General High cpu goes 100% with HD (1 Viewer)

[ColinT]

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: 1.0 RC1
MediaPortal Skin: Blue
Windows Version: Vista Home Premium SP1
CPU Type: Athalon 2.6
HDD: WD 250 (SATA)
Memory: 1G
Motherboard: Abit AV8
Video Card: Nvidia 7600
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Hauppauge NOVA S+
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: Hauppauge Nova T PCI

Ive always had a problem with CPU. On normal TV, I am using 30- 60% CPU. Use of EVR has prevented stuttering, (though its not perfect).

I have now introduced BBC HD, and this has increased CPU to 90 -100% and even EVR stutters.

I should be most grateful if someone could take a look.
Logs etc attached


Regards Colin

 

[petsa]

Hi Colin,

I wouldn't say that is surprise given the amount of effort needed to decode HDTV. Without gfx card acceleration I had about 20-30% CPU with SDTV and 60% at HDTV on a C2D at 2.4 GHz. With HW acc I get 1-5% with SDTV and about 10-15% with HDTV.

Four alternatives as far as I know:

1. Better CPU

2. HW acceleration on gfx card, not sure if yuor can do that

3. More efficient codec, CoreAVC regarded as the most efficient T think, not sure it would be enough though

4. Don't watch HDTV

/Peter

 

[Uncle Woja]

Time for an upgrade.

An old Athlon 2.6 Ghz processor doesn't have much chance with HD doing all the heavy lifting on its own.

There are some nice, cheap solutions available out there if you're cash strapped and even if you're not, you don't need a very expensive rig for an HTPC.

I've just upgraded my mobo to a Gigabyte mATX using AMD's new 780G chipset. Cost was AUD$110 so it's very affordable ($2.5 AUD to 1 GBP) and it's get everything you need for a basic HTPC and the integrated graphics will do all your HD decoding.

All you need to go with it is a cheap dual core Athlon 64 X2 and 1gb RAM (DDR2) which is cheap as chips these days and you can probably have yourself a rig far more powerful, far more energy efficient and quieter for not a huge amount of money.

The only other option you have is to upgrade your video card, but to do that, you'll be spending about 1/2 the price of a new m/b CPU RAM setup.

 

[PIKL_HTPC]

Had the same issue with my old MBO and CPU. Same CPU as yours, but I had an ATI HD3650 that made things better but stuttering non the less. I just upgraded to an AMB MBO and AMD Phenom x3 CPU. Only cost me about 200 Euros and CPU usage on SD is about 0-6 percent. HDTV is around 30-40 with Cyberlink PDVD8.

 

[stryker]

Don't be tempted into "extending" the life of a system with AGP by buying the likes of a ATI HD 3650 as I did.... the AGP version is fecked and next to useless for GPU decoding of media.

 

[PIKL_HTPC]

yeap, the agp version is crap, returned it for a pci-e and the card dose its job now. funny thing is both are the same price. go figure.

 

[bigj]

3450/3650 AGP ?
I'm tempted, so what's the story?

 

[stryker]

The chipset was never meant for AGP, only pcie. Its the makers of the various cards who frigged it to work on AGP, problem is it does not work well.