DXVA (DirectX Video Acceleration) uses the graphics card to decode video, so all the CPU has to do is a bit of housekeeping and audio decoding. Typically that means that a 1080p video uses <20% CPU time to play back, where as with CPU decoding alone it would be 90%+ or impossible on a cheap CPU.
Getting DXVA to work is actually quite easy, despite what a lot of guides say. That is my primary reason for writing this - there seems to be a lot of misinformation about. All you really need to do is this:
1. Install Vista/XP
2. Install Combined Community Codec Pack (CCCP)
3. Install latest Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC-HC)*
4. Set MPC to use “EVR Custom Renderer” (Vista) or VMR9 (XP) for output
5. Play video
* MPC-HC is regularly updated with beta versions. Get the latest one rather than the stable one, as a lot of bugs have been fixed. If you have problems you can always downgrade.
A lot of people suggest messing about with other settings, but it does not seem to be necessary any more. Perhaps it once was, but not any more.
There are two issues with to be aware of. Firstly, if you need subtitles simply enable “Automatically load subtitles”. Subtitles that use the DirectVOBSub filter seem to have problems displaying, but that only really affects Blu-Ray/HD-DVD rips. Hopefully there will be a fix.
The other issue is that when using EVR Customer Renderer or VMR9 you are forced to have everything full screen, and windows, menus and overlays cannot be displayed. As such, you can’t access any options on screen, but keyboard shortcuts work. Unfortunately this is necessary to get DXVA working and prevent screen tearing.
The reason you need to install CCCP is that it gives you all the necessary codecs for audio and necessary splitters for MKV etc. You should be able to play back most stuff with it. Rename downloaded Quicktime movie trailers to .mp4 and they will play back perfectly.
A word of warning about PowerDVD. It seems to cause problems once installed, presumably due to the filters that come with it.
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I truly believe that we have reached the point where technology has become one with our world, and I think it is safe to say that we have passed the point of no return in our relationship with technology.
I don’t mean this in a bad way, of course! Ethical concerns aside… I just hope that as the price of memory falls, the possibility of uploading our brains onto a digital medium becomes a true reality. It’s one of the things I really wish I could experience in my lifetime.
(Posted on Nintendo DS running R4 DS NetBlog)