What's the best WMV HD codec? And H.264?

[Delerue]

I'm trying to play some HD videos, but I think I'm doing something wrong. I can't play "Step Into Liquid" 1080p (WMV) well; there's a lot of stutter and no sound. Even though I play T2 (WMV too) perfectly. I'm using MPC, but I've tried WMP and VLC; no sucess. VLC freezes image sometimes, but at least runs the sound.

H.264 is even worst. I simply can't play any video well, even in 'low' (480p) resolution. I've tried renaming it to ".mp4" and play in MPC, but it still desgusting; stutter all the time.

I think there's a software problem, anyway. I use K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 134. And I have an Athlon XP @2.1 Ghz, 1 GB RAM (415 Mhz) and Ati 9800XT. Fast writes is enabled.

Any idea to make HD videos run faster?

[Axed]

I think there's a software problem, anyway. I use K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 134.
Try uninstalling that Codec Pack, if you can. Most, if not all, Codec Packs are worthless crap and do more damage to your system then good.

What version of ffdshow are you trying to play the h264 video with? Have you tried the Nero digital video player (im not sure if this works good or not, never tried it really).

It could also simply be you dont have enough grunt to run these videos.

[Delerue]

Try uninstalling that Codec Pack, if you can. Most, if not all, Codec Packs are worthless crap and do more damage to your system then good.

What version of ffdshow are you trying to play the h264 video with? Have you tried the Nero digital video player (im not sure if this works good or not, never tried it really).

It could also simply be you dont have enough grunt to run these videos.

Man! It worked! I just uninstalled K-Lite and install ffdshow alpha sse (is it the best choice for me, right?). "Step Into Liquid" runs perfectly; 100% CPU load sometimes :D

Tomorrow I'll try the most feared format: H.264.

Hugs!

[Guest]

@Delerue

Please read and follow forum rules, specifically rule 12: Do not ask what's best. Thank you.
:readrule:

[Delerue]

H.264 it's horrible! Blarg. We must set to "DirectX 9" (or 7) in MPC to see the motion near to real (someone knows why?). Even though, CPU died all the time, and the FPS can't reach the top. And I'm talking about the 'low' resolution. Why H.264 is so heavy? It's really better then WMVHD? I can't see any diference.

Moderator, sorry for the breaked rule.

[Sirber]

H264 is more complex than WMV. You need a better CPU.

[Stebs]

H264 is more complex than WMV. You need a better CPU.Or a Graphics-card that can accelerate it.
Next-Gen. Cards pretend to be able to accelerate h264. (Nvidia claims already 7800GTX can do this)

About HD-WMV accel.: Get the appropriate patches from Microsoft (unfortunately bundled with DRM-updates) and CPU% will go back to 40-50 % for "Step into liquid". Unfortunately this works only in Windows Media Player (not MPC etc.)
Works with Ati Cards 9500 and above and Nvidia Geforce6 Cards (except NV40).

Edit: "Step Into Liquid" 1080p is one of the "heaviest" Examples of HD-WMV, if this runs smooth, most should. Interestingly, other 1080p Clips that look even complexer often use far less CPU%...

[Sirber]

On my ATI, I have "WMV acceletation" enabled and I can't playback the "Step into liquid" clip. Extreme lagyness on my 3000+ w/ ATI AIW 9800 Pro 128MB. Sucks...

[edit]

First test was in WRM9, with PS 2.0 bicubic resize. In overlay mode, I only have some lags from time to time, but CPU is at 100%.

[Stebs]

On my ATI, I have "WMV acceletation" enabled and I can't playback the "Step into liquid" clip.Are you talking about that switch in Ati Control Panel? -Forget it, AFAIK thats completely useless...

Extreme lagyness on my 3000+ w/ ATI AIW 9800 Pro 128MB. Sucks...
In overlay mode, I only have some lags from time to time, but CPU is at 100%.Thats absolutely normal for non-accelerated Playback.
Was exactly the same here (100% CPU and sometimes laggy/ Sound a bit unsync) with XP3200+ and Nvidia Geforce3/6600GT/6800GT Ati 9500pro/9800Pro.
What you need is this: :) Update to enable DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA) of Windows Media Video content in Windows Media Player 10 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888656)
With the patch its down to 40-50 % and absolutely smooth. (tested with 6600GT -my new 6800GT (aka NV40) can't accelerate due to Video-Processor-Bug :( )

Remember though that it only works with Windows Media Player 10 and you must install hotfix 891122 (DRM Update) for it to work! -See MORE INFORMATION of Microsoft Page for detail.
I think another way of Microsoft to force its DRM upon us :angry:

[Stebs]

BTW, another example that this Guy from Inquirer doesn't have a clue:
We learned that release 80 of Nvidia upcoming driver is going to have support for H.264... thats ok, but:We saw some documents where Nvidia claimed that its cards will be able to offload a lot of work from the CPU, while playing WMV-HD content. ... With Nvidia Purevideo Nvidia's 6200, 6600 and 7800 generation of the cards will play WMV-HD content at close to 50 per cent of CPU time. Without pure video acceleration, WDM-HD will take the whole 100 per cent of CPU time. We still need to see this to believe it and this information is valid for 1080p resolution WMV-HD file played at Athlon 64 3000+. This comes from Nvidia documents so we have to be a little sceptical.Inquirer: Nvidia to support H.264 in next driver (http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=25000)
:rolleyes:
Works since Day1 that the needed Microsoft Patch is out, support is already in (old) official Nvidia 72.77 (?or similar) Driver, apparently works with newest Ati Drivers too...

[Delerue]

On my ATI, I have "WMV acceletation" enabled and I can't playback the "Step into liquid" clip. Extreme lagyness on my 3000+ w/ ATI AIW 9800 Pro 128MB. Sucks...

[edit]

First test was in WRM9, with PS 2.0 bicubic resize. In overlay mode, I only have some lags from time to time, but CPU is at 100%.

Yeah! "VRM9" is the worst choose. Here "VRM7 Windowed" (same thing as choose "default") works better. I think that WMP use "VRM9", and we can't change it; and that's why MPC works better than WMP. :(

BTW, I still can't understand why H.264 is so heavy. I can't see any difference when compare to WMVHD.

[]s

[Sirber]

BTW, I still can't understand why H.264 is so heavy. I can't see any difference when compare to WMVHD.Well, WMV9 is 3 years old, while H264 is fresh new and still in development.

[Stebs]

And H264 is better than WMV9/VC1.
wmv9 -> mpeg4 ASP (like Xvid) -> h264
Thats all IMHO of course, but I'm not alone with this opinion ;)

If you dont see any difference, use another (better) method for displaying (HDTV Beamer etc.) or reduce the bitrate while encoding to see the difference...
Nevertheless they are all better than Mpeg2 of course (naturally for the same given bitrate)

BTW: What's the best WMV HD codec?-There is only one! (wmv = Windows Media Video) Just grab the newest version (+patches) from Microsoft if you want HW accel. (+ updated DRM :( )
And H.264That new Codec is still in Progress but shows already it's Superiority (and needs a lot of Power for displaying ;) )
Examples of it are the Nero Digital AVC Codec and the Open Source x.264 Codec.
BTW. h.264/Mpeg4 Part10/AVC (everything the same) is one of the 3 official accepted Codecs for HD-DVD and Blueray.
Other two: old Mpeg2 and VC1 (principally=wmv9)