AMD's UVD2-based XvBA Finally Does Something On Linux

[Kano]

It does not work with your movies when they are over bluray spec, get nvidia or intel snb+ or other movies.

[NTICompass]

xvba_video: driver does not support H.264 content over [email protected]. Please upgrade.

Hey there. I have a Radeon HD 5770, and I'm trying to make it decode x264 video for me. I'm running Gentoo x64.

I've set up x11-libs/xvba-video-0.8.0, and x11-libs/libva-1.0.15. I also have media-video/ffmpeg-0.7.7 and media-video/vlc-1.1.12 compiled with the vaapi flag. Oh, and I also have x11-drivers/ati-drivers-11.11.

With most of my files, VLC plays them perfectly using my GPU. :-)

avcodec decoder: Using VA API version 0.32 for hardware decoding.

But, there are a few that don't play correctly, and seem to play better when I play them with the CPU (without hardware acceleration).

In the console, I get this error:

xvba_video: driver does not support H.264 content over [email protected]. Please upgrade.

What does it want me to upgrade? And to what?

Here is the full VLC console output:

VLC media player 1.1.12 The Luggage (revision exported)
Blocked: call to unsetenv("DBUS_ACTIVATION_ADDRESS")
Blocked: call to unsetenv("DBUS_ACTIVATION_BUS_TYPE")
[0x605120] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
Blocked: call to setlocale(6, "")
[0x85c740] qt4 interface error: Unable to load extensions module
 m_el[mi_level] == NULL
 arrrrrrrrrrrrrg Up cannot escape itself
 m_el[mi_level] == NULL
 arrrrrrrrrrrrrg Up cannot escape itself
libva: VA-API version 0.32.0
Xlib:  extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
libva: va_getDriverName() returns 0
libva: Trying to open /usr/lib64/va/drivers/fglrx_drv_video.so
libva: va_openDriver() returns 0
No accelerated IMDCT transform found
xvba_video: XVBA_GetSurface(): status 2
[0x155c590] avcodec decoder: Using VA API version 0.32 for hardware decoding.
xvba_video: driver does not support H.264 content over [email protected]. Please upgrade.

And here is the output of "vainfo":

libva: VA-API version 0.32.0
Xlib:  extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
libva: va_getDriverName() returns 0
libva: Trying to open /usr/lib64/va/drivers/fglrx_drv_video.so
libva: va_openDriver() returns 0
vainfo: VA-API version: 0.32 (libva 1.0.15)
vainfo: Driver version: Splitted-Desktop Systems XvBA backend for VA-API - 0.8.0
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileH264High               :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Advanced            :	VAEntrypointVLD

[V!NCENT]

No. ATI ONLY supports Windows. ATI claims open source support but won't even support UVD. ATI supports video decoding and hardware acceleration in Windows but can't do the same with the Catalyst driver, at least? There's only limited open source support and it's slow and only limited manpower.

The evil Nvidia at least has drivers that work to some degree, no or little tearing, driver bugs that get fixed at some sort of timeline and yes, it's supporting Windows mostly, too but they keep up with Xserver. AMD doesn't want to fund ATI or something because the ATI excuse is usually not enough funding.

Panix empty your inbox; I can sen your a repley anymore.

<sorry back on topic>

[Panix]

Except if you have a system with Nvidia Optimus? A thing that seems to come with a lot of new laptops nowadays.

True. But, ATI laptops with the hybrid tech. don't work in Linux either.

[monraaf]

No. ATI ONLY supports Windows.

And soon Android!

ATI claims open source support but won't even support UVD. ATI supports video decoding and hardware acceleration in Windows but can't do the same with the Catalyst driver, at least?

But yes the GNU/Linux users they don't seem to care much about unfortunately.

The evil Nvidia at least has drivers that work to some degree,

Except if you have a system with Nvidia Optimus? A thing that seems to come with a lot of new laptops nowadays.

[Panix]

No. ATI ONLY supports Windows. ATI claims open source support but won't even support UVD. ATI supports video decoding and hardware acceleration in Windows but can't do the same with the Catalyst driver, at least? There's only limited open source support and it's slow and only limited manpower.

The evil Nvidia at least has drivers that work to some degree, no or little tearing, driver bugs that get fixed at some sort of timeline and yes, it's supporting Windows mostly, too but they keep up with Xserver. AMD doesn't want to fund ATI or something because the ATI excuse is usually not enough funding.

[bwat47]

so is this ever going to work with uvd1?

[ironcobra]

if i can ask a quick noob question...been waiting to get into linux after i upgraded my comp but for now i have a 3850 and i have been holding out on learning the linux world until i can play hw accelerated movies on my system has there been any changes in this years drivers yet i not sure i understand the previous few pages of posts, and im not sure i wont to devote the time to yet if its still not available for my card..has there been progress or should i still wait to my funds are up..thanks

[barkas]

I see the point of that, Zacate Hardware is very nice, but if you want a stable HTPC on linux, run (to nvidia) while you can.

[AnonymousCoward]

I am planning to buy a zacate motherboard with E-350 for a HTCP. I would like to know if the hardware acceleration works and how well (especially with mythtv). It seems that mythtv will support vaapi in the future 0.25, but would I be able to use it now if I patch/compile? Also is the hardware acceleration as a good as nivdia ion?