H.264 1080i/1080p Playback high CPU usage

matelot · 2006-12-26, 17:22

Hi there,
I'm having lots of problems with smooth H.264 HD (1080i or 1080p) playback. 720p is fine, nice and smooth.

Spec I have is AMD X2 4800, GeForce 7800GTX, 2GB RAM. I'm using XP MCE with RU2 and Media Portal 0.2.2.0. I've installed klite standard, nvidia purevideo decoder and WinDVD 8.

When playing 1080i/1080p h264 content cpu is at 100%, video judders and sound ends up being out of synch.

I'm far from an expert at this so I may have a configuration problem, any help is appreciated.

TIA

odin318 · 2006-12-26, 18:29

try in VLC?

matelot · 2006-12-26, 19:16

just installed VLC, using default settings get a black screen when trying a 1080i/p h264 encoded video

Noelix · 2006-12-27, 06:20

Did you make sure to change your decoder to Nvidia PureVideo in your MP configuration? MP doesn't use it by default.

matelot · 2006-12-27, 11:24

yep, nvidia purevideo is selected as codec of choice for dvd + movies

matelot · 2006-12-27, 11:31

thinking about it. should i just install Win MCE, NV Purevideo and thats it? do I need those other codecs and ffdshow etc..???

phertiker · 2006-12-28, 16:45

by itself the purevideo codec doesn't do anything for h.264 video. actually, i'm not sure it does anything for h/x.264 video at all, i think it's the video driver and the codecs in windvd or powerdvd, that sort of thing, that give you hardware acceleration of h.264.

my personal favorite is CoreAVC. Efficient CPU usage for h/x.264 encoded video. It doesn't use hardware acceleration (yet) but i've found that it will actually have LOWER CPU usage than when using either Nvidia or ATI's hardware acceleration.

it also beats the crap out of both VLC and ffdshow's h/x.264 decoders. unfortunately it's not free, but it's definitely worth it.

I've posted links to CoreAVC twice today. I swear I don't work for them or anything, I just really dig their decoder!

oh, and definitely ditch the klite pack. codec packs suck: too big of a chance for conflict or disaster.

matelot · 2006-12-28, 17:01

that all sounds pretty reasonable. if i'm to reinstall. would you recommend MCE or XP? then install what? I need mpeg2 (for dvd/.ts), XviD and h.264, think thats about it.

I assume, just install the video drivers, dump purevideo. install a windvd/powerdvd, an xvid codec and coreavc for h.264? need to worry about anything else?

Is it also reasonable to assume my hardware is capable of decoding 1080i/p h.264?

Flerbizky · 2006-12-28, 17:34

I'm just working on this codec thing at the moment...

h.264 encoded 720p in a Matroska container plays ever so smooth in MP - I'm actually getting way lower CPU usage when plaing in MP than I do in WMP. .ts files on the other hand, also h.264 encoded, both 1080i and 1080p plays fine in PowerDVD 7 with PureVideo enabled, yet, these do not play at all in MP. They both result in a blank screen. The 1080i will let me search the file though, whereas the 1080p just says "end" when trying to search..

Another weird thing is, Graphedit shows both the 720p mkv and the 1080i/p .ts as using the Cyberlink Decoder.

It doesn't matter if I select nVidia or Cyberlink in MP - Same result.

matelot · 2006-12-28, 17:43

i've just bought core avc pro, disabled h.264 in ffdshow and now both mkv + .ts 1080i/1080p play smooth as glass with no frame loss or audio synch issues.

thanks very much for your recommendation phertiker, coreavc does the job very nicely. getting about 50-60% usage on both cores of a AMD X2 4800.

Would still be interested to hear your reommendations on XP or MCE and which other codecs are good to install with nvidia hardware.

Many thanks.

2006-12-26, 17:22	#1 (permalink)
matelot Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 37 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	H.264 1080i/1080p Playback high CPU usage Hi there, I'm having lots of problems with smooth H.264 HD (1080i or 1080p) playback. 720p is fine, nice and smooth. Spec I have is AMD X2 4800, GeForce 7800GTX, 2GB RAM. I'm using XP MCE with RU2 and Media Portal 0.2.2.0. I've installed klite standard, nvidia purevideo decoder and WinDVD 8. When playing 1080i/1080p h264 content cpu is at 100%, video judders and sound ends up being out of synch. I'm far from an expert at this so I may have a configuration problem, any help is appreciated. TIA

2006-12-27, 06:20	#4 (permalink)
Noelix Portal Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Age: 26 Posts: 391 Thanks: 10 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country: My System	Did you make sure to change your decoder to Nvidia PureVideo in your MP configuration? MP doesn't use it by default. __________________

2006-12-28, 17:34	#9 (permalink)
Flerbizky Portal Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Copenhagen Age: 35 Posts: 99 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	I'm just working on this codec thing at the moment... h.264 encoded 720p in a Matroska container plays ever so smooth in MP - I'm actually getting way lower CPU usage when plaing in MP than I do in WMP. .ts files on the other hand, also h.264 encoded, both 1080i and 1080p plays fine in PowerDVD 7 with PureVideo enabled, yet, these do not play at all in MP. They both result in a blank screen. The 1080i will let me search the file though, whereas the 1080p just says "end" when trying to search.. Another weird thing is, Graphedit shows both the 720p mkv and the 1080i/p .ts as using the Cyberlink Decoder. It doesn't matter if I select nVidia or Cyberlink in MP - Same result. __________________ Well, a bloke needs a hobby, I always say. And hey, in this big old world there's always plenty of dung out there to be collected: after all, I hear the Ducati factory is working longer shifts now.

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2006-12-26, 18:29	#2 (permalink)
odin318 Portal Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 135 Thanks: 15 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	try in VLC?

2006-12-26, 19:16	#3 (permalink)
matelot Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 37 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	just installed VLC, using default settings get a black screen when trying a 1080i/p h264 encoded video

2006-12-27, 11:24	#5 (permalink)
matelot Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 37 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	yep, nvidia purevideo is selected as codec of choice for dvd + movies

2006-12-27, 11:31	#6 (permalink)
matelot Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 37 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	thinking about it. should i just install Win MCE, NV Purevideo and thats it? do I need those other codecs and ffdshow etc..???

2006-12-28, 16:45	#7 (permalink)
phertiker Portal Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Age: 31 Posts: 34 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country:	by itself the purevideo codec doesn't do anything for h.264 video. actually, i'm not sure it does anything for h/x.264 video at all, i think it's the video driver and the codecs in windvd or powerdvd, that sort of thing, that give you hardware acceleration of h.264. my personal favorite is CoreAVC. Efficient CPU usage for h/x.264 encoded video. It doesn't use hardware acceleration (yet) but i've found that it will actually have LOWER CPU usage than when using either Nvidia or ATI's hardware acceleration. it also beats the crap out of both VLC and ffdshow's h/x.264 decoders. unfortunately it's not free, but it's definitely worth it. I've posted links to CoreAVC twice today. I swear I don't work for them or anything, I just really dig their decoder! oh, and definitely ditch the klite pack. codec packs suck: too big of a chance for conflict or disaster.

2006-12-28, 17:01	#8 (permalink)
matelot Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 37 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	that all sounds pretty reasonable. if i'm to reinstall. would you recommend MCE or XP? then install what? I need mpeg2 (for dvd/.ts), XviD and h.264, think thats about it. I assume, just install the video drivers, dump purevideo. install a windvd/powerdvd, an xvid codec and coreavc for h.264? need to worry about anything else? Is it also reasonable to assume my hardware is capable of decoding 1080i/p h.264?

2006-12-28, 17:43	#10 (permalink)
matelot Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 37 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	i've just bought core avc pro, disabled h.264 in ffdshow and now both mkv + .ts 1080i/1080p play smooth as glass with no frame loss or audio synch issues. thanks very much for your recommendation phertiker, coreavc does the job very nicely. getting about 50-60% usage on both cores of a AMD X2 4800. Would still be interested to hear your reommendations on XP or MCE and which other codecs are good to install with nvidia hardware. Many thanks.