[mythtv-users] VDPAU playback stuttering when XvMC playback is just fine?

[Dave Johansen]

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 12:25 AM, Paul Gardiner <lists at glidos.net> wrote:
> Richard Shaw wrote:
>>
>> On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:38 PM, Dave Johansen <davejohansen at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I'm using Avenard's VDPAU packages on a clean install of Mythbuntu
>>> 9.04 with a GeForce 8200 and when I use VDPAU playback the video
>>> occasionally stutters and the audio will drop out every once in a
>>> while, but if I switch to the CPU-- playback profile using XvMC, then
>>> it plays just fine. Do I have something setup incorrectly? Or is my
>>> hardware just not up to the task or something?
>>>
>>> If it matters, I have the Bob 2x deinterlacer selected as the primary
>>> deinterlacer in both setups.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Dave
>>
>> I had a similar issue with my 8400GS. I was told to try and disable
>> "Realtime priority" if enabled. Worked for me. Also make sure you have
>> extra audio buffering turned on.
>
> That's interesting. I had problems with MythTv before where
> stuttering occurred when I was choosing the playback option
> that most used hardware and least used the CPU. In my case,
> it was SD playback on a VIA based board; use of xvmc-vld caused
> stuttering, whereas xvmc or software decode was ok.
>
> Also, if you don't use the "extra audio buffering" option, then
> stuttering occurs at fades where the decode gets easy.
>
> I think MythTv has a scheduling problem when frame decodes take
> a very short time.
>
> Paul.

OK, so if I use the CPU-- option, then the stuttering appears to go
away, but then when I open up the EPG, everything freezes up and takes
forever to respond to key presses. And if I use VDPAU, then the
stuttering happens quite frequently and there's no preview in the EPG
(I understand that this is a limitation in the driver being able to
decode only 1 stream and the channel playing stays in the background
of the guide).

Obviously, freezing up is not an option, so VDPAU seems like the way
to go, but my wife has been complaining about how annoying the
stuttering is (which is understandable), so does anyone have any
suggestions on what I can do to fix this? I've tried the recommended
settings in this thread up to this point, but nothing seems to have
fixed the issue.

The real issue is that I just ditched our old Dish DVR this past
weekend because I thought I had everything working and if I can't fix
this soon, then I'm probably going to have to do the unthinkable and
switch to Windows Media Center.

Dave