Radio stutter

[JCHELLO]

<solution>

 

Last night, after much frustration I finally sat down to resolve this same pip boy radio music problem (soundblaster xfi extremegamer on windows 7 64). Read all of this post and tried the following. Installed madfilter. Installed k-lite codec pack. Neither helped. Rebooted and installed the CCCP codec pack. No change. Alchemy was already installed. I then installed the installedcodec utility, which shows you a large and comprehensive list of all your installed codecs. This seemed helpful, because you can individually enable or disable any codec right there without closing the program. So, I simply disabled everything and entered fallout3. No world music, no pip boy radio music. But the other effects sounds were present. Good start. Went back into installedcodec, since by now I realized that this was likely a codec conflict problem. Proceeded to systematically enable clumps of codecs that appeared relevant to MP3 music, since MP3 is the format used to play the radio music in pip boy. I would then reenter the fallout title menu quickly just to see if the menu music was present. This saved me time, so that I did not need to go all the way into a saved game to see if the changes I made would reenable the music. Eventually found the culprit codec. It was a media streaming codec installed by a WMA to MP3 conversion program I downloaded from the net somewhere. I uninstalled that program and immediately noticed a large amount of codecs disappear from the installedcodec listing. Entered fallout and enjoyed perfect radio music with no stutter and perhaps a slight fps boost to boot.

[phoneyLogic]

@JCHELLO

Thanks for detailed information, +1 kudos :)

 

It was a media streaming codec installed by a WMA to MP3 conversion program I downloaded from the net somewhere.

Do you remember the name of the program?

And whats your operating system?

[Jay33721]

I have Windows 7 Ultimate and my radio stutter was so bad that all I could hear was "'And now, some music!' ppp--tt-a-a-a-tt-p-p-p-kkk-e-e-e-k-t-t-pp-e-o-o-o-tt-k-k-e-e-e" and I tried all the solutions for fixing it on Windows 7 - NADA. But when I tried the installedcodec.exe instructions for Windows XP, it worked. Then I went through my codecs, enabling each company group of codecs, rooting out those that made it stutter again (mostly, these were MPEG and mp3 codecs), until I had tested out all my codecs. Now, I have no more stutter. Hooray!

[darkop16]

tortured Tomato suggested I post here about my problem.

 

Here is the thread I started if you want a background of where I have come from:

http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/274277-audio-related-problemprob-codec-confliction/

 

Basically I used InstalledCodec to disable all audio codecs and trying each one at a time to find what was wrong. Turned out the Fraunhofer Codecs were causing the problems, but they are also essential for playing mp3 files in game. So my delima now is finding a better mp3 codec that fallout 3 will use. I have tried installing k-lite and cccp. Both did not bring back music in game.

 

Is there a codec out there that will play mp3 files in game besides Fraunhofer and MADfilter (I tried it for the heck of it even though I am running XP....gave me the same problem)?

[phoneyLogic]

Turned out the Fraunhofer Codecs were causing the problems, but they are also essential for playing mp3 files in game. So my delima now is finding a better mp3 codec that fallout 3 will use.

The "Fraunhofer Institut Integrierte Schaltungen IIS – Codecs" itself should work fine. Did you try only to enable these Codecs after you disabled the other? There seems to be still a desturbing one active.

 

Does your gfx kart come along with hdmi? There sometimes is an audio decoder integrated.

[darkop16]

I have no hdmi port on my computer.

 

I found the codec that was actually causing the problem, but it turns out I also need that codec to play music in fallout 3. Here is the info InstalledCodec displays for the codec:

 

Display Name: MPEG-I Stream Splitter

Type: DirectShow Filter

Installed/Modified Time: 9/17/2010 1:45:57 PM

File Description: DirectShow Runtime.

File Version: 6.05.2600.5933

Company: Microsoft Corporation

Product Name: DirectShow

File Size: 1,291,776

Filename: C:\WINDOWS\system32\quartz.dll

Filter Merit: 0x00600000

Filename Only: quartz.dll

File Created Time: 2/28/2006 7:00:00 AM

File Modified Time: 2/5/2010 1:27:45 PM

 

I have all other codecs enabled including the Fraunhofers codecs and I left MADfilter disabled, and the game runs fine now except I still do not get any music. So I guess the above driver is bad but still an essential driver. Maybe whatever microsoft update that installed that codec was a bad install or something. I will search around google using the codecs name and filename and see if something comes up.

 

Update:

 

Ok, looks like quartz.dll is a directX file according to the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. I downloaded the directX installer from microsoft to check if I have the latest version of directX which says I do. I even checked the version number (DirectX 9.0c 4.09.0000.0904) with wiki which says that is the most current version for XP SP3. I tried uses the audio tests in the DirectX Diagnostic Tool and it found no problems.

 

I tried disabling all other codecs except for Sipro Lab codecs, Fraunhofer codecs and the MPEG-1 stream splitter. Surprisingly I can load a save game just fine without any other codecs, but I still have the same problem with very low frame rates and stuttering music.

 

Update 2:

 

I tried a few more things now with no success. This includes upgrading from wmp 9 to 11 (I don't use wmp) to see if it might update the codec, repairing .net framework 4.0, and downloading an older version of the Fraunhofer MPEG Layer-3 Codec (Installed Codec listed it as modified in 1998 :o ). I have been comtimplating trying to uninstall dx9.0c and reinstalling it but from what I can find on the internet regarding the procedure, it sounds dangerous and tedious. On top of that, I have not had any problems in other games.

 

I pretty much give up. I can play Fallout 3 with good frame rates now. I'll just have to play some music in the background with winamp or foobar I guess. *Sigh* Was looking forward to completing the GNR quest so I could listen to the new music in GNR More Where That Came From mod.

 

Last Update:

 

Well, I discovered another bug which thankfully I found a fix for while trying to fix the original problem. The game would randomly stop taking input from my mouse and keyboard which would force me to alt+ctrl+del and end fallout3.exe.

 

But like I said I found the solution to this earlier:

 

http://test.rewq.org/wordpress/?p=23

 

Also, the guide doesn't say but to turn quartz.dll back on use "regsvr32 quartz.dll" I had to turn it back on cause I couldn't watch video files I downloaded because I was missing that codec since I unregistered it.

 

But man, this quartz.dll has been nothing but trouble for such an essential audio codec.

Edited December 15, 2010 by darkop16

[phoneyLogic]

Did you already try to change the audio acceleration?

 

Hold the [Windows] key and hit [R]

enter "dxdiag" into the box (without quotes)

In the DirectX check dialogue, Look at your audio tab(s)

Which should be at least two, since you have an hdmi output

(Sound 1 , Sound 2)

Disable the gfx card output and/or lower your audio card output

 

Hopefully this works...

Edited December 16, 2010 by tortured Tomato

[darkop16]

I do not have an HDMI port. Just two DVIs.

 

I tried setting the audio to basic from the control panel and from the dxdiag, with no effect what so ever.

 

I am currently playing the game fine now. I am actually listening to an oldies channel in the background through winamp. It isn't GNR but it still sets the mood alright.

 

Thanks for your help. At least I can play the game now.

[revenger681]

Hi,

 

I'm considering buying new vegas on PC due to the possibilities of modding, both playing and creating them. Mostly I'll be playing them. However, after these stuttering issues with Fallout 3, I'd like to know if anyone who's had these issues with Fallout 3 also has them in New Vegas, or did they fix this issue in New Vegas (does/did it exist?). With fallout 3 i've done everything from re-installing codecs, using all the tips on k-lite, and everything else. NOTHING works. So I just want to know: does this same issue exist in New Vegas?

[phoneyLogic]

FNV is almost radio stutter free.

There might be some really rare issues with the sound.

But I haven't heard of radio stuttering issues yet.

Clearly not the same issue.