choppy video when vdpau is enabled

[Eshwar Andhavarapu]

This used to work just fine in Oneiric so it has to be some weird regression that Precise has introduced

When vdpau is enabled as the video output in smplayer (mplayer2), the video stutters a lot. the same problem is not seen when xv is used as the output route.

Somehow when I did `compiz --replace`, between compiz restarting the video is playing smoothly. As I type this compiz has crashed it seems and the video is smooth. I have verified in the logs that it is using vdpau at the moment.

So is this a compiz bug then?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: nvidia-current 295.20-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-19.30~pre201203140400-generic 3.2.11
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-19-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 295.20 Mon Feb 6 21:07:30 PST 2012
 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.3 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu3)
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.94.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Fri Mar 16 01:40:25 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 nvidia-current, 295.20, 3.2.0-18-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia-current, 295.20, 3.2.0-19-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation GT216 [GeForce GT 330M] [10de:0a29] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0442]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha amd64 (20120315)
JockeyStatus:
 xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
 xorg:nvidia_current_updates - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (post-release updates) (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Vostro 3700
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_ZA:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_ZA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-19-generic root=UUID=0dff56dc-b7f6-4666-84d4-2d881de783ee ro quiet pcie_aspm=off
SourcePackage: nvidia-graphics-drivers
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 10/25/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A10
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A10
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: A10
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA10:bd10/25/2010:svnDellInc.:pnVostro3700:pvrA10:rvnDellInc.:rn:rvrA10:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrA10:
dmi.product.name: Vostro 3700
dmi.product.version: A10
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.0+bzr3035-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu34
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.30-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.1-0ubuntu4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.1-0ubuntu4
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Sounds like the root cause (and workaround) might be the same as is described in bug 930192.

[Eshwar Andhavarapu (eshwar.andhavarapu)]

the problem in bug 930192 does exist in this case but I think this should be treated separately.

As a test I added the motumedia mplayer ppa and installed mplayer (v 1.0 svn) instead of mplayer2 from precise or the ppa repository. The clash with vdpau no longer exists and the window doesn't lag either. I think this implies either the mplayer2 process to blame or a conflict of mplayer2 and compiz.

[Trond Andresen (trond-andresen)]

I am experiencing the same problem. I tried mplayer2 from motumedia mplayer ppa but this did not help. Replacing mplayer2 with mplayer (from motumedia) fixed the problem.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[bowser (bwbernard-wong1)]

Have any of you observe the cpu usage?

It may be related to the bug as the one I just filed.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/993397

I don't think it is related to mplayer or mplauer2 versions.

[sanktnelson (launchpad-maibaums)]

Same problem here on 12.04.01.
This is a regression, it used to work perfectly at some point.
happens with built-in mplayer as well as with mplayer and mplayer2 from motumedia, so I blame compiz (and that had more regressions than I can count).

[sanktnelson (launchpad-maibaums)]

Does anybody know if this is fixed in 12.10? I kinda wanted to stay with LTS, but if this has improved I would be willing to live dangerously...

[fcole90 (fcole90)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug. We have tried to recreate this on the latest release of Ubuntu and cannot reproduce it. This bug is being marked as Invalid. If you believe the problem to still exist in the latest version of Ubuntu please comment on why that is the case and change the bug status to NEW.