Best picture quality in Vista with Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H (1 Viewer)

[iancalderban]

Try the settings over here:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/htpc-projects-42/migration-amd-690g-780g-40706/

thanks. based on that thread, I've been trying a lot of differnet version of ATI drivers 8.5,8.6, 8.7. mobo now on f5 bios, bios set to 512Mb video ram. still getting exactly the same problem. MP crashed part-way through startup when running display at 1080p - works just fine with 1920x1200 display.

can MP actually cope with being run at a different resolution to that which it was installed at? do other people build it the way I have? am I going to have to blat it and start again with my monitor running 1080p?
Ian

 

[doornjoostje]

I think it is a good idea to start a new and add your logging.
Then people can tell you more.

 

[cecolon]

Hi! I would like some help. I have the following hardware:

GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H
AMD PHENOM TRIPLE-CORE 2.4 GHZ
OCZ TECH OCZ Gold XTC 4096MB DDR2 PC6400
TV: 720p

MP mostly works (great), but when watching some high resolution movies playback stutters and sound is out of sync. One particular is 1080p BluRay x264.

I have installed the SAF-pack, together with Cyberlinks PowerDVD decoder as described in the SAF install guide. However, I can't find any setting for enabling hardware acceleration in MP's configuration utility.

Please help me with the following:
- How can I assure that MP uses hardware acceleration?
- Are there any thing I should check to ensure that video quality is as good as it can be?
- Do I need deinterleaving?

 

[Thijs_O]

Some advice which will hopefully help you on your way:

Installing SAF with the PowerDVD-codec (which is, by the way, just for MPEG-2/SD, not HD) is one thing, but you'll have to actually select the correct codecs to get the whole system running as you intended it to run. This is explained in the first post of the SAF-topic where you also found the installation guide. For now, I'll assume you have selected the MPC - Video Decoder for H.264-video. Also, I'm guessing the movie you're trying to play back is is a .mkv movie. This should play back fine if you selected the MPC-codec following the SAF-guide.

There isn't actually a button in Mediaportal, especially with 'external' codecs, which lets you 'turn on' DXVA(=Hardware Acceleration). If you have the correct codec selected, it should go automatically. Anyway, you should check the SAF-topic for a description about GraphStudio. With this application you can see exactly which codec is being used during movie playback, and if it uses a DXVA-codec (like MPC-HC codec) it'll be using DXVA. For more information about GraphStudio, read the first post of the SAF-topic. You could also take a look at your task manager during movieplayback, if CPU-usage is very low (5-10%) you're most likely using DXVA.

If you need deinterlacing: yes, you most likely do. Take a look at this:

Obviously, you'll want the picture on the most left or otherwise the picture on the right. Those in between aren't really something you want, right? I'm not an expert on Interlacing/Deinterlacing so perhaps you'll want to read up on it at Wikipedia or something, but you'll most likely want to have some form of deinterlacing. A good example of bad deinterlacing on television: go to a channel which has a ticker somewhere on the screen, like a newschannel. With bad deinterlacing, this tickerbox will be flickering a lot. Good deinterlacing fixes this. But there are many other examples of bad deinterlacing resulting in bad picturequality. So yeah, deinterlacing is something you'll want.

 

[cecolon]

Thanks for a really good explanation! I am on vacation now, so I don't get to test anything before next year. I'll just add a comment, I selected the Cyberlink decoder for playback, as I thought (from reading SAF guide and other threads) that it would lead to better picture quality.

 

[Johnnie]

Hi,

I've been strugling for a couple of weeks right now and read a lot on Internet ...

Can somebody please give me some pointers or solutions?

The problem is that the LCD TV, a Philips 37PFL5322, hooked to a Motherboard: GA-MA78GM-S2H F5 rev1.1 by HDMI isn't displaying the image perfectly; its to big, to small or there is white surface (not sharp) over the picture. When I put in for example 1368x668 or 768, there are two black blocks on the left and the rigth side of my TV, and when I put in 1366x768 as the manual of Philips advises it's still not oke. For some reason I can't find the proper resolution.

By the specs the TV should be adjusted to 1366x768p, when I do this with Powersrip, because native ATI doesn't list this resolution. The image is still not covering the whole screen (two black bars left and right of aprox. 2cm)

I've been using the latest drivers:

Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack 1 (build: 6001)

Powerstrip:
Powerstrip 3.84 build 640

Graphics controler: HD3200 imbedded
Driver Packaging Version 8.561-081201a1-072275C-ATI
Catalyst® Version 08.12
Provider ATI Technologies Inc.
2D Driver Version 7.01.01.849
2D Driver File Path /REGISTRY/MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/Class/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-
08002BE10318}/0000
Direct3D Version 7.14.10.0630
OpenGL Version 6.14.10.8304
Catalyst® Control Center Version 2008.1201.1504.27008

Hope to recieve some solutions.....

 

[rekenaar]

I've been strungling for a couple of weeks right now and read whole internet ...

Sorry for this off-topic-reply, but your comment "read whole internet" is very sharp. I presume then you reached this page as well.

 

[Johnnie]

Hahaha, didn't find that page yet ;-)...

But still hasn't give me the solution, but did do the nice things! (O yah, I did change my wordings)

 

[kszabo]

By the specs the TV should be adjusted to 1366x768p, when I do this with Powersrip, because native ATI doesn't list this resolution. The image is still not covering the whole screen (two black bars left and right of aprox. 2cm)

In your case (TV Panel with native res 1366*768, square pixels) I would hook up the TV with a VGA-cable and set this resolution in CCC. This resolution would be possible with CCC over VGA I guess. In other words try to get 1:1 pixel mapping, this is the key. You get this most easily over VGA. You would be happy with the result. HDMI is designed for 1080 or 720 vertical resolution.

Just do some search for "1:1 pixel mapping".

Another hint: try to deactivate "overscan" in your TV-setup menü for the HDMI input in use, if possible.

(these are only hints, I have a totally different setup with my 1024*768 plasma panel)

 

[flokel]

1366x768 will never work,
for PC input you have to select 1360x768.

However (older) Philips LCD TV's are well known for not supporting 1:1 pixelmapping
on the digital inputs.

As said using a analog connection would be worth a try.