Delay Playing MPEG-TS m3u (8 seconds)

[gareth.frog]

Hi all,

Exec Summary: Experiencing an 8 second delay playing m3u/mpeg-ts feeds from a VU+ Uno satellite receiver. VLC plays them instantly, and Channels plays an alternative HDHR straight away, too. So, it's just the combination of Channels and VU+ m3u that has the delay.

Extra Waffle: I'm in the UK. Channels DVR going really well. Started out with FreeView (HDHR) which ran great, swapping channels in about 1-2 seconds but has very few HD channels, so I've added a VU+ Uno Satellite so I can get more HD. Everything working great using the MPEG-TS format in Custom Channels, however there is a delay of approx. 8 seconds before any channel plays. Same outcome on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Apple Mac.

I wondered if the VU+ was serving it slowly, or it needs to buffer before starting, but I then tried the same m3u links in VLC and they play instantly, no delay at all.

I haven't been able to find anything on this forum or the wider web. Is there something obvious that I might be missing, please folks?

Thank you

Gareth

[tmm1]

How are you tuning?

This generally happens when the PID list is incorrect, and the PMT mentions PIDs which weren't included.

[gareth.frog]

Hi Aman,

Thanks for reply. Please forgive me if I’ve misunderstood your question:

On the VU+ I set up the 8 x Tuners as per instructions (Astra 28, different user band for each tuner), then just did an automatic scan. Found approx. 800 channels, so I made a “Bouquet” of just the channels I wanted using the VU+ web interface and exported the m3u8 from the Bouquet Editor of 50 channels

Set up new Custom Channels in ChannelsDVR. Screen attached of settings. Then picked a Provider and manually lined everything up with Manage Lineup. Screen also attached.

Apart from a few false starts with 3rd party EPG’s and Xteve before I realised that Channels had everything I needed without that stuff, it’s all gone without a hitch.

I have since spotted that some SD channels only take about 3 seconds, it’s the HD stuff that is around 8.

Just in case relevant: Re your PID/PMT comments, I ended up using more than one provider to get the matches I needed (adding additional one in the Manage Lineup dialog). I've also noticed that the guide has an inconsistency in a few channels (e.g. screen 3 attached, look under BBC News). This has only been the case in my final "get everything perfect" run though - the 8 second delay was there before I started messing with multiple providers. FWIW the guide and On Now screens all work perfectly, its just the web interface that seems to show the odd channel name that's awry.

Thanks

Gareth

[tmm1]

Please share a couple lines from the m3u

[GeoffT]

Just to say i had the exact same experience when I tried the same thing with my Vu Duo 4k. I'm also in the UK mainly using HDHR tuners and for the same reasons as Gareth (more HD channels) I tried this.

As well as the big delay when changing channels, I also occasionally had the stream start but in audio only with no picture. I didn't think to try it in VLC so just presumed it was an issue with the Vu and gave up on the idea.

I'd love to be able to get this to work reliably so might add the M3U back and see if I can be any help with diagnosing the issue.

[GeoffT]

@gareth.frog

I've also noticed that the guide has an inconsistency in a few channels (e.g. screen 3 attached, look under BBC News)

I think this problem will be related to your HDHR tuner(s) over-riding the channel names even if the relevant channel numbers are unused by the HDHR.

[gareth.frog]

Hi Aman,

A few lines from the M3U below, taken directly from the VU+. I removed the Provider from the earlier HDHR, which removed all the channels, so this M3U8 is the only Live TV now setup on ChannelsDVR.

#EXTM3U
#EXTVLCOPT:http-reconnect=true
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="6371" tvg-logo="http://192.168.1.151/images/default_picon.png" tvg-id="1:0:19:18E3:7FD:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="BBC One Yks HD",BBC One Yks HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=6371
http://192.168.1.151:8001/1:0:19:18E3:7FD:2:11A0000:0:0:0:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="6940" tvg-logo="http://192.168.1.151/images/default_picon.png" tvg-id="1:0:19:1B1C:802:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="BBC Two HD",BBC Two HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=6940
http://192.168.1.151:8001/1:0:19:1B1C:802:2:11A0000:0:0:0:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="21040" tvg-logo="http://192.168.1.151/images/default_picon.png" tvg-id="1:0:19:5230:812:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="ITV1 Yorkshire West HD",ITV1 Yorkshire West HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=21040
http://192.168.1.151:8001/1:0:19:5230:812:2:11A0000:0:0:0:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="5202" tvg-logo="http://192.168.1.151/images/default_picon.png" tvg-id="1:0:19:1452:7F2:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="Channel 4 HD",Channel 4 HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=5202
http://192.168.1.151:8001/1:0:19:1452:7F2:2:11A0000:0:0:0:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="2108" tvg-logo="http://192.168.1.151/images/default_picon.png" tvg-id="1:0:19:83C:83D:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="Channel 5 HD",Channel 5 HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=2108
http://192.168.1.151:8001/1:0:19:83C:83D:2:11A0000:0:0:0:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="8921" tvg-logo="http://192.168.1.151/images/default_picon.png" tvg-id="1:0:19:22D9:80D:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="BBC NEWS HD",BBC NEWS HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=8921
http://192.168.1.151:8001/1:0:19:22D9:80D:2:11A0000:0:0:0:

[gareth.frog]

Hi Geoff. I had removed the Provider for HDHR, which removed all of it's channels, although it does still show in the Sources area as there's no delete button (automatically scanned for I presume). Prior to doing this I did have duplicate channels in the Guide and On Now sections. I'll try removing the old HDHR box from the network completely to see if that helps any when I get back home. Cheers

[GeoffT]

Gareth. Have you seen the thread below about the "indestructable" HDHR tuners? Even with the provider removed they are still somehow feeding their data into the system. So if you try to use a channel number that the HDHR would use if it was running, the channel name will still get overwritten by the HDHR. I ended up using the iptables command in the thread below to stop the HDHRs being auto discovered before they would disappear.

I've just put my Vu Duo M3U custom source back on, so if the devs need anything testing or any diagnostics creating there are 2 of us with the issue

HDHR tuners refuse to be ignored

I'm in the UK and using 2 HDHR Quattro tuners for my FTA sources. Because there is no custom channel numbering available, I have created some custom sources that use M3U files which link to the HDHR IP but with some channel numbers editted. This is primarily to move the HD channels 101-107 to what were the SD channel numbers 1-7. I have then removed the providers from the HDHR tuners in the source list so (in theory) they don't do anything. It is working fine except I'm getting an odd situatio…

[GeoffT]

I've just reloaded my abbreviated (only 16 channels) Vu m3U into Channels a a custom source. I still get a significant delay when changing channels. I have now also loaded the same m3U into VLC and channel changes there are very quick.

This is the first few lines of my m3u.

#EXTM3U
#EXTVLCOPT:http-reconnect=true
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="20760" tvc-guide-stationid="21823" tvg-id="1:0:19:5118:80F:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="ITV SW HD",ITV SW HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=20760
http://192.168.1.107:8001/1:0:19:5118:80F:2:11A0000:0:0:0:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="6951" tvc-guide-stationid="122089" tvg-id="1:0:19:1B27:802:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="BBC Three HD",BBC Three HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=6951
http://192.168.1.107:8001/1:0:19:1B27:802:2:11A0000:0:0:0:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="10365" tvc-guide-stationid="83282" tvg-id="1:0:19:287D:800:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="BBC Four HD",BBC Four HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=10365
http://192.168.1.107:8001/1:0:19:287D:800:2:11A0000:0:0:0:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-chno="10329" tvc-guide-stationid="81004" tvg-id="1:0:19:2859:7FE:2:11A0000:0:0:0:" tvg-name="BBC RB 1 HD",BBC RB 1 HD
#EXTVLCOPT:program=10329
http://192.168.1.107:8001/1:0:19:2859:7FE:2:11A0000:0:0:0:

[GeoffT]

I've just submitted some server logs as the channel change delay was happening

52394f95-a1b6-4fb0-8258-ddbeec7f720d

The channel changes on the Study client were from around 16.50 to 17.00. The delay can be seen at nearly 10 seconds on some of the changes.

I clicked submit Diagnostics from the Study Client for the same time period too, but I'm not sure of the process for that. The message said thanks but didn't give me a reference code like the server one does.

Speed to server from the Study client is showing as 677.56 mbit/s Latency 1.51ms Jitter 0.34

[tmm1]

Please start a recording, stop after 30s, then share the mpg file

[gareth.frog]

Hey Aman, Link to mpg here: WeTransfer - Send Large Files & Share Photos Online - Up to 2GB Free

Thanks, Gareth

[gareth.frog]

Hi Geoff. Thanks for that. Unplugged HDHR, ran the curl command and restarted Channels and the HDHR has now disappeared from Sources. The channel names now all present as you'd expect in the web interface. Hasn't affected the delay, unfortunately, but looks a little neater in the admin screens! Cheers

[gareth.frog]

Hey Aman. Wondered if you'd spotted anything with the mpg? (only plays for me in VLC by the way). Occurred to me that with Channels the feed might be being pulled through the DVR server first (so it can record), and with VLC if it was maybe pulling it direct from the receiver? Therefore could the spec of the server perhaps be an issue? This being a dual processor 2.4MHz Intel Xeon (old but good in its day!)

[GeoffT]

I'd also like to know if this is likely to be a solvable problem. If not I will need to find another solution for the extra HD Channels. But as my Vu gives at least 8 simultaneous feeds it really would be a perfect solution. However an 8 second channel change won't pass the WAF test.

Happy to do any more tests and/or send any files or diagnostics to help get to the bottom of it.

[tmm1]

I looked at your diagnostics and struggled to see where it was taking more than 2s. If you can submit from a client immediately after the slow tune that would be helpful.

[GeoffT]

Could you see the diagnostics I submitted from the client side at the same time as those I sent from the server ?

If not, i will resubmit from both client and server tomorrow.

[tmm1]

I only need submit from the client. I looked at the previous ones.

[gareth.frog]

Hi Aman. It wasn't me that submitted diagnostics, that was Geoff. But it looks like he knows what he's talking about so might be more use solving this problem! In case it adds anything, I've just clicked on a HD channel (BBC 1 HD), with the 8 second delay and then clicked Submit Diagnostics. It didn't seem to give me any reference numbers, so I'm not sure how you'll know that this was me.

Thank you for continuing to try to help us out with this.