A New Release Of The AMD XvBA Back-End To VA-API

[monraaf]

DISCLAIMER: I skipped most of the previous posts in this thread.

Now let me get this straight: There's a XvBA, which can forward to VA-API, which can forward to VDPAU?

* Shoots self. *

I think it's more something like.

GStreamer --|              |--> Intel hardware
Mplayer   --|-->  VA-API --|--> XvBA  --> ATI driver
...       --|              |--> VDPAU --> NVidia drivers

[gbeauche]

I think it's more something like.

GStreamer --|              |--> Intel hardware
Mplayer   --|-->  VA-API --|--> XvBA  --> ATI driver
...       --|              |--> VDPAU --> NVidia drivers

Exactly. The (non exhaustive) list of media players and VA drivers can be found at: http://freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/vaapi

[DanL]

What is the outcome of the following?

GST_DEBUG=vaapi:5,vaapidecode:5,vaapisink:5 gst-launch -v filesrc location=/path/to/some/video.mp4 ! qtdemux ! vaapidecode ! vaapisink

I don't know if you need the very beginning, but a lot of this flies by on the terminal (I included some extra diagnostics at the end): http://pastebin.com/hqRf0M2z

[gbeauche]

I don't know if you need the very beginning, but a lot of this flies by on the terminal (I included some extra diagnostics at the end): http://pastebin.com/hqRf0M2z

OK, it seems your copy of FFmpeg is not built with VA-API support. You probably built it locally but the system (non VA-API enabled) version is still used. To confirm, you can try hwdecode-demos: http://www.splitted-desktop.com/~gbe...wdecode-demos/

$ ffmpeg_h264 --hwaccel vaapi

[DivineGrace]

Oh yeah great, a proprietary 'solution' for a proprietary problem that is the current FLOSS state and one that will only be used for a limited period of time.

*Yaaaaaaawn*

Of course people 'need' this functionality because without it Linux isn't viable <_<'

I "need" this functionality because my notebook GPU needs a purpose.
Linux is still viable to me because it is the only OS that I choose to run. I do not wish to debate proprietary vs open-source, because both have their positives and negatives. VA-API just happens to be the proprietary driver's positive features, despite its inherent flaws.

[Kano]

vlc git now shows something. the problem is that when gl output is used it is a bit too slow when gl is set to vsync via amdcccle. that results in curruption when live tv is watched. xv/default is accellerated but has tearing. but some never notice tearing - i definitely see it with my 4550...

[DanL]

OK, it seems your copy of FFmpeg is not built with VA-API support. You probably built it locally but the system (non VA-API enabled)

I removed the system's ffpmeg/libav* packages before beginning. I even removed and rebuilt x264 and ffmpeg tonight to be sure.

$ ffmpeg
FFmpeg version SVN-r24208, Copyright (c) 2000-2010 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Jul 11 2010 22:30:10 with gcc 4.4.3
  configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-nonfree --enable-postproc --enable-pthreads --enable-libfaac --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --enable-x11grab --enable-shared --enable-pic
  libavutil     50.22. 0 / 50.22. 0
  libavcodec    52.83. 0 / 52.83. 0
  libavformat   52.73. 0 / 52.73. 0
  libavdevice   52. 2. 0 / 52. 2. 0
  libavfilter    1.22. 0 /  1.22. 0
  libswscale     0.11. 0 /  0.11. 0
  libpostproc   51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
Hyper fast Audio and Video encoder

$ ffmpeg_h264 --hwaccel vaapi
Display type 'x11'
Hardware accelerator 'vaapi'
[hwdecode_demos] VA display 0x24d09e0
libva: libva version 0.31.1-sds1
Xlib:  extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
libva: va_getDriverName() returns 0
libva: Trying to open /usr/lib/va/drivers/fglrx_drv_video.so
libva: va_openDriver() returns 0
[hwdecode_demos] VA API version 0.31
[hwdecode_demos] 6 display attributes available
[hwdecode_demos]   VADisplayAttribDirectSurface     (get/---) min 0 max 0 value 0x0
[hwdecode_demos]   VADisplayAttribBackgroundColor   (get/set) min 0 max 16777215 value 0xffffff
[hwdecode_demos]   VADisplayAttribBrightness        (get/set) min -100 max 100 value 0x0
[hwdecode_demos]   VADisplayAttribContrast          (get/set) min -100 max 100 value 0x0
[hwdecode_demos]   VADisplayAttribHue               (get/set) min -100 max 100 value 0x0
[hwdecode_demos]   VADisplayAttribSaturation        (get/set) min -100 max 100 value 0x0
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
    minor_version   : 512
    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
    encoder         : Lavf52.32.0
  Duration: 00:00:00.08, start: 0.000000, bitrate: N/A
    Stream #0.0(und): Video: h264, yuv420p, 320x240 [PAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], 1159 kb/s, 12 fps, 12 tbr, 12 tbn, 24 tbc
[hwdecode_demos] Decoded surface size: 320x240
[hwdecode_demos] 4 profiles available
[hwdecode_demos]   VAProfileMPEG2Simple
[hwdecode_demos]   VAProfileMPEG2Main
[hwdecode_demos]   VAProfileH264High
[hwdecode_demos]   VAProfileVC1Advanced
[hwdecode_demos] 1 entrypoints available for VAProfileH264High
[hwdecode_demos]   VAEntrypointVLD
press any key to exit

Since mplayer and the hwdecode demos work, I may just need to build gstreamer-ffmpeg myself. I'll report back when I do that (tomorrow). Thanks.

[gbeauche]

vlc git now shows something. the problem is that when gl output is used it is a bit too slow when gl is set to vsync via amdcccle. that results in curruption when live tv is watched. xv/default is accellerated but has tearing. but some never notice tearing - i definitely see it with my 4550...

Those problems in VLC are *not* related at all to VA-API. Check with them.

[gbeauche]

Since mplayer and the hwdecode demos work, I may just need to build gstreamer-ffmpeg myself. I'll report back when I do that (tomorrow). Thanks.

Note that gstreamer-ffmpeg is not used by gstreamer-vaapi. You definitely have a build problem. You will have to check your config log and see what FFmpeg is used.

[Kano]

@gbeauche

That might be true but it is just less usefull currently.