends on some other factors. if you have a very low bitrate audio stream, the audio queue will stay very low, a high bitrate audio stream results in a high aq upto 100% (in that case the video queue will be lower than 100%). if you have a vbr audio stream those values can fluctuate because for a certain time of audio, more or less data is needed.

anyway, i am going to add some more debugging stuff to the player shortly. hopefully it well help some.

[A600]

i had the stuttering problem but now is gone thanks to tcp optimizer

[jeffmcclain]

as for the vq and aq sizes, i have experienced them "pulsating" during the stuttering.  by that i mean when the audio/video come back they both rise.  when the audio/video cuts out they both drop. i've also noticed that it's the aq that drops all the way to 0.  the vq never seems to drop all the way to 0.  hope that helps.  let me know if you can use anymore info.

ditto.  aq size is always 0 or 1 when stuttering (40-ish when fine).  vq size starts out 99 fine and is very low (sub 10) when stuttering.

here is a xbmc debug logfile with max debug logging turned on of the dvd playback stuttering (720p playback with dolby digital output enabled as well as dts).  the problem begins around 13:34 time stamp in the log, where i get "stillframe detected". memory is down to only 1-2mb free (though another box with 128mb upgrade doesn't help, and i get stuttering with over 36mb free). i notice that the frame rate begins to drop from the 24fps film mode, and from the "info" bar. stopping the player, and then restarting it and chapter selecting back to around where i was fixes (for a while). also, sometimes it will clear up on its own, but comes and goes frequently.  this is playback from a dvd, not off the hdd (just to clarify).  i can repeat on at least 4 different xbox's (phillips, thompson and samsung dvd players, with 64mb and 128mb memory, and all with x3 ce chips with x3 3294 bios, though one is an x2.6 ce with x2 5035 bios).  at least one was with 480i playback (the x2.6 ce both after 128mb upgrade and before) and standard analog audio and standard def cables (all others are upsampling to 720p with component cables and dolby digital ac3 playback).  multiple dvd's, and does not appear to be scratched or anything else.  all are with builds of xbmc from jan 24, 2006 t3ch build (and have had it as far back as at least oct, 2005 versions).

help!!!  this is killing the waf (wife acceptance factor) for me and the friend with the x2.6 ce.

thanks,

-jeff mcclain

[jeffmcclain]

ran into this yesterday. was not being streamed nor on dvd.. personal backup of a dvd on the xbox hd.. at 59 mins into the movie it started stuttering. aq and vq at 0. stopped and restarted player and skipped into same position (possible it was after) and it didn't occure again.

<edit> can't reproduce it. maybe it only happens if you have played from start, seeked to 50 mins in and let it play and nothing happened </edit>

agreed. i can change "where" this happens depending on where i skip (in the chapter selects) to. so, if i just back out (stop) the play, drop back to main menu, then play the dvd and chapter seek close to where i was before, the "problem" section no longer is a problem (i.e. it now shows up later in the movie, or not at all). but i assume if you could play back long enough from this new chapter point, you would still have problems.

[jeffmcclain]

if you enable 'display free memory' in xboxmediacenter.xml. how much memory is free when the stuttering starts?

i've seen it with only 2-3mb remaining (on a 64mb box), and i've also seen it with >36mb remaining (on a 128mb box).  i've played with cache sizes, and can actually make it happen quicker on the 128mb box (i think) if i increase the cache.  i need to reverify that.  also, i'm trying it with the cache disabled (just to see what happens) and also (separately) with the video playing back non-upsampled...

[edit] cache disabled did not help...

-jm

[jeffmcclain]

also, changing to the "changelayerhack" dll in the system/players/dvdplayer directory didn't fix the problem as some had recommended. also, that dll would not allow "the incredibles" to even play (at 1080i or 720p...didn't check other resolutions).

-jm

[darkie]

please try with the latest build. i have fixed some memory issues lately that could solve it, also check for free memory again on a box with 64 mb with that latest build.

[jeffmcclain]

please try with the latest build. i have fixed some memory issues lately that could solve it, also check for free memory again on a box with 64 mb with that latest build.

will do.

[RockDawg]

i compiled yesterday's build and played the worst offending movie i have and i didn't notice any choppiness or stuttering. my wife played a second movie and it did lock up so that problem still seems to exist, but on my initial test, the choppines was nonexistent. this was just a quick preliminary test without free memory enabled. 'll do more formal testing tonight.

by the way, what happened to the video info osd (the one with fps and cache sizes)? when i hit info on the remote during a movie it now gives me the play times and progress bar instead.

[RockDawg]

i just played another known problem movie and it also plays fine. :thumbsup:

will try more.

[seism]

works for me too - genius.

couldn't get the memory up with x+y though.

[elupus]

xbmc now displays cpu usage for the demuxer/audio/video part of dvdplayer where codec info normally is. please check what they say when stuttering is in effect. i've verified that the total cpu usage of the dvdplayer spikes when stuttering is happening. hopefully this will help pinpoint the problem.

[jeffmcclain]

xbmc now displays cpu usage for the demuxer/audio/video part of dvdplayer where codec info normally is. please check what they say when stuttering is in effect. i've verified that the total cpu usage of the dvdplayer spikes when stuttering is happening. hopefully this will help pinpoint the problem.

hum...my "cpu usage" is locked at 0.00 when i pull up the codec info (this is the 2-6-2006 t3ch build).?

and my stuttering problems appear to have gotten worse, actually. at least they happen quicker now on my test video that i've been using, which is "the incredibles". use to happen about 40 minutes into the movie, now happens under 5 minutes in, but is quite breif. then did it again around where it normally would, but, again, was very brief, where before it would go on and on. was upsampling to 720p and on a 128mb box for this, but will double check on my 64mb box tomorrow as well (it skips at 1080i and 720p both on previous versions).

[tslayer]

change was done after 2-6-06.. upgrade again to get cpu usage.

ts

[elupus]

jeffmcclain, that new stuttering is likely another issue caused by a fix for thx optimizer disks.. i think i've managed to keep the fix for thx now without causing that early stuttering.