mkv mpeg4-avc files play better in MediaPlayer Classic than MediaPortal

[Zarch]

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.3.0 RC3
MediaPortal Skin:
Windows Version: XP SP2
CPU Type: Core2Duo E4400
HDD: Samsung 500GB Spinpoint
Memory: 2GB
Motherboard: Foxconn
Motherboard Chipset: VIA
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: ATI 2600 Pro
Video Card Driver: Catalyst 7.9
Sound Card: Realltek
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: none
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: ffdhsow
MPEG2 Audio Codec: ffdshow
MPEG4 Video Codec: ffdshow OR CoreAVC
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: ANtec Fusion
Cooling: Stock
Power Supply:
Remote:
TV: Panasonic TH37-PX70 Plasma
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI to HDMI cable

I have some 720p and 1080p mkv mpeg-4 avc files that i am playing through mediaportal, i have no problems with the image quality, but the amount of CPU and GPU usage that is shown when i'm playing files. I have tried these tests using both ffdshow and CoreAVC codecs in both MediaPortal, GraphEdit and MediaPlayer Classic.

What i've found is that MediaPortal doesn't seem to use as much of the hardware accleration in my ATI 2600 Pro card as MediaPlayer Classic does using the same codecs playing the exact same files. Its very confusing.

Here's some stats etc when i play a 720p and 1080p file using CoreAVC codec through MediaPlayer Classic and then the same thru MediaPortal on my Windows XP set-up.


Heres the results through MediaPlayer Classic:

720p MKV File
1280 x 528
5853 bitrate MPEG4-AVC Video
5.1 AC3 Audio

CPU Usage: 25%
GPU Usage: 45%

1080p MKV File
1920x800
10675 bitrate MPEG4-AVC Video
DTS Audio

CPU Usage: 55%
GPU Usage: 65%


Heres the results through Media Portal:

720p MKV File
1280 x 528
5853 bitrate MPEG4-AVC Video
5.1 AC3 Audio

CPU Usage: Upto 35%
GPU Usage: Upto 17%

1080p MKV File
1920x800
10675 bitrate MPEG4-AVC Video
DTS Audio

CPU Usage: Upto 70%
GPU Usage: Upto 30%

So as you can see, by playing the 1080p files through MediaPlayer Classic I get a 15% reduction in CPU usage and a 35% increase in GPU usage compared to playing them through MediaPortal.

Why is this? Why does MediaPortal use less of the hardware acceleration of my card compared to MediaPlayer Classic?

Are there some settings that i need to apply in MediaPortal to enable the hardware acceleration?

Any help, advice, tips and tricks would be very much appreciated.

[Darre]

Try to use graphedit to check if actually all the same codecs are used. (google for the prog if you dont have it)
For instance some post processing disable hardware acc. So that might be your problem right there.

[Zarch]

Originally Posted by Darre

Try to use graphedit to check if actually all the same codecs are used. (google for the prog if you dont have it)
For instance some post processing disable hardware acc. So that might be your problem right there.

Yep, graphedit shows the same codecs depending on which i've got meritted as the higher one. For example, when i use ffdshow i get the icon coming up both times!(thru MP and MPC)

I also get the same cpu/gpu stats playing direct through graphedit as through mediplayer classic. Its only through mediaportal they gpu drops and the cpu increases.

I don't have any post-processing selected at all. I completley un-installed MP and removed the Team MP directrory etc before installing the latest version (RC3) to rule that out.

[Darre]

Then someone who knows more about MP should try to answer you.. This is as far as my knowledge goes^^

[pnyberg]

As far as I understand you don't get any HW acceleration at all with CoreAVC nor FFdshow.

SO the CPU and GPU figures has nothing to do with HW acceleration on your AT HD2600.

So the difference in CPU usage is only reflecting CPU footprint of MPC and MP. And since MP is a "bigger" app it isn't surprising is consuming more CPU than MPC.

You need to use a codec that does support HW acceleration of Nvidia & ATI GFX cards, such as PowerDVD 7.3 or later codec. (Thera are others as well).

Just my two cents.

[Zarch]

Originally Posted by pnyberg

So the difference in CPU usage is only reflecting CPU footprint of MPC and MP. And since MP is a "bigger" app it isn't surprising is consuming more CPU than MPC.

While i can agree that MP is "bigger" than MPC, 15% of core2duo cpu is a hell of lot more power.... surely not!!

And how does your thinking relate to the GPU usage? Playing back the 1080p file through MP uses around 50% less GPU power than through MPC.



I'm still of the opinion that theres something in the way MP calls the graphics card (directshow?) as apposed to the way MPC or GraphEdit does. But i need someone who knows more about MediaPortal to confirm this!!

Stats:

.........MediaPortal....MediaPlayer Classic
CPU.............70%...............55%
GPU.............30%...............65%

It makes sense doesn't it? If the GPU is higher, then the CPU will be lower because the graphics card is taking the load? (ie in the MediaPlayer Classic example)

And if the GPU is not taking some of the load then the CPU has to take over (ie MediaPortal example).

This is the SAME file using the SAME codecs with only the "player" being different.

If anyone can shed any light on this or any settings i might have missed then please let me know, it would be very much appreciated.

[pnyberg]

Well yes, I do agree that there seem to be some difference on how MPC and MP is using/callin DirectShow or whatever.

But is this relevant? Since I suppose you want to be sure you are using your GFX do to the decoding?
And to do that you need Powerdvd decoder or the like - NOT CoreAVC or ffdshow.

If you use PowerDVD decoder and you still get this big difference - then perhaps you can catch the devs attention... ?

Cheers

[Zarch]

Originally Posted by pnyberg

As far as I understand you don't get any HW acceleration at all with CoreAVC nor FFdshow.

SO the CPU and GPU figures has nothing to do with HW acceleration on your AT HD2600.

So the difference in CPU usage is only reflecting CPU footprint of MPC and MP. And since MP is a "bigger" app it isn't surprising is consuming more CPU than MPC.

You need to use a codec that does support HW acceleration of Nvidia & ATI GFX cards, such as PowerDVD 7.3 or later codec. (Thera are others as well).

Just my two cents.

Originally Posted by pnyberg

Well yes, I do agree that there seem to be some difference on how MPC and MP is using/callin DirectShow or whatever.

But is this relevant? Since I suppose you want to be sure you are using your GFX do to the decoding?
And to do that you need Powerdvd decoder or the like - NOT CoreAVC or ffdshow.

If you use PowerDVD decoder and you still get this big difference - then perhaps you can catch the devs attention... ?

Cheers

Thanks for taking the time to reply again pynberg.

Yes, i want the graphics card to do as much of the processing as possible(dont we all?), but was looking for the cheap option. ffdshow is free, coreavc is $14.95 and PowerDVD Deluxe is $69.99

PowerDVD isnt really any option for my budget!

Is still think the devs should comment on the big descrepancy between the cpu/gpu usage of MediaPortal compared to MediaPlayer Classic. Especially as this problem is the same if you use both ffdshow AND CoreAVC, which sort of takes the blame away from the codecs?

For some people with certain setups this could mean the difference between flawless playback and stuttering etc.

[jburnette]

I'm one of those people who does see the stuttering playback with MediaPortal but not WMP. I have yet to figure out why this happens with MediaPortal only. The fact that MediaPortal has a larger "footprint" couldn't be the reason since I can play the files fine with MediaPortal in the background as long as they are playing in WMP.

If I play x264 content in MediaPortal it quickly goes completely out of sync and remains jittery the entire time.

[Inker]

As was said before, neither ffdshow nor coreavc offload any work to the GPU, they are both purely software decoders. If you want hardware decoding, you'Ll need to buy a decoder that supports this. Be adviced though that there is a 20fps bug for mkv files, at least there was last time i checked.

Furthermore, MP uses VMR9 as its renderer, while in MPC this is configurable, so it could be you are using overlay in MPC which is slightly faster than VMR9 but has other drawbacks. The extra cpu usage could very well result from this difference, combined with the fact that other things are running in the background while MP is running.