Win 7 MC playback pauses

[mpatnode]

Another test you might want to try is download the Big Buck Bunny AVI file and see how it plays back. Note it’s a 12Mbps MP4, so it should play easier than the Comcast recordings since you have a recent processor.  There’s also a 70Mbps MPEG2 file you can download from W6RZ.   Unfortunately, you need to download it in pieces and then concatenate it into one file (guess they never heard of bittorrent) but it’s a one-liner, even in Windows.   This will definitely show you if you have an I/O streaming problem from your disk controller.

[Pooh-Bah]

I’m still betting on a recording problem, not a disk IO problem. Look at the tuner[s] as a possible source or the problem.

[SJMaye]

Seriously appreciate all the input guys.  This issue has plagued me for maybe 2 years now.  Would be nice to put it behind me.

Something new to report.  I did not have time to open the HTPC up to try out the GSATA ports yet.  I tried something I have tried before.  I set the recording drive from my secondary drive (Seagate 1.5TB ST31500541AS) to my main C: drive (Maxtor 500GB).  Just got done watching a 3 hour movie  and 1 hour show with flawless playback.  Both of my drives are on the same SATA controller.  So I don’t think this is a controller issue.  The only change I made was to switch recording to the other drive.

I need to watch it a while longer as I have done this change before.  Last time I got the same great results initially, but playback quality seemed to degrade in a week or so. 

It does stand to reason though that if I get such a dramatic change it is most certainly related to that hard drive.  ?

 

[SJMaye]

Wanted to add one other tidbit.  The problem is not just with cablecard recordings.  I have the same issue when playing back DVDs ripped to that same HDD.

[Aaron Ledger]

Didn’t you say earlier that you have had this problem on multiple hard drives?

[SJMaye]

[quote=Aaron Ledger]

Didn’t you say earlier that you have had this problem on multiple hard drives?

[/quote]

Yes I did.  This problem has existed for a long time.  I have tried many things with various degrees of success.  It has been so long now it is hard to keep it all straight.  With regard to drives this is what I can recall:

• Switched recording to C: drive a year or so ago- Result was immediate improvement, but seemed to degrade over a week or so.
• RMAd the Segate 1.5TB- Replaced with identical drive.  Again, started out looking good, then playback quality degraded.
• Installed 2TB Hitachi green drive- Looked good at the beginning, but started exhibiting the same issues.  Due to noise from this drive I have elminated it from the HTPC.  Will install in my desktop.

In all cases a switch of the HDD made a dramatic improvement… at least for a while and then came back.  This time I will track it more closely.  Made the switch yesterday 8/23/2011.

[johnw248]

Interesting about the drives. I have 5 of those Seagate 1.5s in a Sans Digital tower running on a Sil3132 card as JOBD without issue, I have another 5 in another Sans Digital tower running on a RR644 card as JOBD without issue, the 644 also has three other 5 bay towers one with 5 Hitachi 7200 2Tb, one with 5 mixed 2Tb (2 WD, 2 Samsung and 1 Hitachi) and a fourth 5 bay tower running 5 Hitachi 7200 3Tb 6gb Sata3 drives.

Since I replaced the raid controller on the Dell there have been no stalling issues and there were none on the HP.

It would really be interesting to just put on that USB drive you have and set it up as a source in Media Center (so the folder is properly defined) and then copy a couple of shows you know you had trouble with onto the USB drive.

That will show you rather quickly if you have a recording issue or not and if they play ok that will limit your detective work to your controller and how it works with your drives.

Do you have the ability to check any of the drive settings such a read ahead and write back cache?

John

[SJMaye]

I will certainly factort that in.  The test I will run today is to move a file recorded and played back well on the main drive C:.  I have moved it to the secondary seagate drive in question. 

I have already watched this from the C: drive and it was flawless.  If I start getting playback issues I think this leads me back to the Seagate drive.

The next test will be to move a file I know had playback issues on the seagate drive and move it to the Maxtor C: drive.  If it plays flawlessly it will tell me the problem is not in recording, but in playback.

[SJMaye]

Back again.  I have been traveling so, I could not try things.  Today I finally was able to take recording that was skipping on the secondary drive and copied it over to the main drive.  Playback was perfect.

I believe this tells me the “bad” drive records fine, but it has trouble with playback.  Like I mentioned before this is the 3rd drive I have had this kind of problem with over the last couple years.  It is strange.  It leads me to believe I definitely have a bad drive, but how could I have several bad drives?

One thing to note, this RMA drive is starting to exhibit the periodic clicking sounds just like it’s predecessor.  As hard as it might be to believe it may just be a bad HDD.

[Aaron Ledger]

Clicking is not good. Sounds like time for another RMA.

[SJMaye]

I agree.  Now that I recall, this seagate drive is actually the 3rd.  The first one Newegg was good enough to replace so I would not have to go through the RMA process. 

 

[SJMaye]

Something else while waiting to replace the drive.  When configuring the new drive I can make it either basic or dynamic.  When it comes to the problems I am having does it matter which one I choose?

[Aaron Ledger]

Unless you have a need for dynamic, basic should be fine.

[SJMaye]

OK.  Just did not know if one was better for video playback as compared to another.

 

Thx.  Will report back when I have installed the new drive.

[umdivx]

Wish I would have seen this before, but I had a similar issue and my hdd too was a Seagate. I absolutely have had nothing but issues with mine. I had studdering issues constantly and all around general issues. Went to a different manufacture, faster drive, more cache, ect.. and haven’t looked back.

-Josh

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