Streaming HD Video Causes Lag

[PowerMan57two]

I have a DLink DSM-750 Media Extender hooked up to my TV (http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=5470 (http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=547))

However, before I continue, I am NOT streaming my video/audio wirelessly over my N Router! I actually have a Ethernet cable running from the DSM-750 to the computer to help prevent any lagging!

Now, when I download videos (usually movies in .avi format) they are around 700MB to 1.5GB and the DSM-750 loads them just fine and plays the movie without skipping. But since I have a 1080P LCD TV, I thought "why not download a BluRay movie to see how it looks playing back on the TV?"

So I downloaded a video and it came as a .mvk file. Never heard of that before. So knowing my DSM-750, wouldn't support the file, I downloaded a video conversion software (AVS4YOU) and converted the .mkv to a .avi and it shrunk the HD video down to about 3.5GB.

Now when I try to load my new .avi HD video onto my DSM-750, the video lags and acts like it's skipping. Any ideas why this is happening? The picture looks excellent on the TV!

The DSM-750 plays my regular 1.5GB .avi files just fine, so would it really be that big of an issue playing a 3.5GB file even when the connection is thru Ethernet?

Maybe it has to do with the conversion software? Because when I load the video I heard no sound on the TV, but the picture looks awesome! Maybe someone can recommend a better video conversion software for doing .mkv to .avi? Maybe one that's faster too... AVS4YOU took 5 hours to convert!

[Mels_Smileys45]

Are you using the correct Divx codec? You need to use Divx HD codec or you will have problems. I do not think youre supposed to go over the 10mb/sec threshold or it will skip and stutter. Regular Divx was never designed for high bit rates and only functions properly at smaller bit rates. . Mkv is just a container for another codec such as h264, x264, xvid, divx, etc.

I would stick to h264 if possible. The container was likely the problem. I have heard good and bad things about the HD Divx codec but I have not tried it. I strongly suspect you used regular divx and bumped up the bit rate too high for Divx to function proper like.

Can you play h264? Surely so. Almost all new devices support it. There has to be a simple way of getting rid of the Mkv container.

[Mels_Smileys45]

EDIT!!!! I started to edit my post but I wanted you to see this!
I didn't think about it but You may have not used the correct frame rate!! I bet you went down to 23fps and you need around 60 I think. I bet the frames per second did not match abd caused a problem. Just a guess though.

[mountain_rage]

Other possibilities is that the player does not have enough power to decode highly encoded video. Using different codecs, or setting it in a slightly bigger less compressed file may help ease the load on the processor.

If its due to the transmission speed, which it could be but unlikely, you may need to find some streaming options, if they are even accessible for the box.

[PowerMan57two]

Okay, when I was trying to convert the video to .avi I just chose the option "HD Video 1080p H.264/AVC, 4200 kbps; Audio: MP3, 256kbps.

I will try to convert the mkv file with this option to see if it works better: video H.264/AVC, 1200 kbps, Audio: MP3, 192 kbps.

Do you think this 2nd option will be better?

[PowerMan57two]

Oh yeah, and by the way.. I've come to the conclusion now that it's the way I'm converting the .mkv file... I don't think it has anything to do with my DSM-750 =)

Anyways, I will try converting this video with the new option selected to see if it works! It's going to take 5 hours though to convert :-/ Ouch! Lets hope this one works..