This thread is to discuss how to optimize web video, specifically Flash video in Firefox.

I found these great links with lots of technical tweaks. Haven't tried them yet:

Firefox optimization and troubleshooting thread
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1193567

Tips: Things that might improve Jaunty performance
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1152095

Firefox Flash performace = poor - very poor
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1206888

high cpu usage on embedded videos
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7614460

Please post your results if you try any tweaks in the links above.

The only thing I had time to try was editing the xorg.conf file as shown in the second link. I enabled direct rendering and compositing and rebooted. Flash performance did improve quite a bit but then I noticed that the video when watching a movie with VDPAU started tearing with high motion scenes. My screen saver also started tearing. I reverted back and the tearing stopped.

Haven't had a chance to try anything else.

After making the changes to the xorg.conf and then undo-ing them, I now have a glitch-like line running through my screen. It's happening on "high movement" events, such as an action scene in a movie with a lot of panning and even my screen saver. The line in the movies is about an inch from the top of the screen and it's about in the middle with the screen saver. Also, I seem to have lost hardware acceleration for playing direct DVD's in XBMC. My MKV's play fine with VDPAU except for the glitch line but they are still accelerated. What happened here?

I have reinstalled the latest NVidia driver but that didn't help. :( I'm very sad now because the system was working fine before. :( I'd much rather have my video in movies and even the screen saver (there's a reason it's important to me) be glitch-free than be able to play flash stuff.

The text that I added to the xorg.con file and then removed later is this:

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

Welp, after some playing, I finally fixed it. I installed the NVidia 190 driver from the launchpad PPA and activated it via the Hardware Drivers CP. Previously, I had the 185 driver installed from NVidia's site and installed it using their install script.

So far, the 190 driver is an improvement accross the board! Visually, the entire machine seems to be running smoother and "snappier."

Just letting y'all know. :)

Welp, after some playing, I finally fixed it. I installed the NVidia 190 driver from the launchpad PPA and activated it via the Hardware Drivers CP. Previously, I had the 185 driver installed from NVidia's site and installed it using their install script.

So far, the 190 driver is an improvement accross the board! Visually, the entire machine seems to be running smoother and "snappier."

Just letting y'all know. :)

Hmm, if it's that good then I should try that version too, I'm on 180.60 which works fine for me, so I'm afraid to break my working system and then spent hours fixing it again...

I got the 190 from the Ubuntu Launchpad PPA. Have no clue where you'd find it for Mandriva. NVidia's site lists the 185 driver as the latest.

185.x is the official latest version. 190.x is the beta. You can get the beta installer from nvidia here (generic nvidia installer, works on all distros): http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=122606

Thanks if 190 is still beta then I keep my 180.60 for now (I've heard too many bad things about 185.x).
shane, I always install the nvidia driver downloaded directly from nvidia, not the Mandriva packaged version.

Thanks if 190 is still beta then I keep my 180.60 for now (I've heard too many bad things about 185.x).
shane, I always install the nvidia driver downloaded directly from nvidia, not the Mandriva packaged version.

Which would explain my problems. Wish I'd have heard about those problems too. ;)

Well, the 190beta seems to be working fine. Least it's better than the 185 RC! :D

Of course, I SAID the 190 was working fine. :mad: The damn line came back. Ugh. I wish I could get a pic of what I'm talking about but it only occurs on high motion events.

I've been fighting with this dang thing for almost a year now. I don't know if I either need to scrap this PC and just wait and build a new one with more modern hardware, or break down and install Windows. Ugh. I was so hoping to make this one work. :(

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about. Please excuse the weird coloration at the bottom. It's hard to take a picture of a TV during motion. The line is easy to see. It happens in movies too (H.264 or straight from DVD) but it's higher on the screen during the movies.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/Audiomechanic/IMG_2225.jpg

In the nvidia-settings program, make sure "Sync to VBlank" is checked in both the XVideo Settings and OpenGL Settings tabs. And I think you already know about disabling composite in the xorg.conf file.

Thanks k_ross. I'll give that a shot tonight if I have time. Compositing is disabled in the xorg.conf file....or rather, I should say that there is no mention of compositing in the xorg.conf file. Is it enabled if there is nothing in the xorg.conf file mentioning compositing?

Sorry everyone for my little rant up there. Just got frustrated when that line came back. :(

K_ross, thank you. It was the compositing that did it. I didn't think compositing was enabled but apparently it was. I added this to the xorg.conf file:

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

After I did that, I noticed an IMMEDIATE improvement in the screen saver, XBMC menus and movies. The line is gone and everything looks fine now! W00t!

Also, the "sync to Vblank" was already checked in the xorg part of Nvidia Settings but not the Open GL part so I checked it there.

Thanks again, man. :D

Edit: I just noticed (yes, still n00bie over here) that compositing has to do with compiz effects. So, no more eye candy. Oh, well. I'd rather have movies that don't have a stupid glitch than some pretty fading menus and such.