Video and audio pause and skip

[MikeB111 56]

Hey Everyone,

Hoping someone out there has experienced the same thing as me and can make a suggestion on how to fix it.  I'm running Emby server and Emby Theater on the same computer, a home-built Windows 10 HTPC attached directly to my TV by HDMI, and to my audio receiver using an optical cable.  Computer is a new i5, 32 GB RAM, 10 TB total drive space across three drives, using integrated Intel video.  Computer is less than a year old, and is not used for anything else but Emby.

It's been working great for me for many months, but then about 3 weeks ago it started having a skipping problem.  I'll be watching a movie or a recorded TV show and the video and audio will pause for a split second and then skip and catch up.  The length of the pause varies, from just barely noticeable to nearly a half second (very noticeable).

Many times when it happens I'll check and the Emby Server is simultaneously recording a TV program or streaming a show to another client.  But not always, sometimes it happens when nothing else is happening on the computer or the Emby server.

I'm particularly puzzled because it is a new issue that hasn't happened before, but is happening with increasing frequency now and nothing has changed in the hardware.  I've had it recording three programs at once while streaming to a client and watching something on Emby Theater all at the same time with no issues, so I don't think it's a problem with the computer speed or ability, but I'm at a loss.

Any ideas? 

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Luke 40069]

Hi there, let's look at an example. Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. thanks !

[MikeB111 56]

Sorry for taking so long to reply.

Tonight this problem occurred 3 times in a 30 minute period.  Server log is attached (note I did a find/replace of my actual domain name with emby.mydomain.net).  There was no ffmpeg log in the folder that was modified today.

embyserver.txt

The problem occurred on 11/22/2020 while watching Friends S8E18, at 7:45 PM.  Then again during Friends S8E19, at 8:05 PM and 8:09 PM. 

In each case, the audio and video freezes for just under a second and then resumes again.  If I rewind back and play through that section of the video again it will not repeat, so I don't believe it is a problem with the video file itself.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[MikeB111 56]

Just checking in, anyone have any ideas based on the log file?

One more piece of info to help in troubleshooting, this does not seem to be at all related to CPU load or computer utilization.  For the past several days I've been re-encoding a TV series so my CPU has been running 100%.  I can watch TV or movies in Emby with no change in behavior.  Watched a couple hours last night with no skips at all, then another skip today.  Not sure that's helpful, but it is one more piece of info I guess...

Thanks!

[Luke 40069]

HI @MikeB111 are you still having an issue with this? Can you please try Emby Server 4.5.4 and let us know if this helps? Thanks.

[sooty234 266]

Where did you get the app from?

[MikeB111 56]

My server was updated today to 4.5.4, so I'll make note of any audio skips and will re-post a log file if it continues to happen.

 

[Luke 40069]

2 minutes ago, MikeB111 said:

My server was updated today to 4.5.4, so I'll make note of any audio skips and will re-post a log file if it continues to happen.

 

Great, thanks !

[MikeB111 56]

My server is updated to 4.5.4, and I still am having this problem.  Attached is a log.

embyserver.txt

In the attached log, there were 4 pretty significant skips when playing back Big Bang Theory S2E5 on the evening of 12/19/2020.  I noted skips at the following times: 

8:56 PM, ~6 min into program

9:01 PM, 11:21 into program

9:04 PM, 14:59 into program

9:09 PM, 19:30 into program

This issue is definitely inconsistent.  I can watch several hours of programming with no skips at all, then see 4 skips in one 20 minute show.  I have not been able to correlate it with anything else.  Server and playback are both on the same computer and it is a dedicated HTPC so it doesn't really do anything else...  Any help is appreciated!

[Luke 40069]

Can you try updating to Emby Theater 3.0.14 and see if that helps? Thanks.

[davesurfer 18]

I'd like to chime in here as I'm having the exact same problem as Mike. My video/audio just stops/freezes for either a couple seconds, a second, sometimes a quick split second, then resumes as well, and started happening several weeks ago. I'm running the latest Theater 3.0.14 and Server 4.5.4.0. Also I have similar setup with HTPC with media, server and Theater all on the same system.

Edited January 13, 2021 by davesurfer

[sooty234 266]

Are you guys using the GPU renderer? If not, try that.

[Luke 40069]

46 minutes ago, sooty234 said:

Are you guys using the GPU renderer? If not, try that.

This can be found in the app's video settings.

[davesurfer 18]

On 13/01/2021 at 10:08, Luke said:

This can be found in the app's video settings.

Ok I've switched it from "auto" to "GPU" and will test it.

[MikeB111 56]

Same here.  I'm running version 3.0.14 and just changed from auto to GPU.  I will report back in a few days and let you know if it has improved.

 

[davesurfer 18]

So far looks good, no pausing!

[MikeB111 56]

Not so good for me unfortunately.  I've still had several skips since making this change.  Hard to say if it's better, it's definitely not worse.  But it's still there...

[davesurfer 18]

24 minutes ago, MikeB111 said:

Not so good for me unfortunately.  I've still had several skips since making this change.  Hard to say if it's better, it's definitely not worse.  But it's still there...

Crappy! It's hard to remember some of the shows that paused, and then I do have one that I've already finished that I know for sure where it did it, so I'd have to watch the whole episode again, as it's not predictable when it happens.

[sooty234 266]

Please setup mpv logging and attach the log.

On 12/27/2020 at 9:55 AM, sooty234 said:

To generate an mpv log, you need to make an mpv.conf and add logging to it. Be sure to name the log file you're making in the logging entry. Example: log-file="G:\mpv logs\Portable mpv log.txt"

 

[bls_fanatic 3]

Hello,

  I want to report the same issue as well.  I only just upgraded to ET 3.0.14 and started having this type of issue on both my HTPCs.  If I go back to 3.0.11, same hardware, same videos, I have no issue.  I will look into forcing the GPU renderer and report back.

Thanks

[bls_fanatic 3]

On 1/26/2021 at 9:32 AM, bls_fanatic said:

Hello,

  I want to report the same issue as well.  I only just upgraded to ET 3.0.14 and started having this type of issue on both my HTPCs.  If I go back to 3.0.11, same hardware, same videos, I have no issue.  I will look into forcing the GPU renderer and report back.

Thanks

I am happy to report that manually selecting GPU as the Video Output instead of Auto in the Video settings solved the issue on both HTPCs.  Video and audio playback  is smooth with no issue.

Thanks

[MikeB111 56]

On 1/18/2021 at 8:09 PM, MikeB111 said:

Not so good for me unfortunately.  I've still had several skips since making this change.  Hard to say if it's better, it's definitely not worse.  But it's still there...

Well, maybe I spoke too soon.  With manual selection of GPU it seems that this issue is much better for me.  I have still on rare occasion had an audio blip but they are much shorter and less annoying and there are far fewer of them.  So didn't completely eliminate the problem, but it is definitely much improved.

[davesurfer 18]

I've tested it now on multiple types of video playback and it seems to be working good now, haven't had any pauses.