FTP protocol use alot of CPU
#1
Hi.

I have a Blu-ray ISO, that I try to playback via FTP on my local network (FTP server in house).
The video is stopping on eath 30-60 sec. to buffer up, and then starts again. The CPU load is 98-100% on my RPI.
If I connect via SMB to the same local server, playback works fine, and the CPU load is about 50%.

Is ther a setting, that I have overlooked, when using FTP ??
I have tryed many settings for the video buffering, but no one works for me.
The problem is only when I playback Blu-ray via FTP.

It's a 512MB Pi running 1GHz.

It look strange that the FTP protocol use 50% more CPU than the SMB protocol.
I have allso tryed to test my FTP server localy, at I can pull 10 times more bandwith from it, than the Pi playback via FTP use. So it's not my FTP server that have a problem.

When I Playback Blu-ray via FTP the CPU load is 98-100% and the video stop/start each 50-60 sec.
When I Playback Blu-ray via SMB the CPU load is 50-70% and playback works fine.
When I playback a SD movie via FTP protocol, the CPU load is 60-70%
When I playback a SD movie via SMB protocol, the CPU load is 30-50%

I test via the same SD video in both cases.. and the playback do not start/stop via FTP. Only if I playback a Blu-ray via FTP, then the CPU goes to ~100% load.

Hmm.. The FTP protocol is normaly a more simple protocol, than the SMB. So I can't see why it takes more CPU time, to use FTP ?!?

It's the same on openELEC (4.0.7), Helix and allso tryed Raspbmc. All showes the same issue.

Best regards
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#2
Btw.

I just tryed to make some file copys, with the XBMC Filemanager, on my RPi...

Cope via SMB protocol to my SD card ~5MB/s and 100% CPU load.
Copy via FTP protocol to my SD card ~3MB/s and 100% CPU load.

Hmm.. The FTP protocol have an issue :-(

Best regards
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#3
I think ftp is treated as an internet stream, whereas smb will be treated as local. Iternet streams enable extra caching, which does mean the data read gets copied more times, so will increase CPU.

Try buffermode=1 with SMB and buffermode=3 with ftp and see how it behaves:
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=HOW...ideo_cache
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#4

(2014-07-30, 13:20)popcornmix Wrote: I think ftp is treated as an internet stream, whereas smb will be treated as local. Iternet streams enable extra caching, which does mean the data read gets copied more times, so will increase CPU.

Try buffermode=1 with SMB and buffermode=3 with ftp and see how it behaves:
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=HOW...ideo_cache

Thanks for reply popcornmix.

With <buffermode>3</buffermode> and FTP, the Blu-ray video now stop/starts each 5-10 sec :-(
But I don't think, that it has something to do with the videobuffer, because my copy test via XBMC Filenamager shows, that the FTP transfere is bad. Only the half bandwith of what the SMB protocol can transfere.
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#5
I have just tryed to test on my XBMC 14.0 GIT 20140721 Windows 7 laptop..

And here my Filemanager copy test:
Cope via SMB protocol to my C-drive ~5.8MB/s
Copy via FTP protocol to my C-drive ~6.8MB/s

The FTP transfere bandwith is faster on my Laptop ?!?!

So I think, this issue is localy for all RPi builds..

Best regards
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#6
Hmm... I have just tryed to make a local WebDav (HTTP) setup, and I see the same problem as with the FTP protocol.
It use ~100% CPU load and the Blu-ray stop/starts.

Only with SMB I can get the CPU under 70% CPU load on Blu-ray playback.

Any ideas Huh
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