Screen tearing when watching movies/tv

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buzzy

217 posts

Master Geek

#21126 16-Apr-2008 14:48

Hi all,

Does anyone have any ideas about the following?

When watching movies/TV through the PC, the frames are tearing. It's not noticable for relatively static images (eg two people standing talking) but when any significant movement (eg someone walking across the shot) results in tearing across the middle of the display.

This happens whether watching live TV via DVB-S (GBPVR), or playing back an AVI or MP4 file (Windows Media Player, or Quicktime), so it doesn't seem to be related to a single input source or codec (ffdshow installed).

The PC is running at 1360*768 resolution, 60Hz refresh rate. It's a Celeron 2400 with the onboard Intel video, so we're talking low-end vid card and CPU here. ~75% CPU when watching DVB-S transmissions.

DVD movies from a PS2 are fine, as are games from the PS2 and Wii (all composite inputs). The hardware decoder on the PVR-350 was also fine (via SageTV, also composite). It's a Pioneer plasma, seventh generation (eg the one before the new Kuro line came out) so I'd assume the TV isn't the problem.

Time for a better video card perhaps? Or time for an entirely new HTPC?

Cheers
Buzzy

Ghoop

22 posts

Geek

#127786 2-May-2008 08:46

Buzzy,
If running twin view on your GFX card you are likely to get this problem.
Switch to single output normally fixes it for me.

buzzy

217 posts

Master Geek

#127789 2-May-2008 08:52

Hi Ghoop,

Thanks for the reply. The card was the onboard Intel graphics, so no TwinView. I've switched to a GeForce2 MX400, and that seems to have helped somewhat but hasn't completely eliminated the issue.

I'm going to try connecting the main PC's ATi X800TX to the TV and see how that goes with displaying movies etc. I don't mind the issue so much, so long as I can be certain what's actually causing the problem, then I can go about fixing it.

Cheers
Buzzy

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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#127795 2-May-2008 08:59

What OS, codec and renderer are you using?

Some TV's have an issue with VGA tearing - my Gen 6 Pioneer Plasma has a VGA tearing issue that simply can't be eliminated.

buzzy

217 posts

Master Geek

#127927 2-May-2008 14:51

sbiddle: What OS, codec and renderer are you using?

Some TV's have an issue with VGA tearing - my Gen 6 Pioneer Plasma has a VGA tearing issue that simply can't be eliminated.

XP SP2, 32 bit

ffdshow-tryouts with the haali media splitter - most of the stuff I watch is taken from DVDs and encoded into MP4/H.264 via Handbrake

Renderer - unsure, I'd have to check. The problem is identical whether playing content via Quicktime, WMP, or GBPVR.

Don't tell me that the Pioneers have tearing problems. If you don't tell me, then it can't be true and I don't have to worry about having bought an expensive TV that is only borderline watchable.

Cheers
Buzzy

richms

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#128088 3-May-2008 00:09

I had tearing problems with some renderers, vmr7 was the only one I had good alround results with depending on the other settings in media player classic. vmr9 gave me quite a bit of grief with judder and tearing when playing most things. But that was with a total rubbish gfx card, so results may vary.

Richard rich.ms