I am testing a low-latency MPEG-2 hardware encoder, which has both ASI and IP (RTP) output. Latency for both outputs is expected to be approximately 30-60ms, and this has been confirmed for the ASI port. Via the IP port (receiving the stream with VLC), I am seeing roughly 300-500ms, however, and at this point my assumption is software decoding is adding the additional latency...and I would ultimately like any suggestions for what could potentially reduce this.
The receiving/decoding PC is connected to the encoder's IP output (both ethernet connections are gigabit) via cross-over cable. The PC is:
P4 3.2 GHz
2 GB DDR400 (dual channel)
Onboard VGA
Windows XP Pro
My initial thoughts as to what could potentially reduce latency are a) CPU and chipset, b) high-end video card, c) ...? Would a newer chipset, CPU, etc offer more efficient decoding with VLC? What about a high-end video card....does VLC take advantage of hardware decoding at all? Would OS make any difference (Windows vs. Linux vs. ?)? Any other thoughts?
All input greatly appreciated.