Local streaming useless now

[Tom B]

After a year and a half, I'm about to give up and look for other options.

Even though there was not a lot worth watching through Boxee itself, and I had to depend on getting lucky to find a title on Navi-X that wasn't continually stopping to buffer, Boxee was worth the price because it gave me a reliable method of watching my local media.

That's no longer the case. After the last update, UPnP doesn't find most of my files (in any given directory it will see a few files but not the rest.) I saw posts stating that SMB was preferable anyway, so I finally managed to set that up. It wasn't easy. It works in that it can access the files...but it's continually stopping to buffer. Even though they're locally stored on a wired network, and I never had the Boxee buffer local files before, it is now useless due to constant buffering.

Unless there's an update soon to fix this issue (that, again, did not happen before the last update), I'm going to toss it into a box in the garage and buy a media PC.

[defenderbob]

If you have not already, give it a factory reset and upgrade the latest firmware via USB. That cleard up my SMB buffering woes.

[Rustycar]

It sounds like there could be underlying problems with your network. Wired ethernet networks are not immune to problems, buggy nics & routers can all play a part.

Various things you can try
* Make sure firmware is up to date on the router, also reboot the router too. Also make sure UPnP is enabled in router config.
* Try placing a network switch between the router and the devices, so Boxee/PC are plugged into the switch and the switch into the router.
* Try the Boxee Box at a friends place and see if the same problems persist, if they don't then you know the box is okay.
* You can use the Boxee Media Manager software to setup shares which are easier to access then SMB shares.

[Mike Hock]

Honestly, if you are having buffering issues on a wired network, I would find another solution. You could try the factory restore option but if that doesn't work you're just going to be mad that you have to set up all your shares again and use their slow scanning system to rescrape all your media. I have a PS3, Xbox 360, Dune D1, and the HTPC I bought to replace the Boxee Box and they can all stream my content on the same network without any sort of buffering when the Boxee Box would buffer like crazy on my high bit rate bluray content.

The Boxee Box might just not play well with your network environment and the fault is all on the Boxee Box if other things can work in that same environment without issue like in my case. I switched to an HTPC and will never look back as the ease of use, customization, and flexibility in playing back my wide variety of content that I thought the Boxee Box would deliver has been delivered by my HTPC where I only had headaches with the Boxee Box. I tried all kinds of hardware and set up changes trying to get the thing to play nice with my bluray rips without success. I refuse to pay for Hanewin NFS server as the box says it supports SMB so it should but if you are willing to, you can give that a try as well.

[wileyj]

samba logs with detailed specs for the file server and network hardware or this didn't happen.

Seriously, look at the samba logs--increase the loglevel if necessary.
you won't be able to stream a blu-ray rip without some serious hardware, but you should be getting about 12MB a sec on a 100Mb/s link. this is assuming you have no collision whatsoever, your cables are all rated for the correct speed you think they are, and routes are all correct.

you might also want to confirm there is no other traffic on your network to rule out saturation. i.e. restrict your network to only 2 mac addresses--your server and boxee box.

1 thing i'd like to see is a way to run simple network tests from boxeebox, but whatever.

[Luterin]

I'm one of the louder complainers here when it comes to Boxee Box and its Firmware with all it's broken features and even removed ones, but streaming over a cable network with SMB is not one of the issues.

I use my box daily to watch the new TV Episodes that I automatically download each night, and I never have any general problem with streaming or buffering!

If you are having problem it's not in the Boxee end, unless you have broken hardware, but the most usual case just poorly configured software in the other end.

[Tom B]

I'll have to hijack a friend with more knowledge of networks than I do to do some investigation to see if it's a network problem.

I had no problems whatsoever up until 2 things happened. 1. Boxee update and 2. a hard drive crash caused me to have to replace my hard drive and resetup my system.

Because of 2, I'm open to entertaining the possibility that something didn't get set up right. I'm not sure what that would be, but that's why I need someone who knows more.

It seems like if it can see the files it should be able to play them. I generally stick to 720p video, so that shouldn't be an issue. I've tried Media Manager, and it also buffers constantly.

Both are hooked into a switcher. Router has been re-booted several times, and its software is up to date. UPnP is set up. Hmmm...well, it had been. I'll double check that. It's odd because UPnP sees some files, but not others even in the same directory.

So, a few things to check out. Thanks for the tips!

[Mike Hock]

I'm one of the louder complainers here when it comes to Boxee Box and its Firmware with all it's broken features and even removed ones, but streaming over a cable network with SMB is not one of the issues.

I use my box daily to watch the new TV Episodes that I automatically download each night, and I never have any general problem with streaming or buffering!

If you are having problem it's not in the Boxee end, unless you have broken hardware, but the most usual case just poorly configured software in the other end.

You're streaming downloaded TV rips which are usually around 7Mbps and being generous around 10Mbps. That's a lot different than trying to stream full bluray rips that can average 35Mbps or higher. I can do this with my Dune D1 and my HTPC without issue and both are connected to ethernet cables that the Boxee Box was connected to at one time or another and buffered to hell and back.

There is nothing wrong with my network setup if other hardware can function the way they should. Simple process of elimination tells me that if everything else I plug in can work in my network for what I want it to do and the Boxee Box can't, then the problem is the Boxee Box which is why it's been demoted to Netflix and Youtube streaming in my bedroom instead of being the main hardware in my HT setup.

[drunkwithpower]

The only way I can stream full bluray rips is to use Hanewin NFS. You might consider this if nothing else work for you. It does suck that we have to pay for an NFS server when SMB is free and works for everything else.

[Luterin]

You're streaming downloaded TV rips which are usually around 7Mbps and being generous around 10Mbps.

It was just an example. I stream high bitrate content aswell, including even Bluray Images, and they work "fine". The only thing that is an issue here is the HD sound dropouts, but that is another issue...

I have no problems streaming content that is up to 50Mbps, based on the Birds HD Streaming tests. It stutters on the very final frames in the 55Mbit file, and for the last seconds in the 60Mbit file, but the 50Mbit file works flawlessly.

If you cant stream 50Mbit content you are having a network issue. Be it broken hardware somewhere, poor performing hardware or poorly configured ones. Including all from the Boxee Box, Switch to whatever fileserver you are using.

EDIT: Oh, and this is with SMB not with NFS, which is faster but I don't have it configured on my server atm since I don't need it.