PS3 Media Server Just doesn't work

[Konceptz]

Ok,I've tried every version available, with all decoders, i've followed every faq and guide i can find. and i've come to the conclusion that it just doesnt work.

My Network:

100MBPS WIRED connection, only thing between the PS3 and the PC is a 100MBPS full duplex switch. Cat 6 cabling.

My PC:

QX9770 @4.2ghz quad core
4GB of DD2 1066 5-5-5-15 timings
Vista 64bit SP1 all patches
latest version of java 6 update 11

Like i said, i get stuttering to the point where the media is just unwatchable, this happens on all content, only thing that works is music but even that has horrible lag.

[main] TRACE 02:00:03.360 Starting Java PS3 Media Server v1.03
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.360 by shagrath / 2008
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.360 http://ps3mediaserver.blogspot.com
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.360
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.360 Java 1.6.0_11-Sun Microsystems Inc.
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.360 OS Windows Vista x86 6.0
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.360 Encoding: Cp1252
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.376 Temp folder: C:\Users\ADMINI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\javaps3media
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.485 Found AviSynth plugins dir: C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth 2.5\plugins
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.485 !!! It seems VSFilter.dll is not installed into the AviSynth plugins dir ! It could be troublesome for playing subtitled videos with AviSynth !!!
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine AviSynth/FFmpeg
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine FFmpeg Audio
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine MEncoder
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine Avisynth/MEncoder
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine MPlayer Audio
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine MEncoder Web
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine MPlayer Video Dump
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine MPlayer Web
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine TsMuxer
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine Audio High Fidelity
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Executable of transcoder profile VideoLan Audio Streaming not found!
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Executable of transcoder profile VideoLan Video Streaming not found!
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.500 Registering transcoding engine FFmpeg DVR-MS Remux
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.578 Scanning network interface lo / Software Loopback Interface 1
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface net0 / WAN Miniport (L2TP)
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface net1 / WAN Miniport (PPTP)
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface ppp0 / WAN Miniport (PPPOE)
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface eth0 / WAN Miniport (IPv6)
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface eth1 / WAN Miniport (IP)
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface ppp1 / RAS Async Adapter
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface net2 / WAN Miniport (SSTP)
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface eth2 / WAN Miniport (Network Monitor)
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Scanning network interface eth3 / NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Using address /192.168.2.20 found on network interface: name:eth3 (NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet ) index: 10 addresses: /192.168.2.20;
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Created socket: /192.168.2.20:5001
[Thread-10] TRACE 02:00:03.594 Starting DLNA Server on host 192.168.2.20 and port 5001...
[main] TRACE 02:00:03.625 Using following UUID: 39f3fddc-448e-396b-9037-40ebcdd9d36a
[main] TRACE 02:00:04.202 It's ready! You should see the server appears on XMB
[Thread-10] TRACE 02:00:04.608 Receiving a request from: 192.168.2.30
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:00:05.092 Configuration saved.
[Thread-132] TRACE 02:00:23.406 Starting transcode of devise-gs.mp4
[win32/mencoder.exe] TRACE 02:00:23.952 Process C:\Program Files (x86)\PS3 Media Server\win32\mencoder.exe has a return code of 1! Maybe an error occured... check the log file
[Thread-142] TRACE 02:00:34.466 Starting transcode of devise-gs.mp4
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:06.444 Configuration saved.
[Thread-14] TRACE 02:02:14.026 Exception in thread "Thread-14" java.lang.NullPointerException
[Thread-14] TRACE 02:02:14.026 at net.pms.network.UPNPHelper$2.run(UPNPHelper.java:194)
[Thread-14] TRACE 02:02:14.026 at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.852 Scanning network interface lo / Software Loopback Interface 1
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.852 Scanning network interface net0 / WAN Miniport (L2TP)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.852 Scanning network interface net1 / WAN Miniport (PPTP)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.852 Scanning network interface ppp0 / WAN Miniport (PPPOE)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.852 Scanning network interface eth0 / WAN Miniport (IPv6)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.852 Scanning network interface eth1 / WAN Miniport (IP)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.852 Scanning network interface ppp1 / RAS Async Adapter
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.852 Scanning network interface net2 / WAN Miniport (SSTP)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.868 Scanning network interface eth2 / WAN Miniport (Network Monitor)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.868 Scanning network interface eth3 / NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.868 Using address /192.168.2.20 found on network interface: name:eth3 (NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet ) index: 10 addresses: /192.168.2.20;
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:02:14.868 Created socket: /192.168.2.20:5001
[Thread-154] TRACE 02:02:14.868 Starting DLNA Server on host 192.168.2.20 and port 5001...
[Thread-154] TRACE 02:02:15.274 Receiving a request from: 192.168.2.30
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:49.269 Configuration saved.
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface lo / Software Loopback Interface 1
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface net0 / WAN Miniport (L2TP)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface net1 / WAN Miniport (PPTP)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface ppp0 / WAN Miniport (PPPOE)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface eth0 / WAN Miniport (IPv6)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface eth1 / WAN Miniport (IP)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface ppp1 / RAS Async Adapter
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface net2 / WAN Miniport (SSTP)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface eth2 / WAN Miniport (Network Monitor)
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Scanning network interface eth3 / NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Using address /192.168.2.20 found on network interface: name:eth3 (NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet ) index: 10 addresses: /192.168.2.20;
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:03:51.079 Created socket: /192.168.2.20:5001
[Thread-243] TRACE 02:03:51.095 Starting DLNA Server on host 192.168.2.20 and port 5001...
[Thread-243] TRACE 02:03:51.485 Receiving a request from: 192.168.2.30
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 Starting transcode of Lost.Boys.The.Tribe.2008.DVDRip.XviD.avi
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 Exception in thread "Thread-361" java.lang.NumberFormatException: For input string: "10.0"
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at java.lang.NumberFormatException.forInputString(Unknown Source)
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at java.lang.Integer.parseInt(Unknown Source)
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at java.lang.Integer.parseInt(Unknown Source)
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at net.pms.encoders.MEncoderVideo.addMaximumBitrateConstraints(MEncoderVideo.java:865)
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at net.pms.encoders.MEncoderVideo.launchTranscode(MEncoderVideo.java:955)
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at net.pms.dlna.DLNAResource.getInputStream(DLNAResource.java:692)
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at net.pms.network.Request.answer(Request.java:187)
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at net.pms.network.RequestHandler.run(RequestHandler.java:129)
[Thread-361] TRACE 02:04:22.217 at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
[Thread-364] TRACE 02:04:24.978 Starting transcode of Lost.Boys.The.Tribe.2008.DVDRip.XviD.avi
[Thread-374] TRACE 02:04:37.942 Starting transcode of Lost.Boys.The.Tribe.2008.DVDRip.XviD.avi
[AWT-EventQueue-0] TRACE 02:04:54.043 Configuration saved.


any ideas?

[NikNac]

What 'doesn't work'? Looking at the log you are able to start PMS and begin transcoding a file. What happens then? There's an unusual message relating to MEncoder. That might be the problem. Have you tried using a different encoding engine?

[otmanix]

Did you check autonegotiation? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonegotiation
Poor performance could be a link speed and duplex mode issue on ps3 or pc nic with lan switches. Try manual settings in nic configuration.

[shagrath]

you have put an empty value in the maximum bandwidth textbox: you have to set 0

[Konceptz]

Thats why this is frustrating, i want it to work.

Here is what happens, I'll select a movie from inside the transcode folder, and the screen will go blank, then about 15 secs later the movie will play for about 20secs and then all of a sudden it will just stop, then maybe 3-5 secs later it will start to stutter again.

Here is the interesting thing, while the video is frozen, i can see using the PS3's bandwidth meter that the movie bitrate jumps anywhere from 1.5mbps up to 50mb and anywhere in between, and this is while the video is frozen.

I've tried hard setting the NIC in the media server, i've always specified 100MB Full Duplex on the PC nic, and the PS3's NIC.
I've tried defragging my storage drive as all my movies and music are on seperate drive/array.
I've tried reinstalling my chipset drivers (i'm using an nforce motherboard)

My next step will be do to a clean install of vista.

I've tried setting the max bandwidth in the PS3 media server and it seems to have no effect.

Sorry if my original post sounded like a flame, it was way late lastnight.

[shagrath]

I've tried hard setting the NIC in the media server, i've always specified 100MB Full Duplex on the PC nic, and the PS3's NIC.

dunno where I read that, but I think it's a lot better to have half duplex for streaming purposes... and a lot lot lot better to let the ps3 and the operating system configure themselves automatically ?

[Konceptz]

I don't know about on the PS3's side but I know inside windows its always best to specify the NIC speed as to reduce the overall number of packets in the data transmission. When you select auto negotiate for the speed it creates extra packets used for the negotiation which can lead to over head.

I am in the process of reinstalling all my software as I've just performed a clean install of Vista ultimate 64bit I will report back shortly with my results.

Thanks for your help.

[Konceptz]

Got it working, however its still stuttering. I get either shakey video with no audio or no audio at all with shakey video, this is with streaming a divx movie to the PS3, no transcoding.

Its almost as if the server itself is stuttering.

[Konceptz]

After just letting the server run for a while everything is well. It must have been a corrupt windows install ; error on my part, gotta say once its up and running it does have a much smaller footprint then tversity does. Currently streaming content now, will try transcoding latter.

[ExSport]

I don't know about on the PS3's side but I know inside windows its always best to specify the NIC speed as to reduce the overall number of packets in the data transmission. When you select auto negotiate for the speed it creates extra packets used for the negotiation which can lead to over head

auto detection is done only when there is a link change = only one time when cable is plugged or network interface re-initiated.
There is no overhead here after that, no performace loss. In some circumstances link speed is not correctly detected and it can lead to performance drops but it is another story, not related to this