Subtitles + DXVA

[ilovejedd]

• NVIDIA graphics with CUDA support and has PureVideo 2, 3 or 4 depending on what you want to do
  
• Direct VobSub This you dont want, thats what breaks it, its in the guide what to do, just follow it
  

Theoretically, CoreAVC with CUDA will solve this. DXVA requires both the decoder and renderer to agree to use DXVA and putting a subtitle filter in between (VobSub, in particular) breaks that. From what I understand, with CUDA, CoreAVC talks directly to the NVIDIA graphics card to do the decoding and passes on the already decoded stream to the subtitle renderer. I'm going to have to test if this theory works. If it does work, it's still no use for ATI users, though.

[ilovejedd]

Okay, tested my theory:

• ZOTAC IONITX-A-U
  
• Intel Atom 330
  
• NVIDIA ION
  
• Windows XP SP3
  
• ForceWare 185.55
  
• CoreAVC 14 Day Trial Edition 1.9.5 w/CUDA
  
• Haali Media Splitter 1.9.42.1 (came with CoreAVC)
  
• DirectVobSub 2.39
  
• Media Player Classic 6.4.9.0 (original version w/o DXVA decoders, Overlay Mixer)
  

So far, all the anime fansubs I've tried have played perfectly (Eva 1.11 1080p THORA, FF7AC 1080p THORA, Hare Hare Yukai, Be Your Girl, Tori no Uta). I still don't have GB-PVR installed on that machine so I haven't tested it specifically, but I'm fairly sure it'll work, too. Alas, people with ATI or Intel GPU's need not apply.

[Ommina]

So far, all the anime fansubs I've tried have played perfectly (Eva 1.11 1080p THORA, FF7AC 1080p THORA, Hare Hare Yukai, Be Your Girl, Tori no Uta). I still don't have GB-PVR installed on that machine so I haven't tested it specifically, but I'm fairly sure it'll work, too. Alas, people with ATI or Intel GPU's need not apply.

Annoyingly, since I just got the ATI card last week (for the sole purpose of watching HD anime, at that), I'm somewhat distressed at the prospect of having to replace it already. I really didn't think for a moment that subtitles would be an issue.

But using an external player just seems... blah. Yes, better than stuttering video I suppose, but still... unappealing.

Maybe need to consider an nVidia despite the recent ATI purchase.

The FF:AC selection you tried - that was the 1920x1080 16:9 23.976 fps H264/AVC (10872 kBit/s) version ?

[hoborg]

@Ommina
...and what about get new CPU? Not sure on what platform you are, but if AMD - here is my tip - AMD Athlon II X2 240e. This cheap CPU will handle FullHD without any problem and you should be able to cool it by passive cooler.
And you can use DirectVobSub for subtitles

[Ommina]

...and what about get new CPU? Not sure on what platform you are, but if AMD - here is my tip - AMD Athlon II X2 240e. This cheap CPU will handle FullHD without any problem and you should be able to cool it by passive cooler.
And you can use DirectVobSub for subtitles

Sadly, I don't think a new CPU is an option for me, not without getting a new motherboard to go along with it. And ram. And storage. AND a GPU too.

It's an older P4 machine, and AGP only, which provides another layer of excitement...

[hoborg]

AGP? And you think geting new GPU will provide you with FullHD DXVA?

[Ommina]

Heh, no. My goal is 720, which it will do now depending on the bitrate. Higher bitrates and it starts to put up a fuss, bogging down on occasion.

So close... but not quite there.

[hoborg]

Then you simply need more CPU power. You can try overcloacking.

Did you tryed CoreAVC yet? This h.264 decoder is known as fastest software decoder - but it is comercial...

[ilovejedd]

Yep, it's the 10800kbps one. If you've got AGP, then don't even bother with trying to get hardware acceleration to work.

Since you were going to need CoreAVC if you had gone the NVIDIA route, anyway, why not just try it now? It's the fastest H.264 software decoder I know of. Before DXVA became an option, I was using CoreAVC as the decoder on several underpowered machines:
AMD Sempron 3200+ 1.8GHz w/NVIDIA GF6200TC
Intel Celeron 430 1.8GHz w/Intel 945GC

So far, I've been able to play all 720p content I've encountered. I was even able to play 1080p Apple trailers.

[ga_mueller]

So far, I've been able to play all 720p content I've encountered. I was even able to play 1080p Apple trailers.

My experience. I'm no expert. YMMV.
Atom 330, Nvidia 8400gs video card, which is Cuda capable.
With Cuda, AVCCore, 720p Planet Earth rip (Pole to Pole, bird flyby scene), I'd see maybe 20-25% CPU utilization, smooth playback.
With DXVA (mpc-hc mpcvideodec.ax), I saw around 4% CPU utilization. With the 1080p clip from nunnally.ahmygoddess.net/, maybe 9%. AVCCore/Cuda could not play this clip without skipping badly.

So, my conclusion for my underpowered system: DXVA is much better than AVCCore+Cuda. Although I realize DXVA has it's limitations, for my system there isn't anything better.