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EnTerr
Roku Guru

Re: Bandwidth

"RokuMarkn" wrote:
The video player has a fixed size buffer, about 50-60 MB depending on the firmware and model. It keeps the buffer as full as possible to avoid rebuffering during brief network outages or slowdowns.

I've mentioned this previously, but I want to reiterate...

So over-buffering is the reason for page thrashing, degradation and consequently reboot?
Is the same reason behind the famed 2XS reboots they constantly bitch about in General forum?
As well as the fits Netflix SuperHD was having, it all seems to fit together.

The paragraph on VM - very informative, worth including in the docs so you won't have to re-iterate it in the future. Silly me, i did not think about that - was only thinking at BSc level. Have memories of the g(l)ory days of Applesoft Basic where had all of 48KB chock-full of data with only ~300 bytes free and quite often it will freeze for a minute, GC trying to re-arrange what's already packed.

Is there nothing that can be done? Like simply decrease the max buffering from 50 to 20mb - either globally or depending on model. Or if anybody has the time, box can auto-tune by using vmstat or somesuch. Or set traffic shaping on the network interfaces... pre-buffering 10 minutes of video is overkill since it comes at expense of stability
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RokuMarkn
Visitor

Re: Bandwidth

It's a matter of perspective -- to a developer trying to keep megabytes of data in memory while playing a video, it seems we're overbuffering. To a user who keeps getting rebuffers, it seems like we're underbuffering. Adjusting the buffer dynamically based on need is possible, but to the developer that would just mean that the same low memory problems would occur, but less frequently to fewer users and be even harder to debug.

Note that it must have been a very low bandwidth stream to play from the buffer for 10 minutes. 60 MB divided by 10 minutes is 800 kbps. At a more normal bitrate, say 3 mbps, the buffer only holds about 2.5 minutes of data.

--Mark
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destruk
Streaming Star

Re: Bandwidth

So how is it that people are always bragging about their system running for decades without a reboot on Linux? By your definition of thrashing and discarding pages slowing down, it can't be like that on all systems. Maybe it'd be better to only have 6 MB of memory in Roku. That way with less ram the entire system would be blazingly fast pretty much all the time.
https://www.novell.com/communities/cool ... n-you-top/

It sounds like you're saying roku buffers all the available memory (for the buffer aka 60mb) and then fragments the ram the longer you're using it which causes these crashes. There are a variety of solutions for your memory fragmentation issue from splitting the sandbox ram area and tmp storage for full wipe and rewrite operations to expanding the functionality of the microSD card - just wondering what items are of utmost importance that roku has been working on which prevent them from fixing basic "memory leaks" and issues like these for stability.

It would be great if this issue was fixed, so if I was watching a channel and continuously played short 2-minute videos I wouldn't crash the device. I realize fixng real problems like these isn't as fun and enjoyable as say adding a new roListScreen component or supporting more 3d components - but which is really more important? Having a stable/usable core system to do what you need to do, or adding more bells and whistles to a broken foundation?
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RokuMarkn
Visitor

Re: Bandwidth

Systems with a disk (writable mass storage) are a very different situation. Then ANY page, not just the ones that are copies of read only data, can be discarded and reused (perhaps after writing it to the swap file first). Available (virtual) memory on such systems is limited only by the size of the swap file, which is usually much larger than physical memory. The other difference is in non-embedded systems, if a process uses too much memory, it can be killed. In the Roku system, there is effectively only one process, and killing it looks the same as crashing the system to the user.

I actually have no idea if the OP's original problem in this thread has anything to do with memory usage. I'd bet against it. I also have no idea if the problem you've just mentioned (continuously playing short videos) has anything to do with the OP's problem -- I'd also bet against that since that's a completely different use case.

--Mark
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destruk
Streaming Star

Re: Bandwidth

So what would you bet the issue is if not bandwidth (as stated), or memory fragmentation? Maybe it's overheating because the bits are flying through the controller too fast or what?
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greubel
Visitor

Re: Bandwidth

Let me restate the problem.
1. Movie is mp4 and has a size of 875.3 MB on disc. 720x390 h.264, AAC duration is 1:49:35
2. Wifi rate 12 - 24 mbps, Lan rate 40+ mbps. This is from Roku's bandwidth log entry.
3. Movie will play between 3 and 1:40 minutes and random points in between before Roku crashes.
4. Played the movie from the USB and it plays ok.

True: my channel is maxed out at the 3x package limit and I use a lot of memory and a lot of tmp:
I can force my media server to clamp the transfer rate (below 10 mbps) and the movie will play.
But I can't do that for other media servers (Twonky,Serviio) or internet transfers.

Roku(3.1 1198) Model N1000
Roku(3.1 1198) Model 2100X
Roku(5.5 453) Model 3100X <-------------- fails
Roku(5.5 415) Model 4200X

I have reduced my memory usage and eliminated any unnecessary network processing.
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EnTerr
Roku Guru

Re: Bandwidth

"RokuMarkn" wrote:
I actually have no idea if the OP's original problem in this thread has anything to do with memory usage.

Hm, we are in a sea of trouble if even high priest cannot tell if the issue is memory related.

Is there no way to make runGarbageCollector() report at least how much memory is used total ?
And/or to check how much of the tmpfs is used and how much free ? (roFileSystem.getVolumeInfo() seems a useful place and we are talking about all of tmp here, not just package's own tmp:/ dir)

Having such numbers will allow developers to diagnose memo issues and maybe even make channels self-tune when they smell danger.
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greubel
Visitor

Re: Bandwidth

I updated my dump() routine to include file system usage.

If memory thrashing is the problem, should we stop ALL background activity while the video is playing ?
That might prevent page faults !

Memory Allocated 321,293 bytes - total items 2,867
*
Disk storage used = 25,549,792
*
Is this out of range ? Too big ?
*
These are the numbers of allocated objects .
Memory Items

roArray = 225
roAudioPlayer = 1
roImageCanvas = 4
roSystemLog = 1
roAudioResource = 3
roDatagramSocket = 6
roSocketEvent = 4
roMessagePort = 3
roBoolean = 93
String = 863
roInvalid = 15
roInt = 6
roVideoScreenEvent = 1
roAssociativeArray = 336
roDeviceInfo = 1
roVideoScreen = 1
Integer = 6
roTimespan = 1
roInteger = 643
roString = 599
roInput = 1
roFilesystem = 1
roFontRegistry = 1
roFunction = 17
roByteArray = 15
roStreamSocket = 3
Invalid = 17

File System with sizes

* common:/
LibCore/
v30/
bslCore.brs 8030
bslDefender.brs 8660
certs/
ca-bundle.crt 230732
* pkg:/
manifest 568
media/
images/
Chaneru_Center_HD.jpg 22259
Chaneru_Center_SD.jpg 11422
Chaneru_Side_HD.jpg 2969
Chaneru_Side_SD.jpg 3030
Main_BG.jpg 14946
OffSlice.jpg 694
OnSlice.jpg 725
PreSlice.jpg 737
Slice_Default.jpg 3127
TopSlice.jpg 733
USB_Off.png 7463
USB_On.png 10621
audio.png 11476
black.jpg 940
certified.png 7994
control_slice.jpg 926
delete.png 11079
down.png 7372
folder.png 9435
folders.png 14242
fresh.png 6777
help.png 9906
infinity.png 10973
logo.png 16835
loop.png 10441
main_slice.jpg 4255
media.png 8312
next.png 10355
off.png 3353
on.png 3355
once.png 9820
option.png 11090
pause.png 9962
photo.png 21577
play.png 10007
player.png 10397
playlist.png 4868
pls.png 9455
popcorn.png 5940
previous.png 10271
qmark.png 18723
r_back.png 4825
r_ff.png 4473
r_home.png 5442
r_info.png 5886
r_pause.png 4730
r_replay.png 6155
r_rew.png 3716
red.jpg 649
refresh.png 11086
repeat.png 11382
rotten.png 6949
rottentomato.png 11007
search.png 10299
shuffle.png 10730
sm_logo.png 18695
spilled.png 5902
splash_logo_HD.jpg 15660
splash_logo_SD.jpg 6902
transparent.png 2885
up.png 7281
video.png 20824
vlc.png 9573
wma.png 8438
sounds/
scroll.wav 20306
select.wav 41186
serror.wav 29942
source/
Access.brs 9700
Audio.brs 14058
Chaneru.brs 4018
Connect.brs 20684
Control.brs 13118
Database.brs 43492
Device.brs 9343
Directory.brs 28806
Errno.brs 7619
Font.brs 15131
Google.brs 6977
Help.brs 1229
History.brs 14673
Info.brs 8165
Keyin.brs 938
List.brs 13319
Logger.brs 5801
Mac.brs 5136
Main.brs 10702
MsgPort.brs 13926
NewClean.brs 9640
OldClean.brs 10128
Option.brs 20516
Photos.brs 6490
Playlist.brs 20344
Remote.brs 1948
Roku.dev 5462
Roku.layout 3351
Screen.brs 4477
Search.brs 3910
Soap.brs 9191
Speed.brs 8865
Stream.brs 13284
Subs.brs 82985
Subscribe.brs 8992
Test.brs 66403
Theme.brs 19653
Theme.xml 4630
UDP.brs 22954
USB.brs 3465
VLC_options.brs 6572
Video.brs 12496
_Change Log.txt 2416
iLoader.brs 7161
iPhoto.brs 9257
* tmp:/
Theme/
Chaneru2/
Arial Unicode.ttf 23278008
background.jpg 222575
USB/
help.png 6604
option.png 9035
player.png 7594
shuffle.png 8748
play.png 7728
refresh.png 9259
loop.png 9246
delete.png 10723
stop.png 6457
next.png 7269
once.png 8633
pause.png 7014
infinity.png 11011
previous.png 7328
repeat.png 11523
TopSlice.jpg 733
folder.png 7645
folders.png 8655
photo.png 16380
audio.png 11476
playlist.png 4868
USB_Off.png 7179
vlc.png 9573
down.png 7372
USB_On.png 9359
off.png 3353
video.png 13880
up.png 7281
OffSlice.jpg 694
OnSlice.jpg 725
Main_BG.jpg 14946
Default/
help.png 9906
option.png 11090
player.png 10397
shuffle.png 10730
play.png 10007
refresh.png 11086
loop.png 10441
delete.png 11079
next.png 10355
once.png 9820
pause.png 9962
infinity.png 10973
previous.png 10271
repeat.png 11382
search.png 10299
PreSlice.jpg 737
TopSlice.jpg 733
OffSlice.jpg 694
OnSlice.jpg 725
folder.png 9435
folders.png 14242
photo.png 21577
audio.png 11476
playlist.png 4868
USB_Off.png 7463
vlc.png 9573
down.png 7372
USB_On.png 10621
off.png 3353
video.png 20824
up.png 7281
Main_BG.jpg 14946
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TheEndless
Channel Surfer

Re: Bandwidth

"greubel" wrote:
Disk storage used = 25,549,792
*
Is this out of range ? Too big ?

In my personal experience, I'd say yes to this. I've had instability issues storing more then ~10 megs in tmp:, so I have a LRU routine that keeps it below that.
My Channels: http://roku.permanence.com - Twitter: @TheEndlessDev
Instant Watch Browser (NetflixIWB), Aquarium Screensaver (AQUARIUM), Clever Clocks Screensaver (CLEVERCLOCKS), iTunes Podcasts (ITPC), My Channels (MYCHANNELS)
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greubel
Visitor

Re: Bandwidth

This dump had a font stored in tmp: Arial Unicode.ttf 23,278,008
So without the font, which I have tried, it still fails. That would knock tmp down to 2.3 meg.
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