Recent VLC update.
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2022 4:27 pm
Seeing the problems that Portsdown and Ryde were having after the recent VLC update, I built a new WH SD card to see if there were any implications for WH in LOCAL mode. As far as I can see, WH shouldn't do any Linux updates automatically, so existing systems shouldn't be unaffected.
The first surprise was that the beacon was displaying on window 3 as well as window1. You don't normally see the beacon on window 3, because there's something about it that the hardware decoder doesn't like. Window 1 is started with --codec ffmpeg to overcome this, but the software codec uses lots of resources.
Another surprise was the ability to display more that one H.265 signal on windows 2,3,4. Usually this crashes VLC.
Initial tests indicate that video decoding is using lots more resources than before. It's as though the hardware decoders are not being used at all. With the 'new' VLC, the beacon is taking 75% of system resources with all VLC settings of the hardware decoder and also with --codec ffmpeg. With the 'old' VLC, the beacon takes 40% of resources . This is with the software codec, so you would expect less if the hardware decoder could actually decode it.
The net tonight will give me the opportunity to do more tests, switching from old to new systems after round 1. In the meantime, if you're using a 'new' VLC SD card, if you can, use ANYHUB mode and don't display video on the RPi. When displaying on the RPi, don't display the beacon and expect resources to be maxxed out if displaying more than 2 signals.
Brian
The first surprise was that the beacon was displaying on window 3 as well as window1. You don't normally see the beacon on window 3, because there's something about it that the hardware decoder doesn't like. Window 1 is started with --codec ffmpeg to overcome this, but the software codec uses lots of resources.
Another surprise was the ability to display more that one H.265 signal on windows 2,3,4. Usually this crashes VLC.
Initial tests indicate that video decoding is using lots more resources than before. It's as though the hardware decoders are not being used at all. With the 'new' VLC, the beacon is taking 75% of system resources with all VLC settings of the hardware decoder and also with --codec ffmpeg. With the 'old' VLC, the beacon takes 40% of resources . This is with the software codec, so you would expect less if the hardware decoder could actually decode it.
The net tonight will give me the opportunity to do more tests, switching from old to new systems after round 1. In the meantime, if you're using a 'new' VLC SD card, if you can, use ANYHUB mode and don't display video on the RPi. When displaying on the RPi, don't display the beacon and expect resources to be maxxed out if displaying more than 2 signals.
Brian