I'm getting a lot of stutter when I try and watch movies on my HTPC. The movies are all on another computer downstairs since it has 2+TB of storage. It's on a wireless network(verizon gateway). If I copy the movie directly to the HDD on the HTPC it will play flawlessly. Go back to watching it streaming from the other PC and it stutters so bad it's not watchable. I can stream movies from Netflix on the HTPC with no problem. Does this sound like a network problem or a hardware problem? or both? I'd hate to have to relocate my office computer upstairs and hardwire it to the verizon gateway but if that's what has to be done.... so be it. I'm not even sure that would solve the problem.
Playback stutter over wireless
-
Now Available: Tech Talk Podcast with Scott Wilkinson, Episode 19 Click here for details.
1 - 20 of 46 Posts
Looks like you Verizon Gateway is 802.11g. That's going to be tough, especially if both computers are wireless. If you've got a 54 Mbps link (real good signal strength, you can see the link rate on your wireless icon in the system tray), you will get around 20 to 22 Mbps of actual throughput. (yes, this is dependent on the traffic, tcp vs udp, etc. but, that number is in the ballpark) So, if both computers are sharing that, cut the number in half and then your throughput will degrade as your signal strength gets worse.
Joined
·
6,826 Posts
12 mbit TX speed is just slightly better than 802.11B! What 802.11 protocol are u running? There is something seriously wrong here or you have old-old-old equipment.
Now I read Mbps (small b usual denotes bit, not Byte which is typically B Capitalized).
Now I read Mbps (small b usual denotes bit, not Byte which is typically B Capitalized).
There is a big difference between theoretical and actual consistent throughput. In my testing with very high bitrate 1080p (BluRay quality bitrates), real-world wireless, powerline, and 100MB networking speeds were not sufficient for me. MoCA and GB ethernet are the only two distribution methods that work in my house. The bit rates for 1080p over the internet (ala Netflix, Zune, etc) are a different story.
I think the only blanket statement that will always be true is that GB ethernet will work for BluRay level 1080p bit rates or lower. Everything else depends on the bit rate and sustainable transfer speeds you can get in your environment.
I think the only blanket statement that will always be true is that GB ethernet will work for BluRay level 1080p bit rates or lower. Everything else depends on the bit rate and sustainable transfer speeds you can get in your environment.
What is this based on? I stream 1080p over wireless just fine. I have a PC 1 floor up, and 60' away, and I am connected with 802.11n at 137mbps. That translates to around a 11-12MB/s of throughput which is plenty to stream 1080p.
There are plenty of people that stream successfully over wireless, powerline, and coax, and to say that wired is the only thing that works doesn't help anyone especially when it isn't true. Yes it is more difficult, but it isn't that hard either.
Based on your current numbers, you should get plenty of bandwidth from an 802.11n setup. A good 802.11n AP/router (I use a Netgear WNDR3700) and one of these USB adapters would probably get you where you need to be. http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
What is this based on? I stream 1080p over wireless just fine. I have a PC 1 floor up, and 60' away, and I am connected with 802.11n at 137mbps. That translates to around a 11-12MB/s of throughput which is plenty to stream 1080p.
There are plenty of people that stream successfully over wireless, powerline, and coax, and to say that wired is the only thing that works doesn't help anyone especially when it isn't true. Yes it is more difficult, but it isn't that hard either.
Based on your current numbers, you should get plenty of bandwidth from an 802.11n setup. A good 802.11n AP/router (I use a Netgear WNDR3700) and one of these USB adapters would probably get you where you need to be. http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
It's based on experience. OTA HD recordings, either 1080i or 720p streamed at 300mbps through a Netgear 3500 would get intermittent stutter even though the PQ was actually very good. Wasn't that much trouble to run ethernet over gigabit which is flawless.
If it worked for you fine, but I have seen a lot of posts on this and other forums that had the same experience I did.
It's based on experience. OTA HD recordings, either 1080i or 720p streamed at 300mbps through a Netgear 3500 would get intermittent stutter even though the PQ was actually very good. Wasn't that much trouble to run ethernet over gigabit which is flawless.
If it worked for you fine, but I have seen a lot of posts on this and other forums that had the same experience I did.
Technically, powerline and moca are also wired. I wouldn't trust powerline, especially in an older home or a home with a lot of CFL/LED lights, due to the interference other electronics cause, which can make it prone to the same issues as wireless, but if you segregate the coax line between the two moca devices, it can be just as dependable as Ethernet in handling 1080p.
The issue with wireless is consistent throughput. Just because you can transfer a file at 10MBps does not mean you can watch a 1080 video that is only 3MBps. The reason is due to corrupt/lost packets. Wireless can be very volatile and be prone to massive packet corruption. This doesn't drastically affect a file transfer, because the source PC will just re-request the corrupt/lost packet and rebuild the file as it gets the fixed packets. But on a video transfer, it has a limited amount of time before that corrupt/lost packet is needed to be displayed - the result is studdering video. A simple solution would be to establish a buffer. No media player I know of allows you to do this.
The issue with wireless is consistent throughput. Just because you can transfer a file at 10MBps does not mean you can watch a 1080 video that is only 3MBps. The reason is due to corrupt/lost packets. Wireless can be very volatile and be prone to massive packet corruption. This doesn't drastically affect a file transfer, because the source PC will just re-request the corrupt/lost packet and rebuild the file as it gets the fixed packets. But on a video transfer, it has a limited amount of time before that corrupt/lost packet is needed to be displayed - the result is studdering video. A simple solution would be to establish a buffer. No media player I know of allows you to do this.
1 - 20 of 46 Posts
