Intermittent encoding video stutter problem

[mdmint]

I've been experiencing an intermittent encoding stutter that I haven't been able to replicate or isolate. I believe but am not 100% sure it surfaced after upgrading from v2 to v2.10. At first thought maybe it was a flakey card, but further investigation revealed that when it happens all recordings for a given time frame on all tuners have the problem. Confirmed encoding not playback stutter. Symptom consistent multiple Clients any method of playback, any decoder, VRM9 or overlay with Sage and any other software for playback.

Running Sage v2.10 (service mode, clean no mod STV etc on Server), XP sp2 current patches, Java 1.4.206, was 4xPVR250 in Sage Server now 3xPVR250 1xPVR500MCE.

For instance, all recordings for the evening of 2/7 have a video stutter or choppiness, especially noticable fast movement. Not a pause or hang, consistent timed video only stutter, audio fine. Recordings on 2/6 and 2/8 fine. Also found a recordings on 1/31 to have the problem and recall seeing it now and then previously. It's not day of the week specific, recordings of Favorites on 2/14 and 2/21 fine.

Checked multiple recordings for multiple dates since 2/7 and haven't found any with the encoding stutter. Haven't checked them all though.

Setup 5 simultaneous DVD STD Q test recordings this morning with concurrent playback of previously recorded on 1 Client. Client Playback was fine, later checked all 5 recordings were fine with no video stutter. (All PVRs internal to Server, 3xPVR250 1xPVR500MCE)

Can't replicate problem so can't troubleshoot to isolate cause. Anyone else experiencing an encoding, not decoding, stutter?

[glbrown]

I have seen this too, most notably last thursday. I went to sleep while watching a dvd. Woke up, started watching something and noticed stutter. Within 5 minutes, I got the classic GUI lock. Determined all recordings in this time period have the problem. Task manager shows nothing abnormal. Stop and start sage and it's still recording stutter. Cold boot and it hasn't returned yet. I have watched the dvd that 'started' this since and no prob. I have been beating the crap out of it and it's still running fine. I'll try to watch more dvds

The subject files play with the same stutter in WMP and VideoReDo without locking up but they eventually lock up the Sage GUI.

I am beginning to think that there is something in the source file that is the root cause of these freeze symptoms. Something kicks the cards into recording stutter. I wonder...

-gary-

[mdmint]

Sounds like similar but slightly different symtpoms. I've never had a lockup playing back one of the stutter record files. But I strictly playback from Clients, never main Sage Server which may account for the difference.

[Karen0302]

This is interesting. I am experiencing the same symptoms. I run a SageTV and a Sage Recorder. Ever since installing 2.2.4 beta (to fix a network problem) I have had the stuttering on videos recorded from the main SageTV system. If the show is recorded by the network encoder it is fine, but anything recorded with SageTV shows the intermitent stuttering.

The videos play back fine (except for the stutter) though I play them back using SageTV and the TV Out of my Haupauge PVR-350 card. They play fine, again except for the stutter, in WMP and WinDVD. The problem has never caused a crash, just a stutter recorded into the video file.

Karen