YouTube and Spotify playback glitching

[Nick-new-but-old]

Hi, been using MX-18.1 for a couple of weeks and all good (Moved away from Win10).

Unfortunately, I have just noticed over the last couple of days that YouTube videos and streaming Spotify (not at the same time) are glitching. Spotify plays ok then does a little glitch/hickup and YouTube video playback will do a mini jump cut back a second or 1/2 second.

This, I think, happened after updating to 18.2...

Anyone else having this issue?

Any suggestions to how to trace and fix this issue?

BTW, if I play a .avi or .mp4 vid in VLC, no issues.

Code: Select all

$ inxi -F
System:    Host: ShofficeBox Kernel: 4.19.0-1-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 
           Distro: MX-18.2_x64 Continuum Feb 9  2019 
Machine:   Type: Desktop Mobo: Gigabyte model: GA-MA790XT-UD4P v: x.x serial: <root required> 
           BIOS: Award v: F7 date: 11/20/2009 
CPU:       Topology: Quad Core model: AMD Athlon II X4 640 bits: 64 type: MCP L2 cache: 2048 KiB 
           Speed: 2300 MHz min/max: 800/3000 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2300 2: 800 3: 800 
           4: 1800 
Graphics:  Device-1: AMD Cape Verde XT [Radeon HD 7770/8760 / R7 250X] driver: radeon v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: ati,radeon unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa 
           resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz, 2048x1152~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: AMD CAPE VERDE (DRM 2.50.0 4.19.0-1-amd64 LLVM 7.0.0) 
           v: 4.5 Mesa 18.2.6 
Audio:     Device-1: AMD SBx00 Azalia driver: snd_hda_intel 
           Device-2: AMD Cape Verde/Pitcairn HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 7700/7800 Series] 
           driver: snd_hda_intel 
           Device-3: Microdia MSI Starcam Racer type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-1-amd64 
Network:   Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet driver: r8169 
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:24:1d:7c:e2:49 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 2.03 TiB used: 963.46 GiB (46.4%) 
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: SanDisk model: SSD PLUS 480GB size: 447.14 GiB 
           ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST3500830AS size: 465.76 GiB 
           ID-3: /dev/sdc vendor: Seagate model: ST3500830AS size: 465.76 GiB 
           ID-4: /dev/sdd vendor: Seagate model: ST3250310AS size: 232.88 GiB 
           ID-5: /dev/sde vendor: Western Digital model: WD5000AAKX-001CA0 size: 465.76 GiB 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 76.96 GiB used: 13.25 GiB (17.2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1 
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 15.79 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 28.6 C mobo: N/A gpu: radeon temp: 44 C 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Info:      Processes: 258 Uptime: 1h 25m Memory: 15.67 GiB used: 3.68 GiB (23.5%) Shell: bash 
           inxi: 3.0.29 

Many thanks for any guidance.

[ozfossil]

hi Nick - not sure if it is the same issue as I tried an AVI file and I still have audio issues - mine sounds like it is stuttering or missing every other 1/4 second of the track - first noticed it a few weeks ago - on you tube, then on all saved videos, and even installed alternate players and still the same - I suspected either Pulse audio or VLC - I even uninstalled VLC but no change

Have you tracked your issue yet

Cheers
Peter

[Nick-new-but-old]

hi Nick - not sure if it is the same issue as I tried an AVI file and I still have audio issues - mine sounds like it is stuttering or missing every other 1/4 second of the track - first noticed it a few weeks ago - on you tube, then on all saved videos, and even installed alternate players and still the same - I suspected either Pulse audio or VLC - I even uninstalled VLC but no change

Have you tracked your issue yet

Cheers
Peter

Apologies for the late reply, I, unfortunately, became a traitorous Whindoze 10 User for a while (the utter shame!)...

Anyway. I did spot something that might help in the detective work if you run Task Manager and expand to best clearly view the COU usage histogram, I spotted that each time there was a glitch/hiccup in the playback (on YouTube or Spotify) there was a corresponding drop in CPU usage near to zero. It also appears not to be CPU load specific (see image). At one point I was running 4 YT vids and Spotify and they all glitched in time to the drop in CPU usage, but not always, some drops (50% or less drops) did not correspond to the playback issues.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iF1UQzFakjokGejo8

So, the question now is what is causing these drop-outs? I don't think its hardware as I boot into Whindoze and no issues or drop-outs.

I love my music and this glitching is the only thing that keeps me from being a 100% Linux user...

[JayM]

Hmm, I have a system with an Athlon 64 X2 and have never encountered any YouTube issues on MX.

1. Can you give us your complete Quick System Info (inxi -Fxrz)?
2. Are you connected to your monitor via HDMI, VGA analog, or what?
3. Are you playing sound via HDMI (i.e. monitor's built-in speakers) or through your onboard analog sound card using regular, separate speakers?
4. How much Internet bandwidth do you have?
5. Have you tried installing and booting with an older kernel such as 4.9?

[Nick-new-but-old]

Hmm, I have a system with an Athlon 64 X2 and have never encountered any YouTube issues on MX.

1. Can you give us your complete Quick System Info (inxi -Fxrz)?
2. Are you connected to your monitor via HDMI, VGA analog, or what?
3. Are you playing sound via HDMI (i.e. monitor's built-in speakers) or through your onboard analog sound card using regular, separate speakers?
4. How much Internet bandwidth do you have?
5. Have you tried installing and booting with an older kernel such as 4.9?

Hi JayM here are the details...

1) See inix -Fxrz below
2) Twin monitors, one on DVI to analogue and the other HDMI to DVI
3) Analogue sound to external Amp
4) Internet speed measuring 67 Mbps download/9.95 Mbps upload, ping 11ms
5) Looking into it but not sure which version as the post about the kernel issues was not clear (I'm still learning about Linux MX...)

It sort of points to a kernel "thing". Just need to know more about kernel swapping and then give it a go... I've run cli-aptiX, searched for all kernels, see 28 exact name matches and see versions with and without PREEMPT_RT. Is one better than the other?

I'm going to try the non-preempt_rt 4.9.09 version and see what happens...

$ inxi -Fxrz
System: Host: S*****Box Kernel: 4.19.0-1-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 6.3.0 Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3
Distro: MX-18.3_x64 Continuum Feb 9 2019 base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)
Machine: Type: Desktop Mobo: Gigabyte model: GA-MA790XT-UD4P v: x.x serial: <filter> BIOS: Award v: F7 date: 11/20/2009
CPU: Topology: Quad Core model: AMD Athlon II X4 640 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: K10 rev: 3 L2 cache: 2048 KiB
flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4a svm bogomips: 24108
Speed: 800 MHz min/max: 800/3000 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 2300 3: 800 4: 800
Graphics: Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Cape Verde XT [Radeon HD 7770/8760 / R7 250X] vendor: ASUSTeK
driver: radeon v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: ati,radeon unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa
resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz, 2048x1152~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: AMD CAPE VERDE (DRM 2.50.0 4.19.0-1-amd64 LLVM 7.0.0) v: 4.5 Mesa 18.2.6 direct render: Yes
Audio: Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] SBx00 Azalia vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
bus ID: 00:14.2
Device-2: AMD Cape Verde/Pitcairn HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 7700/7800 Series] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel
v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.1
Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-1-amd64
Network: Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Gigabyte driver: r8169 v: kernel
port: ce00 bus ID: 03:00.0
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives: Local Storage: total: 2.03 TiB used: 17.01 GiB (0.8%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST3250310AS size: 232.88 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Western Digital model: WD5000AAKX-001CA0 size: 465.76 GiB
ID-3: /dev/sdc vendor: SanDisk model: SSD PLUS 480GB size: 447.14 GiB
ID-4: /dev/sdd vendor: Seagate model: ST3500830AS size: 465.76 GiB
ID-5: /dev/sde vendor: Seagate model: ST3500830AS size: 465.76 GiB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 76.96 GiB used: 17.01 GiB (22.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdc1
ID-2: swap-1 size: 15.79 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sdc2
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 26.9 C mobo: N/A gpu: radeon temp: 44 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos: Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/antix.list
1: deb http://la.mxrepo.com/antix/stretch stretch main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/atom.list
1: deb [arch=amd64] https://packagecloud.io/AtomEditor/atom/any/ any main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
1: deb http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
1: deb http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free
2: deb http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
1: deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
1: deb http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb/ stable main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
1: deb http://mxlinux.mirrors.uk2.net/packages/mx/repo/ stretch main non-free
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list
1: deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.skype.com/deb stable main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list
1: deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free
No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/various.list
Info: Processes: 320 Uptime: 4h 05m Memory: 15.67 GiB used: 10.87 GiB (69.4%) Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Compilers:
gcc: 6.3.0 Shell: bash v: 4.4.12 inxi: 3.0.33

[Nick-new-but-old]

Thanks JayM for the kernel pointer, that fixed it!

Running 10 YouTube Vids simultaneously and Spotify and not a single glitch, well the video playback started to have some issues but the audio was fine. CPU histogram shows no near-zero CPU usage drops...

Running 4.9 kernel - running 10 YT vids and Spotify... the drop in the middle for near max usage was me minimising each YT vid but still playing.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pKiSQM7YsRs2wfxq7

Hope this helps others with odd-ball errors.

[Stevo]

A realtime kernel seems like a rather drastic solution. I would have at first experimented with Youtube playback in various other browsers and players, such as SMTube, mpv, and QMPlay2, to see if they have the same issues, and then tried a Liquorix or antiX kernel to see if they still have the same issues.

I'm also wondering if you're using the same video driver with the older 4.9 kernel. The output of "inxi -G" will let us know.

We also recommend that users using the older 4.19.0-1 kernel we shipped with MX 18.2 upgrade to the 4.19.0-5 version, since that has many security and performance fixes.