Nvidia decoder, Wow!!

[tawd1992]

I've been playing around with the SageTV Client on my bedroom pc for a few days & since this pc is so old (Amd 800mhz, 512mb ram, ATI AIW 7500 64mb ram) the results haven't been too impressive. The picture will jerk quite a bit, the menus sometimes freeze up, etc. The cpu utilization for SageTVClient would average around 70% so I figured I would either need to get a Hauppauge 350 for this pc & use the hardware decoder out to my tv or possibly even just upgrade my whole pc. Either way it wasn't going to be cheap to get SageTV to work properly on this pc.

I figured I'd give the Nvidia decoder a try since it seems to be so popular. I was thinking it might drop cpu utilization of the SageTVClient down to 50 or 60% if I'm lucky. After I installed it, not only is my picture quality better, but the cpu utilization for SageTVClient now averages 24%. The picture doesn't jerk, the menus are much more responsive & it works like it should now.

I really thought my pc was just too old to use with Sage, but the Nvidia decoder proved me wrong. I don't work for Nvidia, I'm just really happy with how their decoder has given my antique pc new life.

[cmaffia]

I learned early on in my sage quest that Nvidia was the bomb...however it still has a problem with my DVD menus. Navigation issues and display issues have always plagued me when using Nvidia decoders for DVD playback through SageTV. I use Nvidia for TV and Intervideo for DVD's

[Dekard]

Originally Posted by cmaffia

I learned early on in my sage quest that Nvidia was the bomb...however it still has a problem with my DVD menus. Navigation issues and display issues have always plagued me when using Nvidia decoders for DVD playback through SageTV. I use Nvidia for TV and Intervideo for DVD's

I had to use the Intervideo's with dvd's also even though I own the Nvidia decoders. For me it was the only way to get it working since the Nvidia stuff evidently didn't like my pc very much.

[Humanzee]

Originally Posted by tawd1992

I figured I would either need to get a Hauppauge 350 for this pc

I wouldn't buy a 350 again, I have one and it works fine as long as you don't need to to use an the screen display. (Kind of makes the decoder part it hard to utilize) Just too many problems and lock ups with that card and Sage with On Screen Display turned on.

Search the forums.

[lotusvball]

I tried the Nvidia decorder last night and honestly I was that impressed. I have been using Sonic's and have had great results. I am going to play around with the Nvidia a little longer to see if there is any tweaking I can do but I was have major problems playing DVD's and recorded programs seemed to jerk ever so slightly.

[stevech]

Originally Posted by lotusvball

I tried the Nvidia decorder last night and honestly I was that impressed. I have been using Sonic's and have had great results. I am going to play around with the Nvidia a little longer to see if there is any tweaking I can do but I was have major problems playing DVD's and recorded programs seemed to jerk ever so slightly.

did you mean impressed positively or unimpressed?

[lotusvball]

not that impressed, (negatively) sorry about that.

[ukmgranger]

Originally Posted by lotusvball

not that impressed, (negatively) sorry about that.

I find that the nVidia decoder comes into its own with 'broadcast live' TV. things like the news channels here in the UK. Film always has a kind of 'softer' looking edge. I haven't seen anything that can compare with the nVidia when it comes to live TV. My problem is that my system just doesn't seem to like VMR9 so I have to use overlay - which is a shame if you consider my system specs below.

Also, I do still have some problems with the image stuttering a little now and then with the nVidia.

[blade]

Originally Posted by ukmgranger

I find that the nVidia decoder comes into its own with 'broadcast live' TV. things like the news channels here in the UK. Film always has a kind of 'softer' looking edge. I haven't seen anything that can compare with the nVidia when it comes to live TV. My problem is that my system just doesn't seem to like VMR9 so I have to use overlay - which is a shame if you consider my system specs below.

Also, I do still have some problems with the image stuttering a little now and then with the nVidia.

Exactly, the Nvidia decoder's deinterlacing of broadcast TV is what sets it apart. As for stuttering when using the decoder, I always figured the more complex the deinterlacing used the more taxing it would be on the system; however, I have a 6600GT and have no problems with VMR9 @ 720p without FSE, but need it to do 1080i. As for overlay I have no stuttering at 1080i. The biggest problem I've found with FSE and the Nvidia decoder is if I try to switch from windowed to fullscreen I get playback errors and have to reboot. If I launch and close Sage in fullscreen and never go to a window it's fine.

Make sure you've set it to automatic instead of smart deinterlacing. There is a problem with smart that can cause stuttering and artifacts. Also have you tried never drivers? According to your signature you're using a fairly old driver.

[ukmgranger]

Originally Posted by blade

Exactly, the Nvidia decoder's deinterlacing of broadcast TV is what sets it apart. As for stuttering when using the decoder, I always figured the more complex the deinterlacing used the more taxing it would be on the system; however, I have a 6600GT and have no problems with VMR9 @ 720p without FSE, but need it to do 1080i. As for overlay I have no stuttering at 1080i. The biggest problem I've found with FSE and the Nvidia decoder is if I try to switch from windowed to fullscreen I get playback errors and have to reboot. If I launch and close Sage in fullscreen and never go to a window it's fine.

Make sure you've set it to automatic instead of smart deinterlacing. There is a problem with smart that can cause stuttering and artifacts. Also have you tried never drivers? According to your signature you're using a fairly old driver.

Thanks for the nVidia drivers tip. For some reason I had just overlooked updating. This seems to have solved my stuttering problem. I can even use VMR9 now.

All that is left is to see if I can get it running well in 1080!