[mythtv-users] CPU Utilization for video decode with PVR-250

[Paul de Bruin]

> For those of you that are using a PVR-250, I was wondering what your CPU 
> utilization was at while watching recordings/livetv?
> 
> I have a Dual P3-650, SB Live!, and an ATI Dual Head Radeon and my CPU 
> utilization is at about 55-65%(via top) when watching recordings/livetv. 
> I run all my recordings at 740x480 with bitrate=2.5M and 
> bitrate_peak=8M. I am not using Tv-out, the display resolution is set at 
> 1024x768, and dropping down to 800x600 does not reduce the CPU 
> utilization. Maybe I just have high expectations of the hardware... 
> anyone have any clues as to why my utilization is so high?

I have a P2-350/PVR-350/G400/Audigy combo. Rough figures are:

VIDEO:  MPEG2  480x480  (aspect 2)  25.00 fps  5000.0 kbps (625.0 kbyte/s)
42% cpu utilisation

VIDEO:  MPEG2  720x576  (aspect 2)  29.97 fps  16000.0 kbps (2000.0 kbyte/s)
100% with mplayer complaining about me having a slow system ;-).

The funny thing is that this machine can play just about any divx I can
throw at it with cpu utilisation never reaching 100%. Below I have added
mplayer's output when playing a PVR recorded stream and a divx on my
machine. Apparently, the mpeg2 stream is not fully supported by mplayer. 

Anyway, 
Hope this is helpful,
PdB

-------------------------------

MPEG-PS file format detected.
VIDEO:  MPEG2  720x576  (aspect 2)  29.97 fps  16000.0 kbps (2000.0
kbyte/s)
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3
MP3lib: init layer2&3 finished, tables done
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, 16 bit (0x10), ratio: 48000->192000 (384.0 kbit)
Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm:mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3)
==========================================================================
vo: X11 running at 1280x1024 with depth 24 and 32 bpp (":0.0" => local
display)
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [mpegpes] MPEG 1/2 Video passthrough
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 576 (preferred csp: Mpeg PES)
Could not find matching colorspace - retrying with -vop scale...
Opening video filter: [scale]
The selected video_out device is incompatible with this codec.
VDecoder init failed :(
Opening video decoder: [libmpeg2] MPEG 1/2 Video decoder v2.0
libmpeg2: Using MMX for IDCT transform
libmpeg2: Using MMX for motion compensation
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 576 (preferred csp: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [xmga] 720x576 => 768x576 Planar YV12 
[mga] Using 3 buffers.
Selected video codec: [mpeg12] vfm:libmpeg2 (MPEG 1 or 2 (libmpeg2))

------------------------------------------

AVI file format detected.
VIDEO:  [MP42]  480x360  24bpp  29.97 fps  921.6 kbps (112.5 kbyte/s)
Clip info:
Software: Nandub v1.0rc2
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3
MP3lib: init layer2&3 finished, tables done
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, 16 bit (0x10), ratio: 16000->176400 (128.0 kbit)
Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm:mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3)
==========================================================================
vo: X11 running at 1280x1024 with depth 24 and 32 bpp (":0.0" => local
display)
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffmp42] vfm:ffmpeg (FFmpeg M$ MPEG-4 v2)
==========================================================================
Starting playback...
VDec: vo config request - 480 x 360 (preferred csp: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is undefined - no prescaling applied.
VO: [xmga] 480x360 => 480x360 Planar YV12 
[mga] Using 3 buffers.