How to change buffering for playing internet radio streams (solved)

[itsmeok]

When playing audio streams from the internet the sounds keeps skipping. I have read on other forums that you can change the buffers of Xine. I thought Xine is also used for playing audio streams from the internet.

Is this true and where can I change the buffer in LinuxMCE ?

[bulek]

Hi,

I think you can change Xine settings in similar manner as you would in standalone installation. I think there is xine.conf somewhere, some settings are also available on web-admin. If you do change xine.conf, maybe it will be overwritten...

I'd suggest you to first find out what you need to do on Xine installation and then try to do similar under LMCE.

HTH;

regards,

Bulek.

[Zaerc]

Not entirely, LMCE doesn't use Xine itself but has it's own Xine_Player implementation that uses the Xine libraries.  Unfortunately I have no idea if you can change the buffers, or where that should be done.  Your best bet is probably editing /etc/pluto/xine.conf (like bulek suggested), and there is a chance that changes there won't stick.

[itsmeok]

Thanks for your thought. I was able to change the audio buffer from 230 to 1500. After restart it was not overwritten by Linux MCE. Problem seems a bit less but not completely fixed. Are there any other who have more ideas what I could change ? Is there for example a value that state at what point to refill buffer.

Offcourse it could be something else. If you need any please let me know which one.

# number of audio buffers
# numeric, default: 230
#engine.buffers.audio_num_buffers:230

[colinjones]

1. The option you have changed is not being used anyway - note the "#" at the beginning of the line. This comments out that line.

2. Buffering radio streams will only help if the problem is a result of erratic download speeds from the site. Increasing the value, therefore, will only help if your download speed from that site is very erratic. It will do nothing for you if your (time) averaged download speed from that site is not sufficient to support the stream rate.

On point 2, you can a) try determining how erratic the speed is, what the time averaged speed is, and what the actual stream rate needed is to see if it is even possible for you - but fundamentally, buffering is never a solution to a broadband connection speed issue, or internet speed issues generally; or b) find an Internet radio station "closer" to you to avoid latency, congestion etc. Many ISPs repeat radio stations and thus guarantee that you get a consistent speed limited only by your internet connection - research that.

[itsmeok]

Thanks a lot. I changed my xine conf file to this:

# number of audio buffers
# numeric, default: 230
engine.buffers.audio_num_buffers:2000

Here you can see I am a Linux beginner. Should have seen this myself. But still no luck with listening to the stream

The stream should play fine as I can play it without any trouble on any of my other laptops. Is there another way I could change this setting or has someone else an idea what this could be.

BTW I am playing the stream through the Orbiter screen Computer and then a link to Mozilla firefox. When I right click and choose configure then I get a screen with mplayer plugin. Could it be that I am looking at the wrong configuration file ?

I am playing www.radio538.nl in The Netherlands (National radio station)

[itsmeok]

Hi, I quess I figured out myself the last step. The solution was to right click on the mplayer plugin and look at the properties. In the properties you can higher the buffer. Restart the webpage and there you go.

Plays without any more problems.

[colinjones]

You shouldn't be circumventing the media player system of LMCE as you are bound to have issues. Go to the wiki and type internet radio into the search - there is an article there that teaches you how to add internet radio stations correctly, so that LMCE is playing them.

[itsmeok]

I will do.