Posts: 23,301
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
1,077
fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,301
2012-11-19, 09:34
(This post was last modified: 2012-11-19, 09:37 by fritsch.)
@uNiversal:
Although the repository is called xbmc-xvba, as we started only with enabled xvba, this name is only there for historical reasons. The changes introduced by this xvba tree are in no way amd/xvba only.
After the first implementation of xvba was done, fernetmenta wanted to improve the whole xbmc architecture of handling surfaces. So he wrote a player that includes buffering and changed the design how VDPAU is working. This resulted in approx 10% better throughput and made stuff like 50p and 60p and the interlaced stuff with temporal / spatial working on hardware, that could not do this before.
Now with this improved architecture, xvba was ported to it. As a result we also included VDPAU in xbmc-xvba build so that it can be tested widely. Some of this VDPAU and xvba work has been integrated into openelec 2.0 and is a significicant part of its success.
Later we also enabled VAAPI, so that every supported linux hw accel works with this xbmc-xvba ppa.
Away from performance, this ppa does include other stuff. Whole SDL has been dropped and replaced with proper xrandr support, even alt-tab and window manager detection was integrated. We don't recommend to run it on Unity or Kwin, but there are some users, that run xbmc as a desktop player, via alt-tab in windowed mode and are happy with it.
We would really like, that all these improvements can go into mainline xbmc some time after frodo, cause it is clearly missing all those above improvements. Openelec 3.0 will have these changes and therefore will kick ass :-)
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
Posts: 7,135
Joined: Oct 2012
un1versal
Out of Memory (1939–2016)
Posts: 7,135
2012-11-19, 12:30
(This post was last modified: 2012-11-19, 12:32 by un1versal.)
Yes but because xbmcbuntu is naf with drivers I needed to point here for AMD ATI sake, there's is little to none on intel and the ATI drivers still remain a large mystery in wiki.
Thank you for explanation. along with another post on bram77 I should be able to extrapolate some of the benefits though since wiki is permanent we need a place to discuss what goes on there. just in case.
Openelec is great for new users, Im not a fan but I see its appeal its better driver wise than XBMCbuntu for e.g.
uNi
Posts: 106
Joined: Jun 2009
Reputation:
0
Sorry, this is somewhat off topic, but... I just installed the latest version and my MythTV add-on is completely gone. It was working just fine before I updated. Any recommended course of action?
Posts: 14
Joined: Oct 2011
Reputation:
0
Hi,
I am a noob and before i start let me state that i have not been able to understand how to post about the problem in a effective manner. I am clueless even after reading that thread. i have refrained from posting here because of that fear but now i have a problem and i am unable to solve by doing the permutation and combination of reading through too many threads. so please bear with me.
i have a radeon HD 4600 driver on intel i3 processor. i have installed ubuntu 12.04 and have downloaded the latest xvba build . i have the following problems
a) my TV resolution is 1920 x1080 . but i do not see such an option in xbmc. hence i am not getting xbmc in full screen when i launch it from docky.
b) i feel resolution is a bit weak as compared to the earlier build from team xbmc repo. i could be wrong.
c) bluray does not play over xbmc at all while it is okay over VLC.
d) i have manually installed legacy drivers , the xvba drivers as well.
e) i could not install xvba -eden build as some dependency is there and it stated broken package.
let me know what i need to do. let me know how i need to post info in a more readable and comprehensible form. i am a bit lost on how to post logs on pastebin. so pardon my ignorance and help me out.
i do not need PVR at all. should i be installing this build as my graphics is radeon?
and how can i get the XBMC on full screen. i have gnome 3 and not unity. i tried devilspie as well as compiz but to no avail. i have to manually specify and the xbmc name does not get displayed in teh minimized window. when i did a name grab from compiz it showed nautilus. is that correct?
Posts: 23,301
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
1,077
fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,301
@hairpi2:
Please start reading at the very first post. You won't have good results with neither Gnome3 nor Unity. Best is you start xbmc out of the lightdm session directly.
The howto in this thread tells you, how to start with a minimal iso and get a perfect htpc. For your HD4600 you should stick to the Ubuntu Precise 12.04 Distribution - as your cards requires a fglrx version < 12.4 or a legacy version. But in no way it runs with xorg 1.13 which is shipped by Ubuntu Quantal.
So in short: Start with the howto and use 12.04 mini iso amd64 as your basis.
Btw. is there any reason you run the Hd4600 instead of the core i3 integrated graphics?
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
Posts: 7,650
Joined: Jun 2011
Reputation:
287
Xvba builds will continue until everything is merged in mainline. I'll probably continue with the testing ppa even after that.
Posts: 1
Joined: Nov 2012
Reputation:
0
2012-11-20, 15:38
(This post was last modified: 2012-11-21, 04:48 by SLY JD.)
Thanks a lot! Finally got sound working after a lot of work!
Posts: 88
Joined: Mar 2008
Reputation:
1
Awesome work wsnipex. We AMD users owe you a beer.
Basically our only option is to use the xvba PA, as Trinity support wont make it into Frodo final?
Posts: 23,301
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
1,077
fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,301
2012-11-20, 20:34
(This post was last modified: 2012-11-20, 20:36 by fritsch.)
@haripi2:
No separate xvba-va-driver is needed, uninstall it - and choose XVBA for playback (Video Playback), disable VAAPI and VDPAU.
Yes - don't run xbmc from your desktop, rather use the lightdm session to start it directly.
On Intel it is a bit different:
DTS-HD will work for your i3, if you patch the kernel (not part of this howto). Pull out the HD4600 and use the core i3 and choose VAAPI disable VDPAU and XVBA.
@DeanM3:
No - as Trinity needs XVBA support, there will be a final release with all the xvba patches packaged by wsnipex - but not "official" from the xbmc.org download site of course. But yeah, without blaming "official", it does not make the better product, only cause it is called "official".
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
Posts: 88
Joined: Mar 2008
Reputation:
1
Awesome. How do we donate directly to wsnipex?