Poor streaming performance since re-installation (Version 3.5.3.0)

[nmkaufman 50]

So I'll preface this by saying I had this same problem with my original installation, and it was fixed by something having to do with only binding to a particular address or network adapter.

 

My server has two ethernet cards (one physical, one virtual (VPN),) and it had something to do with that. Doesn't seem to be the case, this time, but the symptoms are identical (same files, even.)

 

I'm having trouble streaming seemingly random video files across my home network (across the internet, too.)

 

The videos play fine in the web-interface but stutter (not dropped frames, full-tilt start/stop unwatchable) in Emby for Kodi, Emby Theater (Windows) and the Android app.

 

If i download / sync the same file to the android app first, it plays fine.

 

The video plays fine in VLC across the same network.

 

I've tried disconnecting from my VPN, disabling the 2nd (virtual) network adapter, disabling my antivirus, disabling my firewall. No change at all.

 

I have both codec information and a debugging log from my trying to play a culprit file. I'll start with the codec information first, and if someone wants the log let me know.

 

I forgot to mention, when the files play fine in the web interface, they're still direct stream. No transcoding is happening. If I force transcode in ET / Kodi / Android it plays fine.

Edited September 29, 2018 by nmkaufman

[nmkaufman 50]

More complete metadata from Emby Theater.

Edited September 29, 2018 by nmkaufman

[Luke 42083]

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

[nmkaufman 50]

There's no error message, videos just start and stop as if the network cannot keep up.

 

If it helps for your own testing, I encoded the culprit videos identically to a standard YouTube 480P mp4 file.

 

Videos encoded in that parcular fashion are consistently a problem. Start / stop / jerky playback in Kodi / ET / Android. Plays fine in the Emby web interface on the same computer, over the same network.

 

Here's the complete log. I renamed the problem video "problem stream" so you'll be able to spot it.

Log.txt

Edited September 29, 2018 by nmkaufman

[Luke 42083]

What is your E: drive?

[nmkaufman 50]

It's an 8tb WD RED attached to the machine with Emby Server on it with USB 3.0.

 

I can stream 20-30mbps 1080P video fine, it's just these particular videos stutter and don't play right. They're ~600kbps!

 

 

 

It might be nothing, but I spotted some >100ms ping times in that log file, and the only devices connected to the new server are in my house / on my wifi.

Edited September 30, 2018 by nmkaufman

[Happy2Play 9783]

Where the screenshots in post 1 and 2 from the same media file?  Maybe a frame rate issue.

[nmkaufman 50]

Yeah my laptop display is 48hz, but the stuttering persists when I have my external monitor attached, and also on my phone.

 

I'll try swapping routers tomorrow, and installing emby theater on my desktop computer, which is on the wired network.

[Happy2Play 9783]

Is there a difference in the media info from items that work and don't work?

[Guest asrequested]

Can you share the video?

[nmkaufman 50]

Is there a difference in the media info from items that work and don't work?

 

I can tell you that I spent half an hour trying to find something smaller than 100MB that produced the same problem, with no luck.

 

Files encoded the same way, with the same resolution played fine.

 

Can you share the video?

 

The video attached produces the problem. Totally unplayable unless I download it first.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1o_SRQy82mWuk-OzAaPjy3OhGBTbuIw-A

[Guest asrequested]

I just tested your video. For me, theater played it perfectly, but on my phone, it stuttered. The good news is, once I remuxed it with mkvtoolnix, it played just fine.

[nmkaufman 50]

It's a small enough number of my videos that I'll just force transcode when I encounter one.

 

I just thought it was something wrong with my configuration, because I could have sworn I got it straightened out in the past.

 

I appreciate you testing it out, though.

 

I'll leave the video up for another day or so in case anyone feels like testing.

[Guest asrequested]

Well, a remux takes about 2 seconds. You may want to consider doing it.

[nmkaufman 50]

The time consuming part is having to rehash all the files in snapraid, but yeah next time i have rehash anyways, I'll do it.