When will VSync be sorted out in Catalyst drivers to allow smooth video playback?

[dteirney]

I'm still stupidly hopeful that the Catalyst driver will mystically work one day...

I primarily use a machine with an AMD/ATI graphics chipset for running XBMC Media Center (HD3200).

For most video playback, tearing can be an issue unless VSync is turned on. For tearing to go away (as I understand it) the frame refreshes within the application need to "line up" with the actual display refresh. With XBMC I'm running with Catalyst VSync set to "Always On".

The Catalyst 9.1 and 9.2 drivers seemed to finally do something sensible with VSync so the CPU doesn't take up 100% while waiting for the next sync. Something to do with glXSwapIntervalSGI. More details at http://xbmc.org/trac/ticket/5951

There was a patch for XBMC that made use of that, and everything was working swimmingly - nice smooth playback of video without 100% CPU usage. However, the VSync behavior in the Catalyst 9.3 driver has gone back to it's bad old ways of hogging 100% CPU while waiting for vsync.

Anyone know what needs to be done to get this VSync stuff sorted once and for all? Is there some other OpenGL method that is supposed to be used for the VSync wait for ATI?

Video playback has been around for freakin' ages. Very frustrating that I still can't get smooth video playback with the latest and greatest ATI drivers.

At the moment it looks like the only option is to revert to Catalyst 9.2 and hope that somehow things will be better with Catalyst 9.4.

[nico342]

Hi dteirney,

I also getting trouble with damnt video tearings with my HD2400, so I run Catalyst 9.3. I fixed tearing using VSync to always on, XBMC vsync work badly. I just work fine but it slowing down my video fps...even with SD files it'S a pain with somes codecs. Some interresting facts, while playing video in XBMC with Catalyst vsync enable, according to "TOP" command it says, that XBMC.bin was using 140% cpu...strange.

So I'm wating for 9.4 release.

[FunkyRider]

A dirty cheap GeForce 9300 would solve all that problem.

I have used several nvidia drivers on my system running 9800GT, all have tear free video playback. Even if under Compiz, if I specify 'VSync' in compiz configuration manager (compizconf-manager). I would get tear-free compiz AND x-video output. A total joy to use. Oh of course there is no hard lock-ups when go to full screen.

Those are the reasons I recently dumped my HD 4850. As a long term (~3 years) fglrx user I completely understands the frustration you have been experiencing, and I sincerely suggest you give nvidia a chance. You will not regret.

[tball]

You could use the open ati drivers? XV runs beautiful with that.

[RealNC]

You could use the open ati drivers? XV runs beautiful with that.

The card overheats with the open drivers.

[ernstp]

Bump.

(Though the open driver works fine for XVideo for me now! It's in Ubuntu Jaunty already. Still missing a lot of other stuff though.)

[nico342]

You could use the open ati drivers? XV runs beautiful with that.

Does it really fix tearing problems ?

[monraaf]

Does it really fix tearing problems ?

Yes. I can't believe you guys are still messing around with fglrx.

[RealNC]

Yes. I can't believe you guys are still messing around with fglrx.

Some "of us guys" have hardware not supported, or hardware that runs too hot with open drivers, so you better believe it.