x86_64 + xine + x264 = Dropped Frames?

[maxim]

I'm looking for some ideas to try and fix the dropped frames that are occurring when I play an HD movie.

The resolution of the movie is 1080p encoded in x264 within a Matroska container. No matter the player that I use, Mplayer, Totem, Xine, Kaffiene, VLC, the framerate always drops and the load on one of the logical CPUs maxes out at 100%.

The uname of the OS would imply SMP is built into the kernel:

Linux maxims-linux 2.6.22-14-generic #1 SMP Tue Feb 12 02:46:46 UTC 2008 x86_64 GNU/Linux

The system has two dual core Xeon processors clocked at 3.73 GHz, with Hyper Threading turned on this appears in the OS as 8 cores. I have also tried turning off Hyper Threading reducing the cores to 4, but the problem still persists in just the same fashion.

Xine has an option to increase the number of threads on the decode tab, and I have increased and decreased this to the apprioate number given the number of logical cores seen by the OS. Still always one core gets completely utilized while the others sit practically idle.

I have also tried all working video decoding drivers within the xine application and they all more or less do the same thing if they worked at all.

Previously on this machine I had Fedora installed, the x86_64 version, and it played the same movie with better results, but still not perfect. I feel that the hardware is capable of doing it, I just don't know how to configure it to make it happen.

[LeadFingers]

We had a few other forum members with a similar problem.
Their solution was to disable Compiz/Fusion while they watched Movies.
Kind-of a sucky solution but it fixed the problem for them.
Hoping the Hardly release fixes it, as it's a known Compiz/Fusion based issue.
If you run Compiz/Fusion, it might be worth a try, if not maybe someone else has a suggestion.

[maxim]

I thought compiz might be causing an issue so I think I turned it off. I did it through the Appearance window on the Preferences menu and selected "None." I have now completely uninstalled it and restarted the X Server, but the problem still persists.

[DaddyX3]

The resolution of the movie is 1080p encoded in x264 within a Matroska container.

Ever thought that it being a Matroska file could have any thing to do with it? I have plenty of other movies that is divx compressed and have no issues what so ever. I would suggest you look into a different compression format than Matroska. Like I said, I have no problems with any of the movies that I watch that is encoded/ compressed using Xvid or DivX. Sorry for my ignorance if this is not an option. I don't know much about your encoding method.

[maxim]

That thought has potential, though I would likely get the same result if a demuxed the video out and just played the video alone. Matroska is merely a container for the data, a way of collecting all of the data needed to produced the viewing experience. It contains the video, audio, subtitles, and various features of each. It shouldn't have much bearing on the encoding method used for the video, or the performance playback.

On the other hand, I have Matroska files that use a lower resolution x264 encoding that play without any dropped frames.

[TheeMahn]

Personally I have not looked into such codecs, I will say a few things that don't come to most minds... Hardware becomes a heavy factor when dealing with things of this nature, transfer rate of the hard disk spitting the info for example, the filesystem it is on also, xfs is "designed" for things as such. Getting past that decoding... processor starts to get a kick in teeth, we have not touched base in actually tossing it to the screen video... I also would re-encode it, unless you intend to burn it to a bluray disk & watch it on your hdtv

[maxim]

I'll tell you a little bit more about the setup. In one scenario the file is located on a server in the other room. The file itself is stored on a RAID5 volume of three 750GB drives. The two machines are connected using gigabit ethernet. The transfer rate between the two moving the file from the server to my machine is ~24MB/s. In the other scenario is when I play the file located on my machine. It is then playing from a 6 drive RAID5 volume of 80GB drives. The problem still persists.

[TheeMahn]

I'll tell you a little bit more about the setup. In one scenario the file is located on a server in the other room. The file itself is stored on a RAID5 volume of three 750GB drives. The two machines are connected using gigabit ethernet. The transfer rate between the two moving the file from the server to my machine is ~24MB/s. In the other scenario is when I play the file located on my machine. It is then playing from a 6 drive RAID5 volume of 80GB drives. The problem still persists.

Wow, I thought I had some hardware, you have my bacon roasted I am fairly sure by those specs you are not running it on a PII or have a AGP Video card... I still have not even looked up the codec you refered to, it may be a matter of *nix not caring for the codec involved. I honestly don't have time to "personally" address this issue, hardy goes final tomorrow and I unlike the processor being kicked in the teeth, will be me I am sure one of our fine admin / mods will assist you, sorry nothing personal.

TheeMahn

[maxim]

No big deal. I was just hoping for some ideas not a solution exaclty. I'd rather you spend your spare time on building 1.8 anyway. Who knows, with a new kernel in the Hardy release it might be a non-issue. So far your Ultimate Edition has been the best version of Linux i've used. I'm new to debian so stuff is a little weird, but i'm learning though. I look forward to your next version with eager anticipation.

[LeadFingers]

I'm looking for some ideas to try and fix the dropped frames that are occurring when I play an HD movie.
The uname of the OS would imply SMP is built into the kernel:
Linux maxims-linux 2.6.22-14-generic #1 SMP Tue Feb 12 02:46:46 UTC 2008 x86_64 GNU/Linux
.

Since you are looking for ideas not solutions, and I've never been afraid to put out an idea (even the ones that sound stupid)...
If I read correctly, your 64bit OS (maxims-linux) is from Feb 12.
That's a long time in the Linux world, particularly for 64 bit.
The landscape in the x64 world has changed drastically since then
1.8 x64 should come out pretty soon, your issue may be solved with this release.

The resolution of the movie is 1080p encoded in x264 within a Matroska container. No matter the player that I use, Mplayer, Totem, Xine, Kaffiene, VLC, the framerate always drops and the load on one of the logical CPUs maxes out at 100%.

Matroska is touted to be the bomb-diggity and since it's just a container for the various codecs, not the codecs itself, I doubt this is your issue, Unless the codecs you are using for your 1080p x264 is Bleeding edge

On the other hand, I have Matroska files that use a lower resolution x264 encoding that play without any dropped frames.

Which codecs are you using for the 1080p movies ~vs~ the lower resolution movies
Have you googled that codecs to see if a bug report has been filed, or if it has any known issues?
(or updates in the x64 variety)

Xine has an option to increase the number of threads on the decode tab, and I have increased and decreased this to the apprioate number given the number of logical cores seen by the OS. Still always one core gets completely utilized while the others sit practically idle.

Again this looks, to me, to be OS related.
(not optimized for more than one core) and again it could be a x64 issue
Where x64 (of an older system) not utilizing all the cores as efficiently as a newer OS might.

If I'm way off base, please post it, as every failed Idea is one step closer to the right one.