Stuttering with HDTV

[flyswatta]

Okay, so I finally decided to get GBPVR working for my HDTV. I took my headless server and relocated it in the living room. I left in the TwinHan ATSC capture cards and pulled out my PVR150's/MAUI III and put them in another less powerful pc for recording from my SAT receivers in the office.

Anyway, when I play HD in Media Player Classic (with Purevideo decoder) I have nice, smooth playback with about 60% CPU. When I play it back in GBPVR, I get 'stuttering' (also with 60% CPU). I've gone through several threads on the site and haven't been able to find a resolution.

Here's what I've tried (one at a time):
1. upgraded to 1.1.5 (this took care of the annoying "no signal found" bug )
2. started pvrx2 with -fse option
3. Used VMR Custom renderer
4. used MVR9 Fullscreen Exclusive renderer (same as -fse?)
5 Prior to the upgrade, also tried Overlay and VMR7
6. Tried the registry fix for purevideo
7. Set purevideo decoder properties to: Content Default, Anamorphic/Raw (reg hack did this), De-interlace control to automatic, film, video, smart
8. Tried the ATI Mpeg Video Decoder
9. Although the symptoms are different, tried the quartz.dll hotfix as a longshot.
10. changed the file format from transport stream to ms-dvr (meaning recorded new shows in ms-dvr).
11. Tried playback in GBPVR and PVRX2

No matter what I change, I get the same results. I've used several different HD shows that I've recorded, and they all stutter.

Here's my hardware config ('cause I know someone will ask ):
Celeron 2.6 Ghz, 1 GB Ram, ATI 9200SE @ 4x AGP, video going via VGA to TV.

I think the card/processor are beefy enough since I can playback smooth in MPC w/ 60% usage.

I'm convinced that it's just a single/minor setting change that I need to make in order to get the smooth playback. Does anybody have any ideas/suggestions for anything else that I can try???

[tjb]

I had exactly the same problem, except for 1 thing. You said you tried overlay mode - did you try this in GBPVR? My system was faster than yours, but the only way I could get smooth playback was in Overlay mode. I had a P4 2.4GHz system with an AGP nVidia 6600 (running 4x because of the motherboard). I think the 4x AGP was probably the main problem. Since then I have updated my motherboard to a low-end Core2 Duo, but the AGP now runs at 8x. Playback is smooth now with the -fse option, but even with the new motherboard and processor I cannot get decent playback in VMR9 or VMR9 Custom.

[sub]

Here's my hardware config ('cause I know someone will ask ):
Celeron 2.6 Ghz, 1 GB Ram, ATI 9200SE @ 4x AGP, video going via VGA to TV.

I think there is no chance you'll get high def playback working with that video card in PVRX2. It is way underpowered for use with the direct3d based video renderers. Sorry.

[carpeVideo]

You might try this thread - let us know if it helps it would clear up a lot about HD playback issues

http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=31558

[pBS]

you'll probably have to have a 9500+ to do HD tho..
9200's have way too slow a clock/memory speed to do the full 3d render..
[unless you have a way overclocked one..]

but it should work fine in overlay in gbpvr.exe tho..
the demux trick might help but it'll prolly still stutter.
also minimize your 3d settings in your cards driver..
sliders all the way to left, uncheck let application decide..

also check and make sure you don't have any 'mirror' drivers installed like for vnc or other remote control softwares..they will make it stutter bad..

i can rule out memory[i use pc133!] and agp4x[also] with my x1550 and it works fine..[2.4 celeron]

also, what version driver? i like the 7.8 but older might work better with that card..
try latest avivo download, it supplies the ati mpeg decoder...
ati mpeg decoder has least cpu usage for me by far..nvidia close second.

[flyswatta]

I think there is no chance you'll get high def playback working with that video card in PVRX2. It is way underpowered for use with the direct3d based video renderers. Sorry.

As usual, you're spot on sub. I put in my ATI 9500 Pro and it played just fine. :o

I'm not sure what the CPU utilization is while it's playing back - I was so excited that it worked that I put it all back together and while putting up my screwdriver and 9200 card, my son decided that "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman" was more important than daddy jacking with the computer again!

I knew the 9200 was marginal, but I guess I was snowblinded by the fact that I could play back HD in MPC - I guess PVRX2 needs a little more heavy lifting than MPC.

pBS, thanks for the 9500 tip...I would have forgotten about that card if you hadn't specifically mentioned it.

Thanks for everything guys!

[sub]

Great - glad you got it sorted.

[flyswatta]

Actually, after Ruff Ruff was over, I went back for additional testing. It played back some of the HD stuff just fine, but others is stuttering - the CPU is running about in the 90's. I suspect that I need to get a better card. I've been wanting to get an ATI x16-1900 series card for my main PC anyway, so here's my chance

[BerkA]

flyswatta,
Even though our hardware is quite different, I think you and I may be experiencing the same problem. I just posted two notes in another thread about this:
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...post248174

[flyswatta]

I think mine is entirely hardware based. A guy a work gave me an ATI AIW 8500 (my 9500 died on me ) and it can play back HD just fine. I can't time shift, but I'm convinced it's just that the system/card is overtaxed.

I have a new formula to solve the problem:

Xmas $ + Fantasy Football winnings = new hardware

Just waiting for the right Frys combo before I pull the trigger. I'll be building a new "main" system, and moving my current system to be my PVR.