GPU Acceleration - settings

[Karloff]

I have been using Fab since last January and I have not ever had any problems. I am getting ready to load new version (6.2.1.8). Thanks for the new years present Fengtao.

I recently installed new graphics card. It is a Nvidia 9800 GT 1MB. My previous graphics was from intel chipset on motherboard.

When I enable GPU acceleration ( I couldn't before with old integrated graphics) I have CUDA and DXVA as choices. I know that CUDA is a C implementation to allow the transcoding to be processed on the 112 stream processors. Not sure about DXVA (investigating now). Which is better?

When do these choices make a difference? (DVD to DVD) or During the Shrinking portion of DVD to DVD when going from DVD9 to DVD5?

Or, is it during the DVD to Mobile options? If so is it only for certain profiles?

I was wanting to post the results of this graphics card along with my system to compare the results the others are getting in the GPU thread but I am not certain I know when the CUDA cores are used in the processing.

Also, after looking at the GPU thread, I was wondering if it would also be helpful if we posted the title that was being transcoded so that other who had that title could use it as a comparison?

Thanks for the help.

[W&B]

I know that CUDA is a C implementation to allow the transcoding to be processed on the 112 stream processors. Not sure about DXVA (investigating now). Which is better?

Cuda seems faster for me.

When do these choices make a difference? (DVD to DVD) or During the Shrinking portion of DVD to DVD when going from DVD9 to DVD5?

It's not used in DVD to DVD.
Edit: Not used in DVD to Mobile either (yet)

Or, is it during the DVD to Mobile options? If so is it only for certain profiles?

Actually Ting reported he is working on code for DVD to Mobile, not sure when it will be ready. It is currently used in File to Mobile and Blu-ray to Blu-ray (during the main movie compression stage if needed) and just guessing here on my part but I would think when Blu-ray to Mobile is released it will be used there also.

I was wanting to post the results of this graphics card along with my system to compare the results the others are getting in the GPU thread but I am not certain I know when the CUDA cores are used in the processing.
Also, after looking at the GPU thread, I was wondering if it would also be helpful if we posted the title that was being transcoded so that other who had that title could use it as a comparison?

Probably wouldn't help considering there's so many factors and different hardware being used.

[Karloff]

Thanks for the reply, I was beginning to think that there was something wrong with the card because it did not change the performance when I had it enabled in DVD-Mobile or DVD-DVD.

I am still really confused about the File to Mobile option. When would it be used (If going to Mobile wouldn't you use DVD - mobile?). I rip it to hard drive before using DVD-Mobile anyway.

Thanks for your help

[Karloff]

OK, so if I try to convert a DivX AVI to say a h264 AVI using File to Mobile, Fab would then use the CUDA cores?

Is only certain profiles supported or all profiles?

Thanks again.

[maineman]

Hi Karloff,
Let me take a stab at trying to clarify...

DVD to Mobile is used when going from a dvd video compliant structure
(ie., VIDEO_TS FOLDER / AUDIO_TS FOLDER or .ISO)
to any of the Mobile profiles.
You can modify/create profiles.

File to Mobile is used when going from a variety of video file formats, eg., .avi, .flc, .mkv, etc.,
to a specific Mobile profile.

Cuda acceleration can be utilzied in both of these applications.
I built a core i7, win 7, 64-bit rig back in Oct and it screams along when used for conversions.
I get speeds of 350 to in excess of 500 fps as opposed to my old XP Pro rig without video card support which chugged along at 50 fps.

You might want to take a look at this thread by GregiBoy.
He has compiled some of the earlier data and deleting earlier post, but you can get an idea of various users' hardware and performance.

[Karloff]

Thanks Maineman.

Especially for suppying me with your fps. I have intel core(2) QUAD CORE at 250GHZ. I have GeForce 9800GT. I get about 170 - 200 FPS with or without CUDA.

Is there a way to verify that it is actually using the CUDA cores?

Yes, I checked out the GPU thread by GregiBoy but I wanted to make sure I was using and understood the CUDA cores and if they were being used or not.

I don't want to post misleading information about the card in the GPU chipset thread.

Thanks.

[maineman]

Well, I'm confused.
I just tried several test runs both with DVD to Mobile and with File to Mobile.
I ran these with CUDA enabled and disabled.
I got the same results across the board!

I used a couple of different profiles, iPod.h264 and samsung.avi.h264.audiocopy (created by a friend).
BTW, I'm using a GeForce GTX 260 card and a core i7 920 cpu @ 2.67 GHz

I'm at a loss to explain this.
My speeds are down a bit from 1-2 months ago (I haven't done much with conversions lately), but I'm seeing 300-400 fps. Again, regardless of whether CUDA is enabled or not.

Heres 'a screenshot of my cpu usage via task manager.
It's virtually the same for all test runs.

[Karloff]

Yes, I think that the difference in fps might have to do with the bit rate option. When you use higher bit rates i believe that the fps decreases. I like my bit rate high. I currently run it at around 1200 - 1400. I will try it lower and see what I get. But either way I can't tell the difference between GPU enabled or not. What bit rate you use during DVD to mobile? Or do you use file size?

[maineman]

Most of my conversions have been for my iPod.
My default settings for iPod mp4 use a fixed bitrate of 1500.
Another profile, samsung.avi.h264.audiocopy uses a fixed bitrate of 1100.

Just recently I have started fooling with conversions other than iPod as I'm looking forward to video streaming all my flicks later this year once I complete our move to South Carolina. I'm not quite ready for this yet, but I hope to make the final move in April-May and have my NAS set up and running this summer.

Hoping to squeeze this in between some of the items on the honey-do-list...
Wish me luck with that one...lol

[Karloff]

Good luck with that... Oh, and good luck with the move also..

I used DVD-Mobile at 1400 and then at 900 FPS. Either way was running around 170 FPS. So I guess the bit rate didn't make a difference.

I rip all my dvd's to a portable hard drive. I have three different ones. I then use DVD to Mobile to convert the Title to a DivX AVI with audiocopy. I have the bitrate set to 1400 and use 2-pass. I save these to a different portable hard drive. (I use Divx becuase my DVD player accepts a portable hard drive and DivX works the best for it).

I keep both versions because I don't backup to DVD. If I run out of room on my 1.5 gig portable I will make some backup DVD's and erase some. I use the create dvdid.xml option on fab so that when I view them in media center they show up with their jackets and the synopsis. Works really well.

I then have my XBox 360 connected to the TV in the living room and stream my media center library via the extender. Works very well (as long as it is hard wired and not wireless).

Maybe we will get to the bottom of this because everthing I have read about the CUDA processing states that your processor should be freed up to do other tasks and from your screen capture it looks like your CPU's are chugging away on converting and not the CUDA cores..

[maineman]

Yup, I suspect this as well and I had been under the impression that cuda was alive and well for DVD to Mobile.
Interestingly, W&B linked me to this post by ting, dated back on 1/30:
(here's the referenced thread: ...post #18).

hi,

For the convert task, many user expect it finish quickly.

DVDFab will using more CPU and memory.

For the high memory usage, current logic not very efficiency.

For the high CPU using, which is decide by the convert work, if output file resolution is bigger, so the encoder will use most part of CPU, specially for H264 encode. example for Bluray compression task, which also takes up 100% for my Quad9300 CPU. , maybe in the future we need add some control option let user to decide how many resource should be used.

I am always working at improve the encode efficiency and low resource use, like add GPU acceleration, which has been used in Bluray compression. and current I am working at transfer this code to "DVD to mobile" part.
so please be patient .

I'll see what I can find out.
Thanks for your help with this.

[jtoscas]

So Does CUDA GPU accelleration work or not?
Does not appear to make a difference if it is enabled or selected or not.
When re encoding a larger file to a 25gb disc.
i have a NVidia 9800GT video card.

[maineman]

So Does CUDA GPU accelleration work or not?
Does not appear to make a difference if it is enabled or selected or not.

Well, that seems to be the question.
Apparently, it does not...at least not for anything but BR.
I do not have any BR hardware so there is no way for me to test GPU acceleration for BR.

[jtoscas]

When i am re encoding a blu-ray 38 GB file to fit on 25GB disk and it says CUDA gpu accelretion started, the MB/s or Conversion times are no different no matter what setting i choose. i un check the GPu accelleration box then try again , no difference.

[Karloff]

Maineman. thanks for the research!

Yes, I do believe that gpu acceleration for the DVD - Mobile option is a very needed feature request.