best HTPC mobo/cpu combo for recording multiple WMC streams?

[barnabas1969]

I'm not going to upgrade yet.

Could my issue be with a 5400RPM drive? Would a 7200 drive help with this issue?

btw: thanks for all th erecommendations. you've all been really helpful.

Many people have reported that a 5400 RPM drive works fine for multiple recordings. I don't think that's your issue. I'm actually one of the odd balls... I have 7200 RPM drives for recordings. Everyone tells me that 7200 RPM is over kill.

[newfiend]

I'm not going to upgrade yet.

Could my issue be with a 5400RPM drive? Would a 7200 drive help with this issue?

btw: thanks for all th erecommendations. you've all been really helpful.

Many people have reported that a 5400 RPM drive works fine for multiple recordings. I don't think that's your issue. I'm actually one of the odd balls... I have 7200 RPM drives for recordings. Everyone tells me that 7200 RPM is over kill.

I have heard the same thing as you.. however I am really impatient.. 7200 rpm is the slowest drive I would ever put in a newer PC build. My desktop PC at work has a 5400 and it really seems to DRAG compared to my desktop PC at home.. But 5400 RPM is a far cry from two 10,000 RPM drives in Raid 0..lol

[richard1980]

RPM is irrelevant. RPM only tells you how fast the drive spins, but it doesn't tell you any of the other vital information like throughput or seek time, which are the figures you really need to look at.

With that said, there's not a HDD on the market that is so slow that it can't handle recording multiple streams.

[gman3042]

ok. this is an odd question. the only thing ic an think of is this, is that its my internet speed.

here is my setup:

my setup is upstairs. the hdhomerun prime and the htpc. these are connected to a wireless bridge that is upstairs - the hdhomerun prime and the htpc are on the same bridge.

downstairs is the actual cable modem and the wireless router.

could this be the issue? am i getting a ton of packet loss and this is why this keeps happening? (i never get any kind of lag when im watching 720p, ever.. unless its a second stream thats recording)

[adam1991]

ok. this is an odd question. the only thing ic an think of is this, is that its my internet speed.

Your internet speed has nothing to do with activity within your home.

[gman3042]

ok. this is an odd question. the only thing ic an think of is this, is that its my internet speed.

Your internet speed has nothing to do with activity within your home.

well my question is.. would my router being far away from my wireless bridge cause this issue? it's not an issue with 1 720p stream in wmc.. i'm wondering if it would be with two.

[gman3042]

did some more testing... when recording 2 streams.. my cpu% is only 50-60%.. which doesnt make any sense in why its so slow at times. the only thing i can think of is that it's my local network.

does any of this make sense?

[barnabas1969]

First, your CPU doesn't have to be at 100% busy before you see slowness on the PC. CPU load isn't a linear thing. For comparison, my CPU rarely goes over 50-60% busy with all four extenders running, multiple shows recording, and watching live TV on the TV that is connected to the PC.

Let me get this straight... you have your HTPC and HDHomeRun connected with wires to your bridge. Then, you have wireless from there to a wireless router that is connected to your cable modem, right?

Questions:
1) Does the bridge contain a switch?
2) If it doesn't contain a switch, then how do you connect two cables to the same bridge?
3) Can you provide the make and model number of the bridge?
4) Are you viewing the shows directly on the PC, or are you using an extender?
5) If you are using an extender, where is it connected into the network?

[gman3042]

Yes, that is correct.

It's a WRT310N router used as a wireless bridge. http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

I'm viewing the shows directly on my PC, not an extender.

The only other thing was that I used a really old 5400RPM drive with a 8MB data buffer speed. Could this be it?

[barnabas1969]

Yes, that is correct.

It's a WRT310N router used as a wireless bridge. http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

I'm viewing the shows directly on my PC, not an extender.

The only other thing was that I used a really old 5400RPM drive with a 8MB data buffer speed. Could this be it?

Then it's probably not your network setup.

Regarding your hard drive... I doubt it, unless it's a REALLY, REALLY old drive. What's the average seek time on that drive? What type of interface does it have? I really think your problem is that Atom processor. Others who have experience agree.

[richard1980]

I am not one of those people that agrees that the problem is the Atom processor.

[barnabas1969]

I am not one of those people that agrees that the problem is the Atom processor.

Do you have an Atom that can record more than two streams and playback is OK while those streams are recording?

[richard1980]

No, I don't. However, I know there are a few people on WEC that do have Atom 330 systems working successfully with multiple tuners...in face, there is at least one person running a Zotac Atom 330 mobo with an InfiniTV with no problems. SD's forums also have people running HDHRPs on Atom 330 system. Given the success others have had with Atom systems, and the fact that gman only has 50-60% utilization when recording 2 streams, I don't see how the Atom is the fault here.

[barnabas1969]

No, I don't. However, I know there are a few people on WEC that do have Atom 330 systems working successfully with multiple tuners...in face, there is at least one person running a Zotac Atom 330 mobo with an InfiniTV with no problems. SD's forums also have people running HDHRPs on Atom 330 system. Given the success others have had with Atom systems, and the fact that gman only has 50-60% utilization when recording 2 streams, I don't see how the Atom is the fault here.

Well, then it must be his HDD or something strange in his network (drivers, settings, etc).

EDIT: Then I suppose it's back to my first comment in this thread... start with the Windows Performance Monitor.

[gman3042]

Yes, that is correct.

It's a WRT310N router used as a wireless bridge. http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

I'm viewing the shows directly on my PC, not an extender.

The only other thing was that I used a really old 5400RPM drive with a 8MB data buffer speed. Could this be it?

Then it's probably not your network setup.

Regarding your hard drive... I doubt it, unless it's a REALLY, REALLY old drive. What's the average seek time on that drive? What type of interface does it have? I really think your problem is that Atom processor. Others who have experience agree.

Technical Features
Platform PC
External Data Transfer Rate 150 Mbps
Internal Data Transfer Rate 62.5 Mbit/s
Form Factor 2.5" Ultra Slim Line
Seek Time 12 ms
Sound Emission 26 dB

anything i should be looking for in particular in the windows performance monitor?

[barnabas1969]

Well, 12ms average seek time is pretty slow in my opinion. As for what to look for in Windows Performance Monitor...

Run your system in whatever condition causes the problem (multiple recordings, watching TV on the extender, whatever). Then, open the Windows Performance Monitor. By default, it will show the counter for "%Processor Time". For starters, add counters (by pressing the + button on the toolbar) for the following:

LogicalDIsk -> Avg. Disk Read Queue Length (add one for each logical disk: C:, D:, E:, etc, excluding optical discs, of course).
LogicalDisk -> Avg. Disk Write Queue Length (see above)
Memory -> Available MBytes
Memory -> Page Faults/sec
Network Interface -> Output Queue Length (pick the controller that is connected to your HDHomeRun)
Network Interface -> Bytes Received/sec (see above)
Network Interface -> Bytes Send/sec (See above)
Network Interface -> Packets Outbound Errors (see above)
Network Interface -> Packets Received Errors (See above)

Then, monitor for a minute or so with the system in whatever condition causes the problem (Media Center full-screen on the PC/extender, recordings running,etc). After a minute, click each of the counters and note the Average, Min, and Max for each (including %Processor Time). Those numbers will be shown in little boxes just above the list of counters you've added to be watched. Post those numbers here. Also tell me under what conditions the system was running during this test (how many shows being recorded, how many extenders playing, were you playing live TV on the PC, etc).

EDIT: If your PC is so slow that it's difficult to setup the Performance Monitor AFTER you get the PC working hard with whatever your problem is, then setup the Performance Monitor FIRST. Then, run the system in the problem condition for about 2 minutes... and then go make a note of all the numbers (preferably while the system is still running in the problem condition, but if you must stop all the stuff that causes a problem before you go look at the numbers... press the "Pause" button on the Performance Monitor toolbar QUICKLY after [or even before] stopping the problem processes... and then make a note of the numbers).