[mythtv-users] PIP unwatchable on i5-2400 built in HD2000

[stevenospam at gmail.com]

> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:44:56 -0500
> From: stevenospam
> To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> Subject: [mythtv-users] PIP unwatchable on i5-2400 built in HD2000
> 	GPU.	Would a GT730 GPU fix this?
> Message-ID: <31FEF5B7-78B0-48D4-8C18-BEEFFF041E75 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I am trying out MythTV for the first time.  Thank you to all the mythtv devs;  I see how long running this project is and it was pretty impressive how well the mythbuntu PPA set everything up without me doing much of anything.
> 
> I'm running the FE/BE on a Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Intel i5-2400 16GB RAM built in HD2000 graphics, version 0.27.6+fixes.20160209.5071dae-0ubuntu0mythbuntu4, installed via PPA, watching TV through HDHomerun Prime comcast 720p/1080i content.
> 
> Everything is working better than I expected.  Skip back/forward is incredibly responsive, fastest I've ever seen.
> 
> Even the de-interlacing which I had worried would be poor if I did not have a standalone GPU is working well enough for me.  Maybe the Mitsubishi DLP rear projector has a good enough de-interlacer, or my eyes just don't see it I don't know.
> 
> One small problem, does PIP require a certain level GPU? Whenever I bring up the PIP, both pictures become instantly unwatchable.   The sound and picture start stuttering terribly, with only a bit of audio every few seconds and likewise the picture only updates every few seconds or so. The CPU is unloaded however, only shows perhaps 20% CPU load and plenty of RAM available.
> 
> ls this a software problem or perhaps just a limitation of the built in GPU HD2000?    I had hoped and so far it had seemed I could get by without a standalone GPU card, but if PIP requires one and works well with one, I might get one if I knew that it would 100% fix the problem. Would this 1GB or 2GB GT730 fix the problem?
> 
> EVGA GeForce GT 730 2GB GDDR3 64-bit DVI/HMDI/VGA Low Profile Graphics Card 02G-P3-1733-KR
> EVGA GeForce GT 730 1GB GDDR3 64-bit DVI/HMDI/VGA Low Profile Graphics Card 01G-P3-1731-KR 
> 
> Thank you
> Steve
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 22
> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 14:10:04 -0800
> From: Karl Newman <newmank1 at asme.org>
> To: Discussion about MythTV <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] PIP unwatchable on i5-2400 built in HD2000
> 	GPU. Would a GT730 GPU fix this?
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAOOwNtJs26i5A3AQDq4QvEJig5_PMD7-7ZCgW=eNbZ1eiurT=Q at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> On Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 1:44 PM, stevenospam at gmail.com <
> stevenospam at gmail.com> wrote:
> Certainly an nVidia card *could* give you superior image quality (I can't
> comment on that specific card), but if you have no problems with what
> you're seeing now, then I'd stick with it. One thing to check is of you're
> using VAAPI. That is a video hardware acceleration profile which is
> supported by Intel chips (and some others). I don't remember exactly where
> it's at in the menus but it's called playback profiles. I think Mythbuntu
> should have already installed the necessary libraries for it to work. Give
> that a try; there's a good chance that PIP will work better.
> 
> Karl


Karl,
Thank you.   Under Current Video Playback profile, I have the setting set to "VAAPI Normal" and the problem persists.  I have also tried the "normal" setting, and it seems to make no difference either way.

Also, below is the output of 'vainfo':

$ vainfo
libva info: VA-API version 0.35.0
libva info: va_getDriverName() returns 0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_0_35
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
vainfo: VA-API version: 0.35 (libva 1.3.0)
vainfo: Driver version: Intel i965 driver - 1.3.0
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264High               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264High               : VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileVC1Simple              : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Main                : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Advanced            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileNone                   : VAEntrypointVideoProc


PIP is so completely non functional that neither of the 2 pictures become watchable as soon as PIP is enabled. Somehow enabling PIP taxes the computer so hard, despite the CPU being only 20% loaded, that the video only shows a few frames per second. Audio goes away for 3 seconds at a time, only re-appears for 1/4 of a second or less, then disappears for 3 seconds again.  As soon as I press V to disable PIP, the picture/audio quality returns to being fine.

Can anyone confirm that PIP is working fine for them?  Especially if you are using the HDHomerun Prime?

Thank you