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MediaPortal 1 + Reclock: Is it possible to get playback without dropped frames?

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tputkonen

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I use MediaPortal 1 with the latest Reclock. Multi-channel audio is decoded to PCM by AC3Filter, and then encoded to AC3 using Reclock. Display mode is 1080p24, and video material I watch is mostly H.264 720p24. I use XP with VMR9, HDMI output integrated in motherboard (780G/ATI HD3200) and have AMD X2 6000+ CPU. MPEG4 codec is CoreAVC.

My issue is, that even though Reclock's icon is green and it seems to be happy, occasionally - about once in a a couple of seconds - a single frame is dropped in the video playback. This is easy to see during pans. It can also be seen by activating the tearing test, when the vertical bar jumps a little.

I don't have an anti-virus program running in the background, and I the CPU is typically utilized only 25%.

Is there something I could try in order to get perfect playback with no dropped frames?
 
Me too. it happen occasionally .
I encode ac3 audio strea with Mpa decoder (the MP default , try it).
I 've Vista and evr+aero. The h.264 720p material is decoded by graphic card in dxva2 mode (an ati 3850, hdmi output, 2-3% of cpu occupation).
Try the hw decoding with xp+vrm9 using mpc decoder.
My display mode is 50HZ because i've a Panasonic PV60 plasma. it have not a 24P mode :( only 50 and 60HZ. so reclock in my system (for 23,976 material) speed up the audio to 25 fps.

so try:

1) change ac3 filter to mpa decoder
2) switch to a dxva decoding with mpc decoder

edit: I'm thinking to upgrade my htpc with an audio card with encoding features Dolby Digital live or DTS Interactive. as Asus Xonar or Auzentech Xplosion.
 
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sounds like your display converts internally to 60Hz anyhow....use MPC HC's/Reclock's tearing tests, and watch out for any stuttering in 24/25/48/50/60Hz
 
My display works in 24p (Panasonic PT-AX200). It seems that a single frame is dropped once every few seconds. It can only be seen during scrolling titles or panning in a movie.

I can't use DxVA in MediaPortal because I want to use subtitles.

Btw, in addition to my current setup, I used Reclock with my older motherboard and video adapter, and also then I experienced the same thing.
 
I did some additional testing:

- I installed NVidia GeForce 6200 and used MediaPortal with ReClock
- I used 780G with MediaPortal, without ReClock
- MPC-HC without ReClock, 780G

All of those gave the same result: display skips one frame every 1-5 seconds. I am clueless what could cause this. Some kind of DMA related issue?

Btw, I have two displays connected to the PC, the projector is connected to HDMI, and a CRT TV is connected to VGA using VGA-SCART adapter. PowerStrip is used to adjust VGA mode to PAL50.

I've tried to use HDMI as primary or secondary display, but also this setting didn't cause any difference.
 
Try using the Beliyaal build of MPC-HC and look at its stats screen. It might give you more info on what is happening. Although he has promised a new version after this weekend and it might be better to wait for that.

Does sound odd that you get the same with and without Reclock, what Reclock settings are you using?

Have you tried with just your pj connected?
 
Jong said:
Try using the Beliyaal build of MPC-HC and look at its stats screen. It might give you more info on what is happening. Although he has promised a new version after this weekend and it might be better to wait for that.

Does sound odd that you get the same with and without Reclock, what Reclock settings are you using?

Have you tried with just your pj connected?
Click to expand...

I just disabled TV screen, didn't help.

Attached are screenshots of my configuration. I also included two log files (.zip because of their size), one is showing case where MediaPortal was using VMR9 in exclusive mode, the other one VMR9 without exclusive mode.

Without exlusive mode, there is a lot of tearing in the picture, in addition to the stutter. When MP is using exlusive mode, there is never tearing, just stutter.

I also tried to enable and disable "wait for vertical refresh" in ATI's 3D settings, but didn't see any change.

What a mystery. Thanks for your help.
 

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I do not use MediaPortal, but I would certainly try disabling vsync in VMR9. If MediaPortal is doing it's own vsync correction then having both can cause a "rolling sync" that can cause exactly the stutter you describe. The thing that argues against that is you say you saw exactly the same behaviour without Reclock. Still, it is worth a try to see if it is different.

Try MPC-HC to see if it different. if it is not, try the Beliyaal build and look at the stats screen to see if you can see it stutter (in the jitter chart) and maybe grab a screen shot with the stats screen when it is stuttering so we can take a look.

Also try MPC-HC with both CoreAVC and with the built in DXVA decoder.

Sorry there is no easy answer. A process of elimination is needed.
 
Actually.... Your logs look odd.

I am not an expert in spotting all the details. It might be easier if you could grab a screenshot of the reclock properties screen when a video is playing (or James, or someone else might chip in!). Are you forcing speedup to 24Hz from 23.976? Or have you forced "24Hz" timings on your TV. That could be your problem. "24p" is normally actually "23.976p", "24p" is just a shorthand, and if you speed up the video your TV may actually be dropping frames. Doesn't totally fit the facts as you would not get a drop ever 1-5 seconds with that difference, but who knows what the TV would do.

Also, I don't understand all the "monitor change check" messages in the log. That looks odd and troubling but it may be just my ignorance!
 
@tputkonen

Do you use Media Portal with Ati card. on primary screen or
secondary one?
 
Jong, red5goahead,

I really appreciate your effort. I'm certain I'm not the only one having this kind of issues.

I tried Beliyaal's build of MPC-HC. Screencaps of statistics attached with internal decoder and core-avc. In both cases there was tearing and stutter comparable to what I experience with MediaPortal. Dropped frames occured right in the beginning of playback so you can ignore those.

I've also included a screencap of Reclock status screen when the media is playing.

It doesn't seem to make any difference if video projector is set as primary or secondary screen.
 

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Sorry, they are not the "stats" screens I meant (I was not clear :eek:). Play your video fullscreen and hit <cntl-j> then capture a screen when it is juddering. Hopefully you will also see the spikes in the jitter graph that will be on screen.

Have you tried without Reclock vsync correction?

I am not happy with Reclock reporting 24Hz refresh rate. I would expect 23.976Hz (or very close), Are you forcing this in the driver or is ATI using timings it gets from the EDID? It could be the pj dropping frames (The MPC-HC jitter screen should tell us that).
 
@tputkonen

Can you set your tv monitor to 48 HZ or 72 HZ. I read several post in several forum about 24 HZ refresh rate.

what monitor and graphic card do you have (brand included).

I've a 50 HZ refresh rate whit an Asus Ati HD3850. no tearing at all. reclock work fine. I use Media Portal with Windows Vista and EVR.
my issue: I would to set off the Aero but Evr without it reclock can't fix the vsynch.

note: my correct position for vsycn is this:



have you tried to move vsynch cursor to the right . I spent a lot of time
to found my vysnch correct position...
 
red5goahead said:
@tputkonen

Can you set your tv monitor to 48 HZ or 72 HZ. I read several post in several forum about 24 HZ refresh rate.

what monitor and graphic card do you have (brand included).

I've a 50 HZ refresh rate whit an Asus Ati HD3850. no tearing at all. reclock work fine. I use Media Portal with Windows Vista and EVR.
my issue: I would to set off the Aero but Evr without it reclock can't fix the vsynch.

note: my correct position for vsycn is this:



have you tried to move vsynch cursor to the right . I spent a lot of time
to found my vysnch correct position...
Click to expand...
You are using a different OS and renderer. he needs to verify what, if anything, VMR9 is doing about vsync before turning on Reclock's. As you say, even EVR is different depending on Aero And in MPC-HC whether you choose EVR or EVR CP. Turning on vsync correction if the player also tries to fix it (even if badly) will lead to more serious problems, in particular "rolling sync" with periodic stutter - just what he describes.

But 24Hz also looks wrong. For example, if a standalone fed 24Hz to his TV and the original bitstreamed 23.976Hz audio to an AV amp they would drift out of sync (unless LPCM).
 
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Jong: "Play your video fullscreen and hit <cntl-j> then capture a screen when it is juddering."

View->Render Settings->Display Stats (cntl-j) is grayed out on MPC-HC. Which settings should I use in order to enable stats? I tried with both internal and coreavc codecs, but in vain.

Have you tried without Reclock vsync correction?

Just tried that as well, nothing changed.

I am not happy with Reclock reporting 24Hz refresh rate. I would expect 23.976Hz (or very close), Are you forcing this in the driver or is ATI using timings it gets from the EDID? It could be the pj dropping frames (The MPC-HC jitter screen should tell us that).

I'm not forcing anything, but I have selected 1080p24 in ATI CCC. I've understood that this really is exactly 24 Hz. Under XP it's not possible to use 23.976 with ATI's drivers.

red5goahead:
what monitor and graphic card do you have (brand included).

PT-AX200 projector with HDMI, I'm using integrated 780g chipset ATI card.
 
tputkonen said:
Jong: "Play your video fullscreen and hit <cntl-j> then capture a screen when it is juddering."

View->Render Settings->Display Stats (cntl-j) is grayed out on MPC-HC. Which settings should I use in order to enable stats? I tried with both internal and coreavc codecs, but in vain.
Click to expand...
Try Option/Output and select VMR9(renderless) or EVR/EVR CP. I think all of those should work.
 
You are playing a video when you try this aren't you? :confused:
 
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