Mezzmo stuttering with transcoded file from MKV playing on PS3

[Jwvdo]

Headlines:
Very computer literate.
Mezzmo is on two of my self-built servers (Quad Core i7-920, 12GB RAM & Quad Core i7-2600K, 16GB RAM).
MKV source movies on RAID-5 16TB DAS, each server has seperate DAS.
PS3, and both servers on gigabit Ethernet network segment.
Have a self-built HTPC with VLC installed but is over 802.11n, which is bridged onto the gigabit Ethernet network segment.
MKVs are all via Handbrake, and is encoded as H264 and AC3/DTS/DTS-HD pass-thru.

Observations:
MKV files play fine on the HTPC over the network including BluRay encoded MKV files.
MKV file playing on HTPC consumes well under 1% of the network bandwidth (just about hits 2% for BluRay MKVs).
Same MKV files on PS/3:
Audio plays without fault, but video speeds up and stops (stutters).
Exhibits behaviour whilst *and* after transcoding.

Not really sure where to proceed from here.
Re-encoding library = not an option, there is 12TB of encoded movies.
Should I build more HTPCs and ditch Mezzmo?

[Jwvdo]

Just as FYI, I installed JRE 7 + PS3MediaServer (hosted on Google Code) and it worked flawlessly.

But it doesn't come with all the security features, indexing, thumbnails etc. that Mezzmo comes with. I could probably extend the PS3MediaServer Java code to provide that primitively, but surely Mezzmo Support can come to my rescue here?

I bought Mezzmo so I can control different folder access for my children (can't have my eight-year-old accessing certificate 18s now can I?)

[Paul]

Let us know a few things:


The version of Mezzmo you are running.
The device profile assigned to your PS3 in Mezzmo. Check the Media Devices dialog in Mezzmo to see this.
The FFmpeg information on one of the MKV files that does not play smoothly on your PS3. Right-click on the MKV in Mezzmo and click 'Get FFmpeg Information'.

[Jwvdo]

Thanks for the swift reply, my last of the evening though, it's midnight here!

Mezzmo is the latest: 3.1.1.0

The PS/3 is assigned "Sony PlayStation 3" device profile.

Here is the FFmpeg information:

ffmpeg version N-50460-g393dcbf Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
built on Mar 4 2013 17:38:17 with gcc 4.6.2 (GCC)
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --arch=x86 --target-os=mingw32 --cross-prefix=i686-w64-mingw32- --enable-static --disable-shared --enable-zlib --disable-postproc --prefix=/home/peter/ffmpeg/build/gpl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-gpl --extra-libs='-lx264 -lpthread' --enable-runtime-cpudetect --extra-cflags=-I/home/peter/cc/include --extra-ldflags=-L/home/peter/cc/lib --pkg-config=pkg-config --disable-w32threads --enable-zlib
libavutil 52. 17.103 / 52. 17.103
libavcodec 54. 92.100 / 54. 92.100
libavformat 54. 63.102 / 54. 63.102
libavdevice 54. 3.103 / 54. 3.103
libavfilter 3. 41.100 / 3. 41.100
libswscale 2. 2.100 / 2. 2.100
libswresample 0. 17.102 / 0. 17.102
Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'Z:\Adult Streams\Drama (Movies)\[SD+] Working Girl.mkv':
Duration: 01:48:54.83, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1715 kb/s
Chapter #0.0: start 0.000000, end 170.096000
Metadata:
title : Main Titles
Chapter #0.1: start 170.096000, end 431.016000
Metadata:
title : To Work
Chapter #0.2: start 431.016000, end 605.376000
Metadata:
title : Home Life
Chapter #0.3: start 605.376000, end 958.376000
Metadata:
title : A New Job
Chapter #0.4: start 958.376000, end 1274.336000
Metadata:
title : Office Functions
Chapter #0.5: start 1274.336000, end 1633.896000
Metadata:
title : A Ski Weekend
Chapter #0.6: start 1633.896000, end 1795.856000
Metadata:
title : Bad News
Chapter #0.7: start 1795.856000, end 2041.816000
Metadata:
title : Taking Over
Chapter #0.8: start 2041.816000, end 2576.776000
Metadata:
title : No Names
Chapter #0.9: start 2576.776000, end 2818.976000
Metadata:
title : Business Meeting
Chapter #0.10: start 2818.976000, end 3054.976000
Metadata:
title : What Happened?
Chapter #0.11: start 3054.976000, end 3660.096000
Metadata:
title : A Celebration
Chapter #0.12: start 3660.096000, end 4183.985511
Metadata:
title : Business Plans
Chapter #0.13: start 4183.985511, end 4316.825511
Metadata:
title : Meeting at Trask
Chapter #0.14: start 4316.825511, end 4619.745511
Metadata:
title : A Merger
Chapter #0.15: start 4619.745511, end 4907.665511
Metadata:
title : Cleaning House
Chapter #0.16: start 4907.665511, end 5657.545511
Metadata:
title : Caught
Chapter #0.17: start 5657.545511, end 6000.945511
Metadata:
title : Taking a Stand
Chapter #0.18: start 6000.945511, end 6383.505511
Metadata:
title : Another Chance
Chapter #0.19: start 6383.505511, end 6534.825500
Metadata:
title : End Titles
Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (Main), yuv420p, 716x552 [SAR 64:45 DAR 5728:3105], SAR 209:147 DAR 37411:20286, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 1k tbn, 180k tbc (default)
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 3.0, fltp, 384 kb/s (default)
At least one output file must be specified

<MEZZMO>: Child process ended with code: 109, ExitCode=1


---> DB Level Info: 30, 77
---> Frame rate: 25.00
---> Aspect ratio: 37411:20286



Here is another for reference (same stuttering - tried 10 different streams, they all do it)

ffmpeg version N-50460-g393dcbf Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
built on Mar 4 2013 17:38:17 with gcc 4.6.2 (GCC)
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --arch=x86 --target-os=mingw32 --cross-prefix=i686-w64-mingw32- --enable-static --disable-shared --enable-zlib --disable-postproc --prefix=/home/peter/ffmpeg/build/gpl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-gpl --extra-libs='-lx264 -lpthread' --enable-runtime-cpudetect --extra-cflags=-I/home/peter/cc/include --extra-ldflags=-L/home/peter/cc/lib --pkg-config=pkg-config --disable-w32threads --enable-zlib
libavutil 52. 17.103 / 52. 17.103
libavcodec 54. 92.100 / 54. 92.100
libavformat 54. 63.102 / 54. 63.102
libavdevice 54. 3.103 / 54. 3.103
libavfilter 3. 41.100 / 3. 41.100
libswscale 2. 2.100 / 2. 2.100
libswresample 0. 17.102 / 0. 17.102
Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'Z:\Adult Streams\Drama (Movies)\[SD+] The Thomas Crown Affair {AC3}.mkv':
Duration: 01:48:38.92, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1703 kb/s
Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (Main), yuv420p, 716x446 [SAR 64:45 DAR 22912:10035], SAR 209:147 DAR 74822:32781, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 1k tbn, 180k tbc (default)
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 448 kb/s (default)
At least one output file must be specified

<MEZZMO>: Child process ended with code: 109, ExitCode=1


---> DB Level Info: 30, 77
---> Frame rate: 25.00
---> Aspect ratio: 74822:32781



And another one for luck (this one is HD):

ffmpeg version N-50460-g393dcbf Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
built on Mar 4 2013 17:38:17 with gcc 4.6.2 (GCC)
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --arch=x86 --target-os=mingw32 --cross-prefix=i686-w64-mingw32- --enable-static --disable-shared --enable-zlib --disable-postproc --prefix=/home/peter/ffmpeg/build/gpl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-gpl --extra-libs='-lx264 -lpthread' --enable-runtime-cpudetect --extra-cflags=-I/home/peter/cc/include --extra-ldflags=-L/home/peter/cc/lib --pkg-config=pkg-config --disable-w32threads --enable-zlib
libavutil 52. 17.103 / 52. 17.103
libavcodec 54. 92.100 / 54. 92.100
libavformat 54. 63.102 / 54. 63.102
libavdevice 54. 3.103 / 54. 3.103
libavfilter 3. 41.100 / 3. 41.100
libswscale 2. 2.100 / 2. 2.100
libswresample 0. 17.102 / 0. 17.102
Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'Z:\Adult Streams\Action (High Octane)\[HD+] The Expendables {DTS-HD}.mkv':
Duration: 01:43:28.24, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 9551 kb/s
Chapter #0.0: start 0.000000, end 529.976456
Metadata:
title : Chapter 1
Chapter #0.1: start 529.976456, end 1052.161056
Metadata:
title : Chapter 2
Chapter #0.2: start 1052.161056, end 1367.726311
Metadata:
title : Chapter 3
Chapter #0.3: start 1367.726311, end 1835.148789
Metadata:
title : Chapter 4
Chapter #0.4: start 1835.148789, end 2014.832744
Metadata:
title : Chapter 5
Chapter #0.5: start 2014.832744, end 2297.112189
Metadata:
title : Chapter 6
Chapter #0.6: start 2297.112189, end 2871.477933
Metadata:
title : Chapter 7
Chapter #0.7: start 2871.477933, end 3014.996311
Metadata:
title : Chapter 8
Chapter #0.8: start 3014.996311, end 3308.664678
Metadata:
title : Chapter 9
Chapter #0.9: start 3308.664678, end 3615.717956
Metadata:
title : Chapter 10
Chapter #0.10: start 3615.717956, end 3991.514367
Metadata:
title : Chapter 11
Chapter #0.11: start 3991.514367, end 4416.526733
Metadata:
title : Chapter 12
Chapter #0.12: start 4416.526733, end 4817.215889
Metadata:
title : Chapter 13
Chapter #0.13: start 4817.215889, end 5161.314011
Metadata:
title : Chapter 14
Chapter #0.14: start 5161.314011, end 5477.179422
Metadata:
title : Chapter 15
Chapter #0.15: start 5477.179422, end 6207.657778
Metadata:
title : Chapter 16
Chapter #0.16: start 6207.657778, end 6208.241500
Metadata:
title : Chapter 17
Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (Main), yuv420p, 1920x798 [SAR 1:1 DAR 320:133], 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 1k tbn, 180k tbc (default)
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: dts (DTS-HD MA), 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 1536 kb/s (default)
At least one output file must be specified

<MEZZMO>: Child process ended with code: 109, ExitCode=1


---> DB Level Info: 40, 77
---> Frame rate: 23.98

[Jwvdo]

UPDATE:

After spending hours thoroughly uninstalling (including cleaning up all the files left in ...appdata\local...) Mezzmo and trying earlier versions backwards from 3.1.1.0, I finally got to version 2.7.1.0.

Yes, I keep most versions in my archives since the debacle of 2.6.4.0 where you broke PS/3 streaming altogether but didn't keep older versions on your website meaning paying customers had a broken Mezzmo for days till you released a hot fix. I told my children at that time to vent their anger in your direction Conceiva....

I disregard your auto-update, preferring to manually download and install every new version since that debacle (that way I'm not at the mercy of a bad version, I can always roll back).

Anyway, installing version 2.7.1.0, and hey presto! With *no* other change (i.e. all other variables have stayed the same), Mezzmo version 2.7.1.0 streams every MKV file with on-the-fly transcoding with no issues.

Please hand over to the dev team to debug what broke between 2.7.1.0 and 3.0.1.0 (and every subsequent version).

I can't really move from 2.7.1.0 until this issue is fixed...

[Paul]

Thanks for the information. We have replied to your support inquiry just now. Please try the "Sony PlayStation 3 (No DivX)" device profile and see how you go.

[Jwvdo]

Thanks for the information. We have replied to your support inquiry just now. Please try the "Sony PlayStation 3 (No DivX)" device profile and see how you go.

Didn't get that far. I saw 3.2.0.0 was out, so downloaded to see if that fixed anything before trying your suggestion.

It appears whatever broke since 2.7.1.0 is now fixed in 3.2.0.0.

Would be nice to know what that was for future reference? Do you know what it was? Was there something specifically fixed or changed in 3.2.0.0?

[Paul]

Glad it is working better now. No changes to the Sony Playstation 3 device profile from the previous Mezzmo v3.1.1.0 to the latest Mezzmo v3.2.0.0. We did make several small improvements to transcoding & streaming performance so perhaps you are seeing the benefits of these :)