High CPU usage in SageTV client

[hagur]

Hi,

I'm using SageTV 5.

The CPU usage on my client machine is around 85-90% while watching Live TV from the SageTV server (A separate HTPC)

Is that normal? The client system in question is a laptop running WinXP SP2, a 1.5GHz centrino with 1250mb of ram and a ATI Radeon 9200 Pro mobility graphics. I just installed SageTV client and the only configuration modifications I've done is changing the video renderer from overlay to VMR9, but the CPU usage is still the same.

Is there any configuration setting I can change to improve this? Any special codecs I can install? I do believe this machine should be able to stream a simple compressed video stream without taking up the whole CPU ....

I did have this setup on the same machine some time before (before a system crash and a re-installation of everything), and I don't recall such a high CPU usage then, but it might be my memory teasing me

Any ideas appreciated!

Regards,
Haukur H. Thorsson

[alanwww1]

I have the same problem it is also a laptop with sempron 2000+ CPU. I also have this issue not only with live TV. It's running with WIFI connection. Maybe that has some relation to it.

[hagur]

Hi Alan and thanks for commenting.

Actually you were right, I was also using a 802.11G WIFI connection (which turned out to be performing well below par). I ditched the WIFI and now I'm using a 100mbit wired connection and the CPU usage instantly dropped from 85-90% to 45-50% which is a huge improvement, but I still think it's a tad to high.

Anyway, you might try going wired if you can. You will likely see an improvement

Regards,
Haukur H. Th.

[GTwannabe]

Your video chipset is very weak. I have a 9600 ProTurbo in my laptop, and it doesn't have enough power to handle DXVA for SD material when clocked-down on the battery. Disabling hardware acceleration in the codec helps.