Stuttering HD playback (1 Viewer)

[CharlieMopps]

TV-Server Version: None
MediaPortal Version: RC2 with the latest weekly build
MediaPortal Skin: Blue2wide
Windows Version: XP SP2
CPU Type: AMD Athlon X2 4050e 2.1GHz Socket AM2
HDD: Maxtor 80Gig
Memory: 1Gig
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD

Video Card: On-board HD3200
Video Card Driver: Latest from ATI
Sound Card: On-board optical out
MPEG2 Video Codec: MPV decoder
MPEG2 Audio Codec: ffdShow
h.264 Video Codec: ffdShow
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Dish network
HTPC Case: off brand
Cooling: 2x 120mm
Power Supply: 400 Watt Antec
Remote: Windows MCE
TV: 37" Flat pannel Olevia
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI


When playing LARGE MKV files (4gig+) I'm getting stuttering in the playback. Especially when it gets to complex sceens like a flock of birds or something. I followed the codec guide (someone should really redo that it something other than PDF format) But it actually made it worse... much worse.

Are my above system specs ok for HD playback? I thought that I was well within the system requirements. I have a whole bunch of nice HD content that I'd like to enjoy.

 

[DaFixer]

I have the same problem.

720p stuff runs great, And the most 1080p also but some 1080p movies (10 tm 19 gig) are laging.

I have a AMD 64 x2 4200 and a Ati 3450 256mb.

I think we need a better cpu for large 1080p movies

 

[seco]

Run Task Manager -> Performance when playing 1080p content and see if CPU usage reaches 100% at any point.

 

[gamejester]

It is the codec you are using.
ffdshow is rubbish for h.264 playback.
You could try coreAVC which is the best h.264 CPU based decoder.
or as you have an ATI HDxxxx card which does h.264 offloaded decoding you should try either the ATI AVIO codecs or powerDVD codecs (which also make full use of ATI offloading).

Let us know how you get on, I build a lot of HTPC's (I have 6 running at the moment) but have found the power draw on them shocking (don't run any of those carbon apps on a powerful pc!); so am looking to build a very low running cost pc but that still have the grunt to decode blue ray and think ATI HDxxxx could be the way forward.

 

[davitzen]

TV-Server Version: TVE 3
MediaPortal Version: RC2
MediaPortal Skin: default
Windows Version: Vista Ultimate 32bit SP1 (VLite)
CPU Type: AMD BE4850e
HDD: Samsung 640GB (very noisy)
Memory: 2GB XMS
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-2SH
Video Card: Radeon 3200 Onboard
Video Card Driver: Catalyst 8.5
Sound Card: Onboard Realtek
Sound Card AC3: optical out
Sound Card Driver: 2.00
1. TV Card: Digital Everywhere Floppy DTV/c
1. TV Card Type: DVB-C
1. TV Card Driver: 4.5n
2. TV Card: Digital Everywhere Floppy DTV/c
2. TV Card Type: DVB-C
2. TV Card Driver: 4.5n
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: ATI AVIO
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA
h.264 Video Codec: Cyberlink PDVD 7.3 ULTRA
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Kabel Deutschland
HTPC Case: ANTEC FUSION V2 VFD/IR
Cooling: Scythe Shuriken SCSK-1000
Power Supply: ANTEC 430W
Remote: MS MCE Remote
TV: SAMSUNG 37"
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI

Hello!

I'm using PowerDVD codec and I also have stuttering on 1080p movies. With ATI AVIO codec is the same problem.
The CPU usage is 100 percent, the hardware acceleration isn't be used.
Are there any solutions?


best regards

David

 

[gamejester]

These guys are saying there is a problem with AVIO (which I assume PowerDVD hooks into also) decoding h.264 offloaded with certain catalyst versions.

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/ongoing-htpc-projects-60/what-best-ati-catalyst-avivo-package-43513/

I will get play with it a bit more, but it would be worth googling for a solution to find what others are saying is the best Catalyst driver for h.264 offload gfx decode with AVIO.

Either that or a bit of trial and error with the last say 5 releases.
When you are getting offload you should see a much lower CPU rate, obviously

Must be working for some out there.

-----------------------

quick google found this

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2645&p=2

Looks like any version of catalyst from 5.13 onwards 'should' work and you also need a cyberlink codec, so that is where pwoerDVD comes in. So I am guessing you also need to play around with the different version of PowerDVD to get a good one.

Are you sure you are using the cyberlink codecs?
If you are un-familiar with how to set up your decoder graphs you could try un-installing ffdshow temporarliy so you know you are only using the codecs you want to test here.

 

[CharlieMopps]

DO NOT INSTALL Catalyst 8.7
BSOD on reboot!!! It's all over ATI's forums. If you have an HD3200 like my board it's almost a certainty.
I had to boot to safemode, wipe the driver and then revert back to 8.6
I'm still trying to figure out where to get the cyberlink codecs. Why is it that I'm required to buy this silly DVD software to use my video cards acceleration?

Ok, I've got both PowerDVD 7 and 8 codecs, neither work at all. I get a black screen when I attempt to playback H.264 files in Media Portal. I can, however, hear the sound just fine.

Any suggestions?

 

[s7oneyuk]

i dont have access to my system here to get the full config - but i'm running with ATI acceleration successfully being offloaded. I do remember reading a thread that mentioned that the hardware acceleration gets disabled if you are viewing with directvobsub installed and enabled. have a hunt around for this thread it might point you in the right direction. The codec i use for playback is the powerdvd ultimate and within pdvd you have the option to enable hardware acceleration if supported.

 

[DaFixer]

When my HTPC plays a large 1080p and it stutter, It use 52% my CPU

 

[s7oneyuk]

see the info i managed to find at New build! which mentions that PDVD/HA/subs issue you are seeing.