[mythtv-users] Playback problem -- random short pauses

[Mark Lord]

On 11-05-11 11:23 PM, David Whyte wrote:
> On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 1:00 PM, Kevin Ross <kevin at familyross.net> wrote:
>>
>> Actually I just increased my log level by adding -v file (to the already
>> existing -v playback), and I noticed a long list of "Marked as 'watched'"
>> and "Not the ealiest" with all my shows, which happens at the same time as
>> those "PREVIEW_SUCCESS" messages, and the dropped frames.  I guess this is
>> the auto-expire causing dropped frames that was already mentioned?
>>
> 
> 
> Perhaps!  I reported that correlation between short pauses and the
> autoexpire event but I don't think it is a mythTV issue at all
> anymore.  I think maybe my HDD is performing terribly which is *very*
> noticeable when autoexpires occur and cause the short pauses.  See
> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/479667#479667  I
> won't know for sure until I repartition my HDD, but this won't be
> anytime in the next fortnight.


While you are at at -- that drive is a WD "Green" drive.
So get the WDIDLE3.EXE utility and change the "WD IDLE3" timeout
on the drive to, say, 30 seconds from the default of 8 seconds.

This will keep the drive from unloading the heads way too often,
and possibly get rid of some of those brief pauses during playback.

Cheers