Video/audio stuttering and browser lockups

General system Gaming, sound and video
1

Ok, thought it was stereo-duplex config setting and that worked for a little bit then everything went south again. Can someone school me how to debug this issue?

What is happening:

  • Audio will play or stutter
  • Video freezes

Tried:

  • Firefox / Vivaldi visting youtube and vimeo and news channels with all plugins disabled
  • VLC local video file
  • Downgrading pipewire (no effect)
  • Downgrading kernel to 6.6.6

❯ pactl list | eos-sendlog
https://0x0.st/HE5K.txt

❯ pipewire --version
pipewire
Compiled with libpipewire 1.0.0
Linked with libpipewire 1.0.0

~ via 🌙 v5.4.6 
❯ uname -r
6.6.8-arch1-1

~ via 🌙 v5.4.6 
❯ systemctl --user status pipewire
● pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sun 2023-12-31 10:10:26 EST; 59s ago
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire.socket
   Main PID: 1852 (pipewire)
      Tasks: 3 (limit: 38239)
     Memory: 6.7M (peak: 7.0M)
        CPU: 24ms
     CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire.service
             └─1852 /usr/bin/pipewire

Dec 31 10:10:26 acefour-1 systemd[1739]: Started PipeWire Multimedia Service.

~ via 🌙 v5.4.6 
❯ systemctl --user status pipewire-pulse
● pipewire-pulse.service - PipeWire PulseAudio
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire-pulse.service; disabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sun 2023-12-31 10:10:28 EST; 1min 4s ago
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire-pulse.socket
   Main PID: 3916 (pipewire-pulse)
      Tasks: 3 (limit: 38239)
     Memory: 3.3M (peak: 3.5M)
        CPU: 13ms
     CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire-pulse.service
             └─3916 /usr/bin/pipewire-pulse

Dec 31 10:10:28 acefour-1 systemd[1739]: Started PipeWire PulseAudio.

~ via 🌙 v5.4.6 
❯ journalctl -b -0 | grep firmware
Dec 31 10:10:15 acefour-1 kernel: platform regulatory.0: Direct firmware load for regulatory.db failed with error -2
Dec 31 10:10:15 acefour-1 kernel: iwlwifi 0000:08:00.0: loaded firmware version 83.e8f84e98.0 ty-a0-gf-a0-83.ucode op_mode iwlmvm
Dec 31 10:10:17 acefour-1 kernel: Bluetooth: hci0: Found device firmware: intel/ibt-0041-0041.sfi
Dec 31 10:10:17 acefour-1 NetworkManager[731]: <info>  [1704035417.3344] manager[0x55721c967cc0]: monitoring kernel firmware directory '/lib/firmware'.
Dec 31 10:10:17 acefour-1 kernel: [drm] Loading DMUB firmware via PSP: version=0x02020020
Dec 31 10:10:17 acefour-1 kernel: [drm] Found VCN firmware Version ENC: 1.29 DEC: 2 VEP: 0 Revision: 2
Dec 31 10:10:17 acefour-1 kernel: amdgpu 0000:03:00.0: amdgpu: Will use PSP to load VCN firmware
Dec 31 10:10:28 acefour-1 systemd[1]: Startup finished in 9.944s (firmware) + 2.915s (loader) + 1.088s (kernel) + 752ms (initrd) + 14.259s (userspace) = 28.960s.

~ via 🌙 v5.4.6 
❯ inxi -Aaz
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake-S HD Audio vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:7ad0 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Navi 21/23 HDMI/DP Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    pcie: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 03:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:ab28
    class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.6.8-arch1-1 status: kernel-api
    tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: sndiod v: N/A status: off tools: aucat,midicat,sndioctl
  Server-2: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl


~ via 🌙 v5.4.6 
❯ systemctl --user status pipewire-pulse
● pipewire-pulse.service - PipeWire PulseAudio
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire-pulse.service; disabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sun 2023-12-31 10:10:28 EST; 13min ago
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire-pulse.socket
   Main PID: 3916 (pipewire-pulse)
      Tasks: 3 (limit: 38239)
     Memory: 4.1M (peak: 4.3M)
        CPU: 15ms
     CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire-pulse.servi>
             └─3916 /usr/bin/pipewire-pulse

Dec 31 10:10:28 acefour-1 systemd[1739]: Started PipeWire PulseAudio.
2

ok help me understand here what is happening. Earlier in the week I changed the profile from Analog Stereo Duplex to Analog Stereo. That worked for a little while. Just for grins, i switched it back from Analog Stereo to Analog Stereo Duplex and not the video freeze issues stopped.

3

Just a guess but something to do with driver updates or ISP isssues (I’ve had multiple issues today streaming but since I haven’t updated for a few days am putting it down to my ISP as I only have had them today)

4

Yeah not ISP related since I was also testing using VLC with a local video. Something about switching Configuration->Built-in Audio from Analog Stereo / Analog Stereo Duplex and vis-versa seems to do something that fixes the issue.

I should also mention I am on Wayland but I don’t think that is related with the Firefox 121 changes since this is happening with VLC and Vivaldi

1 Like
5

Cool, just thought to ask as I’ve been having multiple issues today with my network

1 Like
6

This is really bizarre. I have to switch the config from Stereo to Stereo Duplex and back again so the browser doesn’t lock up after reboot.

7

Finally spent time researching and trying things. The issue is wireplumber and after clearing the cache and rebooting to test I didn’t have any audio / video issues with firefox.

Without rebooting try this -

rm -fr ~/.local/state/wireplumber/
systemctl --user restart pipewire{,-pulse} wireplumber
8

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