Problems with HD playback

[AzJazz]

Hi -

I have a new PC:

OS: WinXP SP2
CPU: Core i7 920
RAM: 6 GB 1600 DDR3 (WinXP sees only 3 GB)
GPU: MSI N285GTX-T2D1G-OC


When I play back certain HD content (in MPC-HC or Cyberlink PowerDVD8), I see blockiness/jumpy/jittery playback. Other HD files play back perfectly fine in both players.

However, I can stream the supposedly "bad" HD files to my TV (via SageTV), and the files play back perfectly.

I have DXVA enabled in both players, and my CPU utilization is approximately 1% - 2% when playing ... So I know my 285GTX is using hardware acceleration.

Can someone help me out?

Thanks,

AzJazz

[setarip_old]

Hi!When I play back certain HD content (in MPC-HC or Cyberlink PowerDVD8), I see blockiness/jumpy/jittery playback. Other HD files play back perfectly fine in both players.

1) What's the original source material for the problematic HD content? What software and procedures did you use to create the files that playback with problems? What is (are) the format(s) of the problematic file(s)?

2) What's the original source material for the non-problematic HD content? What software and procedures did you use to create the files that playback without problems? What is (are) the format(s) of the non-problematic file(s)?

[AzJazz]

Hi!

1) What's the original source material for the problematic HD content? What software and procedures did you use to create the files that playback with problems? What is (are) the format(s) of the problematic file(s)?

2) What's the original source material for the non-problematic HD content? What software and procedures did you use to create the files that playback without problems? What is (are) the format(s) of the non-problematic file(s)?

1) One of the "bad" files is a .m2ts ripped from a Blu-Ray using AnyDVD. Another is an HD .mpg file taken from a satellite broadcast data stream. I don't know the exact formats, since GraphEdit9 locks-up or says it can't create a graph when I try to get a graph of the files.

2) The non-problematic files were taken from satellite broadcasts and OTA TV broadcasts. GraphEdit does successfully create a graph for many (though, not all) of those files. The "good" files seem to be mostly MPEG-2 and .MKV files.

If this isn't the information you need, please let me know. I'm pretty new to this, and may need additional guidance.

BTW, this is a fairly new PC. I just clean-installed WinXP-SP2 + WMP11 + Cyberlink PowerDVD8 + MPC-HC about a week ago, so I haven't had a lot of time to skroo things up yet (I hope). I did just download a trial copy of CoreAVC to see if that would help, but I haven't figured out a way to get it to work.

Thanks!

AzJazz

[setarip_old]

this is a fairly new PC.Processing the types of files you're talking about requires a good amount of "horsepower". What CPU, what videocard, and how much RAM does this system have?

There is an "Information" radiobutton available from PowerDVD's floating menu (right-click anywhere within the playback area). Turning that on should result in an overlay display that includes video codec and playback rate, audio codec and sampling frequency and rate.

PowerDVD does a far better job of playing back "as BluRay disc" (create and mount an .ISO image or burn a disc) compared to playing an .M2Ts file from that disc.

I believe MPC-HC also has (from dropdown menus) the ability to display both video and audio information.

I just clean-installed WinXP-SP2 + WMP11WMP11 should be able to playback most, if not all, of the formats you've mentioned

**EDIT** Just re-read your initial post, stating that you have a 285GTX videocard

[AzJazz]

More information:

I have a Core i7 920 running @ 2.8 GHz (according to CPU-ID), and the MSI 285GTX (overclocked by MSI) + 3GB of 1600 DDR3, so I hope I have enough horsepower ... :-)

MPC-HC says that my .m2ts file is a WVC1 1920x1080 23.98 fps video format. Audio is Dolby AC3 48000 Hz, 6 Channel, 448 kbps.

MPC-HC reports a different problem file as MPEG4 (H.264) 1440x1080 29.97 fps video format. Audio is Dolby AC3 48000 Hz, 6 Channel, 384 kbps.

My HD MPEG-2 based files seem to play without problems.

[setarip_old]

MPC-HC says that my .m2ts file is a WVC1 1920x1080 23.98 fps video format. Audio is Dolby AC3 48000 Hz, 6 Channel, 448 kbps.As I suggested before, PowerDVD does a far better job of playing back "as BluRay disc" (create and mount an .ISO image or burn a disc) compared to playing an .M2Ts file from that disc. Try it.

BTW - What's the title and region of this BluRay disc? I ask because I've not seen any BluRay discs where the primary audio is only 448kbps...

[Snowknight26]

BTW - What's the title and region of this BluRay disc? I ask because I've not seen any BluRay discs where the primary audio is only 448kbps... [/Color]

There are plenty of them. Just because you haven't seem them doesn't mean they don't exist. avsforum.com should have all the info you need.

Also, out of curiosity, why do you always use blue text?

[AzJazz]

Maybe my best option would be to enable the CoreAVC codec that I am trying out. It did seem to fix things for one of the videos that I had problems with.

Can someone provide guidance on configuring MPC-HC (and hopefully, PowerDVD8 & WMP11) to utilize the CoreAVC codec?

Thanks again,

AzJazz

[setarip_old]

@AzJazz

1) I believe you'll find that PowerDVD relies ONLY upon its own codecs.

2) May I ask again, what's the title and region of this BluRay disc? I ask because I've not seen any BluRay discs where the primary audio is only 448kbps. On the other hand, it may be a title that I also have - in which case I'd be able to explore it directly...

[AzJazz]

@AzJazz
2) May I ask again, what's the title and region of this BluRay disc? I ask because I've not seen any BluRay discs where the primary audio is only 448kbps. On the other hand, it may be a title that I also have - in which case I'd be able to explore it directly...

setarip_old - It's the BBC "Planet Earth" Series, NA Region. I ripped it using AnyDVD to stream to my main TV (which doesn't have a Blu-Ray player yet ... waiting until they get quite a bit cheaper).

Does anyone know if I can configure MPC-HC to play the WVC1 and MPEG4 H.264 formats utilizing the CoreAVC codec?

AzJazz

[TinTime]

Does anyone know if I can configure MPC-HC to play the WVC1 and MPEG4 H.264 formats utilizing the CoreAVC codec?

You can't use CoreAVC for VC1 - the clue's in the name :)
Planet Earth is VC1 (I think) not AVC. For VC1 try WMVideo Decoder DMO in MPC-HC. Add it to External Filters and disable the VC1 decoders under Internal Filters.

[Snowknight26]

Planet Earth is VC1 (I think) not AVC.

A couple releases were 1080i AVC.

[TinTime]

A couple releases were 1080i AVC.

You're right - looks like the Discovery channel versions are AVC. However, AzJazz says he's got the BBC version which is VC1, according to here (http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/).

[AzJazz]

PowerDVD does a far better job of playing back "as BluRay disc" (create and mount an .ISO image or burn a disc) compared to playing an .M2Ts file from that disc.

I am seeing what you describe during playback: The .m2ts files are "jumpy", where a small video jump occurs about once a second. VERY annoying. Blu-Ray disc playback of the same video is perfectly smooth on PowerDVD8.

Why is this so? I would think that since the hard drive is faster than the DVD drive, the .m2ts file should play even better. Is some sort of time mark information being lost? I don't think so ... The same .m2ts ripped file plays back fine on my SageTV Media Extender.

[setarip_old]

@AzJazzI would think that since the hard drive is faster than the DVD drive, the .m2ts file should play even better.

Please carefully re-read what I said, as it has nothing to do with hard drive versus DVD drive.

If you create and mount an .ISO image file of a BluRay "package" on your hard drive, PowerDVD will do a better job of playing that back as compared to simply directly playing an .M2TS file from that BluRay "package"...

[AzJazz]

@AzJazz

Please carefully re-read what I said, as it has nothing to do with hard drive versus DVD drive.

If you create and mount an .ISO image file of a BluRay "package" on your hard drive, PowerDVD will do a better job of playing that back as compared to simply directly playing an .M2TS file from that BluRay "package"...

Ooops. Sorry! I did read that, but it didn't sink in.

It sucks, tho. I can only use the .m2ts files in order for me to stream to my TV via SageTV. I tried mapping my mounted .ISO image, but it wasn't readable by SageTV.

I guess I can't have my cake & eat it, too.

I'll just play the disk on my PC when I want to watch on my PC.

AzJazz

[setarip_old]

I tried mapping my mounted .ISO image, but it wasn't readable by SageTV.If you have the following Sage product, I believe (on the premise that an .ISO is an .ISO, is an .ISO) it should be able to accept BluRay .ISO image files for input: SageTV HD Theater Specifications

File formats supported: AVI, ASF, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 PS, MPEG-2 TS, M2TS, DVD ISO, DVD VIDEO_TS, VOB, M4A, MP3, FLAC, OGG, WAV, WMA

Video formats supported: MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XVID, H.264 up to 1080p, WMV9/VC-1 up to 1080p

Audio formats suppported: MP2, MP3, AAC, WMA, PCM, Vorbis (stereo only), AC3 (stereo down-mix/pass-through), FLAC, DTS (pass-through)

Media sources supported: Online Video, external USB Mass Storage Devices, NAS or Mac/PC over SMB/CIFS, UPnP, SageTV Media Center
Perhaps the problem lies with the mounting software you're using...

[AzJazz]

... I believe (on the premise that an .ISO is an .ISO, is an .ISO) it should be able to accept BluRay .ISO image files ...

I think that the premise is the problem. While an ".ISO" is an ".ISO", if the mounted .ISO image is an exact copy of the BR DVD, the directory format of a BluRay DVD isn't readable under WinXP (and thus, isn't readable by SageTV - yet). I think that if SageTV wants to sell their soul to Sony, they can buy the licenses to be able to read the BluRay directory structure and then be able to play BluRay DVDs. They do support the standard DVD .ISO format, though.