100% CPU on h.264 playback

[rhack1]

Hi...

I am having 100% CPU utilization when playing back h.264 recordings...Am hoping someone can help me troubleshoot/suggest upgrades/setting changes/codecs/etc, etc...

Background:

I am using Sagetv media center v6.4 for windows on a dell 8400 computer running windows media center edition 2005 (i have made the changes to disable media center application with sagetv, already)...I am using a hauppauge hd-pvr to record h.264 high def tv...it records the video/sound fine...it's just the playback that is incredibly slow, sometimes choppy, but runs my cpu at 100%...

The Dell 8400 specs are:

1. Pentium 4 Prescott 660, 3.6ghz, 800 fsb, 1gb ddr2 sdram 533 mHz RAM (2, 512mb chips)
2. Raid 0, striping of 2 250GB drives
3. nvidia geforce 6800 pci-e video card 256mb
4. SB audigy 2 zs DELL OEM sound card (i have read that this card is a special card for dell and does not have any processing on it...the sound is processed via the 8400...)
5. i have loaded nvidia decorders, etc on this...

I realized that a dual core is recommended, but am wondering if i can get this to work without a complete upgrade...would a newer video or sound card work?...are there settings or other things i can do/try to make this work with 100% cpu spiking...i have played with this for quite a few hours and have tried quite a few things...but to no avail...including playing aorund with various recording level qualities, etc...the files get recorded fine - but it's the playback that's troublesome...i have tried TME, SAGETV and other video players - but all spike my cpu...

thanks for any help and insights!...

R-

[EmuZombie]

One question, What model 6800 do you have? Acording to this list http://www.nvidia.com/docs/CP/11036/...Comparison.pdf Some 6800 can't do hardware decoding of h264 files. If your card can't then an upgrade of your video card will fix this. You will need one that does full hardware h264 decoding. They can be found for as cheap as $25 on newegg. (but they will have poor 3d gaming power)

If your card is a model that does support it then chances are you are using a codec that doesn't support hardware decoding. In this case, installing and/or forcing SageTV to use a different codec will fix this problem.

Also, make sure you are setup to use VMR9 and not Overlay or Default.

For more information search the forums here for h264 hardware decoding.

[rhack1]

1) i am using a nvidia 6800 card...i checked the attached nvidia h.264 capabilities of this card...the line "h.264 decode acceleration" is checked for this card...however, the second line under high definition content says "H.264 Decode Acceleration with IDCT and CAVLC/CABAC" is not checked...i have no idea what that means...i assume the card can support it?...but let me ask you this, do i have to have a certain version of nvidia driver stuff to support h.264 acceleration...i beleive i am using the latest supported version that Dell offers...i am using nvidia driver 6.14.11.7824...

2) i am also using nvdia purevideo 1.02.196

3) i am attaching a dxdiag file that shows my codecs...i believe i have them set up ok...if anyone can read this and verify/make suggestions, please let me know...

4) vmr9 is selected

5) i have read hours thru this forum and have tried many things...but still no luck in lowering the cpu from 100% spiked...

i have to assume i have some combo of something not right...i just can't seem to find it?!?!...

thx for any help...

[Djc208]

I'm pretty sure you wand the IDCT capable decoders. These are the ones that do the full hardware decode. I think previous versions just do a small portion of the decode, not much more than with MPEG decoding.

With the right drivers and a more modern graphics card you should be able to do h.264 decode on the graphics card. Everything I've seen agrees that the dual core CPU is necessary with no hardware acceleration for h.264 files.

[rhack1]

ya know...i'm thinking the same...that the card i have isn't doing the hw decoding...factor that in with a Dell-frankensteined audio card that pushes back on the pentium cpu i can see why i'm spiking at 100%...

others that are in the know, pls feel free to chime in on whether my current nvidia geforce 6800 card which does not support "h.264 hardware decode acceleration w/ DCT and CAVLC/CABAC" is a primary reason to why my cpu spikes at 100% alllllll the time...

also, i am reading up on replacing this card with a nvidia 8800 gts 320mb card that is selling for under a $100 on newegg...this seems to be something that should work for h.264 recordings, nice sound like a 747 in my family room, etc, etc...i realize it's the older chip (r80 vs. r92 --- whatever that realllllly means)...but it seems well priced at should work for me...

any advice on this card and/or the crazed "DCT and CAVLC/CABAC" message would be appreciated...

R-

[Djc208]

Originally Posted by rhack1

also, i am reading up on replacing this card with a nvidia 8800 gts 320mb card that is selling for under a $100 on newegg...this seems to be something that should work for h.264 recordings, nice sound like a 747 in my family room, etc, etc...i realize it's the older chip (r80 vs. r92 --- whatever that realllllly means)...but it seems well priced at should work for me...

I'd make extra sure about the graphics card. If I remember correctly the early 8800 cards did not have the h.264 decode hardware because it wasn't ready yet and they figured anyone buying what (at the time of release) was a high end GPU would have a CPU fast enough to not need the hardware decode. In many cases the newer, chaper, lower end cards will do a better job for just video playback. Maybe a ATI 4650 or a step lower, or even the 3xxx series. Or the nVidia 9xxx. Some of these are even passively cooled.

[rhack1]

earlier in this post someone assisted with including an nvidia doc that lists various support items for each card...

looking at this comparison doc, it appears that the various 8600 GTS, 8600 GT, 8500 GT, have all the boxes checked...

the only differences in these charts are these two "features":

1) H.264 Decode Acceleration with IDCT and CAVLC/CABAC

2) VC-1/WMV Decode Acceleration with IDCT

i have no clue what they mean...

i even went to nvidia and used their "product selector" where there's an option for hd playback (blu-ray and hd-dvd) - but no reference to h.264...

i am trying to keep my cost low, b/c i only need the card for watching h.264 recordings from my hd-pvr...if the cost gets close to $200, i should probably buy an extender...

any help or suggestions are appreciated...

pls remember, i have an older dell 8400 with a power supply probably under 400watts and that it's single core (P4, 3.6ghz, 800 fsb)...so i need the card to do most/all of the decoding...

thank you...R

[cychou]

Originally Posted by rhack1

earlier in this post someone assisted with including an nvidia doc that lists various support items for each card...

looking at this comparison doc, it appears that the various 8600 GTS, 8600 GT, 8500 GT, have all the boxes checked...

the only differences in these charts are these two "features":

1) H.264 Decode Acceleration with IDCT and CAVLC/CABAC

This means full HA from your video card. See this link.

Originally Posted by rhack1

2) VC-1/WMV Decode Acceleration with IDCT

This means partial HA from your video card. Similar to the previous link, but only part of the work is done by the GPU.

Originally Posted by rhack1

i have no clue what they mean...

i even went to nvidia and used their "product selector" where there's an option for hd playback (blu-ray and hd-dvd) - but no reference to h.264...

i am trying to keep my cost low, b/c i only need the card for watching h.264 recordings from my hd-pvr...if the cost gets close to $200, i should probably buy an extender...

any help or suggestions are appreciated...

pls remember, i have an older dell 8400 with a power supply probably under 400watts and that it's single core (P4, 3.6ghz, 800 fsb)...so i need the card to do most/all of the decoding...

thank you...R

Even though you only need HA for h264 at the moment, Radeon HD 4550 can do full HA decoding for all three formats (mpeg2, vc-1, and H.264), and it is reasonably priced and silent. Therefore it is my recommendation for you.

[zoltran]

That 8800GTS will sound like a hurricane for sure... Gamer card, not for HomeTheater PC .
The new ATI cards like the one cychou recomended would be better.

[rhack1]

will the card recommended radeon hd 4550 support dual monitors?...i have an lcd computer monitor and my sony hdtv attached...i need to be able to use both monitors in a clone kind of way?...

with this card do you recommend 256mb or 512mb?...and specific brand?...

[Djc208]

The memory size shouldn't have a huge affect for video playback, however if you can get more for roughly the same money it doesn't hurt, especially if you plan on running dual monitors.

Most cards today support dual monitors. If the card has two video connections than it should support dual monitors.

I've never had a real preference for company, unless the reviews are horrible. Most are just reference designs with maybe a slightly different heat sink/fan design.