[SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

franzrogar · 2010-03-26 18:40:07

Hello,

EDIT at 1st April 2011:
There's a new better solution:
- mplayer2 + cpufreq governor + smplayer-svn

With this one, I can even play 1080p almost perfectly.

EDIT: solution was using mplayer-mt-git from AUR repository. Here's a complete option list from worst to better:

- mplayer + gnome-mplayer
- mplayer
- mplayer-mt-git (using config file)
- mplayer-mt-git + smplayer-svn (file loaded from external HD worst than previous option)
- mplayer-mt-git
- mplayer-mt-git + cpufreq governor
- mplayer-mt-git + cpufreq governor + smplayer-svn

Solutions provided by pogeymanz, kevku and flamelab. Kudos for them :-)

First of all, I must say a huge "Thank you!" to evryone involved in this great distro. Congrats, you've done a wonderful work :-) Ok, lets go.

Note: please, don't be too cruel, I'm using Arch64 since... yesterday morning >.< But evrything is working, more or less.

BTW, thanks in advance for reading the post :-D

I own an Intel X3100 GMA but I can't play x264 mkv smoothly. In honour of truth, it lags a hell.

mplayer lags with my current conf.
gnome-mplayer lags a hell, with all drivers.
vlc lags more than mplayer but less than gnome-mplayer.

Rightnow, I'm installing kernel26-bfs to see if new kernel fixes it somehow.

My configuration is as follow:

Kernel : kernel26 (core, x86_64)

KMS : working (even on GRUB2)

WM : Stand-alone Compiz

No /etc/Xorg/xorg.conf file.
I'd like not to use any xorg.conf if possible.

hwd -s

  Kernel     : 2.6.32-ARCH
  CPU & Cache: Processor 0: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual  CPU  T2390  @ 1.86GHz 1862MHz, 1024 KB Cache
Processor 1: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual  CPU  T2390  @ 1.86GHz 1862MHz, 1024 KB Cache

  Sound(a)   : 82801H ICH8 Family HD Audio Controller module: snd-hda-intel 
  Video      : Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller server: Xorg (intel)  
  Driver     : xf86-video-intel   module: -

lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

glxinfo | grep render

direct rendering: Yes
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 965GM GEM 20091221 2009Q4

dmesg | grep fail

PM: Resume from disk failed.
ata4.01: failed to resume link (SControl 0)

dmesg | grep warn

EXT4-fs (sdc1): warning: maximal mount count reached, running e2fsck is recommended

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep WW

(WW) Open ACPI failed (/var/run/acpid.socket) (No such file or directory)
(WW) Warning, couldn't open module vesa
(WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev
(WW) USB Optical Mouse: ignoring absolute axes.

I uninstalled xf86-driver-vesa 'cause I didn't need it... Is it right?
I know, I forgot to install acpid (I've installed laptop-mode-tools). It should fix next reboot.

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep EE

Current Operating System: Linux aynadamar 2.6.32-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Mon Mar 15 20:44:03 CET 2010 x86_64
(EE) Failed to load module "vesa" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) Failed to load module "fbdev" (module does not exist, 0)

cat .xinitrc

setxkbmap es
xrandr --output LVDS1 --set "scaling mode" "Full aspect"
~/.bin/compiz &
compiz ccp
emerald

xrandr is called to make video playback more fluid, but still lags (not as much as before, but still not fluid).

Where the ~/.bin/compiz script loads: nitrogen, bmpanel2, syndaemon & synclient, wbar, xbindkeys, thunar, volwheel, gnome-power-management and wicd-client.

glxgears

1258 frames in 5.0 seconds = 251.409 FPS
1171 frames in 5.0 seconds = 234.173 FPS
1445 frames in 5.0 seconds = 288.874 FPS

I know, glxgears is not a test... but... I really don't want to "fight" with phoronix-test-suite... At least, not if possible.

EDIT: I forgot to add xrandr output, here it's:

xrandr

xrandr 
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 800, maximum 8192 x 8192
VGA1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
LVDS1 connected 1280x800+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 331mm x 207mm
   1280x800       60.0*+
   1024x768       85.0     75.0     70.1     60.0  
   832x624        74.6  
   800x600        85.1     72.2     75.0     60.3     56.2  
   640x480        85.0     72.8     75.0     59.9  
   720x400        85.0  
   640x400        85.1  
   640x350        85.1

Last edited by franzrogar (2011-04-01 15:09:20)

pogeymanz · 2010-03-26 19:24:45

The first thing I would test is playing it without compiz.

In your .xinitrc, you could just do
exec vlc

as your only line, which will only open vlc without any window manager. Then see if it lags just to make sure it isn't Compiz doing something wonky with your graphics.

franzrogar · 2010-03-26 20:09:09

Thanks pogeymanz for answering.

But, sadly, it just shows that it's not a Compiz related problem: I can see the image clearly tearing instead of slowing down and sometimes it just skip frames directly.

BTW, in Ubuntu (last distro I was using), I could see x246 720p videos perfectly.

Any other idea?

Thanks in advance

kevku · 2010-03-26 21:17:20

try mplayer-mt-git from aur

Last edited by kevku (2010-03-26 21:18:10)

franzrogar · 2010-03-26 22:03:49

kevku wrote:

try mplayer-mt-git from aur

Thank you very much!

That's the solution :-) So mplayer needs to be multhreaded :-D

BTW, I found a "bug" with the application. After installing, it pop-ups this:

 => To enable threading run :
 -> mplayer -lavdopts threads=N file.mkv
 -> #where N is the number of threads you want to use.
 => To add it to the config run :
 -> echo lavdopts=threads=2 >> /home/franz/.mplayer/config 
 -> #Enable multithreading in mplayer, with 1 thread per core.

Well, if you just run the full command, it just almost work perfectly but if you add the switch to the config file, it works worst.

MT mplayer -lavdopts threads=2 file.mkv -> Almost perfect.
MT mplayer file.mkv (switch in config file) -> Not so perfect (A/V desync, even seconds but it doesn't tear)
Normal mplayer file.mkv -> lags, tearing, etc.

flamelab · 2010-03-26 22:59:36

Try using smplayer-svn in order to use mplayer-mt. Define mplayer-mt binary in Smplayer preferences.

franzrogar · 2010-03-27 00:52:12

flamelab wrote:

Try using smplayer-svn in order to use mplayer-mt. Define mplayer-mt binary in Smplayer preferences.

Thanks for info. This front-end is nice but it's like others KDE apps: too much options for my like.

Anyway, I've tried it and I found a somehow "strange behaviour":

- x264 720p mkv files from my SATA HD play maybe even smoother (don't know how to explain it, maybe it changes framedrop value or something else)

- x264 720p mkv files from my external HD (wired via USB 2.0) play even worst than with non-threaded mplayer >.< More lags, more tearings, etc.

kevku · 2010-03-27 08:57:05

also use the performance cpufreq governor, for me the ondemand is really slow so i use performance most of the time and powernowd when i need to save the battery.

franzrogar · 2010-03-27 19:10:13

kevku wrote:

also use the performance cpufreq governor, for me the ondemand is really slow so i use performance most of the time and powernowd when i need to save the battery.

Thank you very much :-D That did the trick for external HD with smplayer (not perfect, but almost)

Thanks :-D

EDIT: I've added the solution to first post so users can see it easily.

Last edited by franzrogar (2010-03-27 19:22:14)

Gooler · 2010-05-15 17:43:10

Thank you all for your comments, it's great to see 35Gb mkv files playing smooth on the laptop

Arch Linux

#1 2010-03-26 18:40:07

[SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#2 2010-03-26 19:24:45

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#3 2010-03-26 20:09:09

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#4 2010-03-26 21:17:20

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#5 2010-03-26 22:03:49

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#6 2010-03-26 22:59:36

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#7 2010-03-27 00:52:12

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#8 2010-03-27 08:57:05

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#9 2010-03-27 19:10:13

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

#10 2010-05-15 17:43:10

Re: [SOLVED] Arch64 Intel 2.10 playback lags with x264 720p videos

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