Unimpressive Video Playback

[Priapism]

Hello -

I have been using a Sony VAIO laptop with the following specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo P9600 2.67 Ghz
4 GB RAM
64 bit Windows Vista
NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS

And my raw MTS files play quite brilliantly on this screen with near perfect rendering, colors, clarity, etc.

However I have a monster behemoth of a desktop I just purchased which the same raw MTS files look like total crap. Within Premiere I get small splotches of distortion frequently, and within VCL Player I get horizontal lines and unimpressive quality.

The specifications for this supposedly far superior system are:

Intel Core i7 ... 975 @ 3.33 Ghz
12 GB RAM
64 bit Windows Vista
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275
Monitor: LG Flatron W2453V-PF

Is the NVIDIA on the desktop a crappier video card, and is that why its not rendering as well? Or is it something else...

Thanks.

-P-

[Priapism]

Maybe my question should be - are these video card HD capable and is that what I need? An "HD Capable" video card? Oddly, I found a page that told me the GTX is significantly better than the 9300 so this doesnt make much sense right now...

[jagabo]

If you want hardware decoding you need a video card driver that supports DXVA, a player that supports DXVA, codecs that support DXVA, and video files that are DXVA compatible (some h.264 settings are not DXVA compatible). VLC's h.264 is single threaded -- too slow for many files. ffdshowmt has a multithreaded h.264 decoder. MPCHC supports DXVA.

[greymalkin]

I've had great success with the splash media player...with an i7 do you really need hardware assist?

[jagabo]

Doesn't hurt to have options.

[Priapism]

Forgive me but both responses are not clear to me.

My question was about my video cards.

Why does my laptop, a far inferior device, have outstanding HD Video playback quality?

And my awesome i7 desktop machine (with monitor) looks poor?

I am unaware of what each video card supports. Need help there.

Both systems are playing the same file on the same player.

-P-

[jagabo]

Why does my laptop, a far inferior device, have outstanding HD Video playback quality?

And my awesome i7 desktop machine (with monitor) looks poor?

Because it's not all about video cards. The software has to cooperate too. If you're using Microsoft's default graphics driver (which only includes the bare minimum needed to run the desktop) go to Nvidia's web site and download the latest WHQL certified driver. Then make sure your media player software is configured to use hardware decoder acceleration (DXVA).

[Priapism]

Im not sure why my statements are not being heard. Here it is again. They're *both* using the same software. Yes, its two different machines, but its the same software, same video player, same version of Premiere on both machines.

Additionally, why would you assume that I am using Microsofts default graphics driver??? I already stated that I have specific NVIDIA graphics cards and am obviously using their drivers and software. On both machines.

The *ONLY DIFFERENCE* between the two systems is the video cards, so why do you say the video cards are not the issue?

Can someone else please give me some intelligent input on the video cards specified above? I know for a fact all video cards are not made equally, and some are intended for Gaming whereas others are intended for watching BluRay and HD movies.

This would make sense given the laptop was marketed as a BluRay playing HD system and the Desktop was marketed as a gaming system.

-P-

[jagabo]

The 275 GTX has everything the 9300M GS has, and more. You can see this easily by looking up the two devices at Nvidia's web site.

Any problems you're having are software related. Go through and tweak the drivers, tweak the players, tweak the codecs. That's where your problems are.

By the way, a new version of VLC was just released with GPU hardware h.264 decoding. That may help you out. Of course, you'll probably have to configure it.

[Priapism]

Any problems you're having are software related.

Okay - again - what is your explanation for the fact that I have an identical copy of Adobe Premiere on both machines, both copies unmodified, fresh out of the box, and one plays in poor quality while the other plays in brilliant High Definition? Your entire premise is that there is a difference somewhere, so in that scenario, where is the difference? I"ve already raised this issue 3 times in 3 posts above, but haven't heard a direct answer. Please advise.

Secondly: how do you know this isnt an issue with the monitor? Or the monitor's capabilities?

go through and tweak the drivers, tweak the players, and tweak the codecs

Why would I need to do that when both software programs being used are freshly installed, and unmodified from original, on both machines? Im not understanding your logic. Even the VLC being used is identical on both machines and it is the new version you mentioned.

-P-

[edDV]

Did you ever mention which version of Premeire?

Did you explain how you are monitoring the timeline or if this was the encoded result of an undefined export?

You clearly are a clueless novice in no position to hurl insults.

Give us your Premiere version, Premiere project format, source formats that matter, your monitoring technique or export format.

If export format, how are you playing it? What player, what settings?

[Priapism]

Okay an update. For some odd reason (maybe someone here can explain the logic to me) the VLC media player, when freshly downloaded, has all kinds of ridiculous settings.

When I play an MTS file on it, it has horizontal lines and is crap quality.

I randomly went into video settings and chose "Deinterlace - On". That helped a little.

Then another menu item "Deinterlace Mode" ... it was set at "Blend". I changed that to "Linear" and the quality drastically improved.

Why is this player unable to just play the file the way its supposed to?

On my laptop I got Windows Media player to play MTS files (i have no idea how as people say its impossible) and they look magnificent, every time.

Any other customizations I need to make to VLC to improve the playback quality of original MTS files? Fascinated the player can't just figure it out itself and play them. This isnt 1984

[edDV]

Okay an update. For some odd reason (maybe someone here can explain the logic to me) the VLC media player, when freshly downloaded, has all kinds of ridiculous settings.

When I play an MTS file on it, it has horizontal lines and is crap quality.

I randomly went into video settings and chose "Deinterlace - On". That helped a little. Then another menu item "Deinterlace Mode" ... it was set at "Blend". I changed that to "Linear" and the quality drastically improved. Why is this player unable to just play the file the way its supposed to?...

First "MTS" is a old time Microsoft three letter extension that could be m2t, m2ts, tod, or other transport stream. Where did it come from and what were the file specs? (use mediainfo or GSpot for basics).

Second, you have one type of file. They don't default to you. Others play different file structures.

In VLC, I would define the user interface differently but these French students have provided a fine player that needs preference settings by user need. If your CPU is up to the task, use Yadif or Yadif2 for deinterlace of interlace HDTV broadcasts or interlace HDV/AVCHD camcorder input (but not ABC/FOX/A&E, ESPN, Nat Geo, Disney, etc. HD). If the camcorder is supposed to be progressive, well that is an advanced subject.

If you want an auto_format_detect player, you are free to write one. It could make you millions, except for the fact that nobody will pay you. You would need a more creative business plan.

PS: In 1984 (amend that to 1986 for general public), a D1 704x480 player sold for $250K. In those days that would buy you 2-3 California houses.

[Priapism]

you have one type of file. They don't default to you. Others play different file structures.

The logic here would be: Detect file type, and adjust for proper common sense settings. Im fairly certain this is something 100% of programs do.


Another anamoly I am noticing - there is no timestamp nor time counting upwards when I play video files in VLC. It always says 00:00 in the bottom right corner, even while the video is playing. It also does not show the total video time down there.

Is this another common feature that I must manually set with this player?

[jagabo]

Have you tried setting Deinterlace to Auto? You don't want the player deinterlacing all the time. That will degrade the quality of progressive videos.

[edDV]

Another anamoly I am noticing - there is no timestamp nor time counting upwards when I play video files in VLC. It always says 00:00 in the bottom right corner, even while the video is playing. It also does not show the total video time down there.

I dislike that too. So I go to Media Player Classic Home Cinema MPC-HC for a counter. Often their progressive player is better too.

You can fix this. Don't make me play this advert. Warren Buffet finally comes through, the jackwagon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEbzM2FUP9s

[jagabo]

Another anamoly I am noticing - there is no timestamp nor time counting upwards when I play video files in VLC. It always says 00:00 in the bottom right corner, even while the video is playing. It also does not show the total video time down there.

I dislike that too.

I hadn't noticed before. But it only appear to be a problem when playing transport stream files. Other containers all show the current and total time.