I am using an old computer as an HTPC on a standard def tube TV. Last night I tried playing back two different 720p videos and it was super choppy the entire time. I am using win 7, playing back with VLC, video was .mkv. The computer is an AMD 3500+ (2.2ghz single core) and a 7600gt w/ 2gb ram. Is this realy not enough to playback 720p even at standard def? Could VLC be the issue?
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Choppy 720p playback
- Thread starter ep3w
- Start date
VLC doesn't have hardware acceleration. Try it with Media Player Classic: Home Cinema.
However, I'm not too sure if the 3500+ and the 7600GT has the strength to push 720 and 1080 effectively. I'll leave that for someone else to answer. My HTPC in my sig is the first I've used to do high def video, so I don't know where the lowest hardware threshold is.
However, I'm not too sure if the 3500+ and the 7600GT has the strength to push 720 and 1080 effectively. I'll leave that for someone else to answer. My HTPC in my sig is the first I've used to do high def video, so I don't know where the lowest hardware threshold is.
I guess I have two options, upgrade or is there a way to reencode (correct word?) the videos to standard def? Preferably with something free. Or would something like this work?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4387021&CatId=3670 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187035
I don't want to spend anymore than that since this is such an old machine. I need the s-video and that 7600gt is really loud so I have been looking at passively cooled cards. Would this support hardware acceleration? If it does, would the combination be enough for 720p/1080p videos? 1080 would be nice if I get a new tv in the future.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4387021&CatId=3670 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187035
I don't want to spend anymore than that since this is such an old machine. I need the s-video and that 7600gt is really loud so I have been looking at passively cooled cards. Would this support hardware acceleration? If it does, would the combination be enough for 720p/1080p videos? 1080 would be nice if I get a new tv in the future.
Your CPU might be fine if you have a PCI-E slot motherboard. Grab a low cost Geforce 210 which cost around $45-50 and you should be able to watch h.264 MKV with ease.
It would save you a lot of time and headaches in the long run.
I just looked at the 210 and while it looks like a good solution, did not see any on newegg or tiger with s-video support. I have a vga->svideo adapter, but it sucks and all the settings are reset any time it loses power so I would like to avoid it. If I understand correctly, if i were to get a new tv I could always use the dvi output anyways for it, so I wouldn't miss the hdmi besides audio.
CrimandEvil
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I'm not entirely sure how getting a new TV would solve your problem, you need a new video card regardless of how it's hooked up. Maybe I just read that wrong, but yes. HDMI (for the most part, in this conversation) is just DVI without the audio.
sirmonkey1985
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how come you are even watching 720p with svideo? its automatically converted to 480x320.. its pretty much useless to try and watch them..the only way a 3500+ could run 720p is by overclocking it to 2.5ghz.. then it will run 720p.. and the 7600GT doesnt have cuda so using MPC-HC wont make a difference..
sure you can re-encode it to 480p xvid but i still dont see the point in doing that playing the movie at 480x320(which is 320p) so 1. id recommend building a new system.. 2. get a tv that supports 720p or 1080p..
sure you can re-encode it to 480p xvid but i still dont see the point in doing that playing the movie at 480x320(which is 320p) so 1. id recommend building a new system.. 2. get a tv that supports 720p or 1080p..
I am just thinking in advance for the future. If I upgrade the card now, then later down the line end up with a new tv, I want to have a solution that would work well for both.
The video came in 720p, so there is no standard def option. I do realize 720p is pointless on a standard def set, which is why I am ok with re-encoding to lower. I am just wondering if re-encoding will fix the performance issue. Is there a recommended free software that I can use to re-eoncode and try that?
Why the hell are you watching 720p video over SVIDEO anyway? What is the point.
re encode it to divx at 480p
If you can upgrade your video card to something that supports hardware x264 decoding, you should have no problem playing 720 or 1080 video and outputting it at any resolution (svideo included). But, looking at the 210 cards listed on NCIX, I don't see any that specify having a VIVO port (which you can attach a dongle to that includes an SVideo port). Maybe they've stopped putting a video encoder on these cards? At any rate, that may be your stumbling point, you'll have to look for an x264 capable card that has SVideo out and you should be good to go.
Dustin
Dustin
The 210 is a hardware-acceleration capable video card.
720p content (actual 1280x720 stuff) is relatively easy to play on a machine like the OP listed; if Atoms in Netbooks with not much acceleration off an Intel GMA chip can do it, his machine can but it's going to need a wee bit of help with a better media player (MPC-HC is the recommendation I give) and proper setup so the DXVA kicks in. The OP may still have issues with 1080 content, however, because it requires a fuckton more processing power than simplistic 720 encodings do. A lot more.
As noted above, trying to output 720p over an S-Video connection is truly a bad idea. S-Video was created to be used with standard video at 720x480 resolution (for the most part) with a max of what, 800x600 and that's pushing it. If you want to watch actual 720p content on a TV or HDTV you're going to need to do it better with HDMI or some kind of streaming device like the Western Digital TV thing or whatever it's called.
And x264 is an encoder - it is not a codec. h.264 is the codec, files are encoded with x264 (the encoder) and the result is a file in the h.264 format. Movies that matter, or get streamed, will be in the h.264 format (the codec) and could have been created by x264 (the encoder) or some other h.264 encoder (there are more than just one out there). It helps to get the terminology correct when you're answering questions for 2 good reasons:
1) So you're correct and the person getting the info doesn't have to come back and say "Hey, you told me the wrong thing and it made me look like a dufus" and...
2) So you don't look like a dufus.
720p content (actual 1280x720 stuff) is relatively easy to play on a machine like the OP listed; if Atoms in Netbooks with not much acceleration off an Intel GMA chip can do it, his machine can but it's going to need a wee bit of help with a better media player (MPC-HC is the recommendation I give) and proper setup so the DXVA kicks in. The OP may still have issues with 1080 content, however, because it requires a fuckton more processing power than simplistic 720 encodings do. A lot more.
As noted above, trying to output 720p over an S-Video connection is truly a bad idea. S-Video was created to be used with standard video at 720x480 resolution (for the most part) with a max of what, 800x600 and that's pushing it. If you want to watch actual 720p content on a TV or HDTV you're going to need to do it better with HDMI or some kind of streaming device like the Western Digital TV thing or whatever it's called.
And x264 is an encoder - it is not a codec. h.264 is the codec, files are encoded with x264 (the encoder) and the result is a file in the h.264 format. Movies that matter, or get streamed, will be in the h.264 format (the codec) and could have been created by x264 (the encoder) or some other h.264 encoder (there are more than just one out there). It helps to get the terminology correct when you're answering questions for 2 good reasons:
1) So you're correct and the person getting the info doesn't have to come back and say "Hey, you told me the wrong thing and it made me look like a dufus" and...
2) So you don't look like a dufus.
Yeah I should have been more correct What OP is looking for is a video card with hardware h.264 playback/decoding. I guess he should be able to playback 720p with ffdshow, that I believe is what MPC-HC uses by default for h.264. CoreAVC might be another option, seems to use alot less CPU than ffdshow, but some have also said that it noticeably reduces output quality, though outputting to S-Video it might just not matter. OP I think said that their source material is in 720p, and that's all that's available. It's obviously better to output 720p with DVI/HDMI or Component, and if the OPs display supports a better input than S-Video they should definetly make use of it, even Component at 480i is better. But if the display isn't capable, and they just want to be able to see it, without the trouble of recoding it at a lower resolution, outputting to S-Video seems like a decent option to me. S-Video is still a perfectly watchable video standard, gives a stable picture within it's limitations, which are nowhere near 800x600 resolved pixels but most video cards with S-Video outputs do allow that resolution to be sent to the video encoder. But these encoders seem to be absent from most new video cards as far as I can see, I wonder if this means the end of Component outputs as well? Thank goodness my aging Sony Trinitron CRT has a DVI port on it, one of the first TVs to do so I think. HDCP even Anyway thanks for the correction on the h.264 thing.
Dustin
What OP is looking for is a video card with hardware h.264 playback/decoding. I guess he should be able to playback 720p with ffdshow, that I believe is what MPC-HC uses by default for h.264. CoreAVC might be another option, seems to use alot less CPU than ffdshow, but some have also said that it noticeably reduces output quality, though outputting to S-Video it might just not matter. OP I think said that their source material is in 720p, and that's all that's available. It's obviously better to output 720p with DVI/HDMI or Component, and if the OPs display supports a better input than S-Video they should definetly make use of it, even Component at 480i is better. But if the display isn't capable, and they just want to be able to see it, without the trouble of recoding it at a lower resolution, outputting to S-Video seems like a decent option to me. S-Video is still a perfectly watchable video standard, gives a stable picture within it's limitations, which are nowhere near 800x600 resolved pixels but most video cards with S-Video outputs do allow that resolution to be sent to the video encoder. But these encoders seem to be absent from most new video cards as far as I can see, I wonder if this means the end of Component outputs as well? Thank goodness my aging Sony Trinitron CRT has a DVI port on it, one of the first TVs to do so I think. HDCP even Anyway thanks for the correction on the h.264 thing. Dustin
Dangman
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The ATI HD 4350 that you chose is a good enough choice. Pair with MPC-HC or any video player that support hardware accelerated playback and you'll be set.
+1 on the HD4350 after having a good look at it. S-Video out and all the hardware video decoding goodness you need to take all the heavy lifting off that CPU. And a darn good deal. Don't know how loud the cooling is on it though. Might be possible to put an aftermarket passive cooler on if you don't need the adjoining slots for anything else.
Dustin
Dustin
Thanks for the suggestions. I will try out MPC-HC and coreAVC first just to give it a shot. If not I may just re-encode to lower res since all I care about is seeing it. Any program anyone can suggest to do it? If those don't work I may try the hd4350, it would be nice with the passive cooler also.
Uncle Humjaba
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Maybe I got a ringer, but I had no trouble watching 1080p MKV files on my old rig... Athlon64 3200+ (2ghz) with a 256mb 7600GT. I believe I used SageTV with nVidia PureVideo decoder to play them.
CrimandEvil
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Uh, Purevideo doesn't handle HD content. Purevideo is strictly DVD content and only works on XP.
Uncle Humjaba
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