veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

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Lakarra
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 12:40 am

veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by Lakarra »

Hi guys, hoping someone can help?
Basically what's happening is that when I use a live stream site, veetle.com with abp enabled, all in the past has been fine up until recently. I have investigated if it's a FF issue on its own, apparently not as the same issue is happening to me on chrome too. I've investigated that it may be a flash player issue, so today uninstalled a recent and clean download and re-downloaded and seems to have made zero difference. I have also double checked all my filters, removed anything I have blocked recently, and even just now just left it at Easylist + EasylistPrivate. Yet the problem persists.
When I load any channel on veetle (usually I'm in the entertainment/shows sections) everything loads as normal. And then about a minute or two into the page having loaded, plugin-container.exe is doing its usual stuff but then the firefox process spikes to about 50-55% even though I've not done anything except stay on the page. I've looked under blockable items and at the same time as the spikes is a whole load of object sub-requests of google analytics, (gifs apparently) but all loading and loading and loading one after another about 30-40 and more and more. It's the only thing I can identify as coinciding as the spike. The particular one is supposed to be blocked by EasyList + EasyPrivate

http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.g ... D(none)%3B

or, as the filter code is /__utm.gif
Is showing up as blocked and even when I have directly unblocked it it still creates a spike
And unfortunately the whole thing holds firefox and my cpu hostage. When I disable abp it runs smooth, but obviously with ads, some that interrupt the stream, and some are ads by google. But it doesn't spike the firefox process except for nominal spikes related to page "reloads" of ads.
So my thinking is that the easy list, easylistprivate and say other fanboy filters (annoying and social media) are missing something that is being hidden or that google/veetle are circumventing abp lists (and yes I did update them and they were up to date at 3am 13th Nov GMT) to discourage the use of abp. Reporting the issue with the filter doesn't seem appropriate as screen shot taken doesn't seem to capture an ad, or any relevant data such as cpu activity or recurring events on page that may be blockable that might, otherwise be of use, so I didn't think it would be taken kindly just showing a screen shot of a webpage where I can't highlight anything of use such as an identifiable ad that the filter isn't blocking and where relevant data I can't add by means of my own screen shot. And I don't know if that's even at all relevant, like I don't want to be wasting people's time really if I'm just seeing things that aren't there, if you know what I mean?
any suggestions, thoughts, help, ideas? Even of what is going on? As I said this is a recent issue, and to clarify I hadn't been messing around with filters or anything up until long after the problem was there. I can't get help on veetle as they don't have a forum and I'm not even sure if the issue is even with abp or veetle, or just me and my end, or just some update somewhere along the way that threw a spanner in the works. And as I said, I have this same problem on chrome. As far as I can tell I don't have some mysterious extension that I never downloaded or any pups hanging around that might complicate things. Also getting similar spikes in cpu for plugin-container and firefox on vaughnlive.tv, more so where the plugin is double the expected nearly at 80% cpu consumption. edit - went back to vaughanlive.tv, it's the same issue where firefox process is spiking rather than plugin now, as outlined above. I tried ustream and I'm not having any problems there at all. Could perhaps it just be me? It is wrecking my head a bit tbh!

Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read :)
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mapx
Posts: 21940
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:01 pm

Re: spikes in firefox process with abp enabled - filter problem

Post by mapx »

I guess it's something bad with the site, you have to add exceptions to have a normal cpu usage ... but this bring the ads back, so ...

try

Code: Select all

@@||s0.2mdn.net/instream/flash/v3/*$domain=veetle.com
@@||pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?*$domain=veetle.com
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mapx
Posts: 21940
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:01 pm

Re: spikes in firefox process with abp enabled - filter problem

Post by mapx »

however, in chrome I don't see any CPU issue

in chrome there are also issues , see:
forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=26026
JOhnplano78

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by JOhnplano78 »

You are not alone. I am having the exact same problem.

Have watched veetle for 2 years with no issues using ABP.

All of a sudden I am getting not so much a lag in the video, but more of a skipping while the audio runs smooth.

I tried upgrading everything and reinstalling everything, registry cleaner, yada yada yada.

IT IS ABP! I turn it off and the streaming is fine but the ads return. Turn it on and the skipping/lag whatever you want to call it, returns.

I also see the spike in the firefox memory usage as mentioned above.
Jibby

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by Jibby »

I guess ABP is the problem, I've also watched Veetle for 2 years with virtually no issues except CPU usage & some flash crashes, but lately it is not even watchable. After about 20-30 seconds the video stutters while audio runs smoothly. Hardware accel off or on makes no difference, quality setting to low does nothing but reset the issue. Is this the end of Veetle without ads for all of us? If it is, then it's time to move on from Veetle for me.... the ads are constantly interrupting any show at strange times and is intolerable. No amount of obnoxious ads bombarding me is going to make me buy anything ever.

So don't bother reinstalling your flash player versions or Firefox version, just a waste of time to get right back to the same issues with Veetle. Anyone know of a work around for this?
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fanboy
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Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by fanboy »

Seems fine here. Opened a stream, initial cpu spike on load and then just hovers around 9-12% during video playback.
Lakarra
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 12:40 am

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by Lakarra »

I just want to say, thank you all!
It's actually good to know I'm not the only one.

Mapx: I did add those exclusions, both of them, and it worked up until a point but an embedded add in video stream basically stopped the whole stream; so I disabled the bottom exception and it seems to be fine for a while and then I can see the firefox process start to use more and more cpu before it spikes and have managed to just stop the player and start again. Not a practical solution but it'll do for now... because if it is just something bad on the site then it's a short term fix that I could live with. I'll see how it works when I'm watching streams for longer periods and review it then. I'll also look into the issues with chrome. I keep an open mind though that it is a way to get around people using ad block plus and force them into disabling it completely, it honestly doesn't surprise me if that were the case. Perhaps it was some update on coding within ads from google that is causing this and it is neither the fault of the website or adp.

Fanboy: the initial loading is generally fine, but it's when you leave it run a few minutes that is where the spike was occurring. While firefox runs at 50% cpu, the plugin-container reduces its cpu usage. I notice with ustream I don't have the same issue, but vaughnlive.tv (and perhaps for other reasons than this, I don't usually use it, it was going to be my other backup site for watching stuff) it's just mental from the word go at channel page loading.

Jibby and JOhnplano78 - ABP was my natural conclusion, after trying all else, but given veetle tends to have bugs once in a while too, it is plausible the issue is with them. Remember the veetle plugin for their player (veetle tv), worked once for me on firefox until firefox treated it as one of those things that has security issues and forced disabled it. Worked once in chrome too, but if I ever got more than 2 seconds of a HD stream using it after that, that would have been quite fortunate. It just never worked so I removed it and any time I did use it before I removed it (often forgetting I had it on chrome) it just caused me bigger headaches. I just hope this isn't leading to the demise of veetle, although I don't see any real complaints to veetle on their disqus board which is next to useless anyway for reporting issues, or communicating with others (when responses there are trolling and stupid) and any issues I've submitted to veetle in the past by email have never been acknowledged and never responded to. I find it frustrating I've been using stream sites for many years and I think each one I use wants to kill itself off by pay models and changing things and ad bombardment and neglecting issues on the site. I'm still hoping this is just something temporary regardless of where the issue is. ABP proved itself a great compromise and a useful tool for any of us that remembers what it was like before 2000 before companies realised they could make money from the internet the first and second time around. With the ads these days I couldn't imagine coping with both dial up internet and all the ads without some blocker in place because the internet is just becoming a collection of data noise in advertising rather than one of the best communication and learning and exploration platforms we should be allowed to enjoy.
NY?

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by NY? »

Here's a clue: Having same disturbances after 30 seconds BUT, no such interference on the Chinese/CTI channel from chinatimes "http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view#520c3ec32200c"

Does this suggest a purposeful effort by Veetle to create the problem to shake loose those watching for free?
JOhnplano78

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by JOhnplano78 »

I got in contact with adblock. They said they are having their techs look at the issue. I would urge anyone else having the problem to not just simply read this thread, but comment on it so it will be taken more seriously. A simple "its happening to me too!" would suffice. Thanks!
Art Vandelay

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by Art Vandelay »

Oh thank goodness I wasn't the only one. I've been trying to fix this for a bit now but to no avail. It's been happening to me on chrome and the ABP counter just jumps up to over 10k as the requests keep coming in and bogging down my system.
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mapx
Posts: 21940
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:01 pm

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by mapx »

did you try for chrome ?

Code: Select all

@@||s0.2mdn.net*$domain=veetle.com
NY?

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by NY? »

Since the Taiwanese input is the only live Broadcaster on Veetle, its format frame-rate (NTSC/60i) may be confounding what appears to be a head-end frame-counter (30P) cue originating w/ Veetle. We local clients should have audio probs too from a real "stutter."

Try this to see if you're receiving it minus the choppiness http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view/520c3ec32200c If so, that suggests the problem is caused at the point of distribution (Veetle itself), sabotaging Adblock's efficacy. (Note -- station is not always on [GMT+8].)
Art Vandelay

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by Art Vandelay »

@mapx
Hello, yes I have tried both the codes you posted inside chrome, unfortunately the errors and counter continues to sky rocket.

@NY?
I tried the link you posted and I'm not getting the errors from this link like other streams. Why is that? Does that mean it's not Veetle actively sabotaging abp?
Art Vandelay

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by Art Vandelay »

Argh, sorry to double post (I didn't see a way to edit the last one).

I'm getting three errors from the link you posted NY? But they don't appear to repeat to infinity like the other streams. I don't know if that info helps.

Failed to load resource: net::ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT http://www.bkrtx.com/js/bk-static.js
Failed to load resource: net::ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT http://scs.veetle.com/crossdomain.xml
Failed to load resource: net::ERR_CACHE_MISS http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view/520c3ec32200c

Those are the three if that helps any.
NY?

Re: veetle - spikes in firefox process with abp enabled

Post by NY? »

The NTSC format being used by CTI consists of 30 live interlaced frames (60 half fields of video) per second while all others are recordings that use 30 or less full frames. This suggests a designed flaw that is counting full frames only (40 sec +/-) before starting to stutter when Veetle detects no ad reception (via cookie?). I don't understand Abode Player deeply but once the stutter begins on my monitor #1 it affects a second browser's scrolling on my monitor #2 -- they both stutter. That seems to say Veetle is planting a bug in the browser when it detects AdBlock. Not clear if legally one company can pull such a "prank" on another since neither has a right to hobble public consumption by crippling local clients' data reception.

Earlier CTI was having bandwidth issues & went on and off-line several times. It's up now & still doesn't stutter. All others still do. I don't think the problem is being created locally by the few clients who've reported it here. Veetle has strong motivation to try and force compliance with their business model & boot those who prefer to avoid the obnoxious redundancy they feel is an appropriate marketing technique.
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