XBMCBuntu - dropping frames - ATI

[xrapidx]

Had issues with Win7, so decided to try the Linux based version of XBMC (XBMCBuntu), installation went fine, its using the GPU for hardware decoding, but I'm getting a crap load of dropped frames, literally half the frame rate.

My setup is a:
HP Microsoft N36L
ATI 6450
250GB drive

I installed the AMD version of Frodo.
http://xbmc.org/download/

Any tips? Not really a Linux user

 

[Tinuva]

Did you download xbmcbuntu-12.00.Intel-AMD.iso from there? Your problem sound like it could be driver related, and I assume that specific ISO should have the correct drivers, if you downloaded another .iso you may be on the open source ATI drivers. I can't think what else would cause your problems, though I am not 100% familiar with those HP micro servers.

 

[xrapidx]

Yeh, thats my feeling too, ATI and Linux/XBMC always have an issue - its why I gave up last time and just went for Windows.

 

[SauRoNZA]

How do you figure the graphics card is doing the decoding?

 

[xrapidx]

How do you figure the graphics card is doing the decoding?

Push O - see whats doing what while movie is playing.

 

[Tinuva]

Interesting question, on the following settings, do you have any of them enabled?:
- sync video to audio
- sync refresh rate to video frame rate

I don't remember their exact names, but they are in settings - system settings - video somewhere in the XBMC interface.

Try disabling some of those syncing settings ect.

 

[xrapidx]

Not enabled.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Yeah unless I sync the video to my display I also get odd glitches in playback.

Also on an ATI card but using OpenELEC.

Reason I asked about the hardware acceleration is that you need to have some off and one on for ATi otherwise it doesn't work properly. You can't just put them all on and hope for the best.

 

[xrapidx]

Currently the only one thats on is the one under Video settings, not playback settings, can't recall what its called - its the default setting for the install.

I might give OpenElec a try before switching to Windows again.

My requirements are fairly the simple, these machines are not used for storage, basically just players with my library hosted in mySQL on another machine.

 

[xrapidx]

I see openelec doesn't have a specific AMD/ATI build

 

[Tinuva]

In that case you can definitely give openelec a try, for minimal install I found it to work the best.

 

[xrapidx]

In that case you can definitely give openelec a try, for minimal install I found it to work the best.

No AMD/ATI build

 

[w1z4rd]

ATI dont release decent drivers for Linux. Nvidia is a better linux choice.

 

[xrapidx]

Yeh, which is why I'll probably end up back on Windows.

 

[Tinuva]

No AMD/ATI build

Hmmm you are correct, seems the OpenElec guys prefer NVidia hardware and don't support ATI.

 

[xrapidx]

...and back on Windows running flawlessly.