In the last few weeks I've built my first HTPC to replace my ageing Freeview PVR. It's based around an Intel Core i3-530 installed on an Intel DH55HC motherboard to utilise the CPU's integrated GPU. It's running 32-bit Windows 7 and has a KWorld dual DVB-T tuner and also a Hauppauge Nova HD-S2 tuner.

So far I've been very impressed with Media Centre and SD MPEG2 playback has been pretty good and reliable - certainly as good as what it replaced. I've had some problems with watching BBC HD from satellite however. Most of the time, playback is fine but every so often - and there doesn't seem to be any pattern to this - the video freezes for a few seconds, then plays catch up by decoding frames at a quicker rate for a second or two before playing frames at a slower than normal rate for a second. At this point one of three things happen. 1) The video starts again, with a small amount of corruption but finally settles down. 2) The picture updates, but it only seems to be on I frames for the next 10 seconds or so then carries on. 3) The video simply freezes and refuses to decode any new frames (this can also happen after point 2). During these glitches, audio continues unaffected.

I've been searching high and low and have noticed other people report similar but often in connection with ATI graphics cards. Since I'm using Intel's embedded GPU (with latest drivers), it's unlikely to an ATI driver issue.

When it happens, 411-info doesn't show anything obvious and the system certainly isn't being stressed (I rarely see the CPU usage at over 10%, however, this is during windowed playback instead of the normal full screen). During the glitches, I can rewind the live TV and play it back perfectly normal so it doesn't seem to be a problem within the stream.

I'm guessing that this is most likely a problem with the default H.264 codec supplied with Media Centre - perhaps getting confused with the incoming timestamps and often not recovering. Is this a known problem with a fix in progress, or is there a different recommended H.264 decoder to use instead?

Many thanks,
Rob.

 Hi Rob,

on my nvidia 8600GT, I don't see any problems, so if it is the codec, I would expect it to hit my system too.

In fact my wife was watching the olympics on Sat for a couple of hours, I know for a fact that she would tell me if she'd hit any problems, she's certainly not averse to telling me about every single, little glitch

Tony

rt

Hi all,

In the last few weeks I've built my first HTPC to replace my ageing Freeview PVR. It's based around an Intel Core i3-530 installed on an Intel DH55HC motherboard to utilise the CPU's integrated GPU. It's running 32-bit Windows 7 and has a KWorld dual DVB-T tuner and also a Hauppauge Nova HD-S2 tuner.

So far I've been very impressed with Media Centre and SD MPEG2 playback has been pretty good and reliable - certainly as good as what it replaced. I've had some problems with watching BBC HD from satellite however. Most of the time, playback is fine but every so often - and there doesn't seem to be any pattern to this - the video freezes for a few seconds, then plays catch up by decoding frames at a quicker rate for a second or two before playing frames at a slower than normal rate for a second. At this point one of three things happen. 1) The video starts again, with a small amount of corruption but finally settles down. 2) The picture updates, but it only seems to be on I frames for the next 10 seconds or so then carries on. 3) The video simply freezes and refuses to decode any new frames (this can also happen after point 2). During these glitches, audio continues unaffected.

I've been searching high and low and have noticed other people report similar but often in connection with ATI graphics cards. Since I'm using Intel's embedded GPU (with latest drivers), it's unlikely to an ATI driver issue.

When it happens, 411-info doesn't show anything obvious and the system certainly isn't being stressed (I rarely see the CPU usage at over 10%, however, this is during windowed playback instead of the normal full screen). During the glitches, I can rewind the live TV and play it back perfectly normal so it doesn't seem to be a problem within the stream.

I'm guessing that this is most likely a problem with the default H.264 codec supplied with Media Centre - perhaps getting confused with the incoming timestamps and often not recovering. Is this a known problem with a fix in progress, or is there a different recommended H.264 decoder to use instead?

Many thanks,
Rob.

Hi Rob

 I am seeing exactly the same thing on thesystem I set up for my sister. Core I5 650 in a DH55TC

 At the time, has a new recording started or stopped?  I see a brief glitch when this happens, but as soon as the recording file is either opened or closed, it settles back down.

Tony

I would be interested to hear any possible solutions also.

I have a DVB-S card & for BBCHD, BBC1HD & ITVHD all I see is a brief stutter when I first select the channel & then it settles down & is perfect.

However for my DVB-T card, in Ireland our DVB-T is broadcast in H.264 & I frequently have these corruption issues on Recorded TV (not Live TV), sometimes so bad it's unwatchable. The issue is fairly random, some recordings are fine, when i check 411 info I see Corrupt Frame Rates &/or count of between 1-30. 

I have an ATI HD 4550 graphics card & had assumed it was an issue with this card, I have been toying with the idea of buying a Nvidia GT210 (need passive & low-profile), but I keep hoping it will be resolved with the next ATI driver