[mythtv-users] XvMC - Nvidia isssues?

[Matthew Daubenspeck]

On 22/01/06, Dan Seddon <dan.seddon at framestore-cfc.com> wrote:
> > Hi
> > This is my first post to the list after getting my system up and
> > running. I have a Mythtv setup which I'm really pleased with it's 95%
> > perfect! However - that remaining 5% is always worth persuing so... I'm
> > using XvMC which means my Athlon XP 1600 trundles away at 15% usage
> > whilst playing DVB-T (standard definition PAL) video. This has 3 issues
> > which reading through the list have been mentioned on and off - but I
> > haven't found all the answers.
> >
> > First off - the menus become monochrome, which isn't a biggy and worth
> > putting up with for the performance gain (but it would be nice to know
> > if this is preventable).
> >
> > Secondly the menus cause the video to jump when they appear, which can
> > be very distracting -  this has been mentioned a lot on the list from
> > what I can see. Hopefully I have something useful to add here.... I have
> > Quadro FX500 card (don't ask why I'm sticking such an expensive card in
> > a PVR box) and I found enabling overlays ( |Option "Overlay" "true")
> > |gets rid of this problem - this is listed as a quadro only option and
> > I'd be interested to know if anyone has success with this option using a
> > non-quadro card, as I could then sell it as I've been intending to do.....
> >
> > Lastly the problem which I count as my final 5% - I have an issue with
> > some programs where the video stutters (the video may stutter in time
> > too, but it's hard to tell when your ears are hurting). It's been a
> > complete bafflement to me as it happens on only some programs (not
> > channels) and non of the configurations I've tried get rid of it (other
> > than diabling XvMC) - playing the same .nuvs with mplayer reveals that
> > the only unique characteristic of these recording seems to be that the
> > audio is at 256 kbits, whereas most of the other recording I have are at
> > 192... I haven't been very scientific in checking it - but it seems to
> > be consistant, having checked a few recordings. It happens to about 1 in
> > 5 recordings, or maybe less, at the moments - but is fustrating as I
> > have to go in to my options and reconfigure everytime I want to watch
> > such a recording. I've only seen this issue posted once by a guy who
> > said he was using the via equivalent of XvMC (I haven't found his post
> > again - as it was a while ago) - which might be important as is implies
> > it isn't a driver problem (I get the same issue when running the
> > frontend on my laptop with a completely different sound card and older
> > Quadro card). Is anyone else familier with this problem? I'm in the UK -
> > where we don't have HDTV yet, so I can't be that my systems overwhelmed
> > by what I'm throwing at it?

I was having the EXACT same issues with my standard PVR-250. If I
disabled the XvMC it would jump and stutter, but enabling it messed up
the menus. I was running the nvidia version 8178 and downgrading to
7676 solved it all.

-- 
  Matthew Daubenspeck
  http://www.oddprocess.org

Gentoo Linux 2.6.14-gentoo-r5 x86_64 AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 2800+
15:46:23 up 6 days, 1:30, 2 users, load average: 0.14, 0.08, 0.10