Choppy video in MP (1 Viewer)

[luchp]

TV-Server Version: -
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.3.0
MediaPortal Skin: blue wide
Windows Version: WinXP Home SP2
CPU Type: AMD Athlon X2 BE-2350*
HDD: Samsung SpinPoint T133 320 GB
Memory: 1 GB Kingston ValueRAM DDR2-667E
Motherboard: Asus M2A-VM/HDMI
Motherboard Chipset: AMD 690G
Motherboard Bios: Phoenix 1603
Video Card: on board ATI Radeon X1250
Video Card Driver: 6.14.10.6660
Sound Card: on board realtek HD Audio
Sound Card AC3: -
Sound Card Driver: 5.10.0.5391
1. TV Card: FloppyDTV
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver: 4.8.0
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: MPV decoder filter version 2
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA decoder filter version 2
Satelite/CableTV Provider: digitenne DVB-T
HTPC Case: Antec NSK 2480
Cooling: 2x 12 cm casefan
Power Supply: build in
Remote: Streamzap
TV: Samsung 37LER81B
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI
I use 1280x720p60 as videomode on my Samsung.

I'm having a strange problem when running Mediaportal: video is often 'choppy'.

For instance if I listen to music (MyMusic) there is a small inset showing a CD cover. This preview flickers, showing alternating black frames and the cover.

If I view live TV via Mediaportal (MPV decoder) then the video often 'stalls'. Plays for 1 sec, then freezes a sec, etc. DScaler works better, but video is still not completely smooth.

Playing DivX or H264 with mediaplayer classic is perfect, so I do not think it's a performance related problem.
Also, if I view live TV via the DVB viewer from Digital Everywhere (delivered with FloppyDTV) the video is perfectly smooth. I'm using the MPV mpeg2 decoder and CPU load is about 8%. DScaler works fine to. It's not a signal strength related problem.

I did install Windows MediaPlayer 10, could that be the problem? should it be WMP9 instead?

 

[mikael]

WMP 10 and WMP 11 will do fine with MediaPortal. ATI Radeon X1250 should also be enough to run MP.

Have you tried to update your ATI gfx drivers?

 

[luchp]

Hi mikael,
I did install the latest ATI chipset driver from the Asus site (Catalyst 7.5)

 

[Spragleknas]

Worth mentioning: Using X1250 IGP you should stick with Cat. 7.2 - or use modified skins.

Oh, MP does not use WMP for other than some streaming (depends on setup).

 

[Andrew H]

Are you running Cool'N'Quiet? Try Office Power mode to disable it and see if it clears up.

 

[mikael]

Try installing my SimpleMP skin (very low gfx req), se sign and try if it's a skin performance issue.

 

[luchp]

Worth mentioning: Using X1250 IGP you should stick with Cat. 7.2 - or use modified skins.

Oh, MP does not use WMP for other than some streaming (depends on setup).

Hi all,

I should also mention I have VNC installed, I use my macbook as VNC client, and that's a lot easier then a wireless keyboard. I hope it's not the VNC driver that causes the problem, but I'll check it.

I did some experiments, and I no longer trust the combination of Catalyst and the HDMI output on the M2A mainboard:

• According to my Samsung manual, the native resolution of my screen is 1366x768
• Catalyst thinks my Samsung has a maximal resolution of 1920x1080
• If I switch to 1366x768 then the image on my Samsung is much sharper (looking at a the text in a windows dialog), but the windows desktop no longer fits. Looks like it is scaled up to 1366/1280.
• If I uncheck the option 'scale to native screen-resolution' in Catalyst, the image is scaled down, looks like 1280/1920 (or 1366/1920?).
• On 1366x768 the CD-cover inset on MyMusic looks perfec, no flashing!, but I still have stalling video in MyTv, although it might be a bit better then on 1280x720. So I assume the Samsung did some scaling of it's own in 1280x720??? Or what is that ATI driver doing in there
• The only HDMI input that works on my Samsung is HDMI 2, the Samsung manual says this is the only input to use if you have DVI and use a DVI->HDMI cable. So the output of the M2A mainboard is definitely not true HDMI.
• When I boot, the ATI driver is switching video modes several times before settling on the one I choose (1366x768p60 or 1280x720p60). This can take several minutes.

-
Spragleknas, I can't find chipset drivers on the Asus site for previous version (Catalyst 7.2), so I'll try to download them from the ATI site.

The M2A is a nice mainboard, it's a cheap setup, very quiet (I use it passively cooled, no CPU fans only case fans on the lowest speed) and fast enough for HD-ready. But I'm starting to believe the HDMI output is unusable.

Tomorrow I'll buy a DVI cable and use the DVI output on the M2A mainboard i.s.o. the HDMI output, see if that makes a difference.

 

[Spragleknas]

Samsung is usually not very PC-friendly due to lack of 1:1 pixelmapping .
Many Samsung users prefer VGA (but I can't remember refresh rates supported).

EDIT: Direct link: http://pixelmapping.wikispaces.com/Overscan+Explained

 

[Taipan]

The M2A is a nice mainboard, I use it passively cooled, no CPU fans

I notice that you use the AMD Athlon X2 BE-2350 - what heatsink/cooler do you use that doesn't require a fan? I would like to use the same motherboard and CPU, so I very interested in how you keep the CPU cool ...

 

[luchp]

Hi Taipan,

It is the combination of the NSK 2480 case and the Scythe NINJA MINI cooler. That case was designed together with the people of http://www.silentpcreview.com/ and it's a very clever design. It was intended to be used with the NINJA MINI and only the case fans. I'm actually quite impressed how good it works, the X2 BE 2400 is a 45 Watt CPU and core temperature never gets over 29 degrees Celsius. I plan to build a second one for a friend of mine, and I'll use a X2 5500, that's a 65 Watt CPU. If it's ready, I'll post a report on it, but I'll bet the CPU stays under 35 degrees.

Samsung is usually not very PC-friendly due to lack of 1:1
EDIT: Direct link: http://pixelmapping.wikispaces.com/Overscan+Explained

Spragleknas, thanks for the great link! I really understand more of it now. I did some pixel-mapping tests and there is no escape from scaling in the Samsung with HDMI, some video modes are better then others... but it has a special 'PC mode' in the menu only for DVI. So, maybe it does not overscan then. I'll test that tomorrow.

Try installing my SimpleMP skin (very low gfx req), se sign and try if it's a skin performance issue.

I installed the SimpleMP skin, looks nice! I like it and it's also faster. So it did help but not enough, video is still not smooth.
Next I also disabled the VNC driver, and that also helped a bit, or maybe that's just wishful thinking.

The strange thing is, if a start a DivX movie in MP, there is no problem, and if I use the DVB viewer, there is also no problem. I recorded the live stream with the DVB viewer, and if I played that recorded stream as a video in MP it's also perfectly smooth.
Is there a way to detect which filter in the graph is stalling? Also, if I view TV fullscreen, then the GUI of MP is not visible.. so how can it interfere with playback?