Originally posted by: rbV5
I still can't believe this fecking 6800 cannot playback 1920x1080i VMR9 streams
Lets be clear here...
*VMR9 is the DX9 video renderer that uses the shader pipeline to display video. The 6800 supports VMR9 rendering.
*WMV HD files (the 1080 demos are actually 1080p not 1080i btw) are decoded with the CPU with ATI and NV cards, so the playback performance should be ~ equal even without the 6800 PVP support. ATI promises WMV acceleration with Catalyst drivers, however up until now, if its actually working (I don't think it works) its not doing much.
The fact is, 6800 equipped rigs can render video of every format that you have installed codec, and do it very well. .
That fact mearly hides the issue that the PVP isn't doing any of the work. If rigs equipped with 6800 cards really couldn't playback these files...this issue would have been addressed many months ago
*WMV HD files (the 1080 demos are actually 1080p not 1080i btw) are decoded with the CPU with ATI and NV cards, so the playback performance should be ~ equal even without the 6800 PVP support.
yes, I agree..that is why I've found this whole thing just unbelievable. The fact is they should be equal, but the simple fact is, they are not.
I meant they cannot play these streams acceptably, on anything other than the poor quality overlay mode, even on A64s. I totally understand your reasoning, and that is how i approached the problem when i first got the carrd. However, Experience, teaches something entirely different.
I am a 100% certain that there is something dreadfully wrong with playback on these 6800 cards within VMR9 mode. I am using the exact same system that had my 9800pro, and before that a 9500pro and a 9800np. All of these cards handled VMR9, or VMR7 or anything you threw at it acceptably. Hardware accelerated or not. Now, after a reformat and the 6800, the same system that te 9500pro played flawless....the 6800 now renders anything in high quality video modes as a slideshow. Others are reporting the exact same thing... So, I think the consensus is that the shaders may not be working at all on the 6800 in VMR9, and its all handled entirely by the CPU. This would account for the abysmal performance. BTW, there is nothing wrong with my setup, or 6800, its unlocked 16pipes, and benching at 11k in 03 now. 4590 in 05. (its a shame I'm unable to use any of this cards power on video playback features..lol...since thats the primary reason i bought it.) I mentioned earlier, i thought the problems with the VPP were disapointing, but not a deal killer enough to return the card, i looked at them as a big bonus when they got them working...I could not have imagined that the nonfunctioning VPP meant that hardware assisted VMR9 playback would be worse than a 2 year old 9500pro.
The conclusion to be made,imo, is that not only is the VPP not working, the fact that it is broken has caused a number of problems down the line. It could be, the driver code was written for the hardware with a VPP, but since its nonfunctional....that has reprucussions in playing any video that needs any kind of hardware accel. From what I can tell, the only hardware acceleration that is working is DVD playback, and even that is somewhat flummoxed. One has to Freaking buy their proprietary nv4.0 drivers to get it to work in full!! Likewise, when one enables VMR9 and DVD mode, I'm not entirely sure that is functioning as it should, CPU usuage is upwards of 50% and there is tearing of image. NOw if everything is functioning as normal on this card in regards to video except for VPP...then why in the hell would users have to buy NVDVD 4.0 codecs, just to get hardware accelerated dvd playback??
For those wondering, VMR9 is basically the superior image quality playback(at least in most setups) for playing Video in Hidef or on an HDTV or a Projector. ANY modern graphic card above a 5700/9600pro should handle it without issue....yet inexplicably, it DOES NOT on these 6800's at least not unless you have an Intel HT, or the very highest end A64. As I said, one can go out and use for example as low as a xp2500 or so, plus a 5700, or a 9500pro, and run what I'm talking about without skipping a frame. Yet inexplicably, these 6800's will not. Yes the VPP is broken, but that has also hamstrung some basic Video playback features like VMR9 for example. The only people who can play that acceptably with 6800's in .wmv are people with HT or FX level A64's. As I said, one could substitute a 5700, or a 5900, or a 9500pro or 9700, whatever...in the same system, and it will play without issue. Can anyone explain that one to me?