[Brutale]

Ok guys, I'm hoping you can help.

I've been using iTunes (XP/dual-core/dual-disc, through the air to a router, cable to an airport express, optical to the DAC and into the back of the amp) for over a year. For most of the time it's been great but for the last 3 months or so it's been dropping out.

For a while I didn't think too much of it. I thought may be upgrading versions or taming Zone Alarm would solve it. Now its dropping out so often its not listenable. Dropouts will be 3 seconds, or 30 seconds, or a couple of minutes, or just constantly dropping. The cd player has a whole new lease on life...

I've tried latest version of iTunes (currently v7.0.0.70), switching off Zone Alarm, closing everything else thats running, defragging discs etc etc. Both the machine and the network are pretty much idle.

I'm pretty sure its an iTunes issue because in the silent patches the network utilisation drops away and iTunes CPU % drops to zero. The CPU drops to 0 even though there is nothing else going on on the machine (99% idle). I've tried increasing iTunes priority but it makes no difference.

Any ideas?

- Tim

 

[jiiteepee]

http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

Also, is it possible to adjust output latency buffers in iTunes? If it is then try bigger buffer size.

jiitee

 

[Brutale]

Thank you for the suggestion.

After upgrading the netgear wireless driver and the router firmware to most recent versions I now have the latency checker saying there should be no problems streaming audio. It was saying there would be issues.

iTunes still goes into suspended animation though, pretty much as it did before. I increased the iTunes/quicktime buffers and that seems to mask the problem a bit but not to be listenable.

I have noticed that it only suspends when streaming to the network. When iTunes plays out of the computer speakers it plays smoothly, and switching it back to the computer speakers from the network snaps it out of its trance.

Any more ideas?

 

[jiiteepee]

Are you using DirectSound drivers, which gave the lowest latency settings when I tested QT functionality a while ago (IIRC, there were some other driver modes listed too).

I have the "Quicktime Alternative" installed (QT 7 w/ or w/o iTunes just messed up everything (too fast playback, etc.) which has a safe mode (waveOut only) - have you tried this mode too?

I've read wireless systems being culprit for many audio issues but hard to say in this case. Also, have you already checked, if
- there are IRQ shares
- adjusting PCI latencies has any effect - http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=951
- other software gives same issues

jiitee

 

[Nospam]

If you're talking about the sound pausing every-so-often, I'm having the exact same problem. I suspect it's due to one of the iTunes updates, since nothing else has changed in my setup.

I haven't checked to see if v7 fixed this or not.

 

[Calroth]

I'd tend to see the wireless network as the weakest link in the chain. Is there any way of moving your computer closer to your wireless base station, or running an Ethernet cable, and seeing if the problem goes away?

When you do a large file transfer (something big enough to max out your connection for several minutes), is your download rate rock steady or does it tend to pause or "drop out" in the same way? Are there nearby sources of interference (microwave ovens, other people using wireless, etc.)?

 

[lionel marechal]

I am using a roku 500 that I got for 99$ from rokulabs, no drop out whatsoever, never ever. Laptop , G wireless, is in office, going trough living room to the bedrooom.
Not pushing roku, just giving my input
Good luck
Lionel

 

[Nospam]

Well, it looks like my problem is gone

The only change in my setup is once again iTunes, so I guess v7 fixed whatever was causing a problem.

BTW, I'm connected to the Airport Express via Ethernet, so it wasn't a bandwidth issue (at least for me).

 

[Brutale]

Ok, removed the Netgear wireless adaptor from PC. Did a clean install from the original disc so now running an older version of the driver. Problem solved.

Don't know whether the problem was with the newer drivers, or my install of them. Either way the latency checker is now happy and so is iTunes.

Thanks for the help.

- Tim

 

[Brutale]

Wrote too soon. Refreshing the wireless adaptor seems to make no difference.

Have no idea why it worked yesterday. Back to the search.