I have an issue I need resolved, and I'm hoping either Darin or another OOYH user can help me with it.
Simply put, the OOYH software creates severe latency problems on my machine. (Dell Inspiron 3521 with Celeron Duo Core N2830 processor which has integrated graphics processing).
I am using this machine to run streaming video and audio off the Net. My Isp is Comcast 105 extreme and I use a Motorola SBG 6580 N300 Dual Band Router/Modem which is giving me a consistent 50 MBPS stream which I'm using to run Netflix, Hulu, SlingTV, Tidal, and some streaming from Kodi (Genesis video add on).
I also own the HeaDSPeaker unit which I am using for multi channel Home Theatre listening.
I am using JRiver JM20 as my media player, and Avast is my antivirus.
My problem is OOYH sounds absolutely gorgeous, and is very usable for 2 channel listening over TIDAL. It sound equally gorgeous for multi channel listening when streaming video, but introduces horrendous amounts of latency. Typically when streaming Netflix Metro I'm getting 15-20 seconds of latency. I've put the performance monitor in windows up side-by-side with Netflix as it streams while using OOYH and I'm seeing the processor top out frequently. Not suprisingly, that when I get stalled video, and or audio and even more latency as a result.
On the other hand HeaDSPeaker plays these streams through my machine with zero latency, It just doesn't sound nearly as good as OOYH, which is why I'm bothering to try to address this issue.
The problem is only exacerbated when I introduce JRiver into the playback chain-which I would like to do, since it offers a multitude of DSP programs which can equalize my phones.
The way I see it, I need a new computer to play OOYH and stream Netflix and the other services. OOYH when up and running is using as much as 50-60% of my processor, and I tried disabling my anitvirus which is also a processor hog, but it's not nearly enough to solve the problem.
I researched my machine and learned about PassMark scores from PC magazine, my processor scores around 1000 on its passmark score, which clearly seems on the very low side, looking at the benchmark page for these scores on their website.
So what I think I need is some sort of idea (hopefully a very specific one) on what kind of machine I need to run my streaming applications through JRiver to OOYH in a way which minimizes latency. I also understand some people are getting around 400ms latency when the program is running properly. I assume this means the picture is 400ms ahead of the sound.
Is Jriver capable of accepting and processing Netflix and other services video streams, because what needs to happen is the video needs to be delayed to properly sync it to the audio, it won't help if JRivers processing delays the audio because the video is ahead of the audio.v15
I'm hoping for a very specific recommendation for a new computer, I can easily go as high as $1500 and have been looking at stuff like Alienware 15, Acer Aspire v15 Nitro, gaming machines (butI'm not a gamer), as well as HP Envy Slim I7 15t Quad, and even the I7 version of Microsoft Surface Pro 3. I probably don't want to buy more PC than I need, but 4k is coming and, so then again, maybe a little bit of an overspend is not such a bad idea.
What I would especially like is the experience of other OOYH users as to whether its possible to use my streaming config (Netflix, Hulu, Sling ===>JRiver MC20===>OOYH===>LHGO===>Audeze LCDX, and what kind of PassMark score a machine capable of running that kind of score needs to have. Tne makers of Play On video player, for instance include a PassMark recommendation that let's their users know how much processor they will need to properly run the software.
That being said OOYH runs 2 channel beautifully on a machine I'v paid all so $150 for, but obviously I'd like to get something that will handle home theatre channel applications to complete the experience.
Hi
@phoenixdogfan ,
Thanks for posting.
As you have found, your current system is simply not powerful enough to run multi-channel audio and stream or watch video at the same time. The oldest laptop I have is a Dell Core2Duo processor T7800 2.60 GHz, and that laptop can barely handle 1080p video and 8 channels of audio with Out Of Your Head.
The bottom line is that being software only, the processing requirements are significant to process 8 channels of audio while also decoding video, especially say h.264 1080p.
However, I do have relatively inexpensive Intel laptops that can play everything perfectly without a problem. Those systems are i5 or i7 mobile processors. A desktop machine would be even faster. I have a 1st gen Surface Pro with an i5-3317U CPU that plays everything fine.
I would say, any current gen i5 (I think most current machines for sale are 4th gen, but there may be some good deals on 3rd gen processors) would work fine. I suppose an i3 might work too, but I just haven't personally tested an i3 system.
So if you have a budget of $1500, any laptop for that price will be more than adequate for using Out Of Your Head. At that price point, I wouldn't worry about the specs for Out Of Your Head specifically. Just get what you want. I bought a refurbished Dell 13inch 2-in-1 i7-5500U laptop for under $600. A Surface Pro 3 should also work great (not the ARM based Surface, but a Surface Pro).
The typical Windows system has about 400ms delay in the current release version. JRiver is capable of handling such a large offset.
However, we are really close to releasing a new version of Out Of Your Head which has much lower latency. The new version adds about 30ms to 80ms latency to the existing latency in a given machine. I have found that on a typical Windows machine, I get about 40ms to 60ms latency with JRiver out to a USB DAC
without Out Of Your Head running. With the low latency version of Out Of Your Head, the latency would be increased to about 70ms to 140ms, depending on the computer and the USB DAC. (BTW, JRiver to LH Geek Out on my systems has about 60ms latency without Out Of Your Head running.)
This lower latency allows you to watch all content without worrying too much about audio sync. I watch Netflix and YouTube with the new version of Out Of Your Head all the time without any problems.
The new version would require you to get a faster computer than you currently own, but most 3rd or 4th gen "i" core processors should be able to handle it, no problem.
The new version will also be a free upgrade to existing customers.
I am hoping to release the new version within a few weeks or less. The Mac OS X version will also get an upgrade to low latency as well at the same time.
Thanks again for you post and let me know if you have any other questions. If you ever need a quicker response, please contact us directly via our website.
-Darin Fong