Stuttering playback with .mkv's (1 Viewer)

[porky996t]

Hi Guys,

I am getting very poor playback with .mkv video files on one of my clients.

It doesn't seem to matter if I change the codec from LAV Video Decoder, MPC or PowerDVD11 it always uses ffdshow video decoder. If I use the MS-DVD codec that gives me issues with other files types

I have LAV installed as well as SAF6 unlocked. Is there any way of telling it to use another decoder instead of ffdshow??... (does ffdshow use the GPU for processing??)

Thanks in advance

 

[Owlsroost]

Can you attach the logs please - the MediaPortal.log should have the 'MediaInfo' details and the decode filters it's tried when building the playback graph.

You haven't got the 'Automatic Decoder Settings' box ticked in MP config by any chance ? (which will result in MP using the decoders with the highest 'merit' values in the system - which is probably FFDShow...)

FFDShow is software (CPU) decoding only, except for FFDShowDXVA which is a separate decoder.

Tony

 

[porky996t]

Hi Tony,

Apologies for the delay in posting this.

Find attached the MediaPortal.log from the kitchen client. By way of info, I was trying to play Phoenix Nights .mkv at about 14:20.

In response to your earlier question re the Automatic Decoder Settings - the answer is no. It is something I have never ticked on any MP machine.

Any suggestions greatly received.

 

[Owlsroost]

I suspect that the reason is this :

MediaInfoWrapper.MediaInfoWrapper: VideoCodec      : V_MPEG4/ISO/ASP

....possibly the DXVA decoders can't handle this (MP has tried MS-DTV, but given up, so it's probably refused the format), so it's falling back to FFDShow as the highest-merit decoder that can handle the MPEG-4 ASP format:

2012-03-11 14:22:42.839979 [Info.][MPMain(1)]: Added filter: Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder to graph
2012-03-11 14:22:42.854980 [Info.][MPMain(1)]: Added filter: LAV Audio Decoder to graph
2012-03-11 14:22:42.874981 [Info.][MPMain(1)]: DirectShowUtils: First try to insert new audio renderer Default DirectSound Device
2012-03-11 14:22:42.874981 [Info.][MPMain(1)]: DirectShowUtils: Found audio renderer
2012-03-11 14:22:42.877981 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: DirectShowUtils: added filter:Default DirectSound Device to graph
2012-03-11 14:22:42.884982 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: Filter: \\TVPC\TV Series\Phoenix Nights\PHOENIX_NIGHTS_1x3.mkv - try to connect: Video
2012-03-11 14:22:43.063992 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: PlaneScene: PresentImage() dispose surfaces
2012-03-11 14:22:43.081993 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: Filter: \\TVPC\TV Series\Phoenix Nights\PHOENIX_NIGHTS_1x3.mkv - try to connect: Audio
2012-03-11 14:22:43.201000 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: Check graph connections for: Default DirectSound Device
2012-03-11 14:22:43.202000 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: Check graph connections for: Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder
2012-03-11 14:22:43.209000 [Debug][MPMain(1)]:  - remove done
2012-03-11 14:22:43.211000 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: Check graph connections for: Enhanced Video Renderer
2012-03-11 14:22:43.212000 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: Check graph connections for: LAV Audio Decoder
2012-03-11 14:22:43.213000 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: Check graph connections for: ffdshow Video Decoder
2012-03-11 14:22:43.214000 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: Check graph connections for: \\TVPC\TV Series\Phoenix Nights\PHOENIX_NIGHTS_1x3.mkv
2012-03-11 14:22:43.250002 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: MpcEngine: using texture size of 1280x720
2012-03-11 14:22:43.286005 [Info.][MPMain(1)]: FFDshow interfaces found -> Subtitles disabled
2012-03-11 14:22:43.343008 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: VideoPlayer: FoundStreams: Type=Video; Name=V: mpeg4 simple profile, yuv420p, 720x576 [default], Filter=\\TVPC\TV Series\Phoenix Nights\PHOENIX_NIGHTS_1x3.mkv, Id=0, PDWGroup=0, LCID=0
2012-03-11 14:22:43.343008 [Debug][MPMain(1)]: VideoPlayer: FoundStreams: Type=Audio; Name=A: ac3, 44100 Hz, stereo, 128 kb/s [default], Filter=\\TVPC\TV Series\Phoenix Nights\PHOENIX_NIGHTS_1x3.mkv, Id=1, PDWGroup=1, LCID=0

Try disabling the MPEG4 and H.264 formats in FFDShow 'codecs' section and see what it falls back to. Also check that LAV video decoder is enabled to decode MPEG4 etc.

Tony

 

[porky996t]

Thanks Tony..I'll go and do that now and report back

BTW.. the file was created from a DVD rip using Handbrake.

 

[porky996t]

Tony,

SUCCESS!!!

THANK YOU!!!

I disabled the ffdshow formats as you suggested, and double checked LAV - I had previously set it up for MPEG4 and H.264, but as you correctly deduced ffdshow was also set for this and was being flagged first. Now playing beautifully as I write and with no dropped frames (and I.F.C. working great too)

My understanding of codecs has just advanced a bit.

Treat yourself to a pint!

 

[porky996t]

Hi Tony,

adifferent problem now - Just trying a few different file types and it seems to be struggling with .avi's. The pictures comes on and plays for about 2 secs and then freezes for about 5 secs, plays a slight bit and then freezes again. The audio and video are completely out of sync.

The GPU is at about 70% so it is being used to decode the stream. LAV is being used but it is dropping 4 times as many frames as it draws. When I try the same file in GraphStudioNext it shows the same decoders as MP uses and the file play faultlessly. I am using EVR as I'm on Win7.

Attached are the logs to see if anything jumps out. The file was Jeeves & Wooster at about 19:26 - ish


Thank you in advance of any advice.

 

[Owlsroost]

What's the CPU usage like ?

The logs just show the symptoms you describe - it's just not decoding the video fast enough, so the samples (decoded/deinterlaced video frames) arriving at dshowhelper/EVR presenter get later and later (so it has to drop them.....)

Quick thought - try running MP in debug-mode (which disables all but the standard plug-ins) - Start menu->Team MediaPortal -> MediaPortal -> MediaPortal Debug-Mode

Tony

 

[porky996t]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for the response. I can't get to it now as the GF has gone to bed.

I'll post up the logs in the morning.

 

[porky996t]

Hi Tony,

Ran MP in debug mode and used the .avi file that was causing problems... and it is still doing so. The CPU is at about 17-18% total, with GPU being up around 67% and the GPU RAM being at about 300Mb of 512Mb.


Log files attached - also screen shot with Shift & 1 in action (this is in windowed mode so detail is not great)