Hardware Accelerated Video?

What exactly are the requirements to enable hardware accelerated H.264 video on Nvidia and Intel's graphics? I have an Optimus laptop, and as far as I could tell with GPU-Z and lots of driver switching:

- Flash 10.1 properly triggers both the Arrandale IGP and the Nvidia GPU
- CoreAVC in non-CUDA mode likewise activates both the Arrandale IGP and the Nvidia GPU, though the results were nowhere near as impressive as CUDA mode

But that's it. With everything else I tested, there was no GPU acceleration whatsoever:

- Windows 7's built in H.264 decoder definitely didn't trigger the Nvidia GPU, but I can't say for certain as to whether or not the Arrandale IGP was working
- ffdshow definitely didn't make use of either GPU
- VLC didn't use GPU acceleration either

Isn't this supposed to work automatic and independently of whatever codec and media player happens to be used, the way Turbo Mode does?

 

For general videos, DXVA needs to be set up properly to work. Three conditions generally need to be met (CoreAVC CUDA takes a different path): DXVA capable video decoder, DXVA capable video renderer, no other video filters. The below is a routine for some H.264/AVC files.

In Media Player Classic Homecinema:
For Windows 7: Under External Filters click add and add the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder and set it as preferred.
for Windows XP: In Media Player Classic Homecinema, View-> Options-> Internal Filters, Put a tick next to only H264/AVC(DXVA), instead of EVR use VMR9 or Overlay.

Under View-> Options-> Playback, add a tick next to Auto-load subtitles.
Under View-> Options-> Output-> put a tick next to EVR Custom Pres. if you want subtitles and a tick next to EVR (Vista/.Net3) if you don't want subtitles.

Hopefully this will work for you.

 

You could perhaps see if Splash Media Player works with your DXVA hardware.
Splash - Next Generation Player

Sometimes getting Intel hardware to do what you want it to do can be a pain in the a**.
Show it whos boss! hehe

 

For Flash it should be automatic. Same for Adobe Premiere video preview etc.

But for 64 bit DXVA playback read the following post. It's for ATi but will work exactly same for Nvidia.

 

Catalyst 10.5 ATi UPDATE! Full DXVA 2.0 Support. ATi has taken 2 years, but finally we have DXVA, L5.1 16 ref frame support. MPC-HC 64 etc have been updated in the last week or so for this. Here is the setup!!!
- MPC-HC's DXVA support has been great for Nvidia, but not so great for ATi
- With Catalyst 10.5 update, MPC-HC have updated to provide the same level of support for ATi users!

Also this guide will show you to watch your videos in 100% 64 Bit, not that you need it. But if like me, you just want 64 bit with your 64 bit OS, regardless!

DXVA is Microsoft's hardware support for video rendering. There is an alternative with Linux using Mplayer.

Why use DXVA? Why not use it. This will allow you watch the the most intensive HD videos using 1% of CPU and 1% of GPU. If you have a i5 or i7, 720p/1080p should be no problem using CoreAVC 2.0 or FFDShow Tryouts. But this is just easier, read on to see how much easier.

Onwards with Windows 7.

Download MPC-HC 64 Bit latest version: Media Player Classic Home Cinema (x86/x64) - XvidVideo.RU.
- When you install, install this in the 64 bit program folder.
- MPC-HC has the best free DXVA 2.0 support available IMO and it works awesome
- MPC-HC also uses FFDShow's latest ffmpeg-mt h264 decoder when not using DXVA.
- It is an all in one package.

Download Haali Splitter 64: http://haali.su/mkv/MatroskaSplitter.exe
- When you install, install in your 64 bit program folders. The beta 64 Haali works flawlessly for me so far, no problems!

Install latest FFDShow Tryouts Beta 64: Browse ffdshow Files on SourceForge.net
- Personally I like using FFDShow for my audio. It's how I have it setup, I never have to touch it or worry about it, just works with everything. You can go in and set it up for surround etc if you'd like easily with this. Lots of different options.
- So when you install just install audio, if you want video also just in case, at the bottom I show you how to turn off video when using DXVA with MPC-HC.
- As said above, there is no need for video as MPC-HC uses the latest ffmpeg-mt h264 decoder from FFDShow already.

MPC-HC 64 Setup

Open MPC-HC 64, Press "O" for Options.

First lets setup Playback. Make sure to check auto-load subtitles


Go to Ouput, Set it to EVR Custom


Go to Internal Filters


Next double click on H264/AVC1 (DXVA). You will see config screen for DXVA.
- Currently DXVA for ATi is broken on 480p, so this will allow you to ignore SD/480p videos for DXVA
- The above options are for FFDShow's latest H264 software decoder when you are not using DXVA. Set it to 8 threads if you have i7, set it to 2 if you have dual core.


Next you can set Subtitles. I just set mine to desktop and play while buffering.
- This will allow any subtitles to be viewed at your desktop resolution. You will notice for example in 480 or 720 videos, subtitle become much crisper and high res if you have a 1080p screen for example.


Haali Setup

Compatibility Auto-Load


FFDShow Setup

FFDShow Video, set H264 to disabled.


FFDShow DXVA set to off
- MPC-HC 64's DXVA 2.0 support is vastly superior to FFDShow's right now



All done, play and enjoy. No other setup needed, you are set to go.

 

Thank you ziddy123!

I have been trying for a long time to get this to work with my HP NC8430 XP(x86) Pro/SP3 - ATI X1600/256M and MPC-HC. I am already using the tools your mentioned.

Although ATI says the last supported version for my card is 9.3, I am able to use 10.2, and will try (after imaging the drive) to use the newer 10.5.

What version of MPC-HC- (x86) do you recommend? The RU site you mentioned has SVN that change almost daily; the last one I tried is svn 2051. - Thanks! -

 

i use total media theatre 3 and cyberlink power dvd9. they will accelerate video either thru nvidia pure video or theu nvidia cuda (which is better imho).
they are not free programs however

 

The Radon x1600 doesn't support hardware accelerated video for anything useful.

 

I am trying to use the ATI x1600 GPU instead of the CPU to decode H.264 video.

I was able to install ATI v. 10.2 drivers but the version doesn't help with DXVA or decoding.

Version 10.4 claims to fully support DXVA 2.0 which XP doesn't support. Yet there may be hope but so far v. 10.4 won't install properly. I am currently trying different mods on the CX_98765.inf setup file.

Any constructive advice is warmly appreciated!

Thanks you.

 

Hmm.. did you check with the DXVA checker for supported video modes? http://bluesky23.hp.infoseek.co.jp/en/index.html Open the program and post a screenshot.

If it's not blank, then-

Otherwise, is there a certain program you are trying to use?

 

Hmm, it seems things are more difficult than I had originally thought... VSFilter disables GPU decoding support in Windows 7's H.264 decoder.

It's really a shame, considering how the Windows 7 approach is much simpler than setting up MPC-HC (which I wouldn't have figured out without ziddy123's instructions) and much cheaper than CoreAVC.

 

You could perhaps sacrifice the internal WiFi for a Broadcom Crystal HD card for hardware acceleration.

 

Thank you namaiki!

I primarily use Media Player Classic Home Cinema and I have tried with the settings you suggested. According to the MPC-HC DXVA Support page, only certain newer ATI/nVidia cards are supported, and the ATI X1600 is not among them. I have tried numerous configurations using external Cyberlink and Arcsoft H.264 filters with no significant change in CPU usage. I have even tried using the same filters with KMPlayer with no improvement in CPU, averaging around 50%, which is similar to my results with MPC-HC.

I've included two DXVAChecker pictures. Any other advice (besides getting a new notebook with nVidia/CUDA) is appreciated!

Thank you!

 

I believe you need HD3xxx in order to have hardware accelerated video.

If you don't have one, then you can use CoreAVC 2.0. That is the fastest software decoder I've seen for AVC/H264. Keep in mind this will not decode xvid, divx etc. That you can just use FFDshow.

BTW my guide allows you for full DXVA 2.0 support with ATi HD3xxx and higher.

 

That's a cool tip! Thank you! I was unaware such a card existed. Unfortunately I can't live without my wireless. If I could just get the ATI drivers to cooperate, I'd be a happy camper.

 

Thank you ziddy123.

My understanding is DXVA 2.0 support begins with Vista, thus no support with XP. I agree that CoreAVC 2.0 is fast! The recently released VLC 1.1.0 claims to support DXVA, but again not for XP.

I'm hoping the ATI 10.4 drivers might help, but they are not installing for my card . I was able to successfully install the ATI 10.2 drivers by carefully modifying the INF setup file, but the 10.4 drivers have been unwilling to install, so far.

 

If that is true then I am wasting my time trying to get the X1600 to accelerate. CoreAVC uses about 33% cpu for 720p, but 1080 is .

 

I'm not sure what you're trying to play, but I can just barely play some forms og 1080p on my Thinkpad which has a 1.6GHz processor.

I'm using FFDShow video (ffmpeg-mt) on CPU.

 

Just to check, I've done all the options for the above for Vista. I'm using the latest official CCCP codec and MPC, a small dialog saying [Playing DXVA] shows at the bottom of the player. Does that mean everything is working as it should?

Maybe it's just me, but is there really a performance improvement if the GPU is allowed to decode video along with the CPU?

 

No performance improvement. Once the video can be played normally in real time, there is nothing to be gained - this applies to most people, except Atom, etc. DXVA really is a gimmick.

Well, it might help video playback (ie less random freezes in the video) if you are multitasking.

 

WOW this player is really great. Thanks for the link!

+rep

 

You do get better battery life with a light CPU load + light GPU load than with a moderate-to-high CPU load + no GPU load though.

 

You might. I've never checked, but I would think it depends on the laptop as a whole.