Stress test for TDA?

wilf · Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:04 pm

In times of curfews and social distancing, online platforms are more in demand than ever. Last friday I tried to ride SanRemo Tour on TDA in streaming mode.

After 5 attempts I gave it up because I got no picture or just a still picture. Then switched to TTS4, ran as always.

It seems to me that Garmin needs to improve data center services.

Stay healthy and have fun at home.

Wilf

Ian Oliver · Wed Mar 25, 2020 12:41 pm

Did you try downloading it? Streaming rarely works for me so I only do rides I've downloaded. Also note that anything above 720 requires a chunk of computing power (not TACX fault, just the nature of the beast).

wilf · Wed Mar 25, 2020 2:18 pm

Yes, next morning I downloaded all I need for the next 2 weeks.

Wed Mar 25, 2020 6:07 pm

I think streaming is likely to be more challenging, particularly if there is a lot of demand. I have had no issues with downloaded videos. I am also probably in a low-demand time zone. I am assuming that highest demand is coming from Europe and the UK during regular hours.

wilf · Wed Mar 25, 2020 6:58 pm

It appears that the competition platform and the streaming platform are separate. So if I download the video beforehand, it will work perfectly if there is a lot of demand.
But since there is a streaming variant, Garmin-Tacx should provide or rent enough capacity that there is also ad hoc training possible. In my experiments, neither streaming nor download was possible - until the next morning.
How good that you have TTS4 and treat it well.

Wed Mar 25, 2020 11:25 pm

Although I mainly download have also streamed films 30 t0 40 rides with success (TDA) occasional buffering but not every time with every film..

Cycling2011 · Thu Mar 26, 2020 2:51 pm

wilf wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 6:58 pm How good that you have TTS4 and treat it well.

Correct.I use and enjoy both TDA and TTS4

Martin · Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:08 am

Keep in mind that your own home network infrastructure is very important.
A home network of computers connected with ethernet cables is much, much better than WiFi

wilf · Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:32 pm

Martin wrote: ↑Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:08 am Keep in mind that your own home network infrastructure is very important.
A home network of computers connected with ethernet cables is much, much better than WiFi

I only use wired PCs for the production environment.

There are other factors that affect performance.
E.g. the desktop is used exclusively for e-cycling. Other programs (such as MS Office) are not installed.
Everything that is not necessary is deactivated from Autostart.
Automatic updates from Microsoft are deactivated, they are only started manually.
Virus scans also only manually started.

Cycling2011 · Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:06 pm

I use Wi Fi for TDA [PC]and can download a 10GB film in 2 minutes with zero issues.I can also stream the films in a good 1080p with only a couple of drops to a lower quality for a few seconds. I also like to use TTA on my I pad Air 2[Wi Fi only

] but i get 1 to 2 freezes of the video for a minute with all data working correctly on every short ride i complete.

Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:49 pm

Alas I am stuck with Australia's useless broadband. Streaming is difficult from the Tacx servers. So I download instead. Though that is frustrating as the speeds aren't that great and often drop out (that's my end). In the past I had some direct links to the RLV Amazon site, speeds were great from that and downloads pretty quick.

Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:35 pm

nzuraw wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:49 pm Alas I am stuck with Australia's useless broadband. Streaming is difficult from the Tacx servers. So I download instead. Though that is frustrating as the speeds aren't that great and often drop out (that's my end). In the past I had some direct links to the RLV Amazon site, speeds were great from that and downloads pretty quick.

Yes, often the streaming issue is not always average download speed, which can be high. But if there are occasional lags or interruptions and the buffer is empty, things don't work well.

ms6073 · Tue Mar 31, 2020 12:33 pm

nzuraw wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:49 pmAlas I am stuck with Australia's useless broadband.

Curious, how old is the infrastructure in your city as the quality of broadband (both wired and wireless) is dependent on the quality of the cable and fiber in the ground and quantity of wireless antenna's in the area.

Tue Mar 31, 2020 9:35 pm

It's actually not that old. But its a mish mash of technology as the government ran out of money during its nation-wide deployment. Plus it was such a slow rate of deployment, changes in national policy created a further mish mash. Only now are we getting the same speeds as I had in London in 2009, and that's just the bandwidth. The drop outs, constant outages for maintenance (57 hours last week - when most people are trying to work fro home), it's unpredictable and flawed. A friend works for the NBN (National Broadband Network), its a mess apparently.

Alas for our area there is no alternative other than DSL - which is even worse as that is on ageing infrastructure and slowly being decommissioned.

Oh well... onwards and sideways...

Wed Apr 01, 2020 12:51 am

nzuraw wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 9:35 pm

Alas for our area there is no alternative other than DSL - which is even worse as that is on ageing infrastructure and slowly being decommissioned.

Did not realized your were trapped with DSL. That may be the most important negative factor.

ms6073 · Wed Apr 01, 2020 2:27 pm

nzuraw wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 9:35 pmAlas for our area there is no alternative other than DSL - which is even worse as that is on ageing infrastructure and slowly being decommissioned.

So I guess 5G wireless is a long ways off.