Huge pixelation with mp4 files but NOT with avi files.

[MichaelIsGreat]

Hello,

I have the VLC player 2.0.2 so far. I have Windows 7 Ultimate with 8 GB of RAM and 1 GB of graphics memory.

If I remember correctly, I did not have this problem with mp4 video files that pixelate like crazy now but not with the previous version of VLC.

The pixelation of the mp4 video files is so bad that they are unwatchable!! I am forced to find an avi video version of the file if I want to watch the video without problems using VLC. The avi files work perfectly fine with VLC by the way but not the mp4 video files.

More, the mp4 video files that pixelate very badly with VLC do not pixelate at all when I use the Microsoft Windows Media Player that is installed on my computer. In fact, these mp4 video files work perfect with MS Windows Media Player.

I do not know at all what causes this problem with VLC for the mp4 video files. It might be a setting that I modified in VLC, I am not clear at all on why on earth I have that when I really think that I did not have this issue at all with a previous version of VLC when I was using mp4 video files.

I tried a quick search on mp4 video pixelation on the VLC forums but I could not find any clear feedback on this issue.

Well, keep improving VLC, I surely do not want to use MS Windows Media Player (that by the way is not good at all displaying the avi files).

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

can you show a screenshot?

[MichaelIsGreat]

Hello Jean-Baptiste,


This mp4 video file constantly pixelate in VLC, making it completely impossible, unbearable to watch. On the other hand, using the MS Windows Media Player, no pixelation of any kind shows with this particular mp4 video file using MS Windows Media. This pixelation problem is not limited to this particular mp4 video file. It seems to systematically occur with this latest VLC version with mp4 video files.

It is the first time that I attempt to upload a jpg on this forum. I am not very sure if I will be successful but let me try. Checking the FAQ, there is nothing that clearly indicates me how to do that!!! Apparently, I cannot upload an attachment to this forum without being given permission to do so. I could not find any way to upload this screenshot so I try something else below.

See if you get my screenshot at http://www.adrive.com/public/fPK3xn/mp4 ... 2.0.2..jpg
Please could you confirm that you got the screenshot well because I am completely new to using adrive.com to do that. I showed the filename for this mp4 video file so that you could even download it from the Internet easily. This way, you will be able to test this particular mp4 video file yourself after downloading it from the Internet.


Best Regards
Michael

[ghoster08]

I had this with a few file I got from the net. Older versions worked well, newer not. I might be wrong to say anything, But I found setting the h.264 profile to baseline from high helped a lot for that issue. Or using the 1.2 nightly.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Activate GPU decoding.

[MichaelIsGreat]

Hello Jean-Baptiste,


Sorry but in Preferences, Input & Codecs tab, "Use GPU accelerated decoding" was and is already selected!!
Video quality post-processing level was and is at its default value of 6.

There is an issue I believe. I gave you the name of the file and it is easily available on the Internet if you want the mp4 video file to test it.


Best Regards
Michael

[MichaelIsGreat]

To ghoster08:
I tried your suggestion but it had no effects at all at improving the viewing of this mp4 video file.
(in Preferences, Input & Codecs tab, x264 profile and level selection that I changed, as suggested, from high to baseline).

I really feel that there is a serious issue with mp4 video files with VLC. More, why this mp4 video file shows perfectly in the MS Windows Media Player and it is completely unwatchable in the VLC Media Player?!!
The MS Windows Media Player is not as good at displaying well the avi files as the VLC Media Player is. Therefore, I would like to see the same for mp4 video files but, in quite a few recent mp4 video files that I have downloaded, they were simply unwatchable using VLC and I had to find an avi file instead for the mp4 video file that I had downloaded!! I was kind of shocked to discover this problem.

By the way, it took me quite a while to get back to you and posting here but it has been going on like that with mp4 video files since this latest 2.0.2 VLC release.

Another point. I feel that maybe not good quality mp4 video files have a problem showing properly in VLC but, strangely, they are displayed perfect with the MS Windows Media Player. Just a subjective feeling.

What I suggest the best to do is to do a search and get this particular video file that is available on several torrents. Then, test it with your VLC setup to kind of "confirm" my problem. This way, you will see by yourself the issue. Do the test then with the MS Windows Media Player too.

Well, this problem is surely an opportunity in disguise. Keep improving.

[MichaelIsGreat]

Hello Jean-Baptiste,

I give more details on the graphics card that I have, in case it would help.
I have Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate with 8GB of RAM and, on my notebook, a graphics card ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 with 1GB of graphics memory (even able to use quite a lot of the available RAM) and a processor Intel Core i7 CPU Q720 with 4 cores and 2 threads per core. The resolution of my monitor is 1920x1080.

I do not know if my graphics card influences the display of these mp4 video files so I put my details above.

Keep improving VLC and thanks for providing VLC.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

What is your Catalyst version?

[MichaelIsGreat]

Hello Jean-Baptiste,


I have the latest Catalyst version installed on my notebook, or at least a very recent one, it is Catalyst Version 12.6. Same, I have the latest driver for my graphics card (Driver Packaging Version: 8.98-120611a-141411C-ATI).

It seems that this problem is more frequent than you would think with mp4 video files not working properly or optimally with VLC. The problem is that many users of VLC never post on this VLC forum when they have a problem, as they simply use MS Windows Media Player that works perfect for these mp4 video files or another video media player because most users have several video media players installed.
For instance, myself, I noticed this problem several months ago and it is only now that I have decided to do something about it and post on this VLC forum, as I started to stumble upon this problem a little bit too frequently with these mp4 video files.

By the way, I take this opportunity to mention two different issues:
1) In Windows 7, when I leave open a VLC window, the sleep mode for the screen is prevented from being activated. This problem had occurred in the past, it was then solved and it seems to be back for this latest VLC version.
2) You seriously should plan to have a video or music file starts again exactly where it was opened previously at an earlier time. I think most media players have this feature implemented and VLC should have it hopefully soon.


Best Regards
Michael

[MichaelIsGreat]

I installed the latest Catalyst Control Center version, 12.8, for my graphics card. I reset to default the various options for it. And I installed all the Catalyst software provided, including the "AMD Media Codec Package". I did not install "HydraVision Package" that is just an application that allows users to multi-task between 9 desktops, using only one monitor.
Result: the mp4 video file that pixelated very badly now displays perfectly with VLC.

What I remember well is that, at my previous recent installations of the Catalyst Control Center (for instance for 12.6), I did not install the "AMD Media Codec Package", as it is part of the two packages that are stated as being optional packages (the other one being the "HydraVision Package"). It might be the cause of the problems I have had with mp4 video files.

A second point to notice. This Catalyst Control Center software version 12.8 is what AMD calls a "unified" driver and you can see that when you download the main file that is called "12-8_mobility_vista_win7_win8_64_dd_ccc_whql.exe", as it has whql at its end. The release notes also states that it is a unified driver.
A unified driver is thoroughly tested as opposed to one that is not a unified driver. It seems that non-unified drivers are provided by AMD as well as unified ones and it is very easy to miss this idea when you download the driver.
By the way, whql seems to refer to "Windows Hardware Quality Labs", again this whql driver has been tested more thoroughly than one that is not whql that is a driver that is not a unified driver.
For instance, 12.6, my previous Catalyst Control Center version, was not a unified driver, as the main file did not have wqhl at its end.

Conclusions:
---Even if it seems quite unlikely, I might have installed badly my Catalyst Control Center previous version for my graphics card, as I did not install the "AMD Media Codec Package".
Therefore, VLC is surely not the culprit at all. That is good news and these comments might help another person later on.
---I have the feeling that when I did in Catalyst Control Center, Preferences at the right, then Restore Factory defaults, it might, could have corrected a wrong previous setting that I had. I do not know for sure.
---It is safer to install also the "AMD Media Codec Package" despite the fact that it is stated as an optional package.
---Try to get a unified driver for the Catalyst Control Center that is more tested than a non-unified one. The Release Notes specify if the current version of the Catalyst Control Center is a unified driver and you also have the whql extension at the end of the main installation file when you download it.

In any case, the mp4 video files seem to work perfectly now and VLC is not the culprit. A sigh of relief!!

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Well, you should have mentionned that you were using GPU decoding sooner

Catalyst 12.5 and 12.6 are broken for VLC in GPU decoding. 12.8 fixes it.