Cannot play Movies via PS3

[Hyde]

Hi

PMS 1.72.0 running on WHS v1.1 (not as a service). Standard PMS.conf and Bravia.conf

I've never used PMS much as the ethernet port on my Bravia KDL-40Z5800 TV is a bit slow and I used a 100MB hub to route traffic back from the WHS over AV home plugs back to the router. Have now bought a gigbit hub.

But for Christmas I received a triple DVD pack of Top Gear programmes and wanted to rip these to the server.

Trying to play these Vob files results in various DLNA errors (2005, 2006? 2104? and the like). Screen goes black with just the spinning roundle for a while and I may or may not get oneof the errors shown above.

However, it transpires all my video files that I used to play in the past (albeit with some stutter) now trigger the same DLNA errors.

But...

If I used the TV's XMB to play the files then they all play just fine (albeit with some stutter still).

Can anyone help me to further diagnose what's wrong?

PS Also, what does the magnifying glass button do that's on the Navigation/Share Settings tab over the Shared Folders section?

[Hyde]

Been playing and have some updates...

1. I know what the magnifying glass does
2. Problem files now play (albeit still some stutter).

I hadn't made any changes but overnight the server appears to have rebooted for some Microsoft updates and I've noticed a couple of regular icons in the system tray return, they were missing before. So maybe the server wasn't in a 'proper' state beforehand

Anyway, decided to start over and uninstall and then delete the PS3 folder from Program Files. Then re-ran the exe installer with server admin rights, including un-ticking the option to restrict the applications access. But on running PMS it still has all the personal settings stored that it had before the un-install. So where are these held then please?

[Hyde]

Found additional PMS folders in various locations and deleted those too. That restored my WHS to it's vanilla state for a fresh install of PMS.

Re-built the cache and tried again...

Still get stuttering

PMS also takes ages displaying the contents of folders. If I've built the cache and ticked the option to use it why is it taking so long to display the contents of folders?

What can I try now please?

[Hyde]

Loading just the Bravia.conf file and watching the Performance tab in task manager something is hitting my CPU usage really hard. It's running at 100% most of the time during playback. The longer it stays at 100% the worst the stutturing gets. Then it can drop back to around 82% and playback recovers, but pretty quickly gets back up to 100% again.

Transcode buffer rarely gets above 1MB, Current bitrate varies between 5 & 50 Mb/s, Peak bitrate is 50 Mb/s. Traces tab says "...192.168.1.106 has an estimated network speed of: 40 Mb/s".

My CPU says it's a single core but muti-threaded. PMS reports 2 cores. Issue?

Anyone?

[edit]Loaded up PS3 and attempted playback of same file. Playback is worse! But why does PMS show the PS3 as a rendereer when I only loaded the Bravia.conf file

[Hyde]

No one

[Hyde]

I've limited the buffer to 44Mb on the Transcode Settings tab and this has resulted in a more stable playback, but only becuase the 100% CPU usuage is happening less. I've no idea if reducing the buffer has had this effect or not, or it's just coincidence

So it looks to be more fundamentally related to maxing out the CPU. I've tried searching this forum but haven't actually found a way of doing this. Can someone point me at a definitive source for achieving this please?

[meskibob]

I'm having a hard time following this thread. To clarify, you're having stuttering issues on a Bravia and a PS3, and your PC is the WHS listed in your sig (1.60HGHz multi-thread with 1gig of RAM)?
With that low powered of a machine, you are going to have a terrible time transcoding or remuxing anything (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3507&start=30#p39334). Your best bet would be to re-encode the files you're playing outside of PMS, that way PMS can stream them directly to your renderers. What program you should use and what filetype/settings you should re-encode to for successful streaming are outside the scope of this forum.

[Hyde]

I'm having a hard time following this thread. To clarify, you're having stuttering issues on a Bravia and a PS3, and your PC is the WHS listed in your sig (1.60HGHz multi-thread with 1gig of RAM)?

Appears that you've followed more than you're letting on

...What program you should use and what filetype/settings you should re-encode to for successful streaming are outside the scope of this forum.

Okay, a bit blunt me feels I'll go back and try my older AVI files than the VOB files I'm attempting to play currently.

Thanks for posting

[Hyde]

AVI's play just fine. Just my VOB files that don't.

I'll be junking the WHS just as soon as funds allow in favour of a HTPC. So whilst it'll be a far more powerful PC I doubt I'll have need of PMS in that environment.