Ubuntu
kdenetwork package

[feisty] kopete is very slow when using webcam

Bug #84783 reported by Nicolò Chieffo
10
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
KDE Network
Unknown
Wishlist
kdenetwork (Ubuntu)
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: kopete

I'm using feisty and kopete version 3.5.6-0ubuntu5

I have a qc-usb webcam. I've compiled the qc-usb module using module-assistant. the webcam works well.

Kopete gui is veryvery slow when I'm sending my webcam. The cpu usage applet reports ~35%.
The bug stops whenever I close the webcam sending. The bug is not present in other apps (gnome-terminal, firefox)

Revision history for this message
In , Xavier Lagraula (detunizedgravity) wrote :

Version: 0.12.2 (compiled from sources, unlike the rest of KDE) (using KDE KDE 3.5.3)
Installed from: Ubuntu Packages
Compiler: gcc 4.1.1
OS: Linux

I am not sure wether this is really a bug or not, and it is more a "it doesn't work well" than a "it doesn't work" issue, so I'm filing this under "wishlist". Anyway, here goes...

I often chat with a far away friend, with MSN 7.5 and a slooow DSL connection, while I have a 5Mbits/1Mbits one. We use our webcams (which is the reason I compiled kopete 0.12.2 from sources, as previous versions would not allow both webcams to be open at the same time).

When receiving her cam, quickly the picture starts lagging. As I am typing this, I see what she has done in front of her cam HALF AN HOUR ago. We just timed it. We have been using the cams without interruption for a little more than an hour. Even though it's still nice to see her beautiful face on my screen, it does not help being unable to correlate what she writes to me with her facial expression, which is the very goal of a webcam after all.

*** Hypothesis #1 ***

Her bandwidth is not high enough to send the frames at the required rate, even though the negotiated picture quality is way lower than the one I send. Nothing seems to be implemented to keep the two computers in sync. Or if it had, then this feature doesn't work. I would expect the protocol to provide some way of telling "ok, there is too much lag between the two clients, let's drop the whole "unsent frames" queue and start anew".

I know that in my case it would be the job of the MSN client to drop the queue, not of Kopete. And I know that you can't change the design of the MSN protocol if does not propose such a mechanism. But, well, the issue might be kopete's fault, for not complaining about the lag for example. I don't know how it does work under the hood...

*** Hypothesis #2 ***

The displayed framerate on the kopete side is much slower than it should, and the data is buffered on my side. Big bug. Needs fixin'. Now. ^_^

Anyway, I just wanted to make you aware of the whole issue, even if it is not a critical one. It does not seem to be a known one if I believe the result of my searches on this bug tracking system. You may not be able to do anything about it but well...

Best regards,
  Xavier

Revision history for this message
In , Xavier Lagraula (detunizedgravity) wrote :

I have experimented with other Linux distros since I filled this report, only to come back to Debian...

We discovered that the behaviour described here had apparently been fixed: the framerate would occasionally accelerate to prevent lag. The bad news is that, surprisingly, establishing full duplex video became difficult, and then impossible. We did not try for a long time, and KDE went from 3.5.4 to 3.5.5 since, so maybe it works now. Dunno... We shall try soon.

Revision history for this message
Jonas P (jonas.p) wrote :

Hey,

I want to confirm this bug for kopete 0.12.4, KDE 3.5.6, edgy. The webcam works ok with other programs. In addition to the problems described above I have a video lag up to several minutes. I'm quite sure that this bug did not appear in the kopete version before. Maybe it is associated with the framerate improvement that was introduced in the recent version.

Revision history for this message
Nicolò Chieffo (yelo3) wrote : Re: [Bug 84783] Re: [feisty] kopete is very slow when using webcam

video lag confirmed (30 minutes in my case!)

Revision history for this message
Nicolò Chieffo (yelo3) wrote :

amsn is working good... I will use it now instead of kopete

Revision history for this message
Yuriy Kozlov (yuriy-kozlov) wrote :

Confirmed according to Jonas

Changed in kdenetwork:
status: Unconfirmed → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
In , lionel.besson (lionel-besson-gmail) wrote :

I can confirm this behavior on Kubuntu edgy with Kopete 0.12.4. But this only happens for the cam images that i send

Revision history for this message
tuxi (linus-wegmann) wrote :

I confirm the same problem according to Jonas's message. The problem didn't exist before I did update KDE and kopete.

Revision history for this message
lusepuster (thoeger) wrote :

I can confirm the lagging video in Kopete 0.12.7 in Gutsy, with a cam that works just fine w other apps (only not amsn).

Revision history for this message
Oliver Gerlach (oliver-gerlach) wrote :

Another confirm from me. Gutsy and Kopete 0.12.7 on both (!) sides. GUI slows down a little bit and video is delayed for about 3-5 minutes. I am using a uvc-camera supported by the uvc-driver and v4l2. Other side is using a gspca-cam. Considering the wide variety of camera drivers I do not think it is compatability issue.

Revision history for this message
Oliver Gerlach (oliver-gerlach) wrote :

Tested again, with my system upgraded to Hardy (kopete version does not change but driver got an update) and Microsoft Messenger (or whatever the name is, at least the original MSN software vom Microsoft) on the other side. Other side had no webcam, though. There were no lags reported, but my gui was still slow. We just had a 10 minutes test. Therefore I cannot say, if the absence of a delay was pure luck or not.

Revision history for this message
Louimama (louismjacquelin) wrote :

Hi everyone,
I experience the same lag problem, up to 20 min with kopete. Quality is also downgraded a lot. Videoconferencing with Skype doesn't work better, even with the new 2.0.68 version, same downgraded quality and the system can't handle video and sound at the same time. (sound lag as well).

I use a Vaio VGN-FZ-160E with a webcam Motion eye built in, supported by v4l2. The fact that I have to use a 64 version of kubuntu may play a role...

Does anyone have a solution for this bug?

Revision history for this message
In , Lameventanas (lameventanas) wrote :

This bug is still present in KDE 3.5.9

Revision history for this message
In , Kde-w (kde-w) wrote :

moving this wish to the WLM plugin

Jonathan Thomas (echidnaman)
Changed in kdenetwork:
status: Confirmed → Triaged
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in kdenetwork:
status: Unknown → New
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in kdenetwork:
importance: Unknown → Wishlist
Revision history for this message
Thomas Hotz (thotz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Can you please retest with a supported Ubuntu version? Thank you!

Changed in kdenetwork (Ubuntu):
status: Triaged → Incomplete
Thomas Hotz (thotz-deactivatedaccount)
Changed in kdenetwork (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Confirmed
status: Confirmed → New
Revision history for this message
Thomas Hotz (thotz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Closing because of no response.

Changed in kdenetwork (Ubuntu):
status: New → Invalid
Revision history for this message
In , Andrew-crouthamel (andrew-crouthamel) wrote :

Hi there, sorry for the bad news, but WLM has been discontinued by Microsoft, so this bug will be closed.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in kdenetwork:
status: New → Unknown
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