Vista + EVR TV Stutter - using "Shift + 1"

[mckzoo]

TV-Server Version: TV3 RC 1
MediaPortal Version: MP RC1
MediaPortal Skin: XFace Ver 1.5
Windows Version: Vista SP1
CPU Type: Intel Dual Core 1.86 Ghz
HDD: Seagate 250 Ghz
Memory: 2 GB
Motherboard: Asus P5KR
Video Card: Asus EN8600GT 512MB
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card: ASUS On-board
Sound Card AC3: AC3
Sound Card Driver: Realtek ALC 883
1. TV Card: Hauppauge PVR150
1. TV Card Type: Analog
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: Hauppauge PVR500
2. TV Card Type: Analog, Dual Channel
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card: Hauppauge Nova T 500
3. TV Card Type: DVB-T, Dual Channel
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra
MPEG2 Audio Codec: Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra
h.264 Video Codec: Cyberlink H.264/AVC Decoder (PDVD8)
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply: 400W
Remote: Gyration Pro 2.4Ghz
TV: Sony Bravia 40"
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI
2nd GPU connection (primary): PC screen 1024 x 768

There seems to be many different threads concerning Video Stutter and I for one am quite confused how to approach solving this issue.
Some background.
My initial MP build was on Win XP. I have a DTT card installed to pick up the new Freeview channels in NZ. This has meant I must use a H264 codec. My choice - Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra. So I've set MPEG, Audio and H264 to use the Cyberlink codecs. This worked OK but there was still some video stuttering present particularly on some of the DTT channels.
Also on XP I wasn't able to use EVR even with .Net 3.5 loaded. So I had to use VMR directshow filtering.
Using VMR I noticed the CPU loading (Dual Core Intel) would at time get up to ~90% loading so it was clear that Hardware Acceleration of my Asus 8600 GPU was not functioning. So to get H/W acceleration I decided to upgrade to Vista.

On Vista I used the same codec settings as above and am now able to enable EVR. The CPU loading is now very low for most channels - typically <10%. However I am still getting TV video stuttering. Searching this Forum leads all over the place and I eventually discovered someone mention an MP inbuilt diagnostic - " Shift + 1". I searched the wiki but couldn't find any reference to it - maybe its there but I couldn't find it.
I would recommend a link be included in the Wiki to help others find this very useful tool and it needs some form of name. Referring to it as "Shift + 1" is not very user friendly

Using "Shift+1" puts Frame Rate info the screen and a thin vertical white line that sweeps left to right across the screen. This very quickly shows whether stutter/jitter is occuring etc. Plus it shows VMR9 framerate, Avg framerate, Total frames, Dropped Frames and Jitter level.

On Vista + EVR, "Shift+1" shows a very high rate of dropped frames. e.g. on TV2, VMR9 shows ~ 40.0 (expecting a value of 50.0 as achieved on XP), Dropped Frames are approx 20% on the total and Jitter = 14.
So still on Vista I switched back to VMR directshow (which disables my GPU H/W acceleration) and ran Shift + 1 again.
Now VMR9 = 50, dropped frames = 0 jitter = 3.
At present, EVR whilst allowing H/w Acceleration, produces high levels of Dropped Frames - which seems to defeat the purpose of upgrading to Vista.
So why the high level of Dropped Frames on Vista with EVR ? Any suggestions what to do next?
Also are there any other diagnostic utilities in MP that might help with this sort of thing - like "Shift+1"

I haven't included any logs at present, but will do so if you think it would be helpful. Would the logs show anything by switching between VMR and EVR?

Thanks
mckzoo

EDIT: My system uses a Dual Monitor setup with 1 x PC screen and 1 x HDMI Sony Bravia TV capable of 1080i. The above test results were taken when using MP on the HDMI output. I've now done further testing using the PC screen and the results are quite different. I don't get the ~20% dropped frames on this screen. VMR9 shows 50.0. Whereas the HMDI VMR9 shows ~40 and 20% dropped frames. The problem is worst on TV3 which runs at 1080i. The GPU is an EN8600GT with dual DVI ouputs, 516Mb ram etc.

I then checked the Nvidia Control Panel for the DVI / HDMI settings. It was set to 1080i50 HDMI . There are several other settings avail so I changed to 1080i HDMI and Hey Presto problem fixed. no more dropped frames (well maybe the odd 1 or 2 but certainly not the 20% I was experiencing)

So the above testing and solution was greatly helped with the SHIFT + 1 diagnostic utility. As recommended above could this have a quick link in Wiki or where others can find/learn about it

Many thanks
mckzoo

[VASkO]

TV-Server Version: TV3 RC 2
MediaPortal Version: MP RC2
MediaPortal Skin: Default
Windows Version: Vista x64 SP1
CPU Type: Intel Dual Core 3.00Ghz
HDD: Samsung 250 GB
Memory: 4 GB
Motherboard: Gigabyte P35-DS3P
Video Card: POV 8800GT 512MB
Video Card Driver: 177.92
Sound Card: Audigy 2ZS
Sound Card AC3: Audigy 2ZS
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: IP-TV
1. TV Card Type: IP-TV
1. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: MPV
MPEG2 Audio Codec: Nvidia PureVideo Audio Codec
h.264 Video Codec: Cyberlink H.264/AVC Decoder (PDVD8)
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply: 700W Thermaltake ToughPower
Remote: ATI Remote Wonder+
TV: CRT 41"
TV - HTPC Connection: S-Video
2nd GPU connection (primary): Samsung 940B 19" LCD 1280x1024

Issue: I'd like to watch my Live-TV at 720x576@50Hz interlaced on my CRT TV and don't wan't to use any deinterlace filter. Deinterlacing at any level makes the picture unsharp and there is some really hard to notice microstuttering (CNBC stocks text that scrolls horizontaly doesn't scroll smooth like when watched over the IP-TV's service provider STB). I use the EVR display mode and through testing found out the following:
1. when disabling deinterlace under MP configuration\Television and setting "output as interlaced content" or something like that under MPV Video Decoder settings I get a sharp picture and no stuttering and therefore smooth READABLE scrolling text but also get dropped frames every 5 seconds and then the picture stutters which makes T unwatchable with these settings. content is played back at 50fps.
2. disabling "output as interlaced content" under MPV Video Decoder configuration and turning Deinterlace option to auto I get no dropped frames but the deinterlace filter makes the picture unsharp and content is played back at 25fps - no smooth scrolling and unsharp text (I currently use this setting as ever other one is worse).

I found out, when I set MP to start on the PC LCD monitor (refresh rate 60Hz) and set the options like in point 1, there are no dropped frames and no stuttering and the picture is sharp @ 50fps (50Hz interlaced PAL content).

Now the funny thing is, I cannot understand, why Live-TV stutters and is dropping frames when watched on the TV, where the refresh rate equals the fps and when watched on the LCD monitor@60Hz there appears no dropping of frames and its silk-smooth and sharp. Any advice, what can I try to solve this problem?

TV stream 720x576@50i ---(no deinterlacing filter)----> TV 720x576@50i -> stutter, dropping frames every 5 seconds but best quality otherwise
TV stream 720x576@50i ---(no deinterlacing filter)----> LCD any resolution@any refresh rate -> superb quality without stutter and dropping of frames

Maybe it's the EVR, but under VMR9 I don't get any picture at all.


Every other codec/configuration gives only worse results. Is this a common issue?