slight micro-stutter / judder @ 30 fps recording

[videogramez]

I am getting the stuttering too, in many games, to varying but noticable degrees, when using Intel QuickSync and recording at 1080p 30fps. I do not get a stutter when recording with the software mode, even at 1080p 30fps. Setting Action's process priority to Below Normal does not fix it. I have a Core i5 2500K and GeForce 560Ti.


The biggest stutter I get is in Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed so far

Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed STUTTER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Us1mSxGoKQ

Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed SMOOTH - this is what it is supposed to look like, it's much smoother
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNSR3aGwpM4

CounterStrike GO STUTTER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwYVyxk3BdI

CounterStrike GO SMOOTH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOzlVeznmzM

Bioshock Infinite STUTTER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esmIirfw-Xo

Bioshock Infinite SMOOTH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlzFTxF5Eco


Is QuickSync just not fast enough?

[Montago]

Hi videogramez

Like any other feature of Intel Core CPUs , QuickSync performance varies depending on the generation and version of the CPU.

Core i5 2500 is Sandy Bridge and therefore the first to introduce QuickSync and is thus maybe not fast enough for 1080p30... You could try 720p30 instead ...

It seems that you should go for AVI recording instead of QuickSync if that yields the best result

[videogramez]

Well that is what I would like to know - if it is a limitation of QuickSync/my hardware or the Action! software.

Nowhere do mirillis currently mention limitations of quicksync based on which hardware/chip you have.

And why is it only really noticeable in some games and not others?

Also while using software for the games that are stuttering is possible, the much larger amount of space they take up compared to the 20Mbps h.264 QuickSync is quite the difference.

Do I need to buy Virtu for it to work correctly?

[Montago]

According to Anandtech : http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the- ... 0-tested/9 your 2500 cpu should be fast enough to encode at 100 fps.. But as i also discovered the quality doesnt follow at those speeds

You do not need to buy Virtu.. The only difference between 2.2 and 3.0 is the interface, the driver is the same.
Btw make sure you DO NOT enable Hyperformance and Virtual Vsync.

Have you tried all combnations of fps, resolution and quality ? Your speetspot might not be 1080p30/high

[videogramez]

Thank you for the link to the performance test, that shows Quicksync should be perfectly capable of 1080p encoding in realtime at at least 30fps, even if it's just 15mbps in the example. I suppose the question is what is getting in the way.

Also why would the result be to cause suttering of the game itself? Even if Quicksync was too slow, shouldn't it just result in dropping frames but not interfere with the gameplay since the game isn't running on the Intel GPU after all?


Yes I have tried it at 24fps and it seems to stutter the same, recording at 15fps or less is useless anyway.

At 720p it seems pretty much fine, so that's why I specified 1080p, but you're right, I should have noted that.

Do I need a Virtu driver at all? I followed the mirillis guide which said to install the intel drivers but said nothing about Virtu so I currently do not have anything Virtu installed.

I have tried the Low and High quality settings as well, but they seem to produce the same result and even the same 20mbps bitrate as well. Could this be part of the problem or a symptom of the same problem? Is low supposed to produce 15mbps and high 25mbps for example? If so, it's not working.

[Montago]

In my experience, enabling quicksync by installing a cable into the iGPU result in system lag and less than ideal window management. So i would suggest you disable the extra monitor and install Virtu MVP 2.2 - its free and works better in my oppinion.

When i tried the second monitor option, i had problems with video playback and windows perfomance issues - so i think there is some problems that needs to be ironed out.

Try it and reply your experience

[flashmp3]

In my experience, enabling quicksync by installing a cable into the iGPU result in system lag and less than ideal window management. So i would suggest you disable the extra monitor and install Virtu MVP 2.2 - its free and works better in my oppinion.

When i tried the second monitor option, i had problems with video playback and windows perfomance issues - so i think there is some problems that needs to be ironed out.

Try it and reply your experience

Can i install on a laptop ?

[videogramez]

I'm not quite sure what you're saying so I'll ask for clarification:

I didn't install any sort of cable into the iGPU, but I did follow the Mirillis Action! QuickSync Guide which boiled down to

1) Enabling the iGPU in my BIOS
2) Installing Intel video drivers
3) And yes, creating another "monitor" in Windows (with no actual monitor connected) set to the Intel GPU (my third monitor in this case)

So if I understand what you're saying, this guide by the devs themselves is outdated or wrongheaded, and this "extra monitor" hack is what you're saying is causing performance issues? I have had no issues with video playback and Windows itself, so far...

And instead I should install the Virtu MVP Software from that page (no 2.2 though, 2.1.224 appears to be the latest?)? Do I still need the Intel graphics drivers installed or are those not needed either?

[Montago]

Can i install on a laptop ?

Yes of course

I'm not quite sure what you're saying so I'll ask for clarification:

I didn't install any sort of cable into the iGPU, but I did follow the Mirillis Action! QuickSync Guide which boiled down to

1) Enabling the iGPU in my BIOS
2) Installing Intel video drivers
3) And yes, creating another "monitor" in Windows (with no actual monitor connected) set to the Intel GPU (my third monitor in this case)

So if I understand what you're saying, this guide by the devs themselves is outdated or wrongheaded, and this "extra monitor" hack is what you're saying is causing performance issues? I have had no issues with video playback and Windows itself, so far...

And instead I should install the Virtu MVP Software from that page (no 2.2 though, 2.1.224 appears to be the latest?)? Do I still need the Intel graphics drivers installed or are those not needed either?

The guide is not xactly outdated, since VirtuMVP is not available on ALL computers. As far as i know, its the motherborad manufacture that has to enable VirtuMVP by doing something to the motherboard (chip ?, circuit ?)

VirtuMVP is however available for most Intel Core systems: Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge and is mostly adverticed somewere in the manual or on the box - or found in the BIOS

To use VirtuMVP you need to do the following:

- Enable iGPU in BIOS
- Install the Intel GPU Drivers
- Install VirtuMVP 2.1.224 (sorry i forgot the version number)
-----
- Enable GPU Virtualization in VirtuMVP (but NOT Hyperformance and VirtualVSync)

after enabling GPU Virtualization, Action will show QuickSync as an option.

[videogramez]

Ok, thank you, I think this did improve things!


What I had to do:

1) Turn off the extra monitor
2) Install VirtuMVP 2.1.224 (and reboot)
3) Make sure HyperFormance and Virtual Vsync in Virtu were off (I think HyperFormance was on by default)
4) Add Action.exe to the Applications list in Virtu (otherwise Action does not enable QuickSync)


Now I think Sonic looks a bit less stuttery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuABZ6cwDss <compare> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Us1mSxGoKQ

And Bioshock notably less so
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tn7BTu2dKM <compare> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esmIirfw-Xo


But most importantly they don't FEEL stuttery/laggy when playing/recording, so far, and I think that is the important part. Thank you very much!


Questions:

1) Now Aero is turned off whenver I run Action! and it means I can't record my desktop or screen... so I assume that whenever I record games I need to have Action! added to the Apllications and then remove it whenever I need to record a desktop app or non-3D game? Is there any way around this?

2) Virtu MVP says that my license is not activated and that I have 29 days left - does this mean I have to buy it? If I have to buy this to get Action! working correctly then that is a much higher price than Action! alone....