Disappointing MPEG2 decoding

[kaffeen]

Sub,

This may be information overload, but this is my machine....


(Edit: I am using Hauppauge PVR-150)

------------------
System Information
------------------

Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
System Model: L700cx
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel Celeron, 733MHz
Memory: 510MB RAM
Page File: 244MB used, 1003MB available
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------

DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found. DirectDraw test results: All tests were successful.
Direct3D 7 test results: All tests were successful.
Direct3D 8 test results: All tests were successful.
Direct3D 9 test results: All tests were successful.
Sound Tab 1: DirectSound test results: All tests were successful.
Music Tab: DirectMusic test results: All tests were successful.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.
DirectPlay test results: All tests were successful.

---------------
Display Devices
---------------

Card name: VisionTek Radeon 7000
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip type: ATI display adapter (0x5159)
DAC type: Internal DAC(350MHz)
Display Memory: 64.0 MB
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6606 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
Mini VDD Date: 3/21/2006 23:56:22, 1522688 bytes
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Not Available
DDraw Test Result: All tests were successful.
D3D7 Test Result: All tests were successful.
D3D8 Test Result: All tests were successful.
D3D9 Test Result: All tests were successful.

[McBainUK]

kaffeen, I see you have a 733 celeron, this is a bit slower than the CPU in my GBPVR system. I found until I switched to the overlay renderer I would get lots of problems incl audio out of sync and video stutter.

Just a thought

[kaffeen]

McBainUK,

I am using the overlay manager

Still get some artifacts, stuttering, and missed frames that make playback undesirable. It is not unwatchable, but not something I would want to watch.

I would chalk this up to using my weak business computer from 2001, but the playback and recording works pretty much flawlessly in BeyondTV, so I'm not yet convinced that this is a hardware issue.

I want to use GBPVR (I am a software developer for an international company and I can appreciate what the GBPVR developer and the GBPVR community have accomplished....I might even like to join up if I can find the time).

I could buy a bigger and better computer (I already have three laptops and two desktops that kick butt), but this is a reclamation project. If Tivo can run on the wimpy hardware it has inside, I'm pretty sure (with the right tweaks) I can use this box for a PVR as well.

[McBainUK]

How does the same recording play like in WMP?

Still get some artifacts, stuttering, and missed frames that make playback undesirable. It is not unwatchable, but not something I would want to watch.

After hardware, all thats left is codecs... :eek: What codecs have you installed / are using? Have you read the wiki FAQ page.

[kaffeen]

The way the software interacts with the hardware/resources is of importance to me as well.

It is interesting that BeyondTV has it's own codecs, that could be the difference here.

I will do some investigation later tonight and report what codecs I am using. I would like to be able to get dedicated support for my decoder card (via hacking), I'd probably get better playback utilizing the features of my particular card.

[sub]

GB-PVR uses Directshow do the playback. Your CPU is below the CPU requirements for most MPEG2 decoders, but you might get lucky. All I can really suggest is sticking with Overlay, but try every MPEG2 decoder you can and hopefully you'll find one that has lower requirements. Also make sure you dont have ffdshow or anything like that installed.

[kaffeen]

Sub,

Do you have any idea why BeyondTV and SageTV do not have these problems on the same computer? Do you believe that is isolated to the decoding?

Regards,

K

[sub]

When it comes to video playback, we all just use Directshow, so it'll just be down to the choice of decoders you're using.

The graphics and OSD in GB-PVR are all done using GDI+, which is different from these other apps, and doesnt really like slow machines, but this only affects the speed of the menus, and video when OSD is visible. When you just watching video, with no OSD showing, you could expect identical performance between these apps assuming you're using the same decoders.

[kaffeen]

Thanks for the comments Sub

I am going to be using GraphEdit to create something that works for my system. If anyone out there has some filter/codec combinations that work with GBPVR and have lower end Celeron based machines, please let me know.

Regards,

K

[daza67]

Kafeen,

I would expect your setup to do a reasonable job of standard definition mpeg2playback using using overlay renderer with dxva enabled. Try using the hauppauge non css intervideo decoders and make sure dxva is enabled and vmr7/9 disabled.

Take a look at csy's howto on this codec here http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=18463 for the specific registry entries for dxva and overlay.

Check gbpvr's lastgraph.grf with graphedit to see if any other unexpected filters are getting sucked into the playback chain.

Daza