n00b Questions

[gplasky]

Begging's not going to change the facts. ffdshow is based on libavcodec. ffdshow wraps libavcodec and presents it as a DirectShow or VFW decoding filter. The performance is all CPU based. Look in the options and tell me where you can enable or disble hardware acceleration for any of the filters. It will take advantage of multi-cores:

The following list gives an overview of parts in ffdshow that are multithreaded and thus show an improvement when run on a multi-core CPU:

The resize filter is fully multithreaded. It is faster on a dual-core CPU. No configuration is needed. It is not effective on Pentium 4 HT CPUs.
Xvid encoder is multithreaded.
x264 encoder is multithreaded.
With "Queue & misc" -> "Queue output samples" checked, acceleration using multithreading is enabled. You may see some benefit even on a single-core CPU.
libavcodec's MPEG1/2 decoders are multithreaded. It becomes effective when setting "Decoder options" -> "Number of decoding threads" to the number of supported cores. The setting has no effect on Pentium 4 HT CPUs.
libavcodec's MPEG4/MPEG2/MPEG1 encoders are multithreaded.

If you don't believe me run DXVA Checker again and see what hardware acceleratrion is being used with ffdshow.

Gerry

[quantumstate]

Well; then libavcodec is amazingly efficient to be running ~5% CPU with 1080i H.264/AVC. Inexplicable.

I don't care about that though. I'm trying to fix this unwatchable stuttering.

I can't analyze filters because both graphedit and graphstudion are now busted on my system. And WMC will not load this same video that Sage plays. WMC says it can't find a filter.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by quantumstate

Well; then libavcodec is amazingly efficient to be running ~5% CPU with 1080i H.264/AVC. Inexplicable.

I don't care about that though. I'm trying to fix this unwatchable stuttering.

I can't analyze filters because both graphedit and graphstudion are now busted on my system. And WMC will not load this same video that Sage plays. WMC says it can't find a filter.

It's an anomaly. Obviously your system has issues if graphedit won't run. If you've enbled the appropriate settings in ffdshow Windows Media Player should play the file.

Gerry

[quantumstate]

OK, found the external filters section in MPC options. This seems to set filters not just in MPC, but systemwide, because when I added ffdshow filters and made them preferred, the H.264/AVC 1080i clip now plays well in MPC and WMC. A small bit of tearing, but light-years ahead of where I was.

And by god graphedit & graphstudio now load the clip as well! Video goes straight from the clip to ffdshow to the renderer. However in GraphStudio, audio goes from the clip to AC3filter (which I'd also added in external filters), to SageTV Layer II Audio Encoder to the ffdshow audio decoder, then again through to SageTV Layer II Audio Encoder to the ffdshow audio decoder, and to the default directsound device. GraphEdit has it going directly from AC3 to DirectSound. Queer. Which to believe?

Sage still stutters terribly though, both audio and video together. Appears the problem is in Sage.

[quantumstate]

If
videoframe/h264_video_decoder_filter=ffdshow

... is how to set it, no improvement. At least I can watch h.264 shows in MPC.

[gplasky]

You can set an option in ffdshow to appear in the system tray. When you do you can right-click on it and see exactly what decoders are being used along with other info.

Gerry

[quantumstate]

Never noticed that.

Same clip playing in MPC:

DirectSound Audio Renderer
Video Mixing Renderer 9
ffdshow Video Decoder
(grayed)Audio Switcher
AC3Filter
AC-3 Audio Decoder

In Sage:

DirectSound Audio Renderer
Video Mixing Renderer 9
ffdshow Video Decoder
AC3Filter
(grayed)SageTV Mpeg Demux

The true distinction is unclear.

[webwalker]

Since this thread has gone idle, I'm going to help myself to it via hijack...

I've given up on the pissy Abit ab9 pro board (POS!) and I'm replacing it with a Geforce 9300 chipset based board. The 9300 is supposed to handle all of the mpg2,vc1 & h.264 acceleration with the current PureVideo decoder. Since this is the same chipset that the OP is using, any comments on buying PureVideo for the offload acceleration for all of these formats?

M

[stanger89]

If you do, get the bronze. The "PureVideo Decoder" is just an MPEG-2 decoder, it can't decod VC-1 or H.264. However it appears they are now packaging the "Bronze" package with Cyberlink Decoders which do.

[webwalker]

Perfect! Thanks Stanger!

BTW, do you know anything about a version newer than 1.00? I have 1.00 Platinum and was wondering if there was anything worth updating for. I don't run HDMI audio because I can get better sound out of my discrete SPDIF rig, so other than the multi-codec accelerators, I'm not sure what I'd gain.

BTW, what do you use or recommend?

M

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by webwalker

Perfect! Thanks Stanger!

BTW, do you know anything about a version newer than 1.00? I have 1.00 Platinum and was wondering if there was anything worth updating for. I don't run HDMI audio because I can get better sound out of my discrete SPDIF rig, so other than the multi-codec accelerators, I'm not sure what I'd gain.

If you've already got platinum, you're sorta SOL, that version doesn't support H.264 or VC-1. I don't know about version, I always ran the latest update, which was like 1.03 or something.

BTW, what do you use or recommend?

STP-HD200

[webwalker]

well, that seems grossly unfair.

how's that hold up for you? I guess I'm going to be well in to the cost of one before I get all of the software bought to enable a substantially more powerful computer to do the same job as that cigarette pack.

[S_M_E]

I love my ab9-pro mobo...

[webwalker]

want another one,cheap? I'd like to launch this @#$% thing in to orbit.

I've been building my own gear for twenty years and I'm professionally employed to evaluate and performance test hardware for the server environment. This board has given me nothing grief since the day I unpacked it, but there isn't anything well defined about HOW it causes problems.

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by webwalker

want another one,cheap? I'd like to launch this @#$% thing in to orbit.

I've been building my own gear for twenty years and I'm professionally employed to evaluate and performance test hardware for the server environment. This board has given me nothing grief since the day I unpacked it, but there isn't anything well defined about HOW it causes problems.

I own 2 already, neither has given me any issues. If I had a need for another C2D mobo, I'd certainly buy another but there is a quad version of the ab9-pro now and i7 is looking good too so I doubt I'll need another ab9. WHS loves my ab9 and I also use one as my main workstation.

Like you, I'm an IT professional too and I got my first computer in 1982. Although, by today's standards it wasn't much of a computer.

[webwalker]

Ok, so let me ask you this: Does your abit ab9pro reboot every time you tell it to shut down?

Does it refuse to run your RAM at full speed?

Does it refuse to boot from SATA1?

I'm trying to put an RMA through with uABIT before they go out of business (presently scheduled for Wednesday the 31st.)

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mainboa...mber_2008.html

Would you really buy something from them now?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by webwalker

I'm trying to put an RMA through with uABIT before they go out of business (presently scheduled for Wednesday the 31st.)

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mainboa...mber_2008.html

Now that's a shame, I've always liked Abit boards....

[webwalker]

I made the mistake of buying this board from Newegg and like a dummy, not returning it the moment it gave me any guff when setting it up. (In my defense, I had read that the documentation was atrocious, so I figured that since it was an 'enthusiast' board, I'd just have to 'enthuse' with it for a while to find the sweet spot. Too late I start finding review info that says Abit is going under, and broken *ss designs like this were why.

M

[mattopia]

Wow, this thread is making my head spin. If I decide to use Sage I think I'll just get an HD-200. All of this codec stuff is why I ditched MythTV and went with a DVR from my provider.

[webwalker]

It should make your head spin: Organic Chem is more straightforward than DRM/HTPC/CodecHell/HardwareHeadaches.

The consolation is that you're not the only one baffled. Or at least, I know I'm not.

M