Lag from local SC-server to remote SC-relay

dwacc · 28th September 2006, 18:55

Maybe someone out there can help me with this one. I've got a local machine, with a shoutcast server on it, and a nsv-source on the same machine, that works the same way as nsvGUI (same speed, but console based.) And I've got a remote machine which acts as the "real" DNAS. CPU and bandwidth is plentiful on both ends.

I've been sourcing the remote DNAS directly for a while, but since the connection for some reason grinds to a halt when it hits a flicker in the encoding, I thought I'd run the video through a local shoutcast-server first, and then have my remote DNAS relay that instead. You know, to get some solid software on both ends of the line.

I source my local server, and check the video with WinAMP. No problems. Then I hook the remote DNAS up to the local machine, and check the remote DNAS's video with WinAMP. For some odd reason, now the video is "buffering" every 8 seconds or so.

I was fortunate enough to have a friend with access to a second remote DNAS, so I thought I'd see if the same thing happened if I sourced directly to remote DNAS 1, and then relayed to remote DNAS 2. I assumed DNAS 1 would work fine, while DNAS 2 would have problems. But to my surprise, both DNAS 1 and 2 served smooth video.

So I'm blaming my local shoutcast-server, but I don't know how to solve it. It's not the fact that it is relaying. It is not gobbling up CPU. The source-client is fine. Why is it serving up choppy video?

fc*uk · 28th September 2006, 22:43

shoutcast streaming is not supposed to be live.

There will always be a lag.

You can lessen the lag by streaming at a higher bitrate. 320kbps has only a few seconds. 128k is about 30 sec. 64k is about a min....

ANyway, nothing you can do about it. Like I said, SHOUTcast was never ment to be in 'real time'.

As for the video problems .... post in the nsv forum. They will know that one.

dwacc · 28th September 2006, 22:51

well ok "lag" wasn't the word to use, the problem is the choppy video / buffering-problems.

The odd thing is how it works fine when I relay through a remote DNAS, but not when I relay through a local one, even though watching from the local DNAS works fine.

Nick@ss · 29th September 2006, 06:07

Quote:

Originally posted by dwacc

The odd thing is how it works fine when I relay through a remote DNAS, but not when I relay through a local one, even though watching from the local DNAS works fine.

this sounds like upstream problems to me.

the remote dnas has plenty of bandwidth but the local one soesnt by the sound of it.

watching from the local dnas is fine as you have enough downstream to do so.

hovever you may be better asking nsv questions in the nsv forums.

a mod should move this over for you soon..

dwacc · 29th September 2006, 16:45

That'd be a mistake; I'm investigating the DNAS, not the NSV format.

The point you made about upstream was the first thought that struck me. But I use the same amount of upstream to source the remote DNAS directly (without relaying through a local DNAS.) I'd look at differences between my client and the DNAS, but I don't know how the DNAS works.

The source client outputs data every quarter-second at a rate of (bitrate/1000) / 8 * 256. (so 200 kb/s is streamed at 200 / 8 * 256 = 6400b/qs = 25600b/s.) To be honest, I never quite understood the logic in that one, I just got it from another client's sourcecode...

28th September 2006, 18:55	#1
dwacc Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 47	Lag from local SC-server to remote SC-relay Maybe someone out there can help me with this one. I've got a local machine, with a shoutcast server on it, and a nsv-source on the same machine, that works the same way as nsvGUI (same speed, but console based.) And I've got a remote machine which acts as the "real" DNAS. CPU and bandwidth is plentiful on both ends. I've been sourcing the remote DNAS directly for a while, but since the connection for some reason grinds to a halt when it hits a flicker in the encoding, I thought I'd run the video through a local shoutcast-server first, and then have my remote DNAS relay that instead. You know, to get some solid software on both ends of the line. I source my local server, and check the video with WinAMP. No problems. Then I hook the remote DNAS up to the local machine, and check the remote DNAS's video with WinAMP. For some odd reason, now the video is "buffering" every 8 seconds or so. I was fortunate enough to have a friend with access to a second remote DNAS, so I thought I'd see if the same thing happened if I sourced directly to remote DNAS 1, and then relayed to remote DNAS 2. I assumed DNAS 1 would work fine, while DNAS 2 would have problems. But to my surprise, both DNAS 1 and 2 served smooth video. So I'm blaming my local shoutcast-server, but I don't know how to solve it. It's not the fact that it is relaying. It is not gobbling up CPU. The source-client is fine. Why is it serving up choppy video?

28th September 2006, 22:43	#2
fcuk Moderator* Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Atlantic Beach Posts: 8,140	shoutcast streaming is not supposed to be live. There will always be a lag. You can lessen the lag by streaming at a higher bitrate. 320kbps has only a few seconds. 128k is about 30 sec. 64k is about a min.... ANyway, nothing you can do about it. Like I said, SHOUTcast was never ment to be in 'real time'. As for the video problems .... post in the nsv forum. They will know that one. Trancectro/electro-house/electro \| Are You Hard?

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28th September 2006, 22:51	#3
dwacc Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 47	well ok "lag" wasn't the word to use, the problem is the choppy video / buffering-problems. The odd thing is how it works fine when I relay through a remote DNAS, but not when I relay through a local one, even though watching from the local DNAS works fine.

29th September 2006, 16:45	#5
dwacc Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 47	That'd be a mistake; I'm investigating the DNAS, not the NSV format. The point you made about upstream was the first thought that struck me. But I use the same amount of upstream to source the remote DNAS directly (without relaying through a local DNAS.) I'd look at differences between my client and the DNAS, but I don't know how the DNAS works. The source client outputs data every quarter-second at a rate of (bitrate/1000) / 8 * 256. (so 200 kb/s is streamed at 200 / 8 * 256 = 6400b/qs = 25600b/s.) To be honest, I never quite understood the logic in that one, I just got it from another client's sourcecode...