[idioteque]

I just installed a clean version of XBMC and found a few bugs

config:

Sound: M-Audio Audiophile 2496
Motherboard:ASROCK DUAL VST2
HDD:WD ATA 200 GB,WD SATA 500GB, 2x Seagate SATA 750GB
CPU:AMD X2 3800+
Video: Nvidia 5200 FX
Remote: MCE remote RC6

Software:
Windows Xp SP3
Nvidia drivers 169.21
IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2.1711.exe

Remote works fine with IR SS
exception:
1: when manual entering the virtual keyboard no input via remote is possible, only a real keyboard hitting ESC keeps me out
2: XBMC hangs on retrieving album info from internet
3: CPU is a constant 50% when screen is maximized, also when idle. However, minimizing XBMC to taskbar brings CPU down to 1-2% so must be someting with opengl render

XMBC Log:
http://pastebin.com/f46e4c623

[marlboroman1]

The cpu usage is always high in xbmc as the gui is rendered at 90 frames a second so there is really no such thing as idle. That sound a little higher than is normal for me at least but I'm only running at 720p. I think rendering at 1080p with my set up would kill my pc

[idioteque]

mm, also running @ 578 resolution playing nothing and just sitting there is 50% CPU still normal ?

[chadoe]

1: when manual entering the virtual keyboard no input via remote is possible, only a real keyboard hitting ESC keeps me out

Were you using the remote for that log? it shows a lot of onkey events which means you were either using a keyboard or something is translating you remote events to keyboard events. Anyway, Settings -> System -> Enable Debug Logging, should show irss remote events in the logfile.

3: CPU is a constant 50% when screen is maximized, also when idle.

Settings -> Appearance -> Screen -> Set "Vertical Blank Sync" to "Enabled during video playback", does that bring down the cpu usage?

[idioteque]

Settings -> Appearance -> Screen -> Set "Vertical Blank Sync" to "Enabled during video playback", does that bring down the cpu usage?

No that does not help

The weird this is that while playing a Xvid the CPU usage goes down to as low as 2-3% while playing a normal Xvid, even when running XBMC


so
XBMC plays xvid in windowed mode maximized CPU is 50-60%
XBMC plays xvid in windowed mode minimized CPU is 10%

About the virtual keyboard. I use the IRSS and all works well. Except when I go to change the weather settings and change a city, the virtual keyboard pops-up and the remote does not respond anymore to any command

log attached
http://pastebin.com/f6627096f

[idioteque]

The virtual keyboard problem is solved thanks to some settings in the IR SS. I disabled the special function buttons and re installed XMBC

thank you for the great support

[WiSo]

The weird this is that while playing a Xvid the CPU usage goes down to as low as 2-3% while playing a normal Xvid, even when running XBMC

Not weird or do you see your xvids with more than 25 or 29 fps? Limiting the gui to the same rate would lower cpu usage.

[idioteque]

Thank you
I searched the xbmc site but could not find where how to change the GUI framerate

[bb10]

Settings -> Appearance -> Screen -> Set "Vertical Blank Sync" to "Enabled during video playback", does that bring down the cpu usage?

XBMC always has Vsync enabled on nvidia cards regardless of setting. You can only turn it off by forcefully disabling it in the nvidia driver settings.
See: http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/4432

[idioteque]

mm disabling vsync makes CPU jump from 50% to 100%

are there any other people who have such a high idle cpu usage?

In other words: is it normal for XBMC when idle to use 50% CPU power and at the same time while playing Xvid 2-3% CPU power

[skriefal]

Turn off menu animations. CPU usage should immediately drop from 50% to under 10%.

[skriefal]

Adding to my previous post, this behavior seems to be inconsistent. Previously I had the vsync option set to 'Enabled during video playback', and high CPU usage remained. I turned off the menu animation in the skin settings, and the CPU usage dropped to 10% or less.

Just now, however, I noticed that the usage was back up to 60% or so while sitting in the menus. Toggling the menu animation didn't help. But toggling the vsync setting to 'always enable' and then back to the original value of 'enabled during video playback' forced CPU usage back to 10% or thereabouts.

Smells like a bug...

[idioteque]

OK I did some research

Nvidia FX5200 using tvout on s-video

Driver version 81.98
Vsync can be changed from within XBMC, driver setting is Application controlled

Vsync on = 50% CPU when in home screen doing nothing (debug log pastbin http://pastebin.com/m2103f2af)
Vsync off = 16-20% when in home screen doing nothing (debug log pastbin http://pastebin.com/m27723a7b)

[idioteque]

did a clean install of windows with 169.23 driver

Vsync can be changed from within XBMC, driver setting is Application controlled

CPU is the same only now all video slowsdown every 1-2 seconds, than plays catch-up and than slows down again

[marlboroman1]

Vsync off = 16-20% when in home screen doing nothing (debug log pastbin http://pastebin.com/m27723a7b)

that cpu usage seems normal it may be optimised in time to run little more eficently but its always going to suck up the juice running at 90 frames per second which is at least 3X faster than most video

CPU is the same only now all video slowsdown every 1-2 seconds, than plays catch-up and than slows down again

that doesn't sound normal at all (is that with Vsync off) if is post a debug log of that