Maybe so, but as said I discern little jumps in playback of .VOB files from the HD too. But coincidentally I have ordered another DVD drive, but it's an exact replacement for the drive I have. It's only a $33 US drive (I used to pay $300 for such things!). I only did it because I have rehoused my Sam system into a better case, and the drive supplied by AmigaKit is missing it's drawer cover. Maybe I'll even get a new SATA cable with the new drive.
Now, any idea why MPlayer is refusing to play any video all when I reset Workbench back to 32 bit? (Maybe I better quit now!)
"Folks, I'm on to something. I don't know why I didn't think of this to start with, but I have booted my system from the AOS4.1 installation DVD. After doing so, I just ran MPlayer and have opened several of the video files I've been working with and all play smoothly."
Do you still get better performance by using installation DVD instead of AOS4 from HDD?
- Kimmo --------------------------PowerPC-Advantage------------------------ "PowerPC Operating Systems can use a microkernel architecture with all it�s advantages yet without the cost of slow context switches." - N. Blachford
I only have a 677MHz Sam440 with only 64MB of video ram. I am using 32-bit screens (although before Update 2 I had to use 16-bit).
For me I only notice very slight jerks on occasions, when viewing 4:3 (TV) aspect ratio DVDs. But for at least some widescreen (anamorphic?) DVDs it is a lot worse, presumably due to lack of CPU power. Have you tested 4:3 DVDs?
I am surprised that using 16-bit helps DVplayer. It can't be video memory, since you must have at least 128MB right? 16-bit theoretically uses less CPU power, but I'm not sure if it'd make significant difference in practice.
Yes, MPlayer usually *seems* to give better results than DVplayer. But I think this is usually due to MPlayer's frame-skipping algorithm being better than DVplayer's (I've reported this to the author).
You mention 1920x1080. That's quite a high resolution. Have you tried something lower, like 1024x768? Any difference? Theoretically, at least using full-screen mode, I think MPlayer & DVplayer should use the best resolution anyway, so this may not make any difference.
ChrisH wrote: I am surprised that using 16-bit helps DVplayer. It can't be video memory, since you must have at least 128MB right? 16-bit theoretically uses less CPU power, but I'm not sure if it'd make significant difference in practice.
If overlay isn't being used then it halves the bandwidth being transferred to the graphics card. If overlay is being used by the video player, then it shouldn't make a difference.
A quick way to check if overlay is being used is to try resizing the video window. If the video resizes with the window without slowdown, then overlay is enabled; otherwise, overlay isn't used.
I have read that this system will not achieve 100 percent smooth DVD playback but that it should be "close." Mine is not even close. It stutters and skips to the point of being unwatchable. I'm using the latest registered version of DvPlayer. I really don't intend to use this computer for DVD playback as a routine, but I'm more concerned that various other video files do not play smoothly with DvPlayer or with MPlayer. No, I'm not attempting to play HD video files and don't expect that level of performance from the Sam.
My system is a 733MHZ "complete system" from AmigaKit. I am running OS4.1u2 and driving a 1920x1080 LCD screen at native resolution.
I have the exact same experience with my pre-built sam440 system fro amigakit. DVD playback is hopelessly slow and I don't undrstand why. I didn't expect to be able to play HD video, but a DVD should play ok on a system with this spec.
Have read through the comments on this thread and will be trying some of the suggestions.
I've probably confused matters by talking about so many different areas of performance. As far as DVD playback goes, I've about decided that changes in resolution and color depth are having no (great) impact on playback with DvPlayer. Setting overlay or not via ToolTypes produces no change I can discern.
However, MPlayer won't play a video on the Workbench screen if I have the screen in 32 bit mode. And MilkyTracker has audio playback problems if run too big and Workbench is set to 32 bit, regardless of whether MilkyTacker is set to run in a window on WB or fullscreen. If Workbench is in 16 bit mode, MilkyTracker is fine all the way to the full 1920 x 1080.
I again booted the Sam from the installation DVD, and it's the same level of performance. The one thing I've done that has made an improvement was set interrupts to "YES" via the monitor ToolTypes.
Had to go to work, but just before I left home I put in a "Farscape" DVD that is in 4:3. the style of shooting has a lot of camera movement and the playback was very jerky with DvPlayer. I wouldn't want to watch it. I put in a widescreen animated movie ("Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"), and the jerkiness was less severe but to me still bothersome.
Interesting that Daniel reports similar performance with a 733mhz "complete system" from AmigaKit. So maybe it's the LiteOn DVD drive, assuming we have the same drive and others with better playback have a different model drive??? Of course, as mentioned, I've already ordered another copy of this drive so I'll have the drawer cover.
Player won't play a video on the Workbench screen if I have the screen in 32 bit mode
Wierd, works here. (Except for certain codecs like MP4, but I think that's MPlayer - not me using 32-bit?)
P.S. I use a LiteOn drive. But I don't use DVD playback myself, due to lack of subtitle support in DVplayer (which will apparently be fixed in the next release...).
Even if DMA is enabled for the DVD drive, the drive could still be the source of the problem. I used to have perfect playback on my A1-XE, but now encrypted DVD playback is jerky. The difference? I changed to a newer LG DVD writer, and it has issues (probably buggy firmware).
Playing from the hard drive is fast, playing unencrypted DVDs works as it should, but insert an encrypted DVD, and playback becomes jerky. I should add that CPU usage with encrypted DVDs never gets close to 100%, so it's not a question of processing power.
Hans
That is exactly what happens here. The same file played from HD is watchable, played form DVD is not.Doubtless.
But I pointed to the DVD being having onl 100mb throughput instead of 133 of the HD.
So you are saying it might also be the firmware. Well, good to know. Thanks.
However, MPlayer won't play a video on the Workbench screen if I have the screen in 32 bit mode. And MilkyTracker has audio playback problems if run too big and Workbench is set to 32 bit, regardless of whether MilkyTacker is set to run in a window on WB or fullscreen. If Workbench is in 16 bit mode, MilkyTracker is fine all the way to the full 1920 x 1080.
No such problems here with MPlayer playing YouTube videos, although audio falls out of sink if doing something processor intensive at same time, like encoding MP3s. I'm using the same resolution and colour depth.
Quote:
I again booted the Sam from the installation DVD, and it's the same level of performance. The one thing I've done that has made an improvement was set interrupts to "YES" via the monitor ToolTypes.
Will try this myself.
Quote:
Interesting that Daniel reports similar performance with a 733mhz "complete system" from AmigaKit. So maybe it's the LiteOn DVD drive, assuming we have the same drive and others with better playback have a different model drive??? Of course, as mentioned, I've already ordered another copy of this drive so I'll have the drawer cover.
Media Toolbox shows the optical drive as an 'ATAPI iHAS124 Y'. Opened up the case and can't see any manufacturer labels.
Even if DMA is enabled for the DVD drive, the drive could still be the source of the problem. I used to have perfect playback on my A1-XE, but now encrypted DVD playback is jerky. The difference? I changed to a newer LG DVD writer, and it has issues (probably buggy firmware).
Playing from the hard drive is fast, playing unencrypted DVDs works as it should, but insert an encrypted DVD, and playback becomes jerky. I should add that CPU usage with encrypted DVDs never gets close to 100%, so it's not a question of processing power.
Hans
That is exactly what happens here. The same file played from HD is watchable, played form DVD is not.Doubtless.
But I pointed to the DVD being having onl 100mb throughput instead of 133 of the HD.
So you are saying it might also be the firmware. Well, good to know. Thanks.
Yes. That's the DVD drive's firmware, BTW. Basically the quality of DVD drives seems to have gone down significantly. Some get fixed later with firmware updates (if you know that the manufacturer has released them).
Chris, what is my encoder that needs the priority changed? Point me in the right direction and I'll give it a go.
Ah. I have no idea, since I don't even know what software you are using.
I use LAME in a Shell script, so I just put ChangeTaskPri -1 before it. If you're using some Workbench program, then you either manually change it's task priority each time you run it (boring!) using Scout, or you create a script to run your program using WbRun & you put ChangeTaskPri -1 before it.
It would be nice if AmigaOS allowed one to set (and store) task priorities of programs, say as a standard window border gadget...
Thanks, I will have a look at it and update the firmware.. mmh..(just thinking), I guess I will need a big box PC for this.. have not had one in ages.. maybe it might work with the DVD-drive connected to the win-laptop thrugh an USB-IDE adapter too..
ChrisH wrote: I use LAME in a Shell script, so I just put ChangeTaskPri -1 before it. If you're using some Workbench program, then you either manually change it's task priority each time you run it (boring!) using Scout, or you create a script to run your program using WbRun & you put ChangeTaskPri -1 before it.
Made a script to start ADRipper from an icon on Workbench, simply:
ChangeTaskPri -1 Run ADRipper
Opens ADRipper, however I'm left with a CLI output window to close, what do I add to stop this appearing? Take it this should do the trick with regards to giving other things priority like MPlayer?
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