Streaming AVI / MKV etc files over a network (with buffer)

[gaspah]

Hi there,

Ok I recently shifted my main hard drives (1.5tb total) from my "gaming/media player/TV" machine to a "file server/burning" machine. I can access and play these files over the network just fine... but I use vnc to log into the server and run nero to burn cds etc.. when the server is burning (as is anything that burns) I get jitters and like 30 seconds of no video playback.. Is there any software that will buffer the media file so that i dont have to either copy it over to my "gaming/media player/TV" machine then delete it after watching manually each time. whatever the software is i NEEDS to support avi and mkv, and preferably ogm and other formats... EDIT> oh and i didnt mention it but must support h264 and xvid

any help would be much appreciated. w00t

[gaspah]

guess not

[CruNcher]

@ gaspah
hmm sounds like your system is not that optimal configured if it's Vista it's clear what happens as only Windows Mediaplayer 11 for Vista @ the moment can make use of the new Multimedia Scheduler that's implemented in Vista to avoid such Problems, You can check the DPC latency @ playback of those streams from your server when you use Nero on the client with this http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtmland then try to find the bottleneck (Driver) in your system that's couseing it.
Vista with any other Windows Mediaplayer @ the moment that can't use the new Multimedia Scheduler is very bad with DPC Latency @ the moment much worse then XP without it and correctly configured :P
Im almost sure with Mac OSX or Linux Client and the same procedure burning and streaming no problems would occour but for Windows you have to be carefully analyseing the root of the problem first ;) especialy with a very long running (in terms of installation changes since the day it was installed) Windows System.

[gaspah]

i didnt really understand most of that...

are you saying i should pollute my system with Vista? That's too high a price to pay... I've tested Vista and I'll be waiting for SP1 AT LEAST...

Ok, i've never come across a machine that doesn't halt all current processes (including network) when starting the burning process, so I don't think it's a driver bottleneck... even my new 965P-DS3P/8800GTX/6*WD4000YS(raid5)/4*1GBCorsair800 system still hangs for 10-30 seconds when i start burning...

Oh and I dont use Windows Media Player (its not even installed)
I use MplayerC mainly and winamp sometimes..

I really do appreciate your help but I just dont understand... it makes me feel dumb...

And what language is that link to? german? cas I dont understand german... but because its mainly computer jargon i can kinda understand... just like at work when everyone speaks mandarin, then i get up and say something stupid cas im going on the 2 or 3 english words in the conversation...

to see exactly what im talking about start recording a live stream of whatever... audio or video and while its recording burn a disc then go back and check your mutilated recording... every time...

[gaspah]

oh and they're both fresh windows installs XP PRO SP2 OEM (1 week and 2 weeks old respectively)

>>

well i'll come back and check this thread on monday morning... hopefully something that someone as doltish as me can understand....

oh and thanks for the help cruncher... im sure someone understands :P

[CruNcher]

I see but no i didn't wan't to advise you to use Vista (but i thougt you are a Vista user sorry) and my text says that Vista is more problematic with this Latency Problems if Multimedia Applications are not coded for the new Multimedia Scheduler that was introduced in Vista as when running on a optimal configured Windows XP system but for a optimal running System you have to debug it constantly (I/O overloads introduced by new installed applications like defragers and virus/malware scanner, memory leaks, timing problems and driver problems), especialy as i think you are a Gamer looking @ your GFX card so you for sure installing and changeing your system constantly and as such you also install Beta drivers for different devices and so DPC problems are not unlikekly for you and with DPClat i posted above you can debug and find out wich Driver in your PC is couseing this Problems (site is in english).

If your cpu utilization is to high for your System when Burning and Streaming as both the Burning process needs Cpu (but not much most likely if correctly configured maybe 10% also has todo with the speed you burning and I/O accesses, the mode your Device is in and the Device itself) aswell as the Streaming (needs much more CPU Power if useing a non active Network Interface only PRO Network cards ,with a higher price point are active and don't utilize the CPU that much) and as such this can couse problems if the Driver is not optimal coded DPC wise in multitasking scenarios. I don't have those problems with Burning and Streaming or Recording Live Streams @ the same time in my XP system (with lower systemspecs then you), but i constantly debug it when i see problems occouring as broken burned disks or problems with live streams and especialy high cpu utilization in multitasking, so i can just advise you to debug your system and search for problems as listed above it don't has to be a DPC problem but that sounded the most likely in your case without further info of your systems configuration.

[gaspah]

ok then, im not the type of person to denounce advice (especially when i asked the question). The advice may be way off what I thought I'd get, but it sounds like it may give me a better answer than I was looking for if it works. If this is the case, maybe I didn't need to set up a server box, ok thats not true i have a million tasks for that overworked little box (at the moment its recording a box of audio casette tapes (boring but its money).

But I'm going to dedicate a week to debugging and configuring my new systems using that doodad you mentioned above. I'll come back and mention how it went for me and if I can't figure it out... more questions!! :P

Thanks heaps for your help....

Oh, and I'm not so much a gamer.. obviously i've been playing a lot of games since i got my 8800GTX/E6700 pc... but im more of a media mogul (well without the money, private helicopter and an overwhelming sense of achievement) and anime otaku (the fansub watching i cant wait a whole year for the inglish version kind)... but I thought to myself i work at a computer store and I can get wholesale parts... why not have the best.. i mean i am obsessed with pc's in the first place.. ok so i haven't eaten properly for nearly 2 months LOL.. but i have my computer that shouldn't become obsolete for at least 3 years (hopefully)..

>>> AH I WAS LOOKING AT zur deutschen Version !!! there's a little inglish flag in the corner... i'll click it... wooo hooo.. ;D

[gaspah]

ya ya ya ya....
I just ran that DPC latency thing on my work pc and burnt a 4.3GB data dvd... and it made a liar outta me... it had an absolute maximum latency of 1030us (what is that nano seconds?) and it didn't hang at all!! hopefully things go as well at home tonight...

[Randi]

my guess is that you should look at the server first, especially as Nero starts with process priority "high", starting Nero with normal priority should fix ur issues

[Clammerz]

Agreed with Randi, you should be looking at your server before anything else.

Changing the process priority might/should work, but have you set the system to give preference to background processes? Start -> CPanel -> System -> Advanced -> Advanced -> Background Services.

I haven't played with that option before, but it should do what you are after.

Other than that, you could try a different server OS maybe. Some flavor of *nix with Samba should work well.