VLC failing to use vdpau

[Sergio Benjamim]

I installed nvidia-331-updates (331.38) for my Nvidia GT218 (NVS 300) and i'm trying to use vdpau in VLC. I enabled this by "hardware decoding" in Tools --> Preferences menu. It seems that it use VA-API to access vdpau features.

But It seems that it does not work. Take a look:

VLC media player 2.1.2 Rincewind (revision 2.1.2-0-ga4c4876)
[0xe06118] main libvlc: Lancement de vlc avec l'interface par défaut. Utilisez « cvlc » pour démarrer VLC sans interface.
[0xec95b8] main playlist: stopping playback
libva info: VA-API version 0.34.0
libva info: va_getDriverName() returns 0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/nvidia_drv_video.so
libva info: va_openDriver() returns -1
[0x7fb23c000bc8] vaapi generic error: Failed to initialize the VAAPI device
Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0"
Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0"
Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0"
Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0"
[0x7fb228001248] main vout display error: Failed to resize display

So, i look for this nvidia_drv_video.so, but there is no file such this in the system.

---

Here the vdpauinfo:

vdpauinfo
display: :0.0 screen: 0
API version: 1
Information string: NVIDIA VDPAU Driver Shared Library 331.38 Wed Jan 8 19:13:15 PST 2014

Video surface:

name width height types
-------------------------------------------
420 4096 4096 NV12 YV12
422 4096 4096 UYVY YUYV

Decoder capabilities:

name level macbs width height
-------------------------------------------
MPEG1 0 8192 2048 2048
MPEG2_SIMPLE 3 8192 2048 2048
MPEG2_MAIN 3 8192 2048 2048
H264_MAIN 41 8192 2048 2048
H264_HIGH 41 8192 2048 2048
VC1_SIMPLE 1 8190 2048 2048
VC1_MAIN 2 8190 2048 2048
VC1_ADVANCED 4 8190 2048 2048
MPEG4_PART2_SP 3 8192 2048 2048
MPEG4_PART2_ASP 5 8192 2048 2048
DIVX4_QMOBILE 0 8192 2048 2048
DIVX4_MOBILE [phone]
DIVX4_HOME_THEATER 0 8192 2048 2048
DIVX4_HD_1080P 0 8192 2048 2048
DIVX5_QMOBILE 0 8192 2048 2048
DIVX5_MOBILE [phone]
DIVX5_HOME_THEATER 0 8192 2048 2048
DIVX5_HD_1080P 0 8192 2048 2048

Output surface:

name width height nat types
----------------------------------------------------
B8G8R8A8 8192 8192 y Y8U8V8A8 V8U8Y8A8
R10G10B10A2 8192 8192 y Y8U8V8A8 V8U8Y8A8

Bitmap surface:

name width height
------------------------------
B8G8R8A8 8192 8192
R8G8B8A8 8192 8192
R10G10B10A2 8192 8192
B10G10R10A2 8192 8192
A8 8192 8192

Video mixer:

feature name sup
------------------------------------
DEINTERLACE_TEMPORAL y
DEINTERLACE_TEMPORAL_SPATIAL y
INVERSE_TELECINE y
NOISE_REDUCTION y
SHARPNESS y
LUMA_KEY y
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L1 y
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L2 -
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L3 -
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L4 -
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L5 -
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L6 -
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L7 -
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L8 -
HIGH QUALITY SCALING - L9 -

parameter name sup min max
-----------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_SURFACE_WIDTH y 1 4096
VIDEO_SURFACE_HEIGHT y 1 4096
CHROMA_TYPE y
LAYERS y 0 4

attribute name sup min max
-----------------------------------------------------
BACKGROUND_COLOR y
CSC_MATRIX y
NOISE_REDUCTION_LEVEL y 0.00 1.00
SHARPNESS_LEVEL y -1.00 1.00
LUMA_KEY_MIN_LUMA y
LUMA_KEY_MAX_LUMA y

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: vlc 2.1.2-2build2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-22.44-generic 3.13.8
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.14-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Apr 3 18:59:25 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-01-09 (84 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Alpha amd64 (20140109)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=fr_FR
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: vlc
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Rémi Denis-Courmont (rdenis)]

VLC uses VA because you selected VA in the VLC preferences. Obviously you need to select VDPAU if you want to use that.

[Sergio Benjamim (sergio-br2)]

Well, but there is only 3 options: Automatic, VA-API, and None.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont (rdenis)]

Because your libavcodec version does not support VDPAU, and/or VLC was built without VDPAU support.

[Brandon Snider (brandonsnider)]

You need to install a package called vpdau-va-driver to use VAAPI with VLC. That's why VAAPI is failing, It says you don't have the VAAPI driver file.