How to get better streaming video with low-speed DSL?

micky · External Since: Sep 24, 2011 Posts: 15

How to get better streaming video with low-speed DSL?

I have a low-speed DSL connection which is often fast enough for live
streaming video and sound. But not always. Sometimes it's mediocre
and sometimes it's horrible.

OTOH, when I had dial-up, if everything was wroking right, that was
enough for streaming sound and sometimes video.

Is there a way I could tell someone, my computer or the server at the
other end, that I have dial-up, so iiuc it would sample less often and
distort the picture some, but would have no trouble keeping up with
the live image?

David H. Lipman · External Since: Mar 14, 2004 Posts: 6081

From: "micky"

>
> How to get better streaming video with low-speed DSL?
>
> I have a low-speed DSL connection which is often fast enough for live
> streaming video and sound. But not always. Sometimes it's mediocre
> and sometimes it's horrible.
>
> OTOH, when I had dial-up, if everything was wroking right, that was
> enough for streaming sound and sometimes video.
>
> Is there a way I could tell someone, my computer or the server at the
> other end, that I have dial-up, so iiuc it would sample less often and
> distort the picture some, but would have no trouble keeping up with
> the live image?

Please ask in a networking group. That is not a WinXP query.

--
Dave
Multi-AV Scanning Tool - http://multi-av.thespykiller.co.uk
http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp

VanguardLH · External Since: Jan 22, 2009 Posts: 195

micky wrote:

> How to get better streaming video with low-speed DSL?
>
> I have a low-speed DSL connection which is often fast enough for live
> streaming video and sound. But not always. Sometimes it's mediocre
> and sometimes it's horrible.
>
> OTOH, when I had dial-up, if everything was wroking right, that was
> enough for streaming sound and sometimes video.
>
> Is there a way I could tell someone, my computer or the server at the
> other end, that I have dial-up, so iiuc it would sample less often and
> distort the picture some, but would have no trouble keeping up with
> the live image?

Depending on just what is the media handler (program), it may have a
setting to up its cache or buffer size. That will give a chance to
download more bytes before playback starts and hopefully the download
(although slower than playback speed) will complete before playback
reaches the end.

If you're using Windows Media Player as the media handler, go into is
performance options to see if upping the buffer size or changing the
connection speed helps to buffer more content to get ahead of the
playback speed.

Paul · External Since: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 538

micky wrote:
> How to get better streaming video with low-speed DSL?
>
> I have a low-speed DSL connection which is often fast enough for live
> streaming video and sound. But not always. Sometimes it's mediocre
> and sometimes it's horrible.
>
> OTOH, when I had dial-up, if everything was wroking right, that was
> enough for streaming sound and sometimes video.
>
> Is there a way I could tell someone, my computer or the server at the
> other end, that I have dial-up, so iiuc it would sample less often and
> distort the picture some, but would have no trouble keeping up with
> the live image?

You should work on the service itself, and raise a trouble ticket if
necessary, to get it fixed.

In many cases, it's actually the house telephone wires, ruining the
service. That's what happened at my place. I fixed that myself, with
some new wire and a new floor jack.

On your end, with the right modem, you can use software to monitor
how it's doing. For example, this program "DMT", displays the
health of the ADSL frequency bins. The "green" band is upload, and
the "blue" band is download. The size of the bands, shows it was
designed to be asymmetric - you can see why the upload sucks, just
from the emphasis on download speed.

http://img.mhilfe.de/dmt6.png

http://dmt.mhilfe.de/

There are web sites, where that tool and the results, are discussed.

The one in that sample screenshot is doing rather well. 18meg down, 1meg up,
with an SNR of 6dB. We should all be so lucky as that person. In the display
it mentions ADSL2+, which accounts for the great potential for speeds.
My service, by comparison, is still vanilla ADSL. That person has no
reason to phone the telco.

Paul

micky · External Since: Sep 24, 2011 Posts: 15

On Wed, 9 Nov 2011 20:59:35 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

>micky wrote:
>
>> How to get better streaming video with low-speed DSL?
>>
>> I have a low-speed DSL connection which is often fast enough for live
>> streaming video and sound. But not always. Sometimes it's mediocre
>> and sometimes it's horrible.
>>
>> OTOH, when I had dial-up, if everything was wroking right, that was
>> enough for streaming sound and sometimes video.
>>
>> Is there a way I could tell someone, my computer or the server at the
>> other end, that I have dial-up, so iiuc it would sample less often and
>> distort the picture some, but would have no trouble keeping up with
>> the live image?
>
>Depending on just what is the media handler (program), it may have a
>setting to up its cache or buffer size. That will give a chance to
>download more bytes before playback starts and hopefully the download
>(although slower than playback speed) will complete before playback
>reaches the end.
>
>If you're using Windows Media Player as the media handler, go into is
>performance options to see if upping the buffer size or changing the
>connection speed helps to buffer more content to get ahead of the
>playback speed.

Thanks, and thanks all. I'll try to follow up on what you and Paul
said. Tonight it was the Repulbican debate again, and part of the
problem maybe was because, someone blogged, CNBC wasn't streaiming
it directly, even though they sposored it. Anyhow, other people were
also complaining they couldnt' get it.

Alsi I again tried SNIPMP3, that was recommended before. I had
improved my setup and it did better than the last time. Something I
tried wanted QuckTime, which had never been installed on this
computer. By the time it downloaded, the debate was over. Smile

However I found this webpage that has a link to replay every debate in
its entirety, after the fact, which should be good enough for me.

http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2011-...2-prima

I also posted to a couple networking groups, but as you may know, none
have much traffic anymore.

Thanks again.

micky · External Since: Sep 24, 2011 Posts: 15

On Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:28:24 -0500, micky
wrote:

>On Wed, 9 Nov 2011 20:59:35 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:
>
>>micky wrote:
>>
>>> How to get better streaming video with low-speed DSL?
>>>
>>> I have a low-speed DSL connection which is often fast enough for live
>>> streaming video and sound. But not always. Sometimes it's mediocre
>>> and sometimes it's horrible.
>>>
>>> OTOH, when I had dial-up, if everything was wroking right, that was
>>> enough for streaming sound and sometimes video.
>>>
>>> Is there a way I could tell someone, my computer or the server at the
>>> other end, that I have dial-up, so iiuc it would sample less often and
>>> distort the picture some, but would have no trouble keeping up with
>>> the live image?
>>
>>Depending on just what is the media handler (program), it may have a
>>setting to up its cache or buffer size. That will give a chance to
>>download more bytes before playback starts and hopefully the download
>>(although slower than playback speed) will complete before playback
>>reaches the end.
>>
>>If you're using Windows Media Player as the media handler, go into is
>>performance options to see if upping the buffer size or changing the
>>connection speed helps to buffer more content to get ahead of the
>>playback speed.
>
>Thanks, and thanks all. I'll try to follow up on what you and Paul
>said. Tonight it was the Repulbican debate again, and part of the
>problem maybe was because, someone blogged, CNBC wasn't streaiming
>it directly, even though they sposored it. Anyhow, other people were
>also complaining they couldnt' get it.
>
>Alsi I again tried SNIPMP3, that was recommended before. I had
>improved my setup and it did better than the last time.

> Something I
>tried wanted QuckTime, which had never been installed on this
>computer. By the time it downloaded, the debate was over. Smile

What needed QuickTime was http://tvpc.tv/Channel.php?ChannelID=1378

http://www.tvpc.tv/ChannelList.php has tv from all over the world,
that you should be able to play.

>However I found this webpage that has a link to replay every debate in
>its entirety, after the fact, which should be good enough for me.
>
>http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2011-2012-primary-debate-schedule/
>
>
>
>
>I also posted to a couple networking groups, but as you may know, none
>have much traffic anymore.
>
>Thanks again.

Jon Danniken · External Since: Nov 10, 2011 Posts: 1

micky wrote:
>
> What needed QuickTime was http://tvpc.tv/Channel.php?ChannelID=1378
>
> http://www.tvpc.tv/ChannelList.php has tv from all over the world,
> that you should be able to play.

I don't know about that site, but I know that most of the streams I have
seen use Flash (Adobe Flash, formerly Shockwave Flash). On a 1.5Mb
connection, some of the HD streams can't keep up with the video feed, so the
image freezes occasionally, but it is smart enough to keep the audio going
uninteruppted.

My assumption is that this is a feature of Flash, so my suggestion would be
to find a different streaming site, preferably one that uses Flash.

Jon

micky · External Since: Sep 24, 2011 Posts: 15

On Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:43:41 -0800, "Jon Danniken"
wrote:

>micky wrote:
>>
>> What needed QuickTime was http://tvpc.tv/Channel.php?ChannelID=1378
>>
>> http://www.tvpc.tv/ChannelList.php has tv from all over the world,
>> that you should be able to play.
>
>I don't know about that site, but I know that most of the streams I have
>seen use Flash (Adobe Flash, formerly Shockwave Flash). On a 1.5Mb
>connection, some of the HD streams can't keep up with the video feed, so the
>image freezes occasionally, but it is smart enough to keep the audio going
>uninteruppted.
>
>My assumption is that this is a feature of Flash, so my suggestion would be
>to find a different streaming site, preferably one that uses Flash.

Thanks, I'll look for that.
>
>Jon
>