Which CPU do I need to use MPC-HC's Pixelshaders ?

[LOGiC]

@all,

I am using Windows Vista Ultimate 32 Bit, a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 mainboard and a Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 which runs at 3.2 Ghz each core. For playback I am using Media Player Classic Homecinema.

For more than one year I had worst problems with stuttering and tearing, but since I got a new firmware update for my LCD-TV it seems to work out better.

I've noticed that using any Pixel Shaders from MPC-HC helps improving the quality of the picture a lot, but as soon as I activate something like sharpen or sharpen complex, the sound totally runs out of sync, whether I playback from DVD or HDD. If I switch the pixelshaders off, everything is fine from the beginning on. Entering any values at audio options does not make any difference.

What do you think which CPU power I need to use those pixelshaders ? I was thinking of getting a very fast quadcore in the middle of the year, which I could significantly overclock to achieve some better results. Which CPU does it need to be in your opinion or may there be any other problems for not working properly ? I also installed AC3Filter, but nothing changes.

Thanks in advance. This drives me crazy again.

[Leak]

What do you think which CPU power I need to use those pixelshaders?
Hardly any.

Pixel Shaders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_shader) run on the graphics card - however, going by your system specs I'd just say you forgot to put a graphics card in your machine... :p

np: Zucchini Drive - Choke (Goodyear Television Playhouse)

[LOGiC]

@Leak

hehe sorry :-(

I am running the system with a Nividia 9500 GT card.

[Leak]

I am running the system with a Nividia 9500 GT card.
That's at the low end of the 9xxx series from nVidia, but still - I just stacked 20 sharpen complex instances on one another, and besides the funky looking results the (SD) video played fine and my Radeon 4850 hardly noticed it according to the Activity and Temperature readings in the ATI control center...

So I don't see why one instance should tax your card too much - must be something else, then...

np: Jürgen Paape ft. Alison Degbe - Come Into My Life (Kompakt Total 9 (Disc 1))

[LOGiC]

@Leak,

I had 16-235 -> 0-255 and sharpen complex activated. Do you think this could be too much for the 9500 GT ? I am wondering. If I play a mkv without any shaders activated, it's a bit out of sync already. I don't have these problems on my office pc, which is a Q9550 which is running at 3.4 Ghz each core with an older ATI HD 2600 XT in it.

Maybe I got some severe problems with my Auzentech HDA Xplosion 7.1 DTS Connect card. There must be something wrong and I really can't get what it could be.

Best regards.

[Leak]

I had 16-235 -> 0-255 and sharpen complex activated. Do you think this could be too much for the 9500 GT ?
I really doubt it, but since I don't have an nVidia card I can't say for sure.

But how much CPU is MPC even using (according to Task Manager) when this happens?

np: Dubshape - Droplets (Early Night Mix) (Kompakt Total 9 (Disc 2))

[Klaus_1250]

That's at the low end of the 9xxx series from nVidia, but still - I just stacked 20 sharpen complex instances on one another, and besides the funky looking results the (SD) video played fine and my Radeon 4850 hardly noticed it according to the Activity and Temperature readings in the ATI control center...
Best way to check is the GPU-wait time and frame-rate (Beliyaal build displays GPU-waittime).

On a 3850@297Mhz, I get in trouble when using Chroma Upscaling, 16-235-->0-255, Denoise and Sharpen Complex 2 all at the same time (all compiled as PS3's, not PS2's). But the 3850 has a lot less shader units as the 4850 I believe. I don't get though why all the shaders run as 2.0 by default. Some don't even work on a 3850 unless compiled as PS3.

[gngn]

the 9500GT has 32 shader units, like my 8600GTS. the 8600 also isnt a gaming-card, its rather a multimedia one.
i only encounter problems when combining the "denoise" shader with 2 or more other shaders. then i start loosing frames, especially with 1080p material.
with no shader active, GPU wait time is arround 1ms. with Chroma Upscaling, 16-235-->0-255 and Sharpen Complex 2 GPU wait time is 6-7ms with 720p, and arround 9ms with 1080p. personally i dont use the 16-235-->0-255 Shader, as nvidia has a option for this in it's drivers Control Panel.
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/gngnmumu/dxva/th_pc.jpg (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/gngnmumu/dxva/pc.jpg)

i use the latest nvidiadrivers 182.08.

[Klaus_1250]

personally i dont use the 16-235-->0-255 Shader, as nvidia has a option for this in it's drivers Control Panel.
I know, but doesn't really seem to do anything.

[Kado]

That option only works with VMR9 and EVR, also requires that the color space is YV12 or similar so that the conversion is done in hardware.

[Shakey_Jake33]

^Should we be forcing YU12 output in the decoder to be safe, or is most content going to output as that anyway?

[gngn]

you could use a video test pattern to check on the correct levels. something like this (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?gykggvdwttz)
if you can distinguish every brightness pattern, then you have the correct levels.
1. picture - correct levels
2. picture - because of the double expansion (the 16-235-->0-255 conversion is done twice) the first two "whites" and "blacks" patters appear the same
3. picture: wrong 16-235 levels, white and black are some shades of grey (washed out coulors)

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/gngnmumu/dxva/levels/th_correctlevels.png (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/gngnmumu/dxva/levels/correctlevels.png)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/gngnmumu/dxva/levels/th_doubleexpansion.png (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/gngnmumu/dxva/levels/doubleexpansion.png)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/gngnmumu/dxva/levels/th_washedoutcolors.png (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/gngnmumu/dxva/levels/washedoutcolors.png)

i've got the test pattern from here (http://www.w6rz.net/), but had to do a PC-->TV levels conversion, as the sample from there is in the 0-255 Levels range.

[LOGiC]

Well, I started switching all pixelshaders off to fix every other issue.

I really don't know what happens to my HTPC. I've had issues for more than one year now. First of all, I always had severe tearing and stuttering when playing any files. Overlay was the only renderer I could use. Now, after installing, trying and updating the firmware of my LCD-TV, it seems that the tearing issue is gone. I can play any file perfectly at 24p.

But now I have got another issue. The sound of any file gets out of sync after 10-15 minutes. It does not get worse, it just gets out of sync for about 300-400ms, but I can't correct it. Nothing happens when using Audio Options and delay. Actually I am using EVR custom as renderer. First I thought it was my Auzentech HDA Xplosion, but when I use the SPDIF output of my Gigabyte mainboard, I have the same problem.

The PC is connected to a Onkyo A/V-Receiver TX-SR876.

Anyone can give any hint ?