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[MAC] VDADecoder performance over HDMI on new Mac Mini?
#31
Just spent a few hours under 10.6.4 on a Al MacBook (nvidia 9400). Zero problems playing h.264 content with VDADecoder. Of course, I'm not playing those Handbreak converted files either. I also note that I never hit the branch for decoding kCVPixelFormatType_32BGRA and the video color space coming back from VDADecoder is always kCVPixelFormatType_422YpCbCr8.

Need two things a) is everyone with this particular problem running the new MacMini ? , b) a 100MB sample of video content with this problem, use dd to slice off the first 100MBs, play it to verify that it does show the issue.
#32
Success!

Image

This was a VC-1 that I converted to h.264. The only tweak that I made in my settings was that I matched the b-frames with the reference frames; where before I was always using bframes=6. I've changed ref and bframes to =4 and came out with a playable, VDA decode-able .mkv.

Odd thing is MediaInfo still wants to report the file as using only 3 reference frames:

Code:
*** MediaInfo Mac // Plain text file report
2010-07-10 14:09:22 -0500
Information for File: The Crazies.mkv

General / Container Stream # 1
    Total Video Streams for this File -> 1
    Total Audio Streams for this File -> 1
    Video Codecs Used -> AVC
    Audio Codecs Used -> AC3
    File Format -> Matroska
    Play Time -> 1h 40mn
    Total File Size -> 4.11 GiB
    Total Stream BitRate -> 5 847 Kbps
    Encoded with -> HandBrake svn3424
Video Stream # 1
    Codec (Human Name) -> AVC
    Codec (FourCC) -> V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
    Codec Profile -> [email protected]
    Frame Width -> 1 920 pixels
    Frame Height -> 800 pixels
    Frame Rate -> 23.976 fps
    Total Frames -> 144930
    Display Aspect Ratio -> 2.40:1
    Scan Type -> Progressive
    Colorimetry -> 4:2:0
    Codec Settings (Summary) -> CABAC / 3 Ref Frames
    QF (like Gordian Knot) -> 0.138
    Codec Settings (CABAC) -> Yes
    Video Stream Length -> 1h 40mn 44s 795ms
    Video Stream BitRate -> 5 090 Kbps
    Bit Depth -> 8 bits
    Video Stream Size -> 3.58 GiB (87%)
    Video Encoder -> x264 - core 100 r1659 57b2e56
    Video Encoder (Settings) -> cabac=1 / ref=4 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x133 / me=umh / subme=9 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=32 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=0 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=3 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=4 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=0 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=24 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=19.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Audio Stream # 1
    Codec -> AC-3
    Codec (FourCC) -> A_AC3
    Audio Stream Length -> 1h 40mn 44s 788ms
    Audio Stream BitRate -> 640 Kbps
    Audio Stream BitRate Mode -> CBR
    Number of Audio Channels -> 6
    Audio Channel's Positions -> Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
    Sampling Rate -> 48.0 KHz
    Audio Stream Size -> 461 MiB (11%)
#33
davilla Wrote:Need two things a) is everyone with this particular problem running the new MacMini ? , b) a 100MB sample of video content with this problem, use dd to slice off the first 100MBs, play it to verify that it does show the issue.

A) Yes
B) I never used dd, let me see what I can do
#34
interesting thread about b-frames and reference frames.

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=136258
#35
davilla Wrote:interesting thread about b-frames and reference frames.

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=136258

Good find. So since I use b-pyramid with my 1080p encodes, I will start using the following:

bframes=3 & ref=3.

But...I'm not 100% sure why some h.264 sources won't play fine.
#36
Have your sample file...where you want it?
#37
I hope this isn't a common problem for all new minis cos I just bought two of them Undecided
#38
davilla,

File on its way...

OK, now for the weird thing:

I notice that sometime the file's fps will balance out every now-and-again and it will play fine (after ~10sec or so). So its a little inconsistant.
#39
D-tyme Wrote:davilla,

File on its way...

OK, now for the weird thing:

I notice that sometime the file's fps will balance out every now-and-again and it will play fine (after ~10sec or so). So its a little inconsistant.

That sample plays perfect on 2.4GHz Al MacBook runnnig 10.6.4 with VDADecoder. This is 2.0 analog out. I don't have a digital receiver. Time to minimize your XBMC settings. Turn off "adjust display refresh", "Sync playback to display", go to analog out, 2.0 channels.
#40
davilla Wrote:That sample plays perfect on 2.4GHz Al MacBook runnnig 10.6.4 with VDADecoder. This is 2.0 analog out. I don't have a digital receiver. Time to minimize your XBMC settings. Turn off "adjust display refresh", "Sync playback to display", go to analog out, 2.0 channels.

it plays fine on the MacMini "sometimes." If you press "O" as soon as it starts, you should see that the fps titers back and forth and then balances out. I have found that it is inconsistent. When watching the VC-1 converted file last night, I even noticed that it will play fine for a while and then you will start to notice the fps drop sharply, and then finds it way back to normal after a few secs.

EDIT: also, I don't have "adjust display refresh" & "Sync playback to display" turned on.
#41
D-tyme Wrote:it plays fine on the MacMini "sometimes." If you press "O" as soon as it starts, you should see that the fps titers back and forth and then balances out. I have found that it is inconsistent. When watching the VC-1 converted file last night, I even noticed that it will play fine for a while and then you will start to notice the fps drop sharply, and then finds it way back to normal after a few secs.

EDIT: also, I don't have "adjust display refresh" & "Sync playback to display" turned on.

ignore fps, a/v is what you want to look at. +/- 0.0050 or closer to zero is what you want.
#42
D-tyme Wrote:Good find. So since I use b-pyramid with my 1080p encodes, I will start using the following:

bframes=3 & ref=3.

But...I'm not 100% sure why some h.264 sources won't play fine.

Sorry to be a bit rainy but some of my problem files (the ones encoded with handbrake's High Profile preset) have bframes=3 and ref=3 and b-pyramid=2. Doesn't seem to help. :-) I'll get an example snippet uploaded later. Anyway yes I was already reporting everything working perfectly with the MacBook pro with geforce 9400M. After all it was on the basis of how well things were working with that that I bought the mini. Right form-factor and a hdmi port; what could go wrong? :-)

Was offline most of the weekend with ISP outage, and also in a bit of a sulk about the disappointment of my Mac mini purchase: not just this issue; also its refusal to ever acknowledge the cable modem again after ISP had fixed their end (eventually had to revert to my Linux router) and problems with EyeTV, and the lunacy of some videos playing fine in QuickTime desktop app and iTunes but with no video in front row(!), rendering my dreams of an all-in-one under-tv media box in tatters.

I'm sure these software issues will get resolved in time, even if it does need a bit of nagging. :-) off to nag to elgato next about those issues...
#43
As I'm thinking of buying a 2010 HDMI Mac Mini (with Nvidia 320M graphics, Snow Leopard etc.) I find I have a vested interest in this thread :p

If possible, can I just clarify a few points raised so far:

  1. Native bluray rips direct from source (without any transcoding at all - like you'd get fresh from MakeMKV) work fine using VDADecoder on the 2010 HDMI Mac Mini? Correct?

    Also...

  2. Native bluray rips direct from source (without any transcoding at all - like you'd get fresh from MakeMKV) work fine using VDADecoder on the Mac Mini (circa 2009) with Nvidia 9400M graphics and Snow Leopard? Correct?
I appreciate in both cases the files are likely to be huge, but thats what I've got a massive hard disk for! Thanks!
#44
snowdrift Wrote:As I'm thinking of buying a 2010 HDMI Mac Mini (with Nvidia 320M graphics, Snow Leopard etc.) I find I have a vested interest in this thread :p

If possible, can I just clarify a few points raised so far:

  1. Native bluray rips direct from source (without any transcoding at all - like you'd get fresh from MakeMKV) work fine using VDADecoder on the 2010 HDMI Mac Mini? Correct?

Not for me. D-Tyme and I are seeing slightly different things but have different source material. I've also seen some files play well one day and not the next (but that was with a transcoded file).

Quote:Also...
[list=2]
[*]Native bluray rips direct from source (without any transcoding at all - like you'd get fresh from MakeMKV) work fine using VDADecoder on the Mac Mini (circa 2009) with Nvidia 9400M graphics and Snow Leopard? Correct?
[/LIST]

Probably. They do on the equivalent MacBook pro 13", so it seems likely as the important factor is probably the nvidia 9400M. All h.264 media seems fine on that. I really should dig out my mini-dp->hdmi doodad (actually mini-dp->dvi + dvi->hdmi lead - there's a reason I waited for *this* Mac mini!) to see if the *TV* is throwing us curveballs.

Quote:I appreciate in both cases the files are likely to be huge, but thats what I've got a massive hard disk for! Thanks!
#45
Rachel Wrote:Not for me. D-Tyme and I are seeing slightly different things but have different source material. I've also seen some files play well one day and not the next (but that was with a transcoded file).

Pretty much the same, but very inconsistent. My Avatar and 2012 source rips play fine, for the most part, with VDA (there are occasional dips in frame rate). But my Righteous Kill and The Crazies (VC-1) source rips are unwatchable.
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[MAC] VDADecoder performance over HDMI on new Mac Mini?0