# Mini playback is periodically choppy



## thehepcat (Jan 9, 2002)

Mini and Roamio on TWC are both connected via Ethernet

The last couple of days I've been getting choppy playback on the Mini. If I change channel (or switch to live to when it happens on recorded show), it will correct it for a while.

Thoughts?


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

How do you connect to your mini?


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## thehepcat (Jan 9, 2002)

everything is hard wired ethernet


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

thehepcat said:


> Mini and Roamio on TWC are both connected via Ethernet
> 
> The last couple of days I've been getting choppy playback on the Mini. If I change channel (or switch to live to when it happens on recorded show), it will correct it for a while.
> 
> Thoughts?


Have you rebooted the Mini? That would rebuild all data tables and flush all buffers, in case memory management gets sloppy after a while (which would qualify as a software bug, of course).


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

L David Matheny said:


> Have you rebooted the Mini? That would rebuild all data tables and flush all buffers, in case memory management gets sloppy after a while (which would qualify as a software bug, of course).


Since it's all Ethernet, I would reboot the whole network system too.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

You could try using MoCA.


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## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

thehepcat said:


> Mini and Roamio on TWC are both connected via Ethernet
> 
> The last couple of days I've been getting choppy playback on the Mini. If I change channel (or switch to live to when it happens on recorded show), it will correct it for a while.
> 
> Thoughts?


How many routers on your network? Just one?


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## Ralph P. (Dec 17, 2004)

thehepcat said:


> Mini and Roamio on TWC are both connected via Ethernet
> 
> The last couple of days I've been getting choppy playback on the Mini. If I change channel (or switch to live to when it happens on recorded show), it will correct it for a while.
> 
> Thoughts?


Greetings,

What is the video resolution set to on your Mini? The HD networks are broadcast on either 1080i or 720p resolutions. If the Mini is set to output 1080i only watching 720p programming can lead to intermittent choppiness especially if the video processing in your display isn't up to the task.

If yours is set to 1080i only try setting it to 1080i and 720p and see if it eliminates the problem.


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## thehepcat (Jan 9, 2002)

OK...Mini and network have both been rebooted, but was just choppy again. 

I have it set to auto-detect and is at 1080i.

There is 1 router and a 4 port hub.

Embarrassingly I did forget one component, the Mini is going into an Xbox One.


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## Marty1781 (Jan 2, 2004)

Ralph P. said:


> Greetings,
> 
> What is the video resolution set to on your Mini? The HD networks are broadcast on either 1080i or 720p resolutions. If the Mini is set to output 1080i only watching 720p programming can lead to intermittent choppiness especially if the video processing in your display isn't up to the task.
> 
> If yours is set to 1080i only try setting it to 1080i and 720p and see if it eliminates the problem.


Any semi-modern HD tv/monitor can handle the 720p <-> 1080i conversion just fine without choppiness. I've owned 20+ HDTVs since 2002 from a low end Westinghouse all the way up to the highly acclaimed Pioneer Kuro and not a single one of them have ever had an issue de-interlacing a 1080i signal (that was previously upconverted from 720p by the STB) to the point where the video playback becomes choppy. This is either a network resource issue, Xbox issue, or a Tivo resource problem (i.e. the Roamio is busy performing other tasks and streaming performance is therefore suffering).


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## Marty1781 (Jan 2, 2004)

thehepcat said:


> OK...Mini and network have both been rebooted, but was just choppy again.
> 
> I have it set to auto-detect and is at 1080i.
> 
> ...


This sounds like a network issue (or potentially a Tivo resource issue). The hub may be an issue if either the Roamio or the Mini are plugged into it. Hubs have been knows to cause issues with the Roamio and/or Mini in the past. If your hub is a "green" hub, try replacing it with one that isn't. Before you do that though, try plugging both the Roamio and Mini directly into the router (no hub) if you can. That will tell you if the hub is the issue or not. Also, I do not think the Xbox is the issue, but try also plugging the Mini directly into the tv to eliminate the xbox as a source of potential problems. Performing these tasks should give you a better idea of where exactly the issue lies.


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## Time_Lord (Jun 4, 2012)

Marty1781 said:


> ...This is either a network resource issue ....


I really suspect a network issue the Mini uses about ~18Mb/s of bandwidth across the network and any 100Mb/s (or greater) switch should handle it just fine. That said I would start to suspect your network cable(s). A cable can be failing (shorted, kinked, bad connection/termination etc) and appear to be working when not put under any type of stress but once you start to load the network segment up the packet retransmissions can easily cause you to exceed the bandwidth available.

Another possibility, also related to your network is a network duplex mismatch, although most if not all manufactures have figured out how to auto negotiate by now, it is possible that one device selected full duplex while the other end chose half duplex, if you had a duplex mismatch your network would also see a large number of errors (actually collisions) and the result would also be poor performance.

I'm assuming your Mini and the Roamio are in the same switch, if this is the case there are only 2 ethernet cables that would be suspect, replace them both, if they are on different switches then there are 3 cables that can be suspect.

MoCA is another possibility but it too can suffer from the same network issues due to poorly terminated CoAX and/or kinked wires (yes there is a minimum bend radius)

-TL


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## thehepcat (Jan 9, 2002)

How would I check the duplex setting? A bit out of my depth here.


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## thehepcat (Jan 9, 2002)

Also I should change the thread name to mostly choppy, increasingly worse.

Trying to watch MLS on ESPN2 right now, chop was so bad I switched to the ESPN app on the Xbox - which is working with no issues.


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## Marty1781 (Jan 2, 2004)

thehepcat said:


> How would I check the duplex setting? A bit out of my depth here.


The chance that it is a "duplex" issue is very low. Any modern hub from the last several years will set itself automatically to the correct setting. I strongly suggest that you follow my suggestions from my previous post to try and help narrow down where the issue is.


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## Time_Lord (Jun 4, 2012)

Marty1781 said:


> The chance that it is a "duplex" issue is very low. Any modern hub from the last several years will set itself automatically to the correct setting.


Agreed duplex issue is probably not it but I would highly recommend replacing the ethernet cables as a starting point, its and easy test/fix.

-TL


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## Marty1781 (Jan 2, 2004)

Time_Lord said:


> Agreed duplex issue is probably not it but I would highly recommend replacing the ethernet cables as a starting point, its and easy test/fix.
> 
> -TL


I think between the cables, xbox, and the hub (as in it possibly being of the "green" variety), the issue is going to be one of those. The OP should test each one of those separately as previously suggested as this should be an easy fix.


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## Ralph P. (Dec 17, 2004)

Marty1781 said:


> Any semi-modern HD tv/monitor can handle the 720p <-> 1080i conversion just fine without choppiness. I've owned 20+ HDTVs since 2002 from a low end Westinghouse all the way up to the highly acclaimed Pioneer Kuro and not a single one of them have ever had an issue de-interlacing a 1080i signal (that was previously upconverted from 720p by the STB) to the point where the video playback becomes choppy. This is either a network resource issue, Xbox issue, or a Tivo resource problem (i.e. the Roamio is busy performing other tasks and streaming performance is therefore suffering).


Greetings,

I wholeheartedly agree Marty. My post was really aimed not at de-interlacing 1080i for 720p output, which is a simpler task for a video processor, but converting a progressive signal (a station broadcasting 720p) for interlaced output (1080i) by the Tivo Mini.

Regardless, it was merely a suggestion. He didn't mention what his settings were, the type of display he was using or specifically what "choppy" meant.

Whatever the issue I hope he finds a resolution.


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

What's the make/model numbers of the networking equipment?
(router + hub)


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