Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

seth · 2026-02-11 16:11:40

MESA-INTEL: warning: Haswell Vulkan support is incomplete

If it's not the linear downscaler and since upscaling isn't relevant:
dither=no
correct-downscaling=no
hdr-compute-peak=no

Strangiato · 2026-02-11 16:17:44

Nothing changes using your parameters.

xerxes_ · 2026-02-11 18:08:38

You can try:
--vo=sdl --profile=fast
--vo=gpu --hwdec=vaapi --profile=fast

Strangiato · 2026-02-11 18:19:41

"--vo=sdl --profile=fast" results in ~40 frames dropped per second.
"--vo=gpu --hwdec=vaapi --profile=fast" is much better, but hw acceleration does not work.

xerxes_ · 2026-02-11 18:29:56

How much "--vo=gpu --hwdec=vaapi --profile=fast" is better, how much frames dropped and how do you know that hw acceleration does not work?

You can also try "--vo=gpu --hwdec=drm --profile=fast".

Last edited by xerxes_ (2026-02-11 18:38:21)

Strangiato · 2026-02-11 19:23:26

"--vo=gpu --hwdec=vaapi --profile=fast" drops ~10 frames per second. Info provided by shift+i indicates that hw is not activated.

A few moments ago my new 120hz monitor was delivered, I'm using it right now. And mpv does not drop any frame with these settings:

                                                   
#hwdec=auto-safe
vo=gpu-next
gpu-api=opengl
save-position-on-quit
profile=fast

If vaapi-copy hw acceleration is activated (by pressing ctrl+h), mpv drops ~5 frames per second.

mpv with "--vo=gpu --hwdec=drm --profile=fast" drops ~3 frames randomly.

seth · 2026-02-11 20:04:38

that hw is not activated

Since you explicitly selected vaapi there would have to be some error and statement that it's falling back to software - also how is dropping 10fps "much better" than just --profile-fast

20hz monitor … mpv does not drop any frame with these settings

so at least in part the issue stems from vsync and barely rendering above 60fps max

mpv --hwdec=help | grep drm

is probably not a valid decoder tbw, please don't flail around.

Nothing changes using your parameters.

the fast profile does nothing but setting

 scale=bilinear
 dscale=bilinear
 dither=no
 correct-downscaling=no
 linear-downscaling=no
 sigmoid-upscaling=no
 hdr-compute-peak=no
 allow-delayed-peak-detect=yes

if setting (all of) those does not produce the same results as "--profile=fast" you're not setting them at all

Strangiato · 2026-02-11 20:12:26

Well, 10 dropped frames is much better than 40.

"mpv --hwdec=help | grep drm" produces no output.

The parameters below results in ~30 frames dropped per second if hw acceleration is activated.
And no frame is dropped if hw acceleration is deactivated.

 scale=bilinear
 dscale=bilinear
 dither=no
 correct-downscaling=no
 linear-downscaling=no
 sigmoid-upscaling=no
 hdr-compute-peak=no
 allow-delayed-peak-detect=yes

Last edited by Strangiato (2026-02-11 20:15:21)

seth · 2026-02-11 20:20:11

"mpv --hwdec=help | grep drm" produces no output.

I know, the point was to to illustrate that this is a completely bogus parameter.

How and where do you apply the fast profile settings and how do you en/disable hw acceleration?
Things rather don't add up here at all, you should post the mpv -v output for every test you run so we see what actually gets applied.

Strangiato · 2026-02-11 20:47:53

I have added "profile=fast" to /etc/mpv/mpv.conf file.

I also have "hwdec=auto-safe" (hw ac activated) in the mpv config file. I press ctrl+h while mpv plays the video to deactivate/re-activate hw ac.

The current situation is: I have "profile=fast" in the config file; mpv drops a few frames when hw ac is active, and drops no frame if hw ac is deactivate.

If I remove "profile=fast" from the config file, mpv drops many frames regardless the hw ac is active or not

Arch Linux

#51 2026-02-11 16:11:40

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#52 2026-02-11 16:17:44

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#53 2026-02-11 18:08:38

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#54 2026-02-11 18:19:41

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#55 2026-02-11 18:29:56

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#56 2026-02-11 19:23:26

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#57 2026-02-11 20:04:38

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#58 2026-02-11 20:12:26

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#59 2026-02-11 20:20:11

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

#60 2026-02-11 20:47:53

Re: Many dropped frames playing 4k h264 video with mpv

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