[dteirney]

I'm on holiday so can't test this, but at first glance it looks like the latest ATI Catalyst driver might finally bring my HTPC closer to the performance that some of the intel and nVidia systems are getting.

New Features

• Support for New Linux Operating Systems (Ubuntu 8.10 Production Support)
  
• Full OpenGL™ 3.0 Support
  
• Hybrid CrossFire support for Linux
  
• Multiview Support
  

There's also loads of Resolved Issues that suggest some areas of performance and vertical sync might have been targeted. For example:

• Vertical sync tearing issues may be noticed with the following Catalyst Control Center settings “Wait for Vertical refresh” and “Off, unless application specifies”
  
• Some video clips may show stuttering and corruption during playback in mplayer
  

http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/linux...adeon.html

[soder]

I'm on holiday so can't test this, but at first glance it looks like the latest ATI Catalyst driver might finally bring my HTPC closer to the performance that some of the intel and nVidia systems are getting.

New Features

• Support for New Linux Operating Systems (Ubuntu 8.10 Production Support)
  
• Full OpenGL™ 3.0 Support
  
• Hybrid CrossFire support for Linux
  
• Multiview Support
  

There's also loads of Resolved Issues that suggest some areas of performance and vertical sync might have been targeted. For example:

• Vertical sync tearing issues may be noticed with the following Catalyst Control Center settings “Wait for Vertical refresh” and “Off, unless application specifies”
  
• Some video clips may show stuttering and corruption during playback in mplayer
  

http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/linux...adeon.html

I just installed this driver, the automatic way. When I then play a movie, everthing is in slow motion.

It was the same thing with the version before that, so I had to go back further a version, from the package manager.

What can be the problem here?

I updated because I sometimes have dropped frames when watching. Both in SD and HD.

EDIT: I even tried the SVN PPA from
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc-svn/ubuntu intrepid main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc-svn/ubuntu intrepid main

But its still like in slow motion.
EDIT 2: I now put debug mode on. Seems like the menus, AND movies, are only in 15 FPS.?
I also put the CCCP settings for vertical sync to always off, and that put the FPS to about 24, but then I had the tearings. I had no tearings with the settings to always on.

EDIT 3: Also with "Off, unless the app whats something else" in CCCP and always on in XBMC I got tearings... =(

/Söder

[dteirney]

I installed the Catalyst 8.12 drivers manually following the instructions at http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_...tion_Guide. Instructions haven't been updated on that wiki for the 9.1 release yet.

Menus and everything work fine for me with 8.12. I get good FPS for SD content as long as SD upscaling is turned off. I get watchable FPS for H264 720p content but H264 1080i is just barely watchable (19 FPS with thousands of dropped frames).

For a lot of content I get a stutter in playback every 5 or so seconds regardless of whether the FPS is good or whether any frames are being dropped.

Check the usual things like you've got direct rendering (there is some troubleshooting covered in the wiki page linked above). Also check that XBMC isn't using the Software renderer.

[indy5]

Just out of curiosity, what does your opengl version say under the catalyst control center?

[soder]

Just out of curiosity, what does your opengl version say under the catalyst control center?

This is my info.


I just removed the newest drivers again, then installed the intreped, then totaly removed everything again.
Now I installed following this guide. Manually, not auto.
http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_...tion_Guide

[soder]

I installed the Catalyst 8.12 drivers manually following the instructions at http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_...tion_Guide. Instructions haven't been updated on that wiki for the 9.1 release yet.

Menus and everything work fine for me with 8.12. I get good FPS for SD content as long as SD upscaling is turned off. I get watchable FPS for H264 720p content but H264 1080i is just barely watchable (19 FPS with thousands of dropped frames).

For a lot of content I get a stutter in playback every 5 or so seconds regardless of whether the FPS is good or whether any frames are being dropped.

Check the usual things like you've got direct rendering (there is some troubleshooting covered in the wiki page linked above). Also check that XBMC isn't using the Software renderer.

This stutter you talk about, I think I had the same with my 8.552 driver, installed from the package manager.
It wasnt frame drops, it was in both SD and HD. Sometimes more often, but not so often as every 5 sec.

This is the cause I want to try the newest drivers every month.

EDIT: When I press play on my MS OEM remote, and get the info about the movie Im watching, my stutters are counted as "dropped". about one every min. BUT, its not because of any CPU maxing 100 %....

/Söder

[soder]

And BTW, have the file amdpcsdb been moved? It was in /etc/ati earlier, but now, theres only the /usr/share/ati/amdcccle

Please help me..

/Söder

[mr_raider]

Does it solve the flickering issue when compiz is enabled?

[soder]

Does it solve the flickering issue when compiz is enabled?

Will try...
Im back to the standard drivers now again... 8.552...have problem with my xorg.conf, and my amdpcsdb, or LACK OF amdpcsdb..
seems like its gone, and I need it to set my underscan to be OK..

Will try the compiz thing..

EDIT: Set theCompiz to Normal, and it was the same.

BTW, what is the XBMC-CPU? One time that was up in 107 % when I saw a "dropped" , but later I saw "dropped" and nothing over 100 % at XBMC-CPU...

EDIT 2. Not even with the compiz thing to max..

May it have something to do with removing pulse audio? I did that, and installed the other thing for about a month ago..and now I read it will work with pulse agian. May it be something with that?


/Söder

[Oded]

Does it solve the flickering issue when compiz is enabled?

Solved(at least for me),But the "blur windows" plug-in is still not usable...