XBMC Playback problems

[Goldberg]

All,

I have recently built myself a nice little Home Server (sort of a mini HTPC) to manage a website and to play back my downloads.
My previous machine to do this was a VIA C3 666mhz machine with 256mb Ram and on board Intel graphics. It played DivX and most VOB's ok via VLC.

My New machine is a new Dual Core Atom board (mini-itx D945GCLF2) 2gb Ram with onboard Intel 950 graphics (256mb Shared). So it is considerably better by a country mile!! Remember it is only to play media etc... it is not a powerhouse to play games and it only uses about 8w or something to power it.
So, after reading reviews of it I built it over buying a EeePC Desktop (beacuse of the Dual Core-ness plus it's cost my half the price to build!!)

I decided to install XBMC as the old machine would have died trying!! I am impressed massivley by it, very nice and easy to use.

BUT

I have this strange issue with playback which I am putting down to Codecs and not hardware. I already know from benchmarks online it can handle 720p no prob (1080p struggles slightly) but I am seeing the same issues with DivX and VOB/ISO's

Issue 1
Basically on playback the image is sort of 'Tiled' in 4 horizontal tiles. Slow moving shots are fine, no problem, but once you get a fast action sequence the tiles struggle to stay in sync..

Issue 2
I have noticed on 720p that the audio is fine but the video catches up every 10 seconds or so with the playback been faster for a short moment... It can get annoying after a while...

VLC is intalled and just displays mush for 720p, I have not tried it for VOB's or ISO's yet to see if the 'Tiling' is eliminated. I have basically installed it and used it. I have not downloaded any codec packs, made any tweaks etc......

The Memory and CPU usage is minimal so I know it is not a system issue, it has to be Codecs (and possibly Drivers but I doubt that).

Any clues, pointers??

Cheers,

Goldberg

[Mr.James]

Try downloading and installing FFDShow. I've found that it cured loads of codec problems like smearing, green screen, audio/video sync, upside down video... Migh not be the quickest codec but I've found it to play anything and everything faultlessly.


http://www.free-codecs.com/FFDshow_download.htm

[Goldberg]

Cheers mate, I will give that a go now

[casio]

personally m not a fan of codec packs ive had too many problems from them and i prefer to know whats installed as well, try this on the files thats being a pain and showing the tiling and other artifacts and see if you have the best codec already and iff not it should point you in the right direction

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/GSpot
if that doesnt help try this
http://www.videohelp.com/tools/MediaInfo

thats if youve not already repaired everything

[Goldberg]

Still has not sorted my problem. If anything it has gotten worse

[Mr.James]

personally m not a fan of codec packs ive had too many problems from them and i prefer to know whats installed as well, try this on the files thats being a pain and showing the tiling and other artifacts and see if you have the best codec already and iff not it should point you in the right direction

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/GSpot
if that doesnt help try this
http://www.videohelp.com/tools/MediaInfo

thats if youve not already repaired everything

i second that, stay away from codec packs they're scum. as soon as you install more than one codec from different vendors you have the chance of the codecs clashing with each other.

the klite mega codec pack claims to support hundreds of codecs. wtf is that all about? like you're ever gonna need more than the 4 or 5 major ones that practicaly all the videos on the net are encoded in.

Remove all your codecs and xbmc (in case it also installs codecs) and install koepi's xvid codec http://www.free-codecs.com/Koepi_XviD_download.htm and try to play a vid in media play classic to see if that clears up the issue with your xvids/divxs...

I'm surprised the ffdshow codec hasn't fixed it though. If the above still give you the same results then I'd be tempted to look at drives being the problem instead...

[Goldberg]

I didn't do a restart since the install, maybe that's the issue?

I'll uninstall and re-install all again over the weekend. It's .mkv's i'm having the real issue with

[casio]

bit obvious but you have tried more than 1 or 2 of the mkv's havent you cos as unlikely as it is you could have a couple of dodgy encodes

other than that i personally dont think its going to be your drives (although if theyre making a racket it could be but youd be getting issues with other things rather than just the playback of mkv's) i think its definatly a codec issue id agree with the uninstall everything youve put on, and try it with a fresh install of vlc that way once all the codecs are gone and your back to a bare system theres nothing to mess with vlc (vlc doesnt install codecs but plays just about everything) and see how that goes also id try another file just to be on the safe side with that too if you have a look at the link they have some small files you can use to check with http://www.matroska.org/samples/

other than that id try the files you have on anther pc if you have one that you know plays mkv's fine and see how that goes,

like i said id stay away from the codec packs but there is one thats just for mkv's called CCCP (Combined Community Codec Pack) i myself would feel right installing it or telling anyone to, but if your alright with that its available at http://www.matroska.org/downloads/windows.html

although id go with the Haali Media Splitter as that installs the codecs you need to get playback theyre both under filters though about half way down the page

EDIT- does the pc version of xbmc use mplayer to play the files? like xbmc for the xbox does cos if so you could add codecs just to that and see how you go
i forgot to ask if your running anything thats limiting the cpu to keep it quiet cos throttling it back could cause problems too

[Goldberg]

I've tried plenty

They don't play in VLC (not without a load of Green splodge everywhere??)
One other factor, they are been played via a USB drive, however there is more than enough bandwidth for them to playback.

When I was watching one the other night, the image kept speeding up maybe every 3/4 seconds! On slow moving shots you couldn't tell but on a shot with someone crossing the road it was obvious and annoying..

Ahh!! The CCCP codec pack! I used that before.. I'll try it tonight

[casio]

yeah as long as its usb 2.0 its got enough bandwidth i wouldnt have thought that would be an issue although when you say usb drive do you mean an external hdd or a usb key drive cos if i remember right they come in different classes (speeds) and while ive not heard this being a problem with one of them if its dying quietly that could be the problem, although if vlc is showing green "splodges" and what not id still lean towards the codec especially when it speeds up and slows down