Disappointing MPEG2 decoding

[djpandemic]

If you were using the same video renderer (ie, VMR9 Custom) and same decoders and source files, then you do get exactly the same quality in both. Infact, the exact same code is used to do playback in both (NativeUtilities.dll).

If you think its different, then you're most likely using a different video renderer. Remember PVRX2.exe is always using VMR9 Custom, or VMR9 Fullscreen Exclusive if you started it with the -fse command line parameter. The video renderer options on the playback tab are only used by GBPVR.exe.

Launching with -fse CLS fixed it... Thanks

Any reason for not linking PVRX2 in with those settings in config.xml?

[sub]

Launching with -fse CLS fixed it... Thanks

Cool.

Any reason for not linking PVRX2 in with those settings in config.xml?

Because most of those renderer settings dont make sense in PVRX2.exe.

When I remove GBPVR.exe from the release in the near future, I'll replace these settings in the config app with the two choices applicable to PVRX2.

[cascaman]

After reading this huge amount of pages about disappointing MPEG2 decoding...

I have not solved my mpeg related issues. All this is like a big joke. Version XX of Forceware doesn't function properly with version YYY of Purevideo Decoders, Graphic Card ZZZ doesn't run smooth with VRMX or this brand can't run on Overlay, CPU is eaten by process, quartz.dll old version PPP is better than version QQQ, priority of .exe must be "high", all must run better if you set affinity in dual core processors, de-interlace method RRR is not okay with decoder GGG or render method BBB, render method JJJ eats memory, combination of HHH video and JJJ audio decoder finish in out-of-sync in audio/video, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.........

And all this for what? For nothing! Anyway, any combination, any decoder, any tip and trick do nothing at all. At last, the image quality is VERY POOR compared with any DVB-T decoder or very cheap dvd player (for instance). More flexible and more rich-featured... but fails in the more important thing: image quality. Image is far from being as sharp and clear as I can see even in the cheapest DVB tuner of the market. Movements are horrible, traveling sucks, tickers are illegible. Judder and jitter for everywhere, background noise...

It's all right that I'm speaking about TV-Out composite signal in a CRT TV-set. I suppose that all should be much better using an LCD TV and HDMI connection (I HOPE SO!), but today, I'm very disappointed with the results I think I can achieve with my HTPC system (and my CRT TV set).

Someone could say that all the problems are related to my specific hardware. But I have used lot of different components and the result have been always very poor. One of the most important component (I think) involved in this kind of systems must be the TV-Out of the graphic card, so I have tryed different ones. The one I'm using now is a GeForce 7300 from ASUS. ASUS is a well-known for the quality of their products. In fact, they claims about their tv-out quality and add technology specific for this, such as SPLENDID. NVIDIA gives me its "wonderful" Purevideo technology in hardware and software decoders. All should be fine then. But the result sucks anyway...

Excuse me for this long-and-boring message but I'm getting tired of all this. Or perhaps I should not expect more that an HTPC can achieve and enjoy with my poor-quality system. For viewing photos and webcams, listening to music and being a front-end for the MAME games is OK... But for viewing TV or any kind of video with certain amount of quality.... NO.

[stustunz]

the difference is you dont have a machine that can do many things hence its all about getting the right combination
sorry i missed that paragraph
what tv system are you on
whats the standard resolution of the media yoiu are playing back (ie play it back in power dvd or the like it will tell you under info )

turn off all extra 3d stuff under card settings
apart from wait for vertical sync turn that on to always turned on or similar
make sure you have your refresh rate set to either 60hzntsc or 50hz pal(im not sure of your countries settings)

what decoder gives you the best playback (best of the worst that you have)

[cascaman]

I am using an standard 21" Sony TV set. Computer is configured at 800x600 (but I have tryed other resolutions too). Last computer I'm using is a modern Abit motherboard with modern NVIDIA chipset and modern AMD64 3800+ CPU and a modern NVIDIA graphic card PCI-x (ASUS 7300) and a nice Hauppauge HVR1300 tuner card. Such a system should be enough for all HTPC related tasks.

And I'm would be happy if only could see live TV with a minimum of quality. Or play any video file with image quality (DVD or DIVX or whatever).

As I say, any cheap DVB-T tuner or any cheap DVD player with divX support gives me a LOT of better image quality.

[stustunz]

sorry unless you tell me what resolution the digital media is that are playing back is i cannot help you

should be something like 720x576 interlaced pal B

[Deusxmachina]

As I say, any cheap DVB-T tuner or any cheap DVD player with divX support gives me a LOT of better image quality.

Looking up your tuner card, the description says it's an analog cable TV tuner as well as a DVB-T tuner, so I don't understand your DVB-T comments when your card apparently already is one. I don't understand if you think the card is at fault or if GBPVR is at fault.

I wouldn't worry much about getting a good picture on the TV before getting a good picture on the monitor. That way you at least know the picture is good and any bad quality is just a TV problem of some kind.

Do video files look good outside of GBPVR, such as with VLC player? That's a good benchmark since it's a self-contained player. If video files look good on your monitor playing them with a different player, then they can look good in GBPVR. Just need to narrow the problem down first before figuring out what to change.

[r3d]

Hi,

After following this thread and trying out the many options mentioned, I still can't get decent quality video playback on my tele. I've spent over a week now trying to get this to work but am still unable to. So I decided I'd post here to see if someone can help me out. I am new to this whole HTPC thing but liked the whole idea and decided to build one. Following is my spec:

PC:
[INDENT]MSI K9AGM2-FIH motherboard with onboard HDMI output
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ (2.1GHz) Socket AM2 Energy Efficient L2 1MB (2x512KB) Cache
Kingston 1GB DDR2 667MHz / PC2-5300 MEMORY CL5 1.8V NON ECC UNBUFFERED
Samsung SpinPoint HD501LJ 500GB SATAII Hard Drive 16MB Cache
Samsung SH-S183 SATA 18x DVD±RW/RAM Black
Antec NSK2480 MATX Desktop Case Black & Silver - With 380W EarthWatts PSU
Hauppage HVR1300 card[/INDENT]
Software:
[INDENT]WinXP Prof SP2 32bit
PowerDVD 6
Windows Media Player 11
DirectX 9c
GB-PVR 1.0.16[/INDENT]
Tele:
[INDENT]Panasonic Viera TH37PV500 37" HD Ready tele (UK model)[/INDENT]

I am connecting to my tele via HDMI as the motherboard has onboard HDMI output (ATI Radeon XPress 1250). I have set the resolution to 720p(1280x720@50fps). My GB-PVR config is set to use Cyberlink decoders (for playback and DVD) and "VRM9 Custom". The issue is that when I watch any video in GB-PVR - DVD, Live TV, .mpg, .avi media files, etc. I get motion related jitter. Not really sure how to describe it in words but I'll try. It appears in any scene that has the camera panning - so for example - if the camera is panning from the top of a tall building to the bottom, or if it pans from left to right, or if an object on the scene moves consistantly from left to right; the screen shows little jitter and the motion is not smooth. I play the same videos in PowerDVD6, WMP11 or media player classic and the motion in the videos is smooth.

This is really driving me nuts:mad: as I really think GBPVR is an excellent software. Any help is greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post - I just wanted to be as specific as I can with detail provided so that some knowledgeable person could tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Best Regards,
r3d

[stefan]

You are having problems with deinterlacing. Since I'm not an expert on the subject, all I can really suggest is you do a search for "deinterlace" or "deinterlacing" (or possibly "interlace" or "interlacing") here on the forum. There have been many and thorough posts on the subject... Good luck!

[r3d]

OK! I'll give that a go. Fingers crossed!!