Video Stutter with v6

[thorforyou]

I am a new user and had many of the same issues that you are all having.

I have finally managed to get smooth playback of all HD channels including CBS.

I am using an ATI x1300 video card and the Dscaler 5 dvd codec. I am using VMR9 as the playback mode and the latest version of AC3 filter I think that it is 1.11

Here is the trick:
Download the radlight filter manager because you will need that to set the dscaler 5 properties correctly. If you have Zoomplayer you can use that as instead. I use Radlight because it is so easy to use.

Install the filter manager. When you click on it navigate to the directshow filters, then navigate to the properties for the Dscaler 5 Video Codec.

Next go to the color space and set the value to nv12.

Leave all of the other decoder values at their default value.

Now open the CCC application for the ATI card and go to the AVIVO properties. Set the deinterlace mode to adaptive.


This works well and I get great playback with about 30% CPU on all HD channels.

I hope that this helps someone.

[TBacker]

Originally Posted by astribli

So, the computer is responsive to everything where as before, using nVideo 93.71 drivers and latest Windows updates, it was slow, stutters, slow to respond to clicks, etc. Now using the older 84.21 versions and NOT any updates since SP2, everything works great !

I fought the stuttering HD problem myself through two HTPC software suites (GBPVR and Sage) and some hardware changes.

I started with a new machine - a good P4 3 GHz system with an Intel mobo, 1 gig ram, separate high speed SATA system and media drives, Fusion 5 tuners (x2), an nVidia 7600GS video card, and PureVideo decoder. No matter what, couldn't get smooth HD. I got close (something resembling an old 20 frame per second "talkie"!), but never got it.

I upgraded to a 7600GT video card and a dual core 3.2 GHz processor thinking I would lick it with horsepower. Nope.

After weeks of tinkering, I found that the three things that must be done together to get glassy smooth HD (in my case anyway) were:

1. Got Sage so I could run Full Screen Exclusive (FSE) with VMR9. Had to dump GBPVR because they couldn't and wouldn't offer FSE. Note that in most cases, nVidia drivers exhibit a bug when run in overlay mode and will either show just a black screen, or a corrupted image where video is squeezed into the corner of the screen with random data in the rest of the screen.

2. "Retrograded" the nVidia drivers to 84.21. Anything that follows seems to break HD in most cases I've read. Look up nVidia, HD, and 84.21 on the AVS forums...

3. Switched to the DirectX 9.0b version of quartz.dll (forget the exact dll version).

I hope that adds to the "experience base" for anyone looking for solutions with similar hardware...

[cummings66]

If I force my system to use overlay as you have in your screenshot of the Nvidia decoder properties it works fine just as yours does and just as most everybody else's does.

If you didn't notice, yours is in overlay now and not VMR9 which is the preferred mode. You can do it in one of 2 ways, you've just done it the harder way is all.

At least the one screenshot I see says it's overlay. I don't know what that one is that's not being displayed.

[cummings66]

Originally Posted by TBacker

1. Got Sage so I could run Full Screen Exclusive (FSE) with VMR9.

2. "Retrograded" the nVidia drivers to 84.21. Anything that follows seems to break HD in most cases I've read. Look up nVidia, HD, and 84.21 on the AVS forums...

3. Switched to the DirectX 9.0b version of quartz.dll (forget the exact dll version).

I had that config under MCE with SP2 and all the rollups, it worked fine under V5 and V6 broke it. Per advice given I upgraded all my drivers, Purevideo, etc and nothing improved it.

V6 broke whatever it was that worked before, I don't think driver versions is an issue as far as my computer is concerned because it didn't work with those older Nvidia drivers when it did under V5.

I've never downgraded because it did not change a thing, possibly it may work now that they've released the final broken version 6. Who knows what they broke and fixed in that version.

What I do know is Overlay fixes the problem. I can run it either setup from within Sage fine, or I can put it at default and fix it from the Nvidia panel as the pictures show. The key is that only Overlay will give back smooth Hd playback on all content no matter what. There is absolutely no stutter and it's smooth as silk if you use overlay and that's what most of us have experienced.

You on the other hand must be one of those lucky few who actually have VMR9 FSE HD playback that's smooth. Others have not been so lucky with driver versions either. Congratulations, I wish I knew why yours works and mine doesn't.

[astribli]

Originally Posted by cummings66

If I force my system to use overlay as you have in your screenshot of the Nvidia decoder properties it works fine just as yours does and just as most everybody else's does.

If you didn't notice, yours is in overlay now and not VMR9 which is the preferred mode. You can do it in one of 2 ways, you've just done it the harder way is all.

At least the one screenshot I see says it's overlay. I don't know what that one is that's not being displayed.

If I set it VMR9, the video gets jerky, like someone else mentioned, like an old 20 frames per second video. Besides, Overlay looks smooth as silk so I'm going with it. Don't know what the advantages are of VMR9 anyway, even though Microsoft says it is better.

One thing I forgot to mention, in Sage you have three choices, Default, Overlay, VMR9. I actually tried Default and the CPU went DOWN to around 15-20%. Problem is picture was smooth, but you see more jagged edges in fast motion and the color wasn't as brilliant.

[cummings66]

VMR9 basically matches the broadcast standards for TV and Overlay doesn't. So you won't get quite the same quality with overlay, although once calibrated it can look pretty good. It will not be as good as VMR9 that's calibrated because you're not playing on the same field. There's a lot of arguments for and against overlay, suffice it to say it's not what's being broadcast.

Honestly, I can't stand how overlay looks compared to VMR9 and I will not watch a display in overlay. I'd give up TV first.

[astribli]

Originally Posted by thorforyou

I am a new user and had many of the same issues that you are all having.

I have finally managed to get smooth playback of all HD channels including CBS.

I am using an ATI x1300 video card and the Dscaler 5 dvd codec. I am using VMR9 as the playback mode and the latest version of AC3 filter I think that it is 1.11

Here is the trick:
Download the radlight filter manager because you will need that to set the dscaler 5 properties correctly. If you have Zoomplayer you can use that as instead. I use Radlight because it is so easy to use.

Install the filter manager. When you click on it navigate to the directshow filters, then navigate to the properties for the Dscaler 5 Video Codec.

Next go to the color space and set the value to nv12.

Leave all of the other decoder values at their default value.

Now open the CCC application for the ATI card and go to the AVIVO properties. Set the deinterlace mode to adaptive.


This works well and I get great playback with about 30% CPU on all HD channels.

I hope that this helps someone.

Do you know what color space "nv12" does ?
What is AVIVO ?

[cummings66]

Well, out of desperation I downgraded my Nvidia drivers to the 84.21 and did the registry patch to get DVI to output blacker than black. Picture quality is fine, however HD still stutters badly.

I've done everything but the quartz.dll downgrade, mine is the newer version and I think it's also the bad one. Mine is 1.22 MB and I think the one I'm supposed to have is either 1.75 or 1.8 MB. I'll try and track that down and install it in safe mode and see if the problem is resolved.

[cummings66]

The newer quartz dll which is the larger than 1.2 MB file didn't work, I got a black screen. That DLL is from the redist of DX9, and running setup doesn't do anything since I've already got the latest installed.

So, possibly the old version might work, but I've yet to try. So far it's no better than it was before. By the way, when I did a downgrade of the nvidia driver I uninstalled it and then run the driver cleaner, then installed the older drivers so I know there's no new versions around.

Somehow in all the tweaking Microsoft decided I needed to reactivate Windows, claimed I had a large change in hardware. At any rate it activated again just fine.

For what it's worth I'm using MCE and not XP Pro, there are some minor subtle differences and perhaps that's the issue here?

[astribli]

IF you look back at my previous post, the way I got it to work correctly was:

1. Reinstall Windoze
2. Only apply Windoze patches up to SP2. Did not do any more updates. I suspect something with updates to Directx or possibly Windows Media Player. I did that on purpuse.
3. Installed the 84.21 drivers
4. Installed PureVideo

I believe the problem is between VMR, directx, WMP, Nvidia and using the older versions of all these with Sage it works ok. In my case, the HTPC is a dedicated machine and only visible on my local LAN so not really worried about having all the latest and greatest crap Microsoft throws down with every update (like they call IE7 a critical update, please...)

[Taddeusz]

Does anyone know if the video stutter problem has been fixed in the 6.1 release candidates? I was thinking of trying it out.

I'm running SD on a regular NTSC tube TV through S-video. One thing I've noticed on my system though is that whatever decoder I choose if it's in 3D/VMR9 it looks like it's deinterlacing it to half resolution. But when I run it in overlay mode it looks nice and sharp. I'd like to run it in VMR9 mode but it just doesn't look that great on my TV. Any ideas?

I'm running on a A64 3200, 1GB RAM, 7600GS. I have both PureVideo and PowerDVD decoders.

I do get the stutter problem even though I'm running in SD.

[cummings66]

Lets put it this way, I doubt it.

[rickgillyon]

Why not try it and find out?

[cummings66]

I installed it, I like the new looks and no it does not fix the stutter.

At least not for me.

[grauchy]

I recently purchased SageTV, it worked fine until I added a second tuner. If I try to record HD and watch another HD I get stuttering. The system works fine with 1 show at a time but that's unacceptable to me. My machine is Windows XP SP2, nVidia 7800 pci express, 2GB RAM, 2-500GB 7200 SATA Maxtors, AMD 3800+.

I've tried using various combinations of video renderers and such. I even lowered the recording quality to "FAIR". I'm not willing to push quality any lower than that. If I can't figure this out I'm going to have to abandon SageTV for something else.

My hardware is top shelf there should be no reason for my stuttering problem. I'm fairly convinced now that SageTV is designed around SD content and they haven't thought HD through all the way.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by grauchy

If I try to record HD and watch another HD I get stuttering. The system works fine with 1 show at a time ... 2-500GB 7200 SATA Maxtors

One quick thing to check: what cluster size was used when formatting the partitions where SageTV stores the recordings? Is it 64K?

- Andy

[grauchy]

I reformatted my drives after reading an earlier post. I have them set to 64k. I didn't notice any difference.

[salsbst]

FYI, stutter and inability to play certain TS files is back after installing 6.1. Just when I had concquered the 6.0 beast.

Why do I keep thinking that upgrades will improve the software?

[grauchy]

I posted an official support request with SageTV we'll see how they work to resolve my stuttering issue. I'm thinking of trying MythTV if I can't get this working.

I haven't tried v6.1 SageTV so who knows maybe there could be room for improvement there, I'll give it a shot.

[MTuckman]

Originally Posted by salsbst

FYI, stutter and inability to play certain TS files is back after installing 6.1. Just when I had concquered the 6.0 beast.

Why do I keep thinking that upgrades will improve the software?

I am right there with you. With the latest release candidate and the latest firmware for the HDHR, it "looked" like it was better, but now I am not so sure.
Watching American Idol has been more painful this evening than it normally is.

I hope this stabilizes at some point. I also think we need some kind of system info tool, geared towards video recording and play back, especially with HD streams. There are times I suspect the problem I am having may be drive related or memory related. We need something that could be run for a period of time and captures stats on all of the subsystems for review.

Anyway... Just a thought