Jerky video playback

[Volker Wysk]

Am Donnerstag, dem 15.06.2023 um 06:20 +0800 schrieb Bret Busby:
> On 15/6/23 02:31, Ralf Mardorf via ubuntu-users wrote:
> > On Thu, 2023-06-15 at 00:32 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:
> > > And, in the context of my last paragraph above, similarly, do you get
> > > similar problems when viewing the problematic videos, with mpv?
> > 
> > When I tested hardware video acceleration a long time ago, I added a
> > command line option to IIRC mpv.
> > 
> > DE
> > 
> > "SMPlayer: Optionen -> Einstellungen -> Leistungsverhalten ->
> > Entschlüsselung --> Geräteentschlüsselung "Automatisch"" -
> > https://wiki.archlinux.de/title/Hardwarebeschleunigung#Hardwarebeschleunigung_aktivieren
> > 
> > EN (translated by Google ;)
> > 
> > "SMPlayer: Options -> Settings -> Performance -> Decryption --> Device
> > decryption "Automatic"" - https://www.google.com/search?q=translate
> > 
> > 
> 
> That modification causes me to think of another possibility.
> 
> I have been using mpv, off and on (mostly by accident), without any 
> problems, that I remember, as I have also been using SMPlayer 
> (primarily), and, on occasion, vlc (which has the advantage over 
> SMPlayer, in that vlc can record extracts from videos being viewed, and, 
> sometimes, Celluloid (probably as my secondary video viewer - amongst 
> other things, I use it to quickly determine the (time) length of videos, 
> which I insert into the file names of some videos), and, as said, on 
> occasion, mpv.

You can determine the video properties quickly with SMPlayer, too. Just hit
Ctrl-I.

> The only problems with jerkiness and lack of fluidity and continuity, 
> that I have encountered while viewing videos, have been, from my 
> understanding, from two causes.
> 
> The first perceived problem cause, is when I have insufficient available 
> resources - when the memory usage and the system load average, are too 
> high (hence, my reference to these items, in a previous message in the 
> thread), and, 

This shouldn't be the cause in my case.

> the second perceived cause (although, this mainly applies 
> to viewing videos with the web browser (firefox) ), I believe to be due 
> to watching streamed videos, with lack of continuity in the streaming.

Okay. But I don't watch streamed videos.

> Now, the possibility that occurred to me, after reading of the 
> modification that Ralf made (Ralf said that he though it was to mpv, 
> but, the detail indicated that it involved SMPlayer (which I believe, is 
> a front end to mplayer, rather than to mpv)

That's correct.

>  - I am not criticising, just 
> making the observation), as Ralf's reference includes
> "I tested hardware video acceleration a long time ago", is the reference 
> to hardware acceleration.
> 
> My understanding is that a computer has a GPU, and, in addition to a 
> GPU, the computer can also have a graphics accelerator, which leads me 
> to thence wonder, as I am using nVIDIA graphics, with Optimus on some of 
> my computers, whether the original poster's problems have something to 
> do with the graphics hardware in the system, and, whether the 
> appropriate graphics drivers are installed, and, whether any 
> incompatibility problems between the videos and the graphics hardware 
> (also, considering whatever are the applicable screen resolution and 
> refresh rate, and, whether they are compatible with both the particular 
> videos, and, with the video viewing software.

Because I heard of trouble with nVidia cards under Linux, I've got me an AMD
card, namely a "Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 550 4GD5 (Lexa XT)". So there
souldn't be any driver problems, should there?

> I think that the GPU, and, if applicable, the graphics accelerator, and, 
> the applicable drivers (for example, if nVIDIA Optimus is in the system, 
> whether the Ubuntu driver (nouveau (?) ) or the applicable (and, 
> especially, appropriate) nVIDIA driver, is installed and being applied), 
> have not been specified, by the original poster, in case the problem 
> lies somewhere with an incompatibility between them and the video 
> player, and/or, the particular, problematic videos.
> 
> Ralf, and others, are far more knowledgeable, than me, about all of 
> this, but, these are just some thoughts about this, that occurred to me.

Cheers,
Volker
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