Silverlight 5 RC (Netflix Stutter)

[carljanderson]

So, I built a new HTPC (A8-3850) and moved it from the kids room to the living room, and am trying to fully utilize the HTPC (like what else can I do with the extra horsepower, since I came from a AMD64x2 5600+)... but anyhow.. I want to use Netflix within Media Center, and have it all set up. However, as I watch I notice a very annoying stutter.

During the troubleshooting on the webz, I have seen one or two people claim that Silverlight 5 RC does solve it. So, my questions are:

1) Does anyone here have Silverlight 5 RC installed?
2) Does Netflix performance increase? (severly affecting WAF)
3) Any other issues that it may cause?

[nxsfan]

This is not an ideal solution, but once logged into netflix.com you can modify the quality/bandwidth, so that only SD is streamed and it is easier on your CPU.
https://account.netflix.com/HdToggle

I'm suprised your X2 is struggling though.

[mmatheny]

I have SL5 installed and I believe it is MUCH smoother.

[carljanderson]

This is not an ideal solution, but once logged into netflix.com you can modify the quality/bandwidth, so that only SD is streamed and it is easier on your CPU.
https://account.netflix.com/HdToggle

I'm suprised your X2 is struggling though.

I don't know if my X2 ever struggled, but what I was using as my Media Center box was about 4 years old. The big issue I was having prior to the upgrade was the WAF. I was getting too many network issues using a x280n as my extender. So, once I found out how nice work was going to be to me, I splurged a bit and upgraded while moving the HTPC to the living room. Since I was extender in the living room before, NetFlix wasn't yet introduced into the Living Room. Now it is, and I was shocked to see stuttering on my new A8-3850 with 8GB of DDR3-1866 RAM.

It wasn't the PC, as Netflix was fine through a standard browser window.

I have SL5 installed and I believe it is MUCH smoother.

I did install it last night, and the initial report is that it does seem to be much more smooth. I will definitely keep and eye on it, but it appears the SL5 is the answer. Thanks.

[toddos]

SL5 definitely does clear up the choppiness of Netflix using SL4, but keep in mind that SL5 is still pre-release and as such does not have a whole lot of GPU support yet. As long as your CPU can handle the load, you'll be fine. If it can't (you're using an Atom/ION PC), you'll get different choppiness related to the inability of your hardware to play back the stream (note I'm guessing here -- I don't have an ION-based PC, so I don't know if it's one of the very few GPUs supported by the SL5 pre-release).

If you're not willing to go up to SL5, you can uninstall SL4 and go back to SL3. You'll want to turn off Windows Updates if you do this, though, as once a month or so Windows Update will push you back to SL4 and you'll have to go through the steps to remove it and put SL3 back on.

[fa1321tx]

I installed Silverlight 5 RC and it worked for awhile but I now have the stutter problem and my audio gets out of line with the movie. If i rewind the movie a bit the audio syncs back up then after a little time the stutter happens followed by the audio. I installed the latest Silverlight RC because my pc would lock up after the show I was watching ended but I didnt have stutter problems and if I hit the back button before the show ended I was ok. Any suggestions on how to correct the problems?
Im using windows 7 edition of WMC with a PNY GT430 on an older Intel E2140 the streaming also works fine in I go straight to the website thanks!

[newfiend]

I installed Silverlight 5 RC and it worked for awhile but I now have the stutter problem and my audio gets out of line with the movie. If i rewind the movie a bit the audio syncs back up then after a little time the stutter happens followed by the audio. I installed the latest Silverlight RC because my pc would lock up after the show I was watching ended but I didnt have stutter problems and if I hit the back button before the show ended I was ok. Any suggestions on how to correct the problems?
Im using windows 7 edition of WMC thanks!

I installed Silverlight 5 as well and have had no issues yet. Are you up to date on Video Card Drivers and DriectX as well?
Any other Codec packs installed?
newfiend~

[fa1321tx]

I think I have the latest version of the video card but I was not aware that the Direct X was a something different than what came with the GPU drivers where would I get the latest Direct X drivers for the PNY GT430?

[newfiend]

I think I have the latest version of the video card but I was not aware that the Direct X was a something different than what came with the GPU drivers where would I get the latest Direct X drivers for the PNY GT430?

From here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=35
HTH,
newfiend

[jayman]

Gigabyte GeForce GTX550Ti with 285.79 beta drivers (fixes WMC black screen thing) on Win7x64. I have no stutter since upgrading to SL 5 from SL 4. With SL4, I had panning stutter near the beginning of a stream. Also, I don't seem to get freezing or crashing anymore near the end of an episode/movie anymore. I was using the Netflix app with an "entrypoint" batch file that would be launched directly from EventGhost with my remote while minimizing SageTV. I've been since migrating fully to 7MC, but I don't think the increased stability has anything to do with Sage being absent. I really think it's due to the SL upgrade. *edit* Also forgot to mention that I also have the latest "elder" directX patches that the previous poster alluded to, which are also required for things to work well with MPC-HC.

[fa1321tx]

I think I have the latest version of the video card but I was not aware that the Direct X was a something different than what came with the GPU drivers where would I get the latest Direct X drivers for the PNY GT430?

From here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=35
HTH,
newfiend

I think its better since installing this but I have only watched one show since this post.

[newfiend]

Just some info on DirectX. DirectX is a set of .DLL's that help your software communicate with your hardware.
From Microsoft's site on DirectX (below)... The link I provided you was an update to DirectX 9.0c. I am not sure how much Windows 7 relies on these updates to old DirectX versions but the do seem to help in some MC situations.

What are the different parts of DirectX?
•Direct3D. This helps make three-dimensional animation possible on your computer monitor. Direct3D is designed to provide a powerful link between your computer's video card and software programs that can render three-dimensional (3‑D) objects. The faster your computer can process animation, the more realistic the 3‑D objects, light, and motion on your monitor will appear to be.

•DirectDraw. This helps produce two-dimensional (2‑D) visual effects. Your computer's video card and many software programs use DirectDraw to communicate with one another before sending the finished visual image to the monitor. Computer games, 2‑D graphics packages, and Windows system features all use DirectDraw.

•DirectSound. This boosts the performance of audio effects on your computer and makes many subtle effects in audio mixing and playback possible. It provides a link between software programs and the hardware on your computer. DirectSound provides multimedia software programs, such as games and movies, with hardware acceleration, mixing capabilities, and access to the sound card.
Do I need DirectX?
Yes. DirectX allows you to use multimedia software with complex sounds or moving images. DirectX is included with this version of Windows and with most of the games that require it.
Where can I get DirectX?
DirectX comes standard with this version of Windows, and also comes with most of the games that require it.
Which version of DirectX do I have?
At a minimum on this version of Windows, you have DirectX 10.

To check which version of DirectX you have
1.Open DirectX Diagnostic Tool by clicking the Start button , typing dxdiag in the Search box, and then pressing ENTER.

2.Click the System tab, and then, under System Information, check the version number.
Can I uninstall DirectX?
No. It's an integral part of the Windows operating system and cannot be removed.

newfiend~

[winterescape]

I assume this is also covered by selecting "optional updates" in microsoft update?

[newfiend]

I assume this is also covered by selecting "optional updates" in microsoft update?

I'm not sure to be honest if it will show up there or not. I have always just manually updated for years so it's second nature to me along with Video Card Driver updates. I used to Game a lot and updated DirectX patches are just a part of gaming. Every time I update a Video Card Driver I also check for DirectX updates out of force of habit. It does have Multimedia Advantages as well so it's good to keep DirectX up to date.
If your unsure if your up to date you can always run the web installer located here : http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=35 This will update DirectX 9.0c I am not sure how much of Media Center uses the older .DLL's in 9.0c since Windows 7 has DirectX 11.. but from my limited experience updating 9.0c to the latest versions has helped in certain scenarios.

Two other links of interest For Windows 7 users would be:
DirectX Version Windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... r-computer

Diagnosing basic problems with DirectX : http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... th-DirectX
newfiend~

[fa1321tx]

Ok I wiped my pc and started with a fresh install of W7 & SL RC5 and Netfix is running smooth. The only thing is I had one game installed called Sailing Simulator 5 I would really like to reinstall it do you think it will cause a problem?

[newfiend]

I don't think so.. You could always do a system image before install so you can revert back if something goes south..
newfiend~

[EmirOfGroofunkistan]

or even just a quick system restore point before installing the game