Delay on initiating playback

Help and Support Raspberry Pi
1

Since the latest update I have to wait 60 seconds after pressing play on a file, to having it start to load. Anyone having similar issues, or suggestions for what I need to do to rectify it?

2

To get a better understanding of the problem you are experiencing we need more information from you. The best way to get this information is for you to upload logs that demonstrate your problem. You can learn more about how to submit a useful support request here.

Depending on the used skin you have to set the settings-level to standard or higher, in summary:

  • enable debug logging at settings->system->logging

  • reboot the OSMC device twice(!)

  • reproduce the issue

  • upload the log set either using the Log Uploader method within the My OSMC menu in the GUI or the ssh method invoking command grab-logs -A

  • publish the provided URL from the log set upload, here

Thanks for your understanding. We hope that we can help you get up and running again shortly.

OSMC skin screenshot:

normal_logging
normal_logging1920×1080 764 KB

3

Thanks for the clear instruction Tom, the log set upload link is https://paste.osmc.tv/hoziboduca

I appreciate it

Tom

4

I see that you have readbufferfactor set to 1.5 in advancedsettings.xml, which is a very low value and might cause problems.

Please set it to 6, reboot the Pi and see if this helps. If not, please provide full logs – and remember to enable debugging, as described above by Tom.

1 Like
5

Cheers, have modified this to 6 now. Will monitor and respond.

Thanks for your prompt advice

6

I have the same problem. I don’t have an advancedsettings.xml

7

Logs please, otherwise there isn’t much we can do.

1 Like
8

No change, still a delay of 30-60 seconds between pressing play, and playback starting. This is for all media, including ‘next up’ playing the next episode

9

He is using the obsolete tag names so I don’t think the values he set are actually enabled.

https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Modify_the_video_cache#Kodi_v17_changes

On a separate note I think your biggest issue is that you are using a very old single core RPi. There have been massive improvements in speed in the models that have come out since that thing was made.

1 Like
10

Corrected the obsolete tag names. Still no change in the fact that requests to play files take up to 60 seconds to have the loading wheel appear, a few seconds after that it plays. I know the RPi is an old single core but it was working without this issue up until the March update.
New log files can be found at https://paste.osmc.tv/uvujebavoy

Thanks in advance for your help and support!

11

If you browse to that location from the file manager in settings and play the same file does this have the same delay?

On a side note your logs would be more useful with debug turned on as explained in the guide linked to above.

12

Yes they do also have the delay when playing diredct from file manager. I did turn logs on and reboot twice. It seems they turn off whenever I reboot

13

This “/mnt/nasShare/tv/House/S06E11.mp4” is coming from spinning rust hard drive attached to another RPi? Is the drive spinning down? Maybe it is spinning up slow due to insufficient power?

14

It has it’s own power source and I thought of it spinning down, but it happens between episodes too even when has been spinning so I didn’t think it was that.
Also, it hadn’t done it before the March update - same hardware.

15

You might try running iperf between these two RPi’s…

16

Thanks, iperf3 came back with average speeds of 35 Mbits/sec receiving from host, and average speeds of 27 Mbits/sec sending to host

17

I would suggest you look for issues on your network. That is very slow.

18

Retested after a few changes:
Average speed of 43 Mbit/sec receiving from host
Average speed of 21 Mbit/sec sending to host

19

So it turned out the disk was 98% full. Clearing the temp files from unsuccesful backups has rectified the problem of the delay in intiating playback.

Thanks for all your ideas.