Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC-HC) - DXVA!

[flanger216]

I second that WASAPI / KS / ASIO audio support would be a *big* improvement, not only for audiophiles, but presumably for jitter / sync issues. It would also invalidate my need for Reclock, which would be... nice.

Support for .AOB and MLP files would be frankly awesome. I'm baffled as to how it would add 'bloat' just because it falls outside some narrowly defined purpose of MPC-HC. DVD-Audios are media just like any video (and are completely unsupported in Foobar, for what it's worth), and basic playback support for them would do nothing but make MPC-HC even more useful. Of course, SACD support is moot, as it's simply impossible.

I do agree that caution is preferable when it comes to redesigning the GUI. The best aspects of MPC-HC are that you don't have to install it and that the whole package is under 4MB. Maybe we should set a stipulation that the display can be modernized and fancified as much as possible, so long as it still comes in under ~5MB and still doesn't require a formal installation?

[darthfrueder]

I had a look at mplayrc and zoomplayer's OSD. It looks like mplayer has a minimalistic text-based non-configurable OSD, it does not look good enough to me. Zoomplayer has a very feature-rich (or shall I say bloated?) OSD. You can do a lot there: open files, browse the media library, change audio/sub tracks, etc. Still it would not be perfect for my personal taste. So I have decided to make simple use cases and share them with you.

First things first: who is going to use the OSD? Who is our actor? I would call him "a couch potato with a remote". I personally would not use OSD if I have a keyboard at hand, whould you? Also it is predominantly fullscreen OSD, maybe we even should make it fullscreen only OSD? Two main goals while being a good potato are: get all information required and perform all actions needed without leaving the couch. So let's be more imaginative:

Info
I would prefer to configure my own info screens using tags (%time_remaining%, %fps%) for example:
* only remaining time and current time
* extended full screen info on the playing file: codec, bitrate, is dxva on/off, etc (makes your missus mad at you :D)

At the same time you would be able to configure you own screens and display any other subsets and link them to any info you prefer.
I would also do not mind seeing play/pause/ff/rew messages, but if you do mind then you can switch them off or display the remaing time, or any other subset you choose.
For those who doesn't care we'll prepare a nice convinient default subset.


Actions
I would like to be able to
- open a file from the list
- choose an audio track from the list
- choose a subtitle track from the list

I am indecisive on the following things:
- jitter graph (I like it, but the missus can go really :angry:)
- volume level indicators (some like, but I don't care)
- nice icons you can browse usning arrows and choose an action like "play" (I have predefined buttons on my remote, but some ... )

I need more opinions. Please, tell me what OSD would you like to see on your tv. One needs to think hard before moving to the couch, or one is not going to become a happy :D potato !

[Octo-puss]

If you're using ffdshow to decode WMVx/VC-1 make sure it's properly configured in the codecs section. If you have both x86 and x64 versions of ffdshow installed make sure you have opened the correct one. When you mouse over "Video Decoder Configuration" the tooltip should say "rundll32 (C:\windows\sysWOW64)" for the x86 version and "rundll32 (C:\windows\system32)" for the x64 version. The two versions don't share the same settings.

I got all set to libavcodec. Tried both 32 and 64bit. No luck.
Shall I disable all internal filters maybe?

[Rille]

Any chance of seeing an updated build using the EVR-CP changes that was made by Beliyaal? With the testbuild posted i finally get jitterfree smooth video in D3D. Only problem is the constant tearing and menu not working in D3Dfullscreen. A fix of those two and i have a keeper =)

I hope the interfacechanges won't get too fancy. MPC-HC has a wonderful interface as it is: clear, fast and no bloat.

[Beliyaal]

Any chance of seeing an updated build using the EVR-CP changes that was made by Beliyaal? With the testbuild posted i finally get jitterfree smooth video in D3D. Only problem is the constant tearing and menu not working in D3Dfullscreen. A fix of those two and i have a keeper =)

I hope the interfacechanges won't get too fancy. MPC-HC has a wonderful interface as it is: clear, fast and no bloat.

I have a few issues that I'm working on with the EVR-Custom renderer. When those are done I will release a new build for you to test. Hopefully sometime this week.

[tetsuo55]

I did some limited (s)vcd testing.

MPC-HC can play the movies, but none of the menu's work.
At least one sample causes mpc-HC to crash, another sample actually took down the dvd-drive with it.(had to do a hard-reboot)


In comparison VLC was able to play the discs problemfree, it even had limited menu support in the form of rightclick actions.

It seems that the only available program that fully supports ALL features of VCD and SVCD is WinDVD

MPC-HC is also not able to select left/right audio track , VCD often have 1 stereo audio track where each mono channel is a different language

[Casimir666]

Priority should be given to the MKV splitter, that one needs the most work.
Matroska splitter should be improved for sure, but since Haali is a good alternative it not a short term issue.

Another important thing which some poster brought up a few months ago, DirectShow is deprecated on Vista and Win7, it might not even be available on the next version of Windows. MPC-HC might need to support Media Foundation in the future when that happens.
I have already have a look over Media Foundation, and i'm not sure it can replace DirectShow before long! It seems to me this API was added because of DRM, but my overall impression was an "unfinished API"...

Why does everything have to be done by the internal splitters and decoders? If there's a perfect, free and well supported splitter/decoder out there for a specific format, why putting the burdon on the MPC HC developers to reinvent the wheel?
I aggree not to re-invent the wheel, but having splitter + decoder + renderer out of the box for most common video format is one of the goal. Don't forget that i rename the project mpc-homecinema, which mean "support for HD media". There is few open source player with M2TS/DXVA support ;)

[wiak]

I disagree with bmnot: not another tray icon...
We already have one for haali and two for ffdshow, we don't need a fourth one with mpc.

Feature request: Tray icon for switching video/audio/subtitle streams (like Haali).

just use haali icon for that :P
and mpc has a icon you can enable it in Options > Player > Other > Tray icon
and right click on the icon and then Navigate > Audio Language

[clsid]

Maybe you can give me a hint what am I doing wrong. I installed Vista without WMP and despite the fact I have installed and properly configured FFDShow, I cannot play wmv files at all. I am getting the cannot rended the file error. What gives?
ffdshow is only a decoder, not a source filter.

You need to install the Windows Media Format Runtime.

[tetsuo55]

I
* Stability -> fix random freezing (deadlocks) when opening files
* Bring existing internal decoders up to par with ffdshow (e.g. some H.264 fixes that ffdshow has)


Could you post these on the bugtracker/here?

If the dev's know what to look for at least the internal decoder fixes should be quick.

[clsid]

Casimir already knows about them.

[ADude]

Matroska splitter should be improved for sure, but since Haali is a good alternative it not a short term issue.

I don't think that Haali is a good alternative.

It has numerous bugs and infrequent releases.

Ironically, MPC-HC has duplicated ffdshow, despite ffdshow being a much bigger and more reliable project than Haali.

[STaRGaZeR]

I don't think that Haali is a good alternative.

It has numerous bugs and infrequent releases.

And no 64bit love.

[flanger216]

Ironically, MPC-HC has duplicated ffdshow, despite ffdshow being a much bigger and more reliable project than Haali.

This is a good point, and one I've been thinking about recently. It seems that MPC-HC is becoming more and more like 'FFDshow with renderers and splitters,' even to the point that post-processing filters might be added in the future. Except, of course, MPC-HC will never match FFDshow in terms of sheer flexibility and power.

It's kind of redundant. I don't know about anyone else, but I immediately disable all of MPC-HC's interal software-decoders and simply use FFDshow instead. On the other hand, I'd argue MPC-HC's real strength lies in its DXVA capabilities, something FFDshow could (most likely) never match.

So... maybe, ideally, FFDshow could somehow be integrated into MPC-HC (but kept programmatically separate, so power uses could independently update it), such that the FFDshow folks could perfect the software-decoding side of things, and the MPC-HC folks could perfect the splitters, DXVA and rendering side of things.

Of course, I myself am not much of a programmer, and I happily and graciously accept anything the MPC-HC devs contribute ;)

[moshmothma]

I have made a long-term goal for MPC-HC

If any part of what i mentioned below already works perfectly in MPC-HC please let me know and i will mark that part as reached.



You guys really rock! I definitely appreciate what you do.

The biggest difference between the other standard directshow proggies out right now (zoomplayer + kmplayer) and MPC is the directshow management. In both Kmplayer and Zoom Player there is a well defined and clear system to choose source filter, splitters, video and audio codecs. There are separate configuration options for each. Zoom Players 'Smart Playback' system in particular is the ultimate in directshow flexibility. I humbly request a similar direct show system for MPC-HC.

Additionally, Kmplayer takes this a little further - you can define all configuration data for a particular file name, file extension etc..

This is an awesome way to use very specific playback and software parameters for a particular file.

If you need screen shots for the functionality or additional info for what I am describing I can provide it. Thanks again.

[bmnot]

just use haali icon for that :P
and mpc has a icon you can enable it in Options > Player > Other > Tray icon
and right click on the icon and then Navigate > Audio Language

Oh I totally forgot about that option. But I would still like to have quick, 1 click access to the list of streams in m2ts/ts

[turbojet]

I'd like to see 'MPC-HC, world's first ever free BD software player'. I think it really only lacks menu support, which might be a big project

[buzzqw]

well.. ffdshow don't have Hardware Accellerate decoding, while MPC-HC yes

and on a htpc box, build around a good video card but a minimalist processor (look at avsforum, htcp section, guide to build an htpc) .. HW support is a MUST!

thanks for this project!!!

BHH

[Mercury_22]

I aggree not to re-invent the wheel, but having splitter + decoder + renderer out of the box for most common video format is one of the goal. Don't forget that i rename the project mpc-homecinema, which mean "support for HD media". There is few open source player with M2TS/DXVA support ;)

TOTALLY AGREE with you Casimir because we can find "good" external alternatives for all MPC-HC's filters BUT THEN WHAT'S THE POINT of (mpc-homecinema) having the internal ones ?
But I think this should apply to mkv splitter too !
:thanks:

[madshi]

There is almost no 64bit splitters and decoders support except for MPC x64 and ffdshow64 for those using 64bit systems, Vista64 Media Center, etc. As more and more people use 4GB+ of RAM and consecuently 64bit OSes (being XP, Vista or Seven), yes, any improvements in the splitters will be inmediately used and strongly appreciated.
Doesn't MPC HC 32bit work just fine on 64bit OSs?

[Mark_A_W]

This is a good point, and one I've been thinking about recently. It seems that MPC-HC is becoming more and more like 'FFDshow with renderers and splitters,' even to the point that post-processing filters might be added in the future. Except, of course, MPC-HC will never match FFDshow in terms of sheer flexibility and power.

It's kind of redundant. I don't know about anyone else, but I immediately disable all of MPC-HC's interal software-decoders and simply use FFDshow instead. On the other hand, I'd argue MPC-HC's real strength lies in its DXVA capabilities, something FFDshow could (most likely) never match.

So... maybe, ideally, FFDshow could somehow be integrated into MPC-HC (but kept programmatically separate, so power uses could independently update it), such that the FFDshow folks could perfect the software-decoding side of things, and the MPC-HC folks could perfect the splitters, DXVA and rendering side of things.

Of course, I myself am not much of a programmer, and I happily and graciously accept anything the MPC-HC devs contribute ;)

Amen.

All I want is a splitter that works for Bluray, and a player that will play the main title (HD-DVD would be nice too), and usable Directshow filter control (it's ok, but it makes me curse sometimes).

All the filters exist (bar DTS-MA decoding). It's splitters and disc navigation that need work.

But Hardware Acceleration is not needed - any CPU made in the last 3 years can playback high bitrate 1080p in software, and DXVA gives control of your image to the graphics card developers.....the worst possible situation.

Hardware Acceleration is a red herring.

[Steveo08]

@Casimir666

is it possible to get the osd which i get with evr for movie time/duration to work with haali too?

[alexins]

Media Player Classic HomeCinema (x86), svn 972 (http://www.xvidvideo.ru/content/view/580/1/)
Media Player Classic HomeCinema (x64), svn 972 (http://www.xvidvideo.ru/content/view/579/1/)

Supported languages: CN, CZ, DE, ES, FR, HU, IT, KR, PL, RU, SK, TR, UA

Changes log (http://www.xvidvideo.ru/content/view/7/17/)

Fixed: DVD LPCM all formats fully functional; Fixed: HdmvLPCM channel sync broken when seeking; mover rmvb from "other" to "realmedia file".

[Octo-puss]

ffdshow is only a decoder, not a source filter.

You need to install the Windows Media Format Runtime.

Thank you. Is it this? http://www.free-codecs.com/Windows_Media_Format_11_download.htm
For some reason it refuses to install, I get some not enough space error or what. You sure it should work on Vista64?

[tetsuo55]

But Hardware Acceleration is not needed - any CPU made in the last 3 years can playback high bitrate 1080p in software, and DXVA gives control of your image to the graphics card developers.....the worst possible situation.

Hardware Acceleration is a red herring.

Software decoding of the most difficult samples requires a 2,66+ C2D or a 3ghz+ AMD
The amount of Watts needed for software decoding is also a lot higher, usually resulting in the need for fan based cooling.

Most HTPC users like their computer as quiet as possible

[sneaker_ger]

The internal MPEG4 ASP decoder does not work correctly for MKVs with native V_MPEG4/ISO/ASP for me. The video is jerky. Tried both Haali's and the internal splitter. Ffdshow does no exhibit this problem.

Here's a sample:
http://home.pages.at/bond_/matroska_native-mp4.7z

[STaRGaZeR]

Doesn't MPC HC 32bit work just fine on 64bit OSs?

Yes, but Vista Media Center in Vista64 (miles better than XP Media Center) requires 64bit decoders and splitters. Currently the only ones available are the standalone MPC filters and ffdshow64. Same for 64bit explorer.exe if you want thumbnails. As madFLAC isn't going to get a 64bit release anytime soon MPC's FLAC decoder is important. Same with mkv, (m2)ts, etc.

[Reino]

...The biggest difference between the other standard directshow proggies out right now (zoomplayer + kmplayer) and MPC is the directshow management. In both Kmplayer and Zoom Player there is a well defined and clear system to choose source filter, splitters, video and audio codecs. There are separate configuration options for each. Zoom Players 'Smart Playback' system in particular is the ultimate in directshow flexibility. I humbly request a similar direct show system for MPC-HC...This would be the last thing I'd wish for being integrated into MPC(-HC). I never understood why people use "smart playback" with Zoom Player while "normal" playback works just fine (1 directshow filter for 1 certain purpose). Can you please explain?

[flanger216]

But Hardware Acceleration is not needed - any CPU made in the last 3 years can playback high bitrate 1080p in software, and DXVA gives control of your image to the graphics card developers.....the worst possible situation.

Hardware Acceleration is a red herring.

Could be useful for notebooks and microPCs, where power consumption and thermal output are a concern. But yeah, it's definitely not as big a deal as it used to be...

[CruNcher]

This would be the last thing I'd wish for being integrated into MPC(-HC). I never understood why people use "smart playback" with Zoom Player while "normal" playback works just fine (1 directshow filter for 1 certain purpose). Can you please explain?

Especially for People who have 400+ Dshow filter registered a way to hold this under control is highly advisable :)
all the automation costs time scanning through all the possible connections and not only that coming to a problematic combination and you get a loop,crash or unstable system :(
to be able to set up your own chain for every extension would be nice you can already sort of do that via manipulating the registry though only to a certain degree, but it's also no perfect solution as you have extensions like .mkv which could host 100 of different video and audio codecs the complexity of all this is amazing especially if you start to fight with different ISVs and their filter implementations (interoperability) it' just a plain big HELL :D.
All ISV's these days define their Graphs internally to not have problems coming inside from other Filters registered on the users System.
So a very advanced Dshow Management which goes after different criteria like Kmplayer uses it currently (each separate filter category) would be a real nice addition for experienced users to MPC-HC :)
MPC HC currently has a only after source filter based Management (FourCC) adding extension and for the extension being able to select the used Source filter would be a great addition (Visual interface to the registry registered extensions and their source filter for example) :)

[clsid]

Especially for People who have 400+ Dshow filter registered a way to hold this under control is highly advisable :)
all the automation costs time scanning through all the possible connections and not only that coming to a problematic combination and you get a loop :(
to be able to set up your own chain for every extension would be nice you can already sort of do that already via manipulating the registry though only to a certain degree, but it's also no perfect solution as you have extensions like .mkv which could host 100 of different video and audio codecs the complexity of all this is amazing especialy if you start to fight with different ISVs and their implementations is just a plain big HELL :D
Those few people who have 400+ filters installed are generally so incredibly dumb that they won't use any such 'advanced' functionality in MPC.

MPC already has the ability to make filters 'preferred'. But since popular filters such as ffdshow already have a high merit out-of-the-box, adjusting merits is usually not even needed.

Being able to configure preferred source filters for file extensions can be a useful addition to current feature set. This should also be relatively simple to implement.

Full custom graph creation is imo a complex solution for problems that are solvable in much more simple ways.

[Casimir666]

is it possible to get the osd which i get with evr for movie time/duration to work with haali too?
Not with the current technique used for OSD. This have part of the code have to be change to support all renderers.

[ADude]

Software decoding of the most difficult samples requires a 2,66+ C2D or a 3ghz+ AMD
The amount of Watts needed for software decoding is also a lot higher, usually resulting in the need for fan based cooling.


I don't think any of these statements are correct.

I use a 2.2ghz AMD processor and I can play any 1080p sample with CoreAVC software decoder.

Having read AVS Forum on HT PCs, there is no doubt that graphics processors cause most of the heat in an HT PC.

Graphics card hardware video acceleration exists solely due to two things:

- Gamers tend to buy expensive graphics cards and cheap CPUs.
- Graphics card designers need "features" for marketing.

Look at the thousands of hours of programming needed to support DXVA that works for certain cards and not others, and works for certain video files and not others. It's a pointless mess.

Software decoding requires none of that.

AMD dual core 3.1 ghz processor US$76 shipped free and includes stock heat sink & fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103272)

[tetsuo55]

I don't think any of these statements are correct.

I use a 2.2ghz AMD processor and I can play any 1080p sample with CoreAVC software decoder.

Having read AVS Forum on HT PCs, there is no doubt that graphics processors cause most of the heat in an HT PC.

Graphics card hardware video acceleration exists solely due to two things:

- Gamers tend to buy expensive graphics cards and cheap CPUs.
- Graphics card designers need "features" for marketing.

Look at the thousands of hours of programming needed to support DXVA that works for certain cards and not others, and works for certain video files and not others. It's a pointless mess.

Software decoding requires none of that.

AMD dual core 3.1 ghz processor US$76 shipped free and includes stock heat sink & fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103272)

I have not personally confirmed the CPU speed needed for something like the killa sample (which causes dropped frames on anything lower than C2D 2,66 ghz)

you underestimate how low videocards go.
With the right components you can build as system that uses about 30 watts during playback(using DXVA) that is fully silent.
Amd motherboard(with built in radeon3200) with an AMD Athlon X2 4050e, should be about the price toghether as just that single cpu

[clsid]

Power consumption is such an incredible non-argument pro DXVA. Those who like to hug trees should then buy a dedicated hardware player. Those use 20 watt or less.

[Mark_A_W]

I have not personally confirmed the CPU speed needed for something like the killa sample (which causes dropped frames on anything lower than C2D 2,66 ghz)

you underestimate how low videocards go.
With the right components you can build as system that uses about 30 watts during playback(using DXVA) that is fully silent.
Amd motherboard(with built in radeon3200) with an AMD Athlon X2 4050e, should be about the price toghether as just that single cpu


Ok, your point is made.

But there are two or three commercial players available with functioning DXVA.


There are no players available which will play a Bluray straight off the disc, and allow you to choose your filters and renderers.

MPC HC is very close, but not quite there.

[Mark_A_W]

Those few people who have 400+ filters installed are generally so incredibly dumb that they won't use any such 'advanced' functionality in MPC.

MPC already has the ability to make filters 'preferred'. But since popular filters such as ffdshow already have a high merit out-of-the-box, adjusting merits is usually not even needed.

Being able to configure preferred source filters for file extensions can be a useful addition to current feature set. This should also be relatively simple to implement.

Full custom graph creation is imo a complex solution for problems that are solvable in much more simple ways.

Ooo...I dunno.

It took me twenty seconds to get Zoomplayer to load MadFLAC (decode) then connect to ffdshow audio (to upconvert to 32bit, to allow Kernel Streaming in Reclock).

Just add madflac and then ffdshow audio in the correct order in the FLAC decoder menu. Easy.



It took me AGES to get the same result in MPC HC, and even then it still sometimes loads the wrong filters. It's based on merit and ticking/unticking a box (whose purpose is unclear/not documented).

MPC HC's filter control is adequate, barely. Sometimes it's really difficult to get the result I want.

[Mark_A_W]

Power consumption is such an incredible non-argument pro DXVA. Those who like to hug trees should then buy a dedicated hardware player. Those use 20 watt or less.

My PC and HT are powered by my solar panels (ok, indirectly as it's dark at night), and even then I don't care about the power usage *that* much. I just want a functioning directshow BD player.

[moshmothma]

Those few people who have 400+ filters installed are generally so incredibly dumb that they won't use any such 'advanced' functionality in MPC.

Full custom graph creation is imo a complex solution for problems that are solvable in much more simple ways.

Thanks for the response. I am not certain who registers 400+ filters but my needs (and I am sure others) shouldn't be that complex. In the end dshow flexibility does not require a mandate. Zoom Player 'smart' functionality is purely optional.

I have used MPC for some years now, off and on, and the biggest problem I have had is readily configuring external filters with this proggie. It can be a really frustrating experience. I know I am not alone in this because I have seen much banter over the years how to get external filters to work in MPC.

I don't know what kind of lift it would be but I believe this could be a welcome feature, that would help a lot of us get off of zoom or kmplayer and into a nice MPC-HC ;)

Thanks again for all the hard work!!

[flanger216]

Power consumption is such an incredible non-argument pro DXVA. Those who like to hug trees should then buy a dedicated hardware player. Those use 20 watt or less.

Huh? It's a pretty big concern on a notebook powered by batteries. I've tested some that could only make it through a 2+ hour movie if using DXVA. Not that MPC-HC is designed for mobile computers and/or should cater to them, but DXVA does have its benefits.

[ADude]

Huh? It's a pretty big concern on a notebook powered by batteries. I've tested some that could only make it through a 2+ hour movie if using DXVA.
There is nothing magical about DXVA - it just transfers processing from the central CPU to the graphics CPU.

The total power and heat consumption should be the same. Either way, something is taking 001001 and adding it to 010010 .

The fact that a particular notebook happens to have a graphics processor that uses less power than its CPU is just related to the choice of components used by that particular designer.

[flanger216]

The fact that a particular notebook happens to have a graphics processor that uses less power than its CPU is just related to the choice of components used by that particular designer.

Which is precisely what I'm referring to.

Anyhoo, this feels like it's floating off into a theoretical back-and-forth, so que sera sera.

[Ryokurin]

There is nothing magical about DXVA - it just transfers processing from the central CPU to the graphics CPU.

The total power and heat consumption should be the same. Either way, something is taking 001001 and adding it to 010010 .

The fact that a particular notebook happens to have a graphics processor that uses less power than its CPU is just related to the choice of components used by that particular designer.

Its very unlikely that you'll find a processor today, that's not in a netbook that uses less than 18 watts, which is what a Geforce 9400M would use (and that's with a Atom processor) And since it's not relying on the processor it can be put into low power mode, so no matter what its less power than using the processor alone to do the work.

[STaRGaZeR]

There is nothing magical about DXVA - it just transfers processing from the central CPU to the graphics CPU.

The total power and heat consumption should be the same. Either way, something is taking 001001 and adding it to 010010 .

The fact that a particular notebook happens to have a graphics processor that uses less power than its CPU is just related to the choice of components used by that particular designer.

Don't talk about what you don't have no idea about. You don't use the GPU as it is, like if you were running a game. DXVA is very power efficient compared to software decoding, more efficient the less powerful the CPU is. For netbooks and HTPCs it can make a huge difference in battery duration and dissipated heat respectively. You don't want to know how difficult is to dissipate the heat produced by a C2D@~2,5GHz running at 70% usage in a very very small case, or a slower processor with the same TDP running close to full load. DXVA has a lot of limitations and that's the reason why in a mainstream desktop PCs it's not the best option. But stop spreading BS because that's just wrong. The goal should be improving DXVA support to allow problem-free playback of any H.264 encoded material (this is up to the GPU developers), not bashing it.

[flanger216]

Alright, back in the fray. But yes... DXVA is much more thermally efficient than software decoding. A CPU is general purpose and could never be as efficient (in wattage) as a dedicated pipeline performing dedicated operations. This is well documented, which is why I was kind of surprised when that point was disputed. I've owned and reviewed all sorts of laptops, low-profile PCs and HTPCs, and I've often found that using software decoding:

A. would rev up the CPU fans and be a nuisance (whereas the video cards were almost always passively cooled)
B. would drop frames (you're assertion that "all CPUs of the last three years can play 1080 content" is preposterous... try it on a Via Eden and see what happens)
C. would, in rare cases, overheat the processor and cause a crash, because many low-profile PCs aren't designed for ~2 hrs of 100% CPU usage

A common 'sweet spot' for building HTPCs is to pair a very low-end processor (cheap and cool) with a passive video card (cheap and cool) with good DXVA support. This is what I do, and this is why I use DXVA.

Discussing whether emphasizing DXVA development within MPC-HC is viable and relevant. Discussing the overall usefulness of DXVA, at least in this manner, is not. And frankly, the arguments being used against it are reductive at best.

[Leak]

Alright, back in the fray. But yes... DXVA is much more thermally efficient than software decoding.
Also, what people seem to be overlooking here is that video decoding on the graphics card isn't done via the shader units which cause the huge power draw when playing games, but with a dedicated video decoder unit on the GPU that, well, just decodes several types of video and uses much less power.

[chros]

Regarding to mobile gpus: is geforce M9300GS is supported by DXVA?
I have installed 1 Acer Aspire 5730GZ yesterday, Vista Home x86 SP1, with Nvidia 176.xx drivers, and I have tried with MPC-HC:
none of my samples were using DXVA with EVR-CP (which are dxva capable) ...

Can someone confirm this? (I'm just curious...) Thanks...

[tetsuo55]

Regarding to mobile gpus: is geforce M9300GS is supported by DXVA?
I have installed 1 Acer Aspire 5730GZ yesterday, Vista Home x86, with Nvidia 176.xx drivers, and I have tried with MPC-HC:
none of my samples were using DXVA with EVR-CP ...

Can someone confirm this? (I'm just curious...) Thanks...

says here you card support VP3 which means it has DXVA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PureVideo

[chros]

says here you card support VP3 which means it has DXVA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PureVideo
Hhmmm... Then what can be the problem ?

[saint-francis]

I have tested DXVA vs. CPU decoding on several machines (some laptops and some desktops) with a tool to measure power consumption and the results definitively show that in all cases DXVA uses considerably less power. Aside from the power savings, which is mainly helpful to laptop users, it frees up the CPU so you can watch a movie while encoding or something like that.