Hi all,
I've been messing with the settings for a while now, but I just can't seem to get rid of tearing that I'm experiencing with this port of XBMC. Vertical Sync Blank is on (though I've tried with it off--doesn't seem to change anything at all), and I've tried just about everything to get rid of it. Right now I'm using 0.4.0, but the same tearing occurs in previous versions. VLC plays the file without tearing.
The only oddity in my setup is that my TV is a CRT HDTV. Any thoughts on this problem?
Did you try to switch PAL<>NTSC?
Did you test VLC playing the video on the TV (assuming you're on a dual display setup)?
zAo_OSX: I did not try switching PAL<->NTSC, as OS X seems to be correctly detecting that my TV is NTSC, and I'm trying to watch NTSC FILM content.
d4rk: I'm using a Mac Mini, so the only display that I have is the TV, going out through DVI->HDMI. Playing the video through VLC on the TV is perfect--no tearing.
This happens on most videos I try to play which have high motion.
One other oddity I've noticed is that going to System Info in XBMC, XBMC thinks that my screen resolution is 1280x720 1280x720 (Full screen) 182.00Hz. The resolution itself is correct, but the refresh rate bothers me. As far as I know, the TV doesn't work at refresh rates other than 60Hz. I tried changing this with SwitchResX, and the only refresh rate I could use on my TV was 60Hz.
It seems like XBMC internally is trying to redraw too quickly? That would seeminly cause tearing.
I hooked up a computer monitor LCD for grins, and it shows 60Hz. In addition, it exhibits no tearing. However, that 19" screen just isn't suitable for watching in the living room
Anyone else have any thoughts? Does this look like a bug?
How much memory you got in your mini?
1gig, and a 1.87Ghz processor. However given that the film plays without tearing on an LCD monitor, I'm guessing that it's not the system specs.
Does anyone know if its possible to limit the framerate in xbmc? I'm having the same issues.
Don't know if this was ever resolved for you, but I have the same problem and found this thread. I am running XBMC Atlantis release on a 1.66 Core Duo mac mini, with OS X Tiger. TV is a Panasonic Plasma 37". I used SwitchResX to adjust for overscan on it. Almost all videos (SD and 720p HD) have some tearing, especially in high motion scenes. VLC plays the same files flawlessly. I had the original 512 RAM recently upgraded to 2GB, thinking that might help. No effect, tearing still present. If anyone knows how to resolve this, please help.
If it helps anyone else, I've resolved this problem. The Vertical Sync option was disabled (by default). Took me a while to find the option, which is in a most illogical place:
Settings->Appearance->Screen
Instead of being under video settings as one would expect.
Enabling vertical sync fixes the tearing (obviously!)
I am having the same issue with the latest Atlantis release for AppleTV. Even when virtual blanc syn is enabled I notice the tearing. Are there other parameters I can tune?
Media is btw on a 5400 rpm disk connected via USB to my new iMac. Network is fully Cat6 and 1Gb, however when connecting wireless I have the same issues.
wernerdebijl Wrote:I am having the same issue with the latest Atlantis release for AppleTV. Even when virtual blanc syn is enabled I notice the tearing. Are there other parameters I can tune?
Media is btw on a 5400 rpm disk connected via USB to my new iMac. Network is fully Cat6 and 1Gb, however when connecting wireless I have the same issues.
Display Info?, Upscalers enabled/disabled? Do the files play fine if on the local disk vs USB disk?
I would start will local storage as all the other permutations toss too many variables into the mix. Get local access working first, then branch to USB, ,Wired, Wireless, etc.
Need to investigate which video content has "tearing", which does not. MediaInfo will show the details.
davilla Wrote:Display Info?, Upscalers enabled/disabled? Do the files play fine if on the local disk vs USB disk?
I would start will local storage as all the other permutations toss too many variables into the mix. Get local access working first, then branch to USB, ,Wired, Wireless, etc.
Need to investigate which video content has "tearing", which does not. MediaInfo will show the details.
Well, the files play save on my iMac (even connected to this disk). When these movies are stored on the imac itself and streamed to XBMC then I notice the same. I have checked this with 23 of my MKV's now (I have more, but no time enough) and slow movement plays super. With faster movement I have this tearing. Yes in all 23. The sound is in sync and even the subs stay in sync. Is there a way in XBMC to find out if I miss frames?
BTW I have a brand new installation from XBMC (yesterday) without changes, except for the vsync.
Upscalers are disabled.
Are there changes I can do to speed things up?
BTW I have this tearing only with MKV files. Not with DVDs (ISO or VIDEO_TS), not with AVI nor with MP4 (files over 2GB).
I was hoping you could give me some tips to speed things up by changing the available settings.
BTW copying a file to my ATV via iTunes is fast so the link speed is ok.
wernerdebijl Wrote:Well, the files play save on my iMac (even connected to this disk). When these movies are stored on the imac itself and streamed to XBMC then I notice the same. I have checked this with 23 of my MKV's now (I have more, but no time enough) and slow movement plays super. With faster movement I have this tearing. Yes in all 23. The sound is in sync and even the subs stay in sync. Is there a way in XBMC to find out if I miss frames?
BTW I have a brand new installation from XBMC (yesterday) without changes, except for the vsync.
Upscalers are disabled.
Are there changes I can do to speed things up?
BTW I have this tearing only with MKV files. Not with DVDs (ISO or VIDEO_TS), not with AVI nor with MP4 (files over 2GB).
I was hoping you could give me some tips to speed things up by changing the available settings.
BTW copying a file to my ATV via iTunes is fast so the link speed is ok.
extracting more info here:
they play fine on your iMac (what player)?
"streamed to XBMC" -> on iMac? on ATV? It's not clear to me where XBMC is running.
MediaInfo a few of these MKVs and pastebin the result so we can see what video format and encoded rate is inside the MKV container.
davilla Wrote:extracting more info here:
they play fine on your iMac (what player)?
"streamed to XBMC" -> on iMac? on ATV? It's not clear to me where XBMC is running.
MediaInfo a few of these MKVs and pastebin the result so we can see what video format and encoded rate is inside the MKV container.
Ok I will do this tonight when I am home. But already a couple of answers.
My movies are stored on a 5400RPM SATA disk connected to my iMac via USB. The iMac connects via a gigabit network to the AppleTV which hosts XBMC.
I have tried to copy certain files (4 in total) to the local HDD of the iMac and stream them to my ATV containing XBMC. Same issue. Then I streamed wireless without any noticeable change.
The tearing is noticeable when you have landscape scenes were the camera is flying over. The movement shows a lot of hickups then. The movie stops for a 10th of a second and continues then.
As promised I will post the info of the MKV files tonight. I can also obtain you the log of my ATV but maybe someone can give me a tip how.