[ShocWave]

Hi, this is my first time using XBMC for PC (though I used the Xbox version in the past).
I am getting massive frame drops while playing back Hi10p x264 files in 1080p.

Average CPU usage is very low ~20%-30% compared to Media Player Classic Homecinema (which plays fine).
VCPU load is in the high 90%, dropping frames whenever it hits 100%.

720p is playable with no dropped frames, but alarmingly high GPU usage.

I was reading the audioengine FAQ and tried disabling onboard audio as well as removing Realtek drivers, but no effect.

Playing with the following settings have no effect:
Hardware Acceleration: Software / DXVA / Pixel Shader
DXVA2: On / Off
Use actual fullscreen instead of a fullscreen window: On / Off
Sync display to video: On/Off
VSync: On / Off

Specs:
XBMC 12.0 rc3
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
ASUS P5N-E Deluxe
4GB DDR2 RAM
GeForce 610 w/310.90 drivers connected through HDMI
Windows 8 x64

Log File:
http://pastebin.com/i40L61uX


On my main machine running an Intel Core i7 with an ATI HD4870 also running Windows 8 x64, the files play fine.
My Core i5 laptop with an ATI 6470M running Windows 8 x64 doesn't have this problem either.

[ShocWave]

After some testing, I have found the problem.
XBMC is relying on the GPU to decode Hi10p rathar than the CPU.

I have managed to reproduce this issue on my laptop with switchable Intel HD3000 and ATI HD6470M graphics.
When using ATI graphics, VCPU hovers around 50-70%, never reaching 100%, thus not dropping any frames.
Once I switch to Intel graphics, VCPU hovers in the 90% range and constantly hits 100%, dropping many frames.

Sadly, it seems the GeForce 610 just isn't powerful enough.
According to the XBMC wiki, Hi10P can't be hardware decoded, so it shouldn't be relying on the video card.

Is this a bug? My quad core CPU is under utilized.
I can't seem to lower the GPU load, no matter what settings I play around with.

[Hitcher]

Turn off 'Hardware acceleration' then?

[ShocWave]

Doesn't work, I tried every possible combination of settings under the Video section...
I believe there is a bug that prevents you from disabling hardware acceleration for Hi10p.

[WolvesPhil]

How do you show your GPU usage? Is this available in the debugging mode of xbmc?