Upgraded Client to HD5450

[bigo93bronco]

I just upgraded my clients old video card (7800gt) to a Radeon HD5450 in order to get HWA. It is definately working for H.264 content, because my cpu usage is 14-24% while watching that content. I'm not so sure that it is working with ATSC content though. Anything mpeg2 seems to be higher than h.264 (30%+). What decoder combination is going to give me the most out of this card?

Vista home premium 32
Sagetv 7 latest version
AMD Athlon 64 X2 @ 2.6
2GB RAM
HD5450
AC3 filter for all audio
EVR
Arcsoft and shark007 codec pack installed
FFD show for h.264 and VC-1
using microsoft mpeg2 filter gives me 25-35% cpu usage
using sagetv mpeg2, arcsoft, or default uses 40-55% cpu

[bigo93bronco]

looks like it is just ATSC mpeg2-ps files from my hvr 2250 that are not being handled by the video card. I'm using driver version 8.801.0.0. What mpeg2 video decoders should I be looking at for vista x32? It is still less of a load on the cpu than I had with the 7800gt, but its twice as much usage as h.264.

[jimz06]

I have the same card and use the AMD AVIVO package. Never checked the cpu usage but supposedly this will take advantage of the hardware acceleration on the card and has improved deinterlacing.

[bigo93bronco]

is that included with the driver, or is it a seperate download?

[gplasky]

Separate.

Gerry

[Wirenut]

I just installed the new Catalyst / Driver package yesterday, it's version 11.1, just came out like yesterday. I installed the Avivo codec, and they've renamed it something else... but it shows up the same in Sage. I gotta say with my lowly HD4870 I get maybe 1% cpu useage on a HDPVR 1080i encoded files using the Cyberlink H264 decoder. I get around 15% with others. Using AVIVO for Mpeg2HD 1080i I get around 10% useage, but it looks fantastic! Prior to this version of the Cats/Drivers I was getting around 10% and 25% respectively. This is with an ASUS Intel P5Qpro m.b. with an Intel Q8600 3Ghz dual core. Also XPsp3, 3.2GigRam, and VMR9 rendering.

I'm not touching a thing! It seems like drivers can affect H/W acceleration significantly. Once you find the magic driver version... you're probably best to stick with it.

I mean 0 - 1% cpu loading is friggin' fantastic... It took them two years to get the driver right!

[jimz06]

I did discover a couple issues with the AVIVO package when using it for DVDs and live TV. You lose the overlay graphics in the DVD menus making it impossible to navigate the menu, and watching live TV streamed via Firewire results in picture break up. So AVIVO turned out to be unusable for my needs.

[bigo93bronco]

ahhh I noticed that dvd menu glitch the same night I intalled the card, but though it was just random. I ended up getting it to play by using an alternate key.

[benjatelcom]

Using the same card here: ATI 5450.

I have a much slower host CPU, 2.3GHz AMD brisbane X2. I see 10-15% utilization playing back either MPEG2 or H.264. Not as low as Cyberlink Ultra 8, but close enough.

I do get really bad artifacts and pixelation (see attached screenshot). This only occurs in SageTV, and only when playing 1080i H.264 from my only broadcast video source - R5000 on Dish.

Any ideas? Every other app plays these files perfectly.

[Wirenut]

Bad Deinterlacing.

I output at 1080p to a Sony KDL-Z model via HDMI and have suffered from that same issue with hit and miss codecs, driver, etc.

AND FOR SOME REASON... ONLY IN SAGE. WMP, MPC, and others ALWAYS JUST WORKED!

That's what I was going through with my lesser HD4870... some drivers did better than others.... but this last one [cat11.1] nailed it for me. I'd definitely play the driver game for awhile til you go "wow!" I dunno.. I got an extender too.. which of course rocks... but my pc client with the right drivers works great.

And I always uninstall the previous driver from add/remove software, reboot.... and then run DriverSweeper from an adminstrative log-in. Reboot... then run CCleaner... then Reboot... then run the Catalyst installer. I've had varying success and failure, because of remnants of previous driver packages being left on the system.... Ya really gotta get in there and srub away the old drivers. It does make a difference.

And for DVD, I've been using the old purevideo decoder for menus and such.

I don't have a BlueRay drive yet... so that's out....

But everybody's system is going to be so different. YMMV.

Good luck,

Wirenut

ps. There's a ton of info on this forum as well as the AVSForum regarding ATI products as well as NVIDIA.