choppy video playback

[volumez]

I'm really into video watching and Linux just can't play videos smoothly on my machine. The picture is "choppy" (especially when a lot of moving picture appears).
My PC:  AMD Athlon64 4400+; Nvidia onboard VGA C61 GeForce 6100 nForce 405

I guess this could be drivers problem. I tried switching "additional drivers" but it didn't help. Now "Using NVIDIA legacy binary driver - version 304.125 from nvidia-304-updates (proprietary)" is set.


I had another old PC earlier and tried to move from Windows to Linux. The same laggy video playback stopped me. What's the problem with Linux video?

[AndyInMokum]

Hi volumez, welcome to the Peppermint Forum.  After you installed Peppermint Six, did you perform a full update and dist-upgrade?  If you haven't done this, I strongly suggest you do so because it resolves many post installation issues.

Since the time when your installation ISO was originally created, the kernel and the installed software packages will have gone through several upgrades.  Peppermint, like other Linux distributions is a very dynamic and rapidly evolving operating system.  Consequently, it needs to be kept as current as possible for optimal performance.   Please open a terminal window with the following keystrokes: Ctrl+Alt+t.  Enter the following commands into the terminal window.

Tip:  Linux is case sensitive.  To reduce the possibility of typographical errors please click the Code: [Select] function below to highlight the contents. Click on the centre mouse button/wheel while the cursor is in the terminal window to paste the contents.

Note: For enhanced security, passwords are entered invisibly.  There is NO indication of any user input.  You may enter an incorrect password 3 times before you have to repeat the action you are trying to execute.

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apt update && apt upgrade -y

Hit enter and enter your user password when asked.  After that has completed, continue with:

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apt dist-upgrade -y

Hit enter and enter your user password if asked.

After the upgrade has completed, reboot your machine because there may have been kernel upgrades.  Has this resolved your driver issues  ?

[volumez]

No, this doesn't solve it.

I might be paranoid, but i think even scrolling web pages isn't as smooth as it should be. 

I'm using this like 15 years old 40GB hard drive. Maybe that could be the problem? Probably not...

[PCNetSpec]

Can you post the output from:

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inxi -F

[volumez]

System:    Host: tau-MS-7309 Kernel: 3.16.0-45-generic x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: N/A Distro: Peppermint Six
Machine:   Mobo: MSI model: MS-7309 version: 1.0 Bios: MS-7309 version: V1.12 date: 02/23/2009
CPU:       Dual core AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 svm)
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1800.00 MHz 2: 1800.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA C61 [GeForce 6100 nForce 405]
           X.Org: 1.16.0 drivers: nvidia (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau) Resolution: 1440x900@59.9hz
           GLX Renderer: GeForce 6100 nForce 405/integrated/SSE2 GLX Version: 2.1.2 NVIDIA 304.125
Audio:     Card: NVIDIA MCP61 High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel Sound: ALSA ver: k3.16.0-45-generic
Network:   Card: NVIDIA MCP61 Ethernet driver: forcedeth
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:16:17:e0:eb:c3
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 40.0GB (23.8% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: IC35L060AVV207 size: 40.0GB
Partition: ID: / size: 35G used: 8.9G (27%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 2.01GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 32.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 142 Uptime: 29 min Memory: 597.4/1875.5MB Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 1.9.17

[PCNetSpec]

What format are the video files ? .. ie. which codecs were used to encode them ?

Have you tried using a low latency kernel ?

[scifidude79]

You said you tried switching drivers.  Which drivers have you tried?

I used to have a computer with a built in 6100 and, of I remember correctly, it was decent for video in Linux.  Though, that was some years ago and using a much older driver.  (195, I think)

[volumez]

What format are the video files ? .. ie. which codecs were used to encode them ?

Have you tried using a low latency kernel ?

Xvid, x264, also Youtube videos look terrible.

I have not done anything with kernels. Could I have some instructions please?

You said you tried switching drivers.  Which drivers have you tried?

xserver-xorg-video-nouveau, nvidia-304-updates, nvidia-304, nvidia-173.

[scifidude79]

You said you tried switching drivers.  Which drivers have you tried?

xserver-xorg-video-nouveau, nvidia-304-updates, nvidia-304, nvidia-173.

Ah, so you've tried them all and they all do this?  Yeah, that's bad.  I know for a fact that nvidia-173 works fine with a GeForce 6100 nForce 405 GPU, because I've used it before on that chipset.  I'd say PCNetSpec is probably on the right track with it possibly being a kernel issue.

I see you're running 64-bit.  Another thing you could try, but I don't know if you want to go to all this trouble, is installing Peppermint 32-bit.  Though, I can't guarantee you'll have any better video playback with the 32-bit version, but anything is possible.

[Slim.Fatz]

Hi volumez,


To install a lowlatency kernel with Peppermint Six you have several choices as to which kernel you wish to try. These can be found at http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D.

You can, for example, try the latest release (the top one: v4.2-rc4-unstable) or you can be a little more conservative and try v4.0.9-wily. And if you want to be even more conservative, try v3.16.6-utopic.


Whatever you select, download the three deb files that have names like this (for v3.16.6-utopic, but similar for any of the others I suggested):

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linux-headers-3.16.6-031606-lowlatency_3.16.6-031606.201410150635_amd64.deb

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linux-headers-3.16.6-031606_3.16.6-031606.201410150635_all.deb

and

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linux-image-3.16.6-031606-lowlatency_3.16.6-031606.201410150635_amd64.deb

Then open a terminal in the directory containing these files and run this command:

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sudo dpkg -i *deb

Then reboot. Now open a terminal and run:

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uname -a

to see if the new kernel is being used.

Regards,

-- Slim

[AndyInMokum]

May I just offer one additional suggestion to Slim.Fatz's excellent advisory.  First make a folder to download the three .deb files to.  For example, create a directory on the your desktop by running the following command:

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cd ~/Desktop && mkdir temp-kernels

This way, they'll be isolated from any other .deb file you may not want to install with the wildcard install command you've been provided.  After everything is installed, delete the Desktop folder and its contents if you want - good luck  !

[Slim.Fatz]

Hi AndyInMokum,


Thanks for the additional good tip !! I was not thinking that he might have other deb files in his Downloads folder ... Doing it as you suggest is pretty much failsafe.


Regards,


-- Slim

[AndyInMokum]

Hi AndyInMokum,


Thanks for the additional good tip !! I was not thinking that he might have other deb files in his Downloads folder ... Doing it as you suggest is pretty much failsafe.


Regards,


-- Slim

It's my pleasure  .  This 4.2 rc4 generic kernel is working a treat on my 64-bit machine.  Everything runs so much smoother and faster.  I'm very impressed so far  .

[volumez]

OK, I've tested Peppermint 32-bit, lowlatency kernel (3.16.6), and even other distros (Manjaro Linux is cool BTW). I've installed Windows now to check my eyes. And I can say i like video playback on Windows better.

[AndyInMokum]

OK, I've tested Peppermint 32-bit, lowlatency kernel (3.16.6), and even other distros (Manjaro Linux is cool BTW). I've installed Windows now to check my eyes. And I can say i like video playback on Windows better.

Try the 4.2 rc4 generic kernel, obviously for 32-bit.  The 4.2 rc4 generic kernel is working a treat on my 64-bit system.

Note: The following installation instructions are for 32-bit machines only:

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cd ~/Desktop && mkdir temp-kernel

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wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.2-rc4-unstable/linux-headers-4.2.0-040200rc4-generic_4.2.0-040200rc4.201507271733_i386.deb

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wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.2-rc4-unstable/linux-headers-4.2.0-040200rc4_4.2.0-040200rc4.201507271733_all.deb

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wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.2-rc4-unstable/linux-image-4.2.0-040200rc4-generic_4.2.0-040200rc4.201507271733_i386.deb

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sudo dpkg -i *.deb

After the installation has completed, reboot your machine.  It is okay to delete or move the desktop folder and its contents if you so wish.  Check if the new kernel improves your video playback  .