The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    VLC w/ Hardware Acceleration Finally Out!

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by ronnieb, Jun 23, 2010.

  1. ronnieb

    ronnieb Representing the Canucks

    Reputations:
    613
    Messages:
    1,869
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
  2. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

    Reputations:
    6,415
    Messages:
    5,296
    Likes Received:
    552
    Trophy Points:
    281
    VLC. ftw!!
     
  3. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    929
    Messages:
    4,007
    Likes Received:
    40
    Trophy Points:
    116
    nice! now to try it
    love vlc but windows media in win7 is quite good and seems to use less resources.
    lets how good this version is
     
  4. Comenius

    Comenius Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    No hardware acceleration on ATI yet though.
     
  5. coldmack

    coldmack Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    92
    Messages:
    2,539
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    What about for later model Intel gpu's(like the 4500HD and its replacement model in the i Core line)?
     
  6. dummy27

    dummy27 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    172
    Messages:
    271
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Anytime soon?
     
  7. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

    Reputations:
    6,415
    Messages:
    5,296
    Likes Received:
    552
    Trophy Points:
    281
    Y'all do know you have to go into the options and enable "Use GPU Acceleration"? It says it's still experimental at this time. Works for me, but then I'm on nVidia hardware.
     
  8. coolguy

    coolguy Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    805
    Messages:
    4,679
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    106
    How do you know if hardware acceleration is actually working?
     
  9. catacylsm

    catacylsm Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    423
    Messages:
    4,135
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    106
    We will have to use a tool to test it, GPU-Z is ideal i believe?
     
  10. KLF

    KLF NBR Super Modernator Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    2,844
    Messages:
    2,736
    Likes Received:
    896
    Trophy Points:
    131
    How's image quality with new release? It wasn't anything to write home about before.
     
  11. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    929
    Messages:
    4,007
    Likes Received:
    40
    Trophy Points:
    116
    whre do i find this under?
    cant seem to find it in preferences

    edit:
    nvrmind found it!
     
  12. coolguy

    coolguy Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    805
    Messages:
    4,679
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    106
    You can find it under Tools > Preferences > Input and Codecs.
     
  13. ronnieb

    ronnieb Representing the Canucks

    Reputations:
    613
    Messages:
    1,869
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Source: VLC 1.1.0 adds GPU acceleration | bit-tech.net


    A lot less crashes than 10.05 beta that's for sure, and performance increases all around. That beta was really buggy :(
     
  14. Ocelot

    Ocelot Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    13
    Messages:
    143
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    If you look under Tools > Preferences > Input and Codecs, there's an option called:

    Use system codecs if available (better quality, but dangerous)

    Are they conceding that the built in codecs that come with Windows (Windows 7 in my case) offer better quality decoding than the ones that come with VLC? Anyone have this enabled?
     
  15. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    929
    Messages:
    4,007
    Likes Received:
    40
    Trophy Points:
    116
    and what do they mean by dangerous?
     
  16. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    It's about as 'dangerous' as using Windows Media Player. Dangerous probably meaning out of their control as it's using external codecs.
     
  17. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    929
    Messages:
    4,007
    Likes Received:
    40
    Trophy Points:
    116
    i see
    wmp uses acceleration too right?
     
  18. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    It can, and so can most media players now.
     
  19. Padmé

    Padmé NBR Super Pink Princess

    Reputations:
    4,674
    Messages:
    3,803
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
    Thanks. Just finished downloading it.
     
  20. rippeer

    rippeer Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    57
    Messages:
    326
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    31
    I'm so confused as to what player and opition I should be using?
    Or does it really matter as long as the video plays and looks good?
     
  21. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    If it looks good to you, it's good enough.
     
  22. rippeer

    rippeer Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    57
    Messages:
    326
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Thanks, namaiki.
     
  23. me12345

    me12345 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    11
    Messages:
    559
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Enabling GPU acceleration seems to prevent the video from playing. Although, I can still hear the audio. Anyone having this problem?

    ATI 10.6, 3870 Xfire.
     
  24. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    I'm not sure if VLC is using DXVA at all for this, but the last few ATi video drivers (I think 10.4 and newer) have an issue where they will accelerate HD, but not SD video (or playing SD would produce artifacts in the output.)
     
  25. coolguy

    coolguy Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    805
    Messages:
    4,679
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    106
    VLC supports HW acceleration only with Nvidia GPU's currently.
     
  26. me12345

    me12345 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    11
    Messages:
    559
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Ah, I see. Disappointing, but I appreciate the response!
     
  27. olyteddy

    olyteddy Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    468
    Messages:
    1,369
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Does that include the ION?
     
  28. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Should be since it's VP3 like a number of other nVidia GPUs.
     
  29. Gintoki

    Gintoki Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,886
    Messages:
    6,566
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    I would assume so.
     
  30. gazzacbr

    gazzacbr Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    49
    Messages:
    443
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    well, i have media player classic - home cinema and the new VLC with hardware acceleration both open with an avi and also tried wildlife.wmv (that comes as sample wirth windows 7) and i have to say that, side by side, the media player colours and picture are definately better for me. if i ''check use system codecs'' on VLC i get no picture.
     
  31. classic77

    classic77 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    159
    Messages:
    584
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Will this benefit netbooks at all? I mean with intel graphics? (GMA950) My wife's netbook has a hard time with 720p....
     
  32. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    GMA950 doesn't support such video acceleration.
     
  33. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

    Reputations:
    6,415
    Messages:
    5,296
    Likes Received:
    552
    Trophy Points:
    281
    Outside of partial MPEG2. GMA950 in desktops is a different story. Because the processor is much more capable, and there's more inter-device bandwidth, LOTS more stuff will play. Just not 1080p.
     
  34. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

    Reputations:
    4,740
    Messages:
    8,513
    Likes Received:
    3,823
    Trophy Points:
    431
  35. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

    Reputations:
    6,415
    Messages:
    5,296
    Likes Received:
    552
    Trophy Points:
    281
    VLC still doesn't work correctly with the GMA500. I fixed my color issue by un-checking the YUV-->RGB hardware conversion. BUT... I still get jitter and artifacting while playing anything (HD or SD). MPC-HC or Cyberlink PDVD10 doesn't exhibit either of those issues. Cyberlink PDVD10 is the smoothest, playing FHD 1080p flawlessly, but it's a bloated, fat, slow piece of software. MPC-HC shows tearing on the bottom 1/4 of the screen. I have faith in the VLC team though. Intel is slowly but steadily releasing driver updates to the GMA500, so I hope to one day see it's potential reached.
     
  36. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    You're not implying that it accelerates anything useful, but even the GMA950 in my laptop can display 1080p video fine. What exactly do you mean by 'LOTS more stuff will play?'
     
  37. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

    Reputations:
    4,740
    Messages:
    8,513
    Likes Received:
    3,823
    Trophy Points:
    431
    Hi guys

    Does VLC player support Hardware Acceleration with the INTEL 4500MHD

    Thanks
     
  38. Gintoki

    Gintoki Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,886
    Messages:
    6,566
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Not as far as I know. The VLC guys say that Intel hardware sucks too badly for them to develop hardware acceleration for it.
     
  39. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    If you're using Windows 7, just use Media Player Classic Homecinema with the Microsoft DTV-DVD Video decoder for DXVA with the 4500MHD.