[AppleTV] Trouble with Broadcom Crystal HD playback on Apple TV?
#1
First off I would like to send out a huge thank you to Davilla and team for alot of amazing work!

I think I am having an issue with the crystal HD playback tho. I have the kext and lib installed and today's (Jan 10) latest os x nightly build installed on my atv. I can play a 1080p Sherlock Holmes trailer that I downloaded, utilizing about 75% cpu. However, I am attempting to stream livetv and recordings from my mythtv backend using the myth:// protocol. and the SD streams play fine, but the HD ones that are encoded in h.264 will not, they do not play full screen, nor do they play smoothly, averaging 10fps. The same stream plays fine using the same xbmc build on my macbook pro 5,5. Can anyone tell me why?

The following is the output of ffmpeg -i from a recording of ABC news that I recorded for the sake of testing. It plays fine on the macbook pro, but not on the apple tv. BTW all tv streams are coming from an IPTV stream captured directly over ethernet by mythtv.


Code:
mythbackend@mythbackend:/var/lib/mythtv/recordings$ ffmpeg -i 1309_20100110170500.mpg
FFmpeg version SVN-r19352-4:0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2, Copyright (c) 2000-2009 Fabrice Bellard, et al.
  configuration: --extra-version=4:0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2 --prefix=/usr --enable-avfilter --enable-avfilter-lavf --enable-vdpau --enable-bzlib --enable-libgsm --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-pthreads --enable-zlib --disable-stripping --disable-vhook --enable-gpl --enable-postproc --enable-swscale --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --extra-cflags=-I/build/buildd/ffmpeg-0.5+svn20090706/debian/include --enable-shared --disable-static
  libavutil     49.15. 0 / 49.15. 0
  libavcodec    52.20. 0 / 52.20. 0
  libavformat   52.31. 0 / 52.31. 0
  libavdevice   52. 1. 0 / 52. 1. 0
  libavfilter    0. 4. 0 /  0. 4. 0
  libswscale     0. 7. 1 /  0. 7. 1
  libpostproc   51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
  built on Oct 13 2009 22:15:16, gcc: 4.4.1
[NULL @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[NULL @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]B picture before any references, skipping
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]B picture before any references, skipping
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]B picture before any references, skipping
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]B picture before any references, skipping
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]B picture before any references, skipping
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]B picture before any references, skipping
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error .....

.....[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]B picture before any references, skipping
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing PPS referenced
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]non-existing SPS 0 referenced in buffering period
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]B picture before any references, skipping
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]no frame!
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]number of reference frames exceeds max (probably corrupt input), discarding one
    Last message repeated 474 times
[h264 @ 0x9c97810]mmco: unref short failure
Input #0, mpegts, from '1309_20100110170500.mpg':
  Duration: 00:25:04.56, start: 78736.297444, bitrate: 8336 kb/s
  Program 1
    Stream #0.0[0x4c]: Video: h264, yuv420p, 1440x1080 [PAR 4:3 DAR 16:9], 59.94 tbr, 90k tbn, 59.94 tbc
    Stream #0.1[0x4d](eng): Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5.1, s16, 384 kb/s
At least one output file must be specified


Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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#2
After some more troubleshooting I am still lost...
I copied the same recording used above to the atv's hd and it still made no difference. I have posted a screenshot of the playback below along with a screenshot of the crystalhd car functioning correctly on the sherlock holmes trailer, and a screenshot of the same files being played on the macbook pro, using the same nightly build.

Here is a copy of myxbmc.log. It contains the playback of about 10 seconds of the trailer and about 10 seconds of the problematic hd clip.

BTW I have no tried all the HD channels that I subscribe to and recordings from several played back from the apple tv's hard drive, and all yield the same result.

Here is the Crystal HD card in the ATV playing the 720p Sherlock Holmes trailer FLAWLESSLYBig Grin

Image

And the Same on the Macbook Pro 5,5(mid 2009 13"). Using as benchmark for troubleshooting, using same official nightly build

Image

Here is the news clip playing perfectly from local hard drive on the Macbook pro.

Image

And the same clip playing also from local hard drive on the ATV Crystal HD

Image
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#3
sample please, 50-100MB will be fine.

1440 x 1080 is a little odd, Looks like renderer thinks it's interlaced.
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#4
Here is a Sample of the clip. News Clip

I also just noticed that when there is a stream in 1080, like in this clip xbmc cuts it in half and displays green, or a frame of whatever you were just playing previously, underneath the video playback. If you change the renderer to software, it fixes this and displays as expected, at about 8fps, as expected.

But when there is a stream in 720p (xbmc showing a res of 960x720) in software rendering it is displayed in full screen 16:9, but when rendered by the crystal hd it is oddly letterboxed into 4:3.
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#5
eric_pwb Wrote:Here is a Sample of the clip. News Clip

I also just noticed that when there is a stream in 1080, like in this clip xbmc cuts it in half and displays green, or a frame of whatever you were just playing previously, underneath the video playback. If you change the renderer to software, it fixes this and displays as expected, at about 8fps, as expected.

But when there is a stream in 720p (xbmc showing a res of 960x720) in software rendering it is displayed in full screen 16:9, but when rendered by the crystal hd it is oddly letterboxed into 4:3.

MediaInfo says this video is interlaced. If you review my posts, I've already said that there's an issue with interlaced content right now. So your video is 1080i and not 1080p, 1080p plays just fine.
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#6
davilla Wrote:MediaInfo says this video is interlaced. If you review my posts, I've already said that there's an issue with interlaced content right now. So your video is 1080i and not 1080p, 1080p plays just fine.

Forgive my ignoranceSad I did not know that mediainfo existed...
Although now that I know for sure that the other issue I was having has more ground to stand on I will ask.

The 720p content coming across stutters along at about 11fps either software of crystal hd, but when in software it displays full screen as expected, whereas crystal hd displays it letterboxed.

720p clip

Complete name : curling clip.mpg
Format : MPEG-TS
File size : 72.0 MiB
Duration : 1mn 12s
Overall bit rate : 8 343 Kbps

Video
ID : 332 (0x14C)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : [email protected]
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Duration : 1mn 12s
Bit rate : 7 380 Kbps
Width : 960 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 59.940 fps
Resolution : 8 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.178
Stream size : 63.7 MiB (88%)
Color primaries : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4, SMPTE RP177
Transfer characteristics : BT.709-5, BT.1361
Matrix coefficients : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4 709, SMPTE RP177

xbmc does show it as encoded with h.264
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#7
eric_pwb Wrote:Forgive my ignoranceSad I did not know that mediainfo existed...
Although now that I know for sure that the other issue I was having has more ground to stand on I will ask.

The 720p content coming across stutters along at about 11fps either software of crystal hd, but when in software it displays full screen as expected, whereas crystal hd displays it letterboxed.

More goofy encoding, h.264 in a MPEG-TS. What's doing the encoding for this content ? Will need a sample.
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#8
davilla Wrote:More goofy encoding, h.264 in a MPEG-TS. What's doing the encoding for this content ? Will need a sample.

The encoding I assume is being done by my isp's dslam(iptv server) which is then served over a vlan to motorola vip1200 stb. Mythtv captures the stream directly over ethernet from the dslam. A sample of the video is here.
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#9
AppleTV - SVN R26558 - Crystal HD

Ok I have a problem streaming HD Files to the appleTV from my WHS - both are hard wired into a netgear adsl router. Not sure if this a network or XBMC issue

Basically any HD Video file stutters every second or so , see it flash up pausing and buffering.

Copied some files locally to the appleTV and it plays quite well with the odd stutter. Now that would make you assume my Network is at fault but ....

The strange thing is I copied it with the inbuilt file manager which gives me a transfer rate of 7802 Kb/s = 64Mbps ish ?, which should be enough unless my maths is screwed.

Plus the same files will stream fine on a popcorn hour though. Any ideas?

Somewhere after line 800 is the Wall-E example in xbmc.log

Wall-E MediaInfo
Xbmc.log
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#10
duke748 Wrote:AppleTV - SVN R26558 - Crystal HD

Ok I have a problem streaming HD Files to the appleTV from my WHS - both are hard wired into a netgear adsl router. Not sure if this a network or XBMC issue

Basically any HD Video file stutters every second or so , see it flash up pausing and buffering.

Copied some files locally to the appleTV and it plays quite well with the odd stutter. Now that would make you assume my Network is at fault but ....

The strange thing is I copied it with the inbuilt file manager which gives me a transfer rate of 7802 Kb/s = 64Mbps ish ?, which should be enough unless my maths is screwed.

Plus the same files will stream fine on a popcorn hour though. Any ideas?

Somewhere after line 800 is the Wall-E example in xbmc.log

Wall-E MediaInfo
Xbmc.log

You are miles behind svn trunk. There have been several changes that should improve playback with crystalhd.
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#11
davilla Wrote:You are miles behind svn trunk. There have been several changes that should improve playback with crystalhd.

Lol and I thought my world was fast paced. d/loading 26651 now Wink
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#12
Using build: 26651

Using a 720p indiana jones crystal skull video as a sample, it is 4.5 gigs.

Using XBMC+CrystalHD+26651 and HDMI+Audio - Videos come to a halt about every 4 -5 minutes.

Using Component video cables, every 4-5 minutes video slows down or pauses... but it recovers so I don't actually have to restart playback of the video.

During those pauses the following is what i see in xbmc.log:

http://pastebin.org/74657
NOW: AppleTV+CrystalHD PREVIOUS: HTPC and XBOX (both loudly running XBMC)
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#13
drewjacks0n Wrote:Using build: 26651

Using a 720p indiana jones crystal skull video as a sample, it is 4.5 gigs.

Using XBMC+CrystalHD+26651 and HDMI+Audio - Videos come to a halt about every 4 -5 minutes.

Using Component video cables, every 4-5 minutes video slows down or pauses... but it recovers so I don't actually have to restart playback of the video.

During those pauses the following is what i see in xbmc.log:

http://pastebin.org/74657

need to see more of that xbmc.log
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#14
http://pastebin.org/74664

heres a bunch of the log, basically from when i played the video and onwards.. this is while using component video, analog audio, 720p

EDIT: the mediainfo output as well: http://pastebin.org/74665
NOW: AppleTV+CrystalHD PREVIOUS: HTPC and XBOX (both loudly running XBMC)
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#15
ok, thanks.
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[AppleTV] Trouble with Broadcom Crystal HD playback on Apple TV?1