Enabling Hardware Acceleration

This tutorial will try to explain step by step how to Enable Hardware Acceleration on (compatible) GPU’s and achieve the playback of (compatible) files with minimum CPU usage. As most of us (the consumers) have noticed, the term “Hardware Acceleration of HD” is used widely by the GPU’s builders referring to the ability of Graphics Cards to accelerate material directly from Blu-Ray or HD Disks.

Enabling Hardware Acceleration to files is another totally different story, that GPU’s can do in compatible files. So if u are sure that you have the compatible hardware to do it, and buying a new pc setup with strong Dual Core CPU for software decoding is not, or it’s the last option for you, this guide will help u explore the capabilities of your hardware.

HA for files -as we know all that we have try it- is quite tricky due to different hardware setup's, os, software and material for reproducing, so you will be quite lucky if you made it at once as there are many scenarios. Please be patient and this thread will try to solve any problems.

Compatibility

Compatible GPU’s:

ATI: 2XXX, 3XXX series
nVidia: 8XXX, 9XXX series

Compatible playback material:

x264 Profile L4.1, VC1, DXVA compatible marked material.

Setup the Monster
(The guide is for a PC with primary use as HTPC in mind)

-Fresh Windows Installation
-Latest DirectX Package. Works both in Windows XP and Vista and needed for Shaders/12-235 -> 0-255 option. It can also solve other minor problems. If you have any problems after applied it you might need to install gpu drivers again.
-Latest GPU’s Drivers
-Media Player Classic - Home Cinema (forces DXVA use with internal x264 and VC1 Decoders).
-PowerDVD (Optionally, needed for Cyberlink x264 decoder, works better in some systems)

Settings & Tips

Generally

- MPC-HC/Options

Internal Filters:

Directshow media - uncheck

External Filters:

DirectVobSub - Block***
DirectVobSub (auto-loading version) - Block***
(***Both options assuming the possibility to have a codec pack installed like k-lite installed. Use of filters may prevent the DXVA compatibility see MPC-HC homepage for further instructions)
Cyberlink PowerDVD H.264/AVC Decoder - Prefer*
(*I recommend to try first the internal MPC-HC x264 Decoder. If you have problems during playback, or not playback at all, then uncheck the H264/AVC (DXVA) in Internal Filters and add Cyberlink x264 as described).

Output:

Overlay Mixer**
(**Start from here to check if HA works and see Windows Specific for external subtitles use compatible options).

If black levels seems poor its recomended to try PC Levels 0-255, so you have to check Shaders/12-235 -> 0-255 option in MPC-HC (right click while playing > Shaders/12-235 -> 0-255). You must have latest DirectX installed for proper use.

ATI Specific
- Download and install ATI HD Registry Tweaks for HTPCs

nVidia Specific
-

Windows XP Specific

- As described in MPC-HC homepage reproducing HD content in HTPC’s often suffers from Tearing. “The root reasons of this problem are not quite easy to identify, but this seems to happen more frequently with Windows XP than with Vista.” So you should consider that if you building your htpc from scratch.

For use of external subtitles:

- MPC-HC/Options/Output

VMR9 (renderless)/3D Surfaces (recommended)/VMR9 mixer mode - check

- Natively Windows XP do not support EVR.

Windows Vista Specific

For use of external subtitles:

- MPC-HC/Options/Output

EVR Custom Pres./3D Surfaces (recommended)

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Demonstration

For your motivation: Demo of Hardware Acceleration playing on my HTPC:

CPU: Pentium 4 640 3.2G
RAM: 4x512 DDR400 CL2.5
Cooler: ThermalRight Ultra 120
GPU: ASUS HD2400PRO
OS: Windows Vista SP1 (slightly lighted with vLite)

mkv L4.1 profile 1908x800 11000kbps stream + external subtitles

Screens

Please share your comments and experiences on the comment area.