MPG Decoder/CPU Usage

[jasonf]

Has anyone found which MPEG decoder has the lowest CPU requirements? Or, how about some tips to decrease overall CPU usage. My machine's a little light on the CPU at 800 MHz and 512MB RAM.

I did a clean install today of XP Pro SP2. To that, I installed the nVidia drivers for my card (GeForce FX 5200 with 128MB--almost more processing than the computer itself! and the nVidia DVD player software. I also have my SBLive drivers installed, PVR150MCE drivers, FFDShow, and of course, GBPVR.

After the install, most if not all of the LiveTV problems that I had were cured (I had lots of stuttering). However, MPEG playback through GBPVR is still dropping frames and the CPU is pegged at 98-100% during playback.

If I turn off FFDShow processing, it's a little better, but LiveTV looks like crap (interlacing).

Any suggestions?

[sub]

I think you'll find the machine is too under powered for running FFDShow. Try ensuring only the deinterlacing is enabled in FFDSHow (and nothing else), it may help. Each additional 'thing' that is enabled in FFDShow is going to require more CPU.

Alternatively disable FFDShow and try the 'encoder pass-through' deinterlacing option.

[aaronyeo]

I've running GBPVR on a 800Mhz AMD system with the PVR 150. After my exhaustive searh for Mpeg2 decoders, I've concluded that the Elecard Moonlight Mpeg2 Decoder with DXVA support gives me the lowest CPU usage. While watching live TV the cpu peaks at about 50-60% but most of the time its at around 30%. I only have 448Mb of RAM and I'm using an ancient Radeon 7000VE Video card.

I'm not too sure about this but I think a higher end video card (like yours) should contribute to a performance increase.

Hope this Helps.

[hitek146]

JasonF, have you tried the NVidia Video Decoder? Maybe it has extra acceleration for the Geforce....

Hitek

[jasonf]

Quote[/b] (hitek146 @ Feb. 27 2005,16:02)]JasonF, have you tried the NVidia Video Decoder?  Maybe it has extra acceleration for the Geforce....

Hitek

I have the nVidia-supplied drivers and DVD player software installed.  Is the "Video Decoder" different from the one that comes with NVDVD?

In the options for NVDVD, there's a checkbox to use hardware acceleration, and it's checked.  

I'm not much of a hardware/system tweaking guy, so I appreciate these tips.


UPDATE: I played around with some more things under NVDVD's options. I was able to change the overlay to VMR9, which gave me a set of different options (after restarting NVDVD). I then set up the deinterlace, and was able to disable FFDShow (per Sub's recomendation above). Now LiveTV looks decent (when viewed on a monitor, not a TV yet) and video so far appears to play without stuttering at 75% CPU usage. I still may investigate other MPEG Decoders, like the one suggested above.

[hitek146]

I have the NVidia DVD software, also, and there is an option for the "NVidia Video Decoder" in my playback decoder selection in the GB-PVR configuration....

Hitek

[jasonf]

Quote[/b] (hitek146 @ Feb. 28 2005,01:27)]I have the NVidia DVD software, also, and there is an option for the "NVidia Video Decoder" in my playback decoder selection in the GB-PVR configuration....

Ah, yeah. And I have that selected. Cheers!