VDPAU and Mythbuntu

xmrkite · 09-28-2010, 04:22 PM

Hello,

After trying to get vdpau working on my mythbuntu box for a year or so, I finally decided to just do a fresh install. It still won't work.

I seem to be the only one who can't get it to work, as I've really not found much info on mythbuntu users having issues.

So, I thought I'd post and see if anyone can help.

I'm using the component out connector on my nvidia 9500 video card.

I have nvidia drivers installed (the latest version), and here is my xorg.conf:

Quote:

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildd@palmer) Fri Apr 9 10:35:18 UTC 2010

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder75) Thu Apr 22 11:44:23 PDT 2010

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
# Option "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "TV-0"
HorizSync 28.0 - 33.0
VertRefresh 43.0 - 72.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 9500 GT"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "640x480 +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

When I run mythfrontend and try to watch tv using vdpau high quality, here is what i get from the command line:

Quote:

2010-09-28 14:03:50.882 TV: Attempting to change from None to WatchingPreRecorded
2010-09-28 14:03:51.309 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.310 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.310 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.310 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.310 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.310 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.310 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.310 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.310 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.311 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.311 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.311 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.311 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.311 [mpeg2video @ 0x5b6960]mpeg_decode_postinit() failure
2010-09-28 14:03:51.389 AFD: codec MP2 has 2 channels
2010-09-28 14:03:51.389 AFD: Opened codec 0xae765680, id(MP2) type(Audio)
2010-09-28 14:03:51.394 AFD: Opened codec 0xae70aa50, id(MPEG2VIDEO) type(Video)
2010-09-28 14:03:51.460 Opening audio device 'default'. ch 2(2) sr 48000 (reenc 0)
2010-09-28 14:03:51.460 Opening ALSA audio device 'default'.
ALSA lib control.c:902

snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL /dev/mixer
2010-09-28 14:03:51.501 AudioOutput Warning: Mixer attach error -2: No such file or directory
Check Mixer Name in Setup: '/dev/mixer'
2010-09-28 14:03:52.820 VDPAU Error: Error at mythrender_vdpau.cpp:1448 (#1, Unknown)
2010-09-28 14:03:52.820 VDPAU Error: Failed to create VDPAU device.
2010-09-28 14:03:52.820 VDPAU Error: No VDPAU device
2010-09-28 14:03:52.820 Failed to create VDPAU render device.
2010-09-28 14:03:52.820 VidOutVDPAU Error: Failed to initialise VDPAU
2010-09-28 14:03:52.821 VideoOutput, Error: Not compiled with any useable video output method.
2010-09-28 14:03:52.821 NVP(0), Error: Couldn't create VideoOutput instance. Exiting..
2010-09-28 14:03:52.821 Unable to initialize video.
2010-09-28 14:04:12.792 playCtx, Error: StartDecoderThread() Failed to startdecoder

-Thanks for any help provided

serafean · 09-29-2010, 02:27 PM

Hi,
first off check you card's capabilities using the vdpauinfo program.

Next up, check if its myth related : try reading the video file using basic mplayer :

Code:

mplayer -vo vdpau -vc ffmpeg12vdpau,ffh264vdpau,ffwmv3vdpau [your file.avi]

the three -vc options are there to make it work for all vdpau supported codecs.

At first glance though, it looks as a bug in mythtv to me...

Serafean

xmrkite · 09-29-2010, 03:08 PM

OK, i think it's not a mythtv issue.

Here is what i got:

Quote:

AVI file format detected.
[aviheader] Video stream found, -vid 0
[aviheader] Audio stream found, -aid 1
VIDEO: [DX50] 616x252 12bpp 23.976 fps 606.3 kbps (74.0 kbyte/s)
Clip info:
Software: VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.1 (build 2366/release)
[vdpau] Error when calling vdp_device_create_x11: 1
Error opening/initializing the selected video_out (-vo) device.
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3
mpg123: Can't rewind stream by 358 bits!
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 96.0 kbit/6.25% (ratio: 12000->192000)
Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm: mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3)
==========================================================================
AO: [pulse] Init failed: Connection refused
Failed to initialize audio driver 'pulse'
AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)
Video: no video
Starting playback...
mpg123: Can't rewind stream by 362 bits!
A: 8.3 (08.3) of 69378.9 (19:16:18.9) 0.7%

MPlayer interrupted by signal 2 in module: play_audio
A: 8.4 (08.3) of 69378.9 (19:16:18.9) 0.7%
Exiting... (Quit)

serafean · 09-30-2010, 09:19 AM

Ok, mplayer had a problem in the sound module... but vdpau failed too

Ok, check vdpauinfo (post output here). search for anything vdpau related in synaptics. Check that you have vdpau supporting drivers installed. And just to try whether lady luck is with us : try this

Serafean

xmrkite · 10-01-2010, 10:19 AM

So i rebooted and now X starts in safe mode. If I remove the xorg.conf file it is fine, but video is horrible.

So now when I run sudo nvidia-xconfig and reboot, it boots to safe mode every time.

This is crazy. It's a fresh install.

Any ideas what to do? The nvidia driver says it's active and in use, but obviously it's not active or in use.

-Thanks

serafean · 10-02-2010, 05:12 AM

Hi, what do you mean "in safe mode"? If it means what I think it means, check that your / partition isn't full (check also your home directory).

I'd suggest reconfiguring xorg.conf using the ubuntu package manager : dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg (not 100% sure about the package name), then check the /etc/X11/xorg.conf for

Code:

Driver "nvidia"

in the Device section.

I personnally always run X -configure and use the xorg.conf generated by X. Again, you'll have to check for the nvidia line. (and copy the created xorg.conf to /etc/X11/)

Serafean

xmrkite · 10-02-2010, 12:24 PM

vdpauinfo
display: :0.0 screen: 0
Error creating VDPAU device: 1

Seems i am able to boot now with the nvidia driver, but still no vdpau. I took an old xorg file from last year, copied it to /etc/X11/xorg.conf and then ran sudo nvidia-xconfig and it now boots. While video does play fine, i still can't use vdpau.

Also, when I open up the "Hardware Drives" program, it says that no proprietary drivers are in use on this system. And in the lower area of the program it shows nvidia_current as being installed (which i think is version 195 of their drivers). Also, it says at the very bottom: this driver is activated but not currently in use.

So how would i make it be in use and would that fix vdpau?

Any ideas?

serafean · 10-03-2010, 03:39 PM

Hi, while installing the nvidia drivers, I suppose you did follow the guide?

xmrkite · 10-03-2010, 06:52 PM

Yes, that is the page that got me messed up in the first place.

I decided to try troubleshooting again using that page and now have wasted several more hours just to try to get back to where i was originally.

Hopefully I can get back to mythbuntu booting fine but video requiring 80% of my core 2 duo cpu. Now it's back to ubuntu is running in low-graphics mode.

PS, your signature is funny. If only it were true. It seems that for 3 years of linux use on many computers i always have a really hard time getting video to play back smoothly and not use 100% of the computer's cpu. One minor modification or dist-upgrade and you risk it going sour. While I agree linux has many benefits, there is no way it's as simple to setup as windows, especially when it comes to video drivers.

serafean · 10-05-2010, 08:11 AM

Hi, I really don't get what "low graphics mode" means. by default, Ubuntu (and derivatives) should use the nouveau driver for nvidia cards, which now works very well for 2D. If you have uninstalled it, reinstall it, and remove the nvidia driver (return to where you supposedly started). try "lsmod | grep nouveau" to check if the nouveau module is loaded . Try the procedure again. then make sure the nvidia driver is in use

Code:

glxinfo | grep -i nvidia

if it isn't, check again if nouveau is loaded (it shouldn't be loaded now).

Let's take this a step at a time : first make sure that the proprietary nvidia driver is being used (and works) before getting around to vdpau...

As to my signature : I stand by it

I have never had linux stop working on me without me doing something wrong/ommitting something. I do agree however that graphic drivers are still the achilles' heel of linux.

xmrkite · 10-05-2010, 10:21 AM

OK, i ended up doing a complete reinstall from scratch of mythbuntu. Just to make sure I was on even ground. And just to check and see if i mucked anything up and created the nvidia driver issue i was having.....well, It's the same.

Ok, so here's what i did:

lsmod | grep nouveau
nouveau 467048 0
ttm 49943 1 nouveau
drm_kms_helper 29297 1 nouveau
drm 162471 3 nouveau,ttm,drm_kms_helper
i2c_algo_bit 5028 4 nouveau,cx88_vp3054_i2c,ivtv,cx88xx

So it looks like nouveau is loading. Mythtv playback using any profile makes the video horrible and uses about 70% of the cpu. Core 2 duo 1.8ghz, 2GB ram.

glxinfo | grep -i nvidia
server glx vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
client glx vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL version string: 3.2.0 NVIDIA 195.36.15

So when i run sudo jockey-gtk, i get the hardware drivers screen that says that the current version nvidia driver is activated and in use. So what am I doing wrong here? Why is video playback horrible?

-Thanks for the help