Topic: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

Hello!

I'm really excited to use SVP, but after a few hours of tweaking, I am still unable to get it to a usable state.

I've tried it with:
• Different video files
• Different monitors (including the built in retina display)
• Different settings
...and I've searched the forums, so I'm hoping yall might have some answers.

The video is choppy, skipping to a new frame every 1-3 seconds. The audio is fine.

This is on:
• 2015 Macbook Pro
• Up to date VLC
• SVP 4.newest
• 16GB RAM
• 2.5Ghz i7

Here is the console log from startup to choppy video, using the automatic settings with the slider all the way to higher performance:
17:21:42.421: Main: starting up SVP 4 Mac [4.0.0.91]...
17:21:42.421: Main: args: none
17:21:42.421: Main: working dir is /Applications/SVP 4 Mac.app/Contents/Resources/
17:21:42.421: Main: data dir set to /Users/tonyreid/Library/Application Support/SVP4/
17:21:42.422: Settings: loading main.cfg OK
17:21:42.423: Settings: loading ui.cfg OK
17:21:42.423: Settings: loading frc.cfg OK
17:21:42.424: Settings: loading profiles.cfg OK
17:21:42.424: Settings: loading custom.cfg OK
17:21:42.424: Settings: loading lights.cfg OK
17:21:42.424: Main: using Qt 5.6.1 (x86_64-little_endian-lp64 shared (dynamic) release build; by Clang 7.0.2 (clang-700.1.81) (Apple))
17:21:42.425: Main: device scale is 2, user defined scale is 0
17:21:42.425: Main: using Fusion style
17:21:42.425: Main: system locale is [en]
17:21:42.425: Main: setting language file to en.qm...
17:21:42.426: Main: module 'plugins/libsvpflow1_vs64.dylib': 4.0.0.132
17:21:42.426: Main: module 'plugins/libsvpflow2_vs64.dylib': 4.0.0.137
17:21:42.428: Main: VLC filter (64 bit): 0.9.0.87
17:21:42.428: Main: running OpenCL info...
17:21:42.430: Main: collecting system information...
17:21:42.430: OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
17:21:42.434: CPU: Intel Core i7-4870HQ [base frequency 2384 MHz, 8 threads]
17:21:42.439: Video: 2 GPU OpenCL device(s) on Apple [OpenCL 1.2 (Jun 30 2016 20:18:53)] (Apple)
17:21:42.440: Video 1: device name 'Iris Pro' (Intel, ver.1.2(Jun 30 2016 20:43:33)) [gpuID=11]: OK
17:21:42.440: Video 2: device name 'AMD Radeon R9 M370X Compute Engine' (AMD, ver.1.2 (Jun 30 2016 20:50:27)) [gpuID=12]: OK
17:21:42.440: Memory:  16384  MB total,  4258 MB free
17:21:42.440: System: initializing network...
17:21:42.458: Screens: updating information, 1 screen(s) found
17:21:42.459: Screens: screen 0 (Color LCD) - 3840x2400 @60.000 Hz, x2.0 [294 DPI]
17:21:42.459: Screens: primary screen is 0
17:21:42.459: Power: AC is ON [1]
17:21:42.522: Main: preparing FRC profiles...
17:21:42.776: Main: preparing performance graphs...
17:21:42.854: Main: preparing mpv...
17:21:42.861: Main: preparing remote control...
17:21:42.861: RemoteControl: started
17:21:42.861: Main: preparing main menu...
17:21:42.882: Main: loading extensions...
17:21:42.883: Extensions: found svplight 2.0.0.84 ...
17:21:42.886: Extensions: found svptube 2.0.0.90 ...
17:21:42.891: Main: initialization completed in 462 ms
17:21:42.901: Updates: checking now...
17:21:45.430: Performance: quick estimation = 586 (previous value was 563)
17:22:18.184: VideoPlayer: VLC connected, waiting for the video info...
17:22:18.195: Media: video 1920x800 [PAR 1.000] at nan fps [constant] (via video player)
17:22:18.195: Media: codec type is i420
17:22:18.195: Playback: starting up...
17:22:18.200: Playback [4305]: resulting video frame 1920x800
17:22:18.200: Playback [4305]: 2 acceptible profiles, best is 'TEST' [0]
17:22:18.215: Playback [4305]: enabled while video is playing
17:22:18.226: Playback [4305]: playing at nan [nan *1/1]

Thanks for any help!

  • MAG79
  • SVP developer
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Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

2015 Macbook Pro

It can be overheating and throttling: Maximum performance can be get only for short period an then performance reduced to some low level.
Try to calibrate performance just after choppy video playback when CPU is still hot.
Utilities - Asses system performance. After that playback your choppy video again. Do you see any changes?

Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

Thanks for your reply!

I forgot to mention in my post that the CPU and RAM usage don't even hit 50%. The video is choppy from the second I start playing it, too. It doesn't start after a few seconds of smooth playback. I'm going to download something to monitor GPU performance, though. Maybe that's it.

4 Reply by brucethemoose (edited by brucethemoose 28-08-2016 03:24:32)

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Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

In addition, you could also try switching the GPU SVP is using for acceleration.

Your Iris Pro GPU is probably more efficient. But the M370X is a separate physical die, meaning it might pull some of the heat off your CPU, and it can stay in a lower power state most of the time.

Not sure which one is used by default, but you should test both.

5 Reply by Togna_Bologna (edited by Togna_Bologna 28-08-2016 03:38:43)

Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

http://imgur.com/0SQ07i2
Yeah, GPU performance isn't maxing out either.

Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

Mr. Moose, I'm trying to find where to do that now.

Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

I tried it with no GPU acceleration, using Iris Pro, and using the AMD Radeon R9. No luck.

  • MAG79
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Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

Oh, I got it now. The reason is no framerate detected of your video:

Media: video 1920x800 [PAR 1.000] at nan fps [constant] (via video player)
playing at nan [nan *1/1]

nan = Not a Number. Here must be frame rate such as 23,976.
Try to use constant smooth ratio, for example "movie x2,5".
To select that you need to select custom profile first, for example your profile "TEST".

Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

MAG79,

I noticed that as well, and did try the x2 option. Unfortunately, it didn't help.
Maybe I should have outlined all of the tweaking I tried... tongue

Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

Just want to mention that VLC support is still marked as "beta"...
So you'd better begin your SVP experience with mpv wink

Re: Macbook Pro Playback via VLC Very Choppy

(kind of) fixed in rev.96 - in case VLC reports zero source frame rate, SVP will use value from "main.setup.vlc_force_rate"