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gechu · 2012-08-06, 20:14

When I use XBMC add-on called "SVT Play" to stream TV shows I notice that the "flow" of the movie is nowhere close to the experience delivered by watching the very same channel using regular top set box to handle the decoding and presentation.

My internet connection is not a problem, and I´ve tried to enable de-interlacing in XBMC without improving the feeling.

Thinking about trying to get the stream through Media Player Classic with mad vr rendering with de-interlacing enabled. Also thinking about D-Scaler because I know it handles de-interlacing very well. But then again, XBMC is my target platform.

Any suggestions on what can be done to improve the experience?

cactus99 · (This post was last modified: 2012-08-06, 21:25 by cactus99.)

There is a setting for the plugin where you can set the requested video quality for the stream. Just bring up the context menu for the plugin -> Select Plug in settings.

You can also check the video quality while playing by pressing the key "O" on the keyboard. Most shows on SVT Play should give a max HD video quality of 1280 x 720.

Make also sure you have hardware acceleration DXVA2 enabled for you graphics card.

Same text in swedish since this plugin is for the Swedish public service broadcaster SVT:

Det finns en inställning för tillägget för SVT Play där man kan ställa in den önskade videokvaliten. Om du tar upp pop-up menyn när SVT Play är markerad, så kan du välja tilläggsinställningar. Där går det sedan att ställa in den önskade videokvaliten.

Du kan kontrollera kvaliten på videoströmmen om du trycker ned tangenten "O" på tangentbordet under uppspelning. De flesta program hos SVT Play (dock inte alla) brukar kunna ge en HD-kvalitet på 1280 x 720.

Kolla också så att du har hårdvaruaccelerationen DXVA2 påslagen för ditt grafikkort i systeminställningarna för XBMC.

Addition: At this very moment the video streams from SVT Play have terrible problems with buffering. I assume the service is overloaded from people watching the Olympics.

cactus99 · 2012-08-06, 22:40

(2012-08-06, 20:14)gechu Wrote: My internet connection is not a problem, and I´ve tried to enable de-interlacing in XBMC without improving the feeling.

Btw, SVT Play streams the material in Flash Video, so interlacing has nothing to do with it.

gechu · 2012-08-07, 09:54

Read somewhere that the broadcasted signal was 50P whereas the ones available online via SVT Play only was 25P. So I want to output 25 frames to my 60 frame monitor.

cami has a thread titles FPS/HZ Smoothness which might be related to the same issue.

I use to play with Reclock and AutoFrequency or the built in capabilities in MPC-HC for dynamic refresh rate handling (great guides available @ http://www.homecinema-hd.com/), but that was when I targeted a projector which could handle 24P.

cactus99 · 2012-08-07, 11:25

SVT SD is broadcast in 25 fps interlaced, while SVT HD is broadcast in 50 fps progressive.

The streams of SVT Play are in Flash video, 25 fps progressive.

Have you tried the XBMC setting "Adjust display refresh rate to match video"? It can be found in System Settings -> Video -> Playback.
I used to use that setting for my TV but then I discovered there wasn't really any quality improvements in the video.

cactus99 · 2012-08-07, 11:55

Ok, this is getting strange. I just discovered that the buffering problems I've been having lately with SVT Play are connected to the "Adjust display refresh rate to match video" setting.
Once I turned that setting back on, all my buffering problems vanished.

gechu · 2012-08-07, 18:44

strange finding Smile

How is it possible to "Adjust display refresh rate to match video" if the video is 25 and the refresh rate is 60? Some kind of frame interpolation?

cactus99 · (This post was last modified: 2012-08-07, 22:27 by cactus99.)

(2012-08-07, 18:44)gechu Wrote: How is it possible to "Adjust display refresh rate to match video" if the video is 25 and the refresh rate is 60? Some kind of frame interpolation?

No, that setting will actually change the refresh rate of the screen ( monitor or TV ) to match the one of the video you're watching.

For instance my TV is capable of using the refresh rates of 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 Hz at 1080p, so in this case XBMC will change the refresh rate of the video output to match SVT Play (from 60 to 25 Hz).

You will notice a short break on the screeen (a couple of seconds) while the video card is switching refresh rates.

Regarding my problems with the buffering, I guess it's hardware releated. I'm using a very compact computer (Acer Revo RL70) where all the different parts are very integrated.

gechu · 2012-08-07, 22:39

The available display refresh rates on my LCD monitor is 60, or 30 (interlaced), but 25 is not possible. Tried switching to 30HZ in Windows but quickly switched back since the it wasn´t very viewable.

I guess I rest my case targeting a LCD monitor, after all, I do have a 24P capable projector Smile

Thanks cactus99 for the discussion!

cactus99 · 2012-08-07, 22:45

(2012-08-07, 22:39)gechu Wrote: The available display refresh rates on my LCD monitor is 60, or 30 (interlaced), but 25 is not possible. Tried switching to 30HZ in Windows but quickly switched back since the it wasn´t very viewable.

My Windows setting is also 60 Hz. What XBMC does when "Adjust frame rate" is set, is a temporar change of the refresh rate while the video is playing.