Play movies over network

[jano_uk]

Hi All,
I’ve a problem with playing movies over network.
Briefly about my home network:
I run debian on Nlsu2 with connected usb HDD as a file server with samba. It’s connected via cable to switch.
I run XP and Ubuntu on desktop PC, also connected via cable.
I run XP on one laptop and ubuntu on other via wireless.
I struggle with it for a weeks now, I’ve done a lot of tests and changes and none of them seems to work.

When I play movie on XP laptop it skips all the time (every second or so), it’s fine on Ubuntu laptop and on desktop pc. Tests shows transfer on a large file around 600-800 KB/s (depends on where laptop is). So it’s fast enough to play it.
It’s same story with HD movies, when i try to play them on a desktop PC. On XP they skip in exactly same way as normal movies on laptop, when I switch to Ubuntu it’s much better (all though they freez every minute (more less) for a fee seconds, but I recon it’s more codes/ player fault then network. Transfer rate is 3MB/s
Can anyone help me with this? I spent couple of weeks now on google trying to find a solution.

[dnabble]

jano_uk wrote:

When I play movie on XP laptop it skips all the time (every second or so), it’s fine on Ubuntu laptop and on desktop pc. Tests shows transfer on a large file around 600-800 KB/s (depends on where laptop is). So it’s fast enough to play it.

Your laptop is "too busy."  For the sake of argument, I'll assume it's of the
same hardware caliber as your linux laptop and desktop, which work.

IMO, you need to kill extraneous processes, and up the priority of your player (VLC, right?).

Task Manager, wrong.

For this sysinternals.com's "Process Explorer" is your friend. D/L, install, run.

Find process pigs you didn't even know existed.

You might also need to adjust your swap space on XP.