[noggin]

Huh, for some reason I thought all of the DVD MPEG-2 stuff was software decoded these days for Kodi (and forks).

Been thinking about this further. I wonder if the AMLogic platforms have reverted to software decode and deinterlace for DVD and the code/SoC just isn't up to a decent deinterlace at the moment then? The Pi uses hardware decode for DVDs I believe - but you could be right about other ARM platforms.

*EDIT : Of course, you're right. The Wetek Core uses am-mpeg2 (hardware decode?) for decoding MPEG2 SD for Live TV, but ff-mpeg2video (software decoding? or hardware decoding via ffmpeg?) for DVD Video playback. I remember that this was the case back in the day (was it to handle DVD subtitles?), but I'd assumed other platforms worked a bit more like the Pi with hardware MPEG2 decode and deinterlace to mitigate the relative low-power of the platform. OR does ff-mpeg2video still use hardware acceleration, but via a different route ?

The am-mpeg2 hardware decode for interlaced content will (I assume) be deinterlaced via the hardware deinterlacer, but I'm not sure what happens with the ff-mpeg2video decoded content. It doesn't appear to max out any CPU cores - so the dropped frames don't appear to be caused by hitting the CPU limits during deinterlacing. So either the software decode and deinterlace is flawed, or there is some attempt to pipe back software decoded content through the hardware deinterlacer that isn't working? (25p content with no motion between the two fields in the frame plays back OK if you disable deinterlacing, so the core decode appears to be OK, though possibly something timestamp-y is causing issues with the deinterlacer?)

** EDIT 2 : Just compared to my Pi 3. With a licence key for MPEG2 you get mmal-mpeg2 decode for Live TV, without you get ff-mpeg2video (I assume software only) for Live TV. With a licence key you get mmal-mpeg2 decode for DVD content too, without the licence you get ff-mpeg2video (but without the jerkiness of the AMLogic stuff)

So the Pi uses the same codec for both DVD and Live TV (hardware acceleration - and you can chose between mmal and omx routes in the hardware acceleration menu) - but the Core doesn't. Is this because am-mpeg2 doesn't work with VOB content or because the Pi, unusually, has switched away from ff-mpeg2video for DVD playback?

** EDIT 3 - earlier checks were with native progressive content (which still has issues if you don't disable deinterlacing on the Core, but doesn't on the Pi3). However native interlaced content doesn't deinterlace properly on the Pi 3 either with MMAL decode, but does with OMX decode... (Still with MMAL Advanced deinterlace.)

[wrxtasy]

Noggin, do you have a sample of the Interlaced DVD mpeg2 stuff that is causing playback issues ?
I have a few ideas but need some test content pls.
Even Links to existing stuff would help.

Definitely a conflict going on somewhere with AML Hardware display video output when ff-mpeg2 Software decoding is happening and Software deinterlacing occurs.
You see this with Movie DVDRips, turn Software deinterlacing off completely and smooth playback is the result. These Movie Rips don't need deinterlacing in the first place tho.

[noggin]

Noggin, do you have a sample of the Interlaced DVD mpeg2 stuff that is causing playback issues ?
I have a few ideas but need some test content pls.
Even Links to existing stuff would help.

Definitely a conflict going on somewhere with AML Hardware display video output when ff-mpeg2 Software decoding is happening and Software deinterlacing occurs.
You see this with Movie DVDRips, turn Software deinterlacing off completely and smooth playback is the result. These Movie Rips don't need deinterlacing in the first place tho.

OK - update. I was testing the Pi 3 quickly with a progressive native movie on the Pi 3. It appears that mmal acceleration is broken (it doesn't do a decent deinterlace, but equally doesn't add jerkiness as ff-mpeg2video with deinterlace on the Core does) for deinterlacing native interlaced VOB content on the Pi (I'm running LibreElec 7.0 release)

HOWEVER omx acceleration DOES work (with MMAL Advanced deinterlacing) Just checked on the clip I'll pm you.

However the VOB file I sent plays back with am-mpeg2 not ff-mpeg2video in the Core (still with poor quality rendition - it freezes every second or two) and you don't have a choice to deselect deinterlacing with hardware playback. I'll try and master an ISO to get the Core to playback in ff-mpeg2video (I guess it needs a full DVD structure to switch to 'DVD' mode with menus)

[wrxtasy]

Mediaplayer Jarvis on the Core needs some further patches to at least have that clip you sent me play without jerking and juddering.
I believe I have found at least a workable Autoplay solution, currently testing on the C2.....default to software decoding with the mpeg2 .vob combo and Yadif software deinterlacing in the end...

EDIT: Done, see this C2 post:
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=...pid2323844

[noggin]

Mediaplayer Jarvis on the Core needs some further patches to at least have that clip you sent me play without jerking and juddering.
I believe I have found at least a workable Autoplay solution, currently testing on the C2.....default to software decoding with the mpeg2 .vob combo and Yadif software deinterlacing in the end...

EDIT: Done, see this C2 post:
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=...pid2323844

Tried that on the C2. Looks not to deinterlace 50i to 50p on any setting. All seem to deinterlace 50i to 25p - so YADIF 1x not the YADIF 2x you need for fluid 50Hz motion?

[ChristianTroy]

ffmpeg on Amlogic works in sw decoding, so up to 720p you should be able to handle it, above... I really doubt

[badboygolf16v]

If your DVDs are mainly of things shot 24 or 25p - movies, drama etc. then disabling deinterlacing will stop judder. If they are natively interlaced (like concerts, classic TV shot on video in studios, sport etc.) then at the moment you need to watch on something other than a Wetek. A Pi / Pi 2/ Pi 3 or a Chromebox or similar will do a good job.

Thanks for the info, and thanks for taking the time to investigate further.

I know nothing about Kodi, so I'm not sure if it sounds like this might at some stage be able to be resolved on the Wetek with the appropriate software patch?

[noggin]

If your DVDs are mainly of things shot 24 or 25p - movies, drama etc. then disabling deinterlacing will stop judder. If they are natively interlaced (like concerts, classic TV shot on video in studios, sport etc.) then at the moment you need to watch on something other than a Wetek. A Pi / Pi 2/ Pi 3 or a Chromebox or similar will do a good job.

Thanks for the info, and thanks for taking the time to investigate further.

I know nothing about Kodi, so I'm not sure if it sounds like this might at some stage be able to be resolved on the Wetek with the appropriate software patch?

I hope so. The hardware is capable of hardware decoding MPEG2 and deinterlacing it with no problems whatsoever (it does so for Live TV very well). It's just something about the VOB encapsulation that causes issues it seems. If the hardware can't be persuaded to do it, I'd hope that with a bit of optimisation we should at least get a software MPEG2 decode and Bob deinterlace (even if YADIF 2x is too much)

[wrxtasy]

I'm not done with this Interlaced DVD issue yet, found a bug in my patching when setting the YADIF Filter Flags.
I'm getting PC:2 in the Codec window now, as opposed to PC:1 before, the CPU's are taking a Hammering.
Is this indicative of YADIFx2 ?
Its all looking good to my untrained (Non Noggin) eyes

Another .tar update over in the C2 thread shortly...

[noggin]

I'm not done with this Interlaced DVD issue yet, found a bug in my patching when setting the YADIF Filter Flags.
I'm getting PC:2 in the Codec window now, as opposed to PC:1 before, the CPU's are taking a Hammering.
Is this indicative of YADIFx2 ?

YADIF 2x will certainly take a bit of CPU - yes.

Its all looking good to my untrained (Non Noggin) eyes

Another .tar update over in the C2 thread shortly...

Look forward to seeing it. Glad the pre-deinterlaced 50p and 25p samples were useful in demoing the differences.

[wrxtasy]

I'm wondering if I should rename YADIF and YADIF (Half) that I'm using to YADIF 2x and YADIF for the end user, to align with the RPi ?

[noggin]

I'm wondering if I should rename YADIF and YADIF (Half) that I'm using to YADIF 2x and YADIF for the end user, to align with the RPi ?

The Pi doesn't use Yadif or Yadif 2x to describe deinterlacing modes AFAIK - it uses MMAL Advanced to describe the GPU accelerated YADIF 2x-style deinterlace, and MMAL Bob to describe the lower quality 2x Bob (that the Pi 1 has to use for 1080i stuff)

Kodi is consistent with (half) - so I'd have Yadif and Yadif (Half) if you offer both. On Intel boxes with fritsch's code I think Yadif 2x was just called 'deinterlace' as the option. Yadif 2x is what VLC calls it (and I think some other platforms like MythTV use Temporal/Spatial and Temporal/Spatial 2x to differentiate between frame-frame and field-frame deinterlacing.

[FernetMenta]

So the Pi uses the same codec for both DVD and Live TV (hardware acceleration - and you can chose between mmal and omx routes in the hardware acceleration menu) - but the Core doesn't. Is this because am-mpeg2 doesn't work with VOB content or because the Pi, unusually, has switched away from ff-mpeg2video for DVD playback?

With v17 all codecs capable of draining (squeeze out the last picture from decoder) can use hw acceleration for DVDs. That is VAAPI, DXVA, VDPAU, VTB, MMAL to my knowledge. Those are also the hw decoders that can handle DASH without noticeable video stutter when resolution changes mid stream.

[badboygolf16v]

This looks promising for my DVD collection...

@wrxstasy is there a chance these fixes will be available in a forthcoming version of your OpenELEC Wetek build?

[PROF FAART]

Further problems with the beta firmware: Twice now, Wetek Media Player has started playing a file and "disconnected" my HDMI. I select a file, hit play and the screen goes black as if the refresh rate is switching. Then I can hear the audio playing through my stereo but the TV only displays a "No source connected" message. Hitting the back button turns the HDMI on again and I see the WMP menus.

It doesn't matter which file I play or what type. Once it starts happening, it affects everything. After I reboot the Wetek, it plays things normally. WMP is disabled in the new refresh rate app.

Also it froze again in Netflix (android TV version) in the middle of playing video with same millisecond of sound looping.