Changing video decoder cures several NextPVR problems!

[jcjefferies]

I had been checking out the Skip forward and back on the Server and Client to post on a thread on the subject and noticed that the picture had a tendency to lock with the sound continuing more often than on the previous version. For some reason which I cannot remember I decided to try the LAV decoders on my client so removed the Cyberlink decoders which came with my tuner and all others installed. The LAV decoder seemed ok playing MPEG2 video until I tried skipping forward or back when the picture would freeze most times.

If the LAV decoder made it worse perhaps a different one would cure the problem. The ffdshow decoders were the next obvious choice but I previously had lots of problems with these, but that was when I was using XP. However changing to the ffdshow MPEG2 decoder seems to have cured several minor but irritating problems with my NextPVR client and server:-

1) Skip Forward and back now seems far more reliable and have yet to see a picture freeze.
2) Failed playback of recordings at first attempt no longer happens.
3) Resuming a recording no longer plays a second or so at the start of the recording first.

I am using Vista, the EVR renderer, the Vista MPEG audio decoder and all the recordings are SD MPEG2. I think Sub has said that decoders were going to be cause of some of these problems but the Cyberlink decoders had previously seemed the most reliable.

[Reddwarf]

I had been checking out the Skip forward and back on the Server and Client to post on a thread on the subject and noticed that the picture had a tendency to lock with the sound continuing more often than on the previous version. For some reason which I cannot remember I decided to try the LAV decoders on my client so removed the Cyberlink decoders which came with my tuner and all others installed. The LAV decoder seemed ok playing MPEG2 video until I tried skipping forward or back when the picture would freeze most times.

If the LAV decoder made it worse perhaps a different one would cure the problem. The ffdshow decoders were the next obvious choice but I previously had lots of problems with these, but that was when I was using XP. However changing to the ffdshow MPEG2 decoder seems to have cured several minor but irritating problems with my NextPVR client and server:-

1) Skip Forward and back now seems far more reliable and have yet to see a picture freeze.
2) Failed playback of recordings at first attempt no longer happens.
3) Resuming a recording no longer plays a second or so at the start of the recording first.

I am using Vista, the EVR renderer, the Vista MPEG audio decoder and all the recordings are SD MPEG2. I think Sub has said that decoders were going to be cause of some of these problems but the Cyberlink decoders had previously seemed the most reliable.

Did you try Cyberlink PDVD10?

[ShiningDragon]

Why should he use this commercial decoder if his solution cured already the problems he mentioned above? I would agree his topic, and found out that the LAV Splitter + Microsoft dtv decoder + ffdshow are the best combination for errorfree enjoy of npvr. Ok, at least if you don't get a ffdshow decoder with memory leakage. XD

[Reddwarf]

Why should he use this commercial decoder if his solution cured already the problems he mentioned above? I would agree his topic, and found out that the LAV Splitter + Microsoft dtv decoder + ffdshow are the best combination for errorfree enjoy of npvr. Ok, at least if you don't get a ffdshow decoder with memory leakage. XD

Calm down, I'm just asking because I had some similar problems with other Cyberlink decoders.

BTW: What's wrong with commercial decoders if you already have them?

[ShiningDragon]

BTW: What's wrong with commercial decoders if you already have them?

How often do you buy commercial ones? I have bought in the past PowerDVD 3, PowerDVD 4, PowerDVD 6 and 7. In the past i were happy with those, but now ... time doesn't stands still, it's progressing. A decoder that was good in the past isn't it most time at present or the future, so you have to buy again and buy again and buy again. I have many licensed decoders, but because of their age they aren't useful or compatible with the os anymore.
The current PowerDVD release has only one thing, why i would buy it: TruTheater HD on sd videos. But exactly this filter is not usable for 3rd party apps and thus useless. Instead you have to use a player full of adware, undefinied onlinefunctions and this moovietrash.
Other decoders, especially opensource ones like ffdshow, are progressing the whole time. There are a lot of developers fixing bugs or adding new features. One of the best candidates is ffdshow. It does cost effective absolutely no money, but it needs a little time to configure well.

[jcjefferies]

The ones I used recently I think were from PDVD10 but originally they were the Cyberlink ones which came with my tuner. Both lots seemed to perform the same but didn’t perform any detailed checks similar to I did in the last few days to identify differences or problems. I had lots of problems using ffdshow decoders earlier last year under XP but the Cyperlink decoders with my tuner seemed far better which is why I had a negative attitude to ffdshow until today.

[Reddwarf]

There are a lot of developers fixing bugs or adding new features. One of the best candidates is ffdshow. It does cost effective absolutely no money, but it needs a little time to configure well.

Your recent problem with memory leek springs to mind

[ShiningDragon]

Your recent problem with memory leek springs to mind

Yeah, really an annoying one. ^.^ Especially because this one has hidden itself behind nextpvr.exe. -.-

[whurlston]

I use the Cyberlink video decoders without any issue (except for #3 which doesn't bother me in the slightest) and I use them for a few reasons:

1. I have them. (You can even use the filters from the trial versions.)
   
2. They have the best picture of any decoder I've seen.
   
3. ffdshow is far too bloated for my taste.
   
4. LAV video decoder does not support hardware acceleration with ATI graphics.
   

LAV splitter is irrelevant when it comes to playing recordings (or any .ts file) in NextPVR. I do use it for Blu-rays though and I use the audio decoder to bitstream practically everything.

[mvallevand]

I think ffdshow (and as a result LAV) is benefiting from the Intel support for QuickSync http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1358343 for Sandy/Ivy Bridge. VC-1 now and h/w deinterlacing sounds enticing. I was thinking about an AMD APU but this changes the game.

The one second "preview" on resume was removed in 2.3.6 on user request.

Martin