x264

[Wazzerphuk]

Got a couple of machines that struggle to play x264 files. I'm guessing it's because they're both old and shit, but wanted to check. Basically getting really awful framerate on one machine and it causing a crash in another. Both are using the latest VLC.

The machine that drops frames is a 2.8p4 (ht) with 512mb ram (lolz I know) and some form of graphics card I cannot recall, probably a 64mb geforce of some kind, that sounds about right (cba to check).

So am I missing something or do I just really need to get out of the dinosaur age?

 

[caLLous]

I take it you mean HD content? I only have a 3 year old laptop to use and it copes fine with 720p but it needs to take a real good run-up to get decent framerate with 1080p stuff - basically it will only play jerk-free if I've JUST rebooted. I would say it's your hardware, this lappy is core duo (not core 2 duo :\) 1.83ghz with 1gb ram and a geforce go 7400 that nicks 128mb of memory from the ram (or turbocaching as nvidia calls it). Like I said 720p is smooth as silk, it's just 1080p that suffers on this machine.

 

[nath]

Got a couple of machines that struggle to play x264 files. I'm guessing it's because they're both old and shit, but wanted to check. Basically getting really awful framerate on one machine and it causing a crash in another. Both are using the latest VLC.

The machine that drops frames is a 2.8p4 (ht) with 512mb ram (lolz I know) and some form of graphics card I cannot recall, probably a 64mb geforce of some kind, that sounds about right (cba to check).

So am I missing something or do I just really need to get out of the dinosaur age?

I had exactly the same processor on my old machine but a pretty decent graphics card (not sure if it helps though). 1080p was out of the question and 720p coped just about. It'd often lose sync with sound every 5 minutes and then snap back, and if I recall correctly it required loads of fiddling with codecs to get it to that point. Sounds like your system just doesn't have the grunt to play HD x264s.

 

[Syri]

Well, first thing I'd recommend is to use a different player. If you download the cccp codec pack, and use media player classic, that can use hardware acceleration, if your gpu supports it. that can give a pretty good performance boost.
smplayer is a very good player if you've not got hardware acceleration, it's like vlc in that it's an all in one solution, but it performs a lot better, for me at least, and has much better quality too.

 

[Zenith.UK]

Yeah, you're talking about Media Player Classic Home Cinema.
If you have a graphic card that has hardware acceleration of HD playback, make sure your drivers are up to date, install your chosen codec pack and MPC Home Cinema. A 2.8GHz P4 should be able to play HD content without a problem... maybe you should throw some cash at increasing your RAM to 2GB in 2x1GB dual-channel configuration.

I have a 2 year old Acer Aspire 5920G laptop (2GHz C2D, 2GB RAM, 120GB HDD, GF8600M GT) with HDMI output and I can play 1080p to my TV smoothly.

Odd thing. My file server is an old laptop with it's screen removed (Celeron 1.6, 1GB RAM, 100GB HDD, Intel 945 GMA) and can't play anything more than 720p smoothly. However, it can transcode hi-rez video to my PS3 without a problem!?! Go figure.

 

[Chilly]

Its nothing to do with RAM. As long as the cpu is good enough you could decode 1080p perfectly well in 50-60MB. Enough for a few seconds of input buffer. Certain CPUs simpyl dont have the cycles to decode that much information, however the VLC codec is quite heavy compared to some of the more specialised ones.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Well, first thing I'd recommend is to use a different player. If you download the cccp codec pack, and use media player classic, that can use hardware acceleration, if your gpu supports it. that can give a pretty good performance boost.
smplayer is a very good player if you've not got hardware acceleration, it's like vlc in that it's an all in one solution, but it performs a lot better, for me at least, and has much better quality too.

This worked and plays the file fine, many thanks!

 

[TdC]

what you using then Wazz? the codec pack and WMP or smplayer?

 

[Wazzerphuk]

WMP after the codec pack.

I have them both elsewhere but it's a temporary install and didn't have them on there.

 

[TdC]

cheers, I'll give it a go on my lappy