Basic MP/codec questions

arnebret · 2007-09-02, 23:20

Installed MP yesterday on my pc, and i have to say i am very impressed with it. Very user friendly, well designed and very complete compared to MCE. I have everything working and am using MP for dvd, video, radio and DVB-C tv.

The only thing that really annoys me is the quality of the DVB-C. I am pretty sure it is due to the codec. I have a mobo with 690G AMD chipset and integrated X1250. Main problems are extreme ghosting (think interlacing is all wrong) and high cpu-usage, even with mpeg-2 signal. Also, there seems to be an overal bright tint in the picture and color depth is also pretty low. To make specs more clear: My cpu is an X2 3800+, 2GB or ram, 690G chipset, using regular MP codec for mpeg-2 decoding and cyberlink for h.264.

Important specs about the 690G chipset (why i choose the thing in the first place):

Motion Video Acceleration Features:
-Enhanced MPEG-2 hardware decode acceleration
-MPEG-4 decode support
-Hardware acceleration for WMV9 playback
-Supports top quality DVD and time-shifted SDTV/HDTV television playback with low CPU usage

TV Out:
-Integrated TV encoder from ATI's Xilleon products with on-chip -DAC with integrated AVIVO engine

My question: how do i know if the stream is hardware decoded and what codec should i use for mpeg-2 dvb-c decoding? If the decoding happens by hardware, why can't I select 'AMD mpeg-2 hardware decoding' or something like it in the list of video-codecs.

And more general: what codecs are most frequently used and give good result for both h.264 and mpeg-2 decoding, especially for tv signals.

Taipan · 2007-09-03, 01:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by arnebret

how do i know if the stream is hardware decoded and what codec should i use for mpeg-2 dvb-c decoding?

To take advantage of the hardware decoding in your video card, you will need to use a "commercial" decoder like Intervideo WinDVD or CyberLink PowerDVD - both of these are available as a trial download if you wish to "try before you buy". The latest versions support H.264 decoding, too.

charli181 · 2007-09-03, 10:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taipan

Quote:

Originally Posted by arnebret

how do i know if the stream is hardware decoded and what codec should i use for mpeg-2 dvb-c decoding?

To take advantage of the hardware decoding in your video card, you will need to use a "commercial" decoder like Intervideo WinDVD or CyberLink PowerDVD - both of these are available as a trial download if you wish to "try before you buy". The latest versions support H.264 decoding, too.

I have used the powerDVD 7 trial and later versions and have found that when I enable Hardware acceleration, I get Black screen but still with audio. The hardware I am using is an Asus M2A-VM HDMI. I have resigned to the fact at the moment that HA is out of the question with my setup.

arnebret · 2007-09-03, 19:49

This is exactly what I noticed on my X1250. Use 'hardware acceleration' on the cyberlink and picture stays black.

I have tested ffdshow as a software codec instead and it seems to be the best at the moment, but still i feel that there is ghosting and other quality issues that just aren't there on a regular set-top box. Also Nvidia purevideo with hardware accel didn't do it for me. CPU load is low with H/W decoding, something like 10% on both cores, with software somewhere like 15%, so the ghosting and other annoying glitches still there really shouldn't be due to cpu load or lack of RAM (2GB).

Also, when decoding MPEG-4 HDTV streams with the cyberlink h.264 or CoreAVC there still is so much lag, especially noticable during sports. CPU load on decoding is somewhere around the 50-60% for both codecs, so there SHOULD be no problem... but there still is

arnebret · 2007-09-04, 00:26

Ok, i finally got acceptable HDTV playback at 720. It seems a bios update of the board and adding more of the RAM to the x1250 things are pretty smooth. Still, i beleive there is a difference, especially on the mpeg-2 front compared to regular top boxes. Fast movement, pan shots, moving people, it just isn't that crisp and sharp as one might expect.

Also: does the current version of MP support HD? For some reasons, the HD channels are not even listed in MP, but does work with other software.

2007-09-02, 23:20	#1 (permalink)
arnebret Portal Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Basic MP/codec questions Installed MP yesterday on my pc, and i have to say i am very impressed with it. Very user friendly, well designed and very complete compared to MCE. I have everything working and am using MP for dvd, video, radio and DVB-C tv. The only thing that really annoys me is the quality of the DVB-C. I am pretty sure it is due to the codec. I have a mobo with 690G AMD chipset and integrated X1250. Main problems are extreme ghosting (think interlacing is all wrong) and high cpu-usage, even with mpeg-2 signal. Also, there seems to be an overal bright tint in the picture and color depth is also pretty low. To make specs more clear: My cpu is an X2 3800+, 2GB or ram, 690G chipset, using regular MP codec for mpeg-2 decoding and cyberlink for h.264. Important specs about the 690G chipset (why i choose the thing in the first place): Motion Video Acceleration Features: -Enhanced MPEG-2 hardware decode acceleration -MPEG-4 decode support -Hardware acceleration for WMV9 playback -Supports top quality DVD and time-shifted SDTV/HDTV television playback with low CPU usage TV Out: -Integrated TV encoder from ATI's Xilleon products with on-chip -DAC with integrated AVIVO engine My question: how do i know if the stream is hardware decoded and what codec should i use for mpeg-2 dvb-c decoding? If the decoding happens by hardware, why can't I select 'AMD mpeg-2 hardware decoding' or something like it in the list of video-codecs. And more general: what codecs are most frequently used and give good result for both h.264 and mpeg-2 decoding, especially for tv signals.

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2007-09-03, 19:49	#4 (permalink)
arnebret Portal Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	This is exactly what I noticed on my X1250. Use 'hardware acceleration' on the cyberlink and picture stays black. I have tested ffdshow as a software codec instead and it seems to be the best at the moment, but still i feel that there is ghosting and other quality issues that just aren't there on a regular set-top box. Also Nvidia purevideo with hardware accel didn't do it for me. CPU load is low with H/W decoding, something like 10% on both cores, with software somewhere like 15%, so the ghosting and other annoying glitches still there really shouldn't be due to cpu load or lack of RAM (2GB). Also, when decoding MPEG-4 HDTV streams with the cyberlink h.264 or CoreAVC there still is so much lag, especially noticable during sports. CPU load on decoding is somewhere around the 50-60% for both codecs, so there SHOULD be no problem... but there still is

2007-09-04, 00:26	#5 (permalink)
arnebret Portal Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ok, i finally got acceptable HDTV playback at 720. It seems a bios update of the board and adding more of the RAM to the x1250 things are pretty smooth. Still, i beleive there is a difference, especially on the mpeg-2 front compared to regular top boxes. Fast movement, pan shots, moving people, it just isn't that crisp and sharp as one might expect. Also: does the current version of MP support HD? For some reasons, the HD channels are not even listed in MP, but does work with other software.