[mrloopy]

Hi,


Can someone please explain what the Nvidia NVDVD Video Post Processing (VPP) software is? I know that it isn't included in the basic DVD drivers, and I am a little vague as to what it actually does.


Is it something that replaces ffdshow or is it something that compliments it? (I'm a ffdshow user). And does it work with MS MCE2005? And how does one get it?


I think that's enough questions for now.


Thanks!

 

[SHS]

Video Post Processing software from SPIRIT significantly improves the quality of video signal after DCT - based video decoders (Discrete Cosine Transform) and supports the following standards:


MPEG1

MPEG2

MPEG4

Motion JPEG

H.26x

and other DCT codecs

 

[mrloopy]

SHS,


Huh? Is Spirit anything to do with NVidia VPP? Is it like ffdshow? Does it work with MCE?

 

[DFA]

It does not replace ffdshow and it does compliment it. Some claim that the nVidia codecs w/o VPP are nothing to get excited about by themselves. The VPP also outputs in yv12 color space which is good for ffdshow particularly if using resize only.


Getting VPP, now that's another thing. I contracted mine from a toilet seat.


Seriously, you either have it from being a beta tester, got it from a leaked Viewsonic screwup or most recently purchased a copy of TheaterTek 2.0 if for no other reason than to get your hands on the nVidia v. 4.0 codecs including the VPP.


Personally, I believe that the nVidia codecs with VPP is about the best thing going at this time (opinion).


What it actually does I will leave to someone else. My understanding of it may not be entirely accurate. Can't say about MCE but don't know why it wouldn't since it is an issue of connecting with its own codecs and not so much about the OS but you never know when it comes to MS.


DFA

 

[mrloopy]

DFA,


It's a pity VPP can't be passed via sneezing, you have to get it through physical contact???


So, the Nvidia VPP drivers won't resize, just post process, correct? So one would still need ffdshow to upconvert? Do you use both?

 

[Vern Dias]

Yes, both are needed.


Vern

 

[DFA]

Too bad about you can't get it air borne! That would be convenient.


It does not resize or have any direct control settings that I am aware of. ffdshow is still needed for scaling / oversizing. Yes, I use both with Zoomplayer. The VPP is placed in the post processing list but AHEAD of ffdshow. This combination works very well for me.


I would like to use the VPP with Sage as well; I get better PQ. If I use it with Sage though, Sage will inexplicably crash and close anywhere from 2 to 8 hours with VPP in the graph. I have yet to try it with version 4 however and hold out hope.

 

[mrloopy]

Ah, OK, now I understand. Thanks!


Now, if someone could just get ffdshow working with Media Center Edition 2005 mpeg playback...

 

[mosquito]

What kind of system do you guys have that VPP is making such incredible improvements? Every time I turn it on, I get stutter non-stop! I have a 2.6Ghz P4, 800MHz FSB, 512MB RAM, with a Radeon 9550. Should I not be able to use VPP?

 

[DFA]

I would not go so far as to say "incredible improvement". Most everything HTPC is dealing in incremental refinements such that the sum of the parts is very, very good.


Your system is more than adequate. I run AMD 2600+ OC's 10%. I did a bunch of CPU consumption checks one time and as I recall, VPP used only about 5 - 10% of CPU for its part. I also run only VMR9 for everything for what that's worth. I run resize only with ffdshow with Lanczos4 at 1920 x 1280 but have just gone to trying Lanczos8 at 1280 x 720 which is my DLP display resolution.


DLP

 

[Vern Dias]

VPP outputs YV12. Make sure your FFDShow is set for YV12 in and out.


Vern

 

[mnn1265]

Quote:

Make sure your FFDShow is set for YV12 in and out.

Could you please be more specific about how this is accomplished... I believe I am doing this but I'm sure many could benefit from a little practical instruction.

 

[imf4]

Quote:

Originally posted by mnn1265 Could you please be more specific about how this is accomplished... I believe I am doing this but I'm sure many could benefit from a little practical instruction.

According to you settings on your page.
Quote:

Fdshow filters used (in order) 1. Levels reduced by 1 (to convert colorspace) 2. Lancosz4 Resize to 2.5x (1792x1200): Luma sharpen .50 3) Output YV12

You are already doing this with the levels.


Honestly if you are using VPP in TT2 I don't think you need to use Levels because it will convert the colorspace for you when you use VPP in front of FFDShow.

 

[mrloopy]

OK, so does anyone know if the Nvidia VPP will work in MCE2005?

 

[pcfixer]

DFA, you mentioned that you're only seeing 5-10% cpu utilization with VPP enabled? I'm running a GF4 6800GT on an Athlon 2600+ OC'd to 2.4Ghz and seeing a jump from 5% CPU to 50% when going from just the Nvidia decoder to NVPP enabled. I was poking around the forum tonight to see if anyone else had seen this. It was my understanding that Nvidia 6K series cards would distribute the post processing load to the GPU instead of having the CPU do the work.

 

[DFA]

Wow. That's much higher than what I've encountered. Note that the 5 - 10% I noted is not total but just the differential amount for VPP component. Still, you're observing 45% for the same CPU I use. For what source material was this? The number I quoted is for film based DVD. Video card wise I am using a ATI 9600XT. As always, there is an answer but I have none to offer.


Also, I am using version 3.0 of nVidia codecs and VPP and running in VMR9.


DFA

 

[pcfixer]

I purchased Theatertek 2.0.1 so I'm running the 4.0.48 version of the Nvidia codecs. Today was the first day that I'd really had a chance to test the new codecs out. It was my understanding that using the newer codecs would trasition the video decoding load from my CPU to the 6800 GPU. In testing my system MPEG2 decoding with VMR9 enabled against the Hauppage decoders loaded to support my PVR cards I got these comparable results:


Hauppage Decoder - ~10-12% CPU no VPP, ~45-50% CPU with VPP

Nvidia 4.0.48 Decoder - ~10-12% CPU no VPP, ~45-50% CPU with VPP


I'm running the 66.81 forceware drivers. Has any Geforce 6800 owner seen any performance savings by running the 3.x or 4.x Nvidia codecs?

 

[Li On]

This is my understanding of the VPP.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...45#post4494145


regards,


Li On

 

[diehardii]

Hi pcfixer,


I'm just hypothesizing, but the savings may be relative. While they are both using the same amount of CPU, the NVIDIA may be(probably is) using far more advanced algorithms for deinteralacing and decoding and is offloading it to the GPU. So while it looks the same, the NVIDIA would be doing a lot more with the same amount of cycles. Have a good day.


~Steve

 

[DFA]

You are dealing with video based material if decoding media from PVR tuner encoding card. Check your findings against a film based DVD.


DFA