100% CPU Utilization for DivX on every Player

[jrbmendes]

Almost every Divx movie that I try to play starts Ok, but shows increasing CPU utilization until reaching 100% (around one minute after the start of the session). Then the player starts to freeze and became out of sync with the sound (that continues OK).<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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I am using a Notebook Sony Vaio FRV31 with 512Mb Ram and Celeron 2.4 GHz CPU. The OS is Windows XP with service pack 2. <o></o>
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I used to have NO problem playing Divx on this computer, using Windows Media Player. I don’t have a cue about what started it.<o></o>
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Things that I already tried:<o></o>
- Defrag the Disks<o></o>
- Check the RAM<o></o>
- Reinstall the Windows XP<o></o>
- Use different kinds of players including: the Playa, Media Player Classic add Micro DVD.<o></o>
- Use different Codecs: including downgrade to the 4.02 Divx Codec<o></o>
- Install the K-Lite Codec Pack<o></o>
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I appreciate ANY suggestion that not includes throwing my notebook out of the window (at least for now).<o></o>

[anonymez]

Install the K-Lite Codec Pack

likely that's your problem. codec packs are NOT recommended for anyone. uninstall all codec packs, download & install the latest 'ffdshow' from here http://www.aziendeassociate.it/cd.asp?dir=/ffdshow

and play with media player classic

to be on the safe sied, you might also want to make sure you've got:

the latest directx

your latest graphics card/chipset drivers

make sure your DMA is enabled http://forum.digital-digest.com/show...threadid=44808

[jrbmendes]

That helped a lot !! Thank's !!

I've uninstalled every failed attempt, includind the K-Lite Codec Pack, and
installed the ffdshow-20051013.exe. I also installed the DirectX 9.0 from the Microsoft Site.

I was able to see almost 10 minutes of the movie before the problem starts. The problem continues but the progess to 100% CPU is much slower.

My DMA is enabled and I've already installed the latest video drive provided by Sony.

Any more thoughts ? Thank's again !

[anonymez]

does this happen only with divx/mpeg-4? does it happen with dvd's as well?

how much free hard disk space do you have?

[jrbmendes]

I don’t seem to have problems playing normal mpeg movies, only avi. Most of my movies use DIV3 video codec and AC3 audio codec and were downloaded via e-mule.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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With DVD disks, the behavior is different. It starts with high CPU utilization and sometimes reaches 100%, but that don’t seem to affect the movie. Sometimes, however, the CPU utilization DROPs and the movie freezes some seconds. But when it continues it does not play out of sync. Actually, I don’t see DVDs movies on my computer. I had to make a test to answer you.<o></o>
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My graphics Chipset is RADEON IGP 345M with bus AGP 4X and 64Mb memory size.<o></o>
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Not much free space. My C drive has almost 2Gb free, and my D drive (were a store the movies) has currently 780Mb of free space. But when the problem began I had more free space. <o></o>

[anonymez]

i don't think IGP (integrated graphics) can be AGP 4X, but:

are you absolutely sure you aren't running any other programs in the background? have you checked for adware/spyware? while you're playing a divx file, press ctrl+alt+delete, click the 'processes' tab and see if the media player is the only process using the cpu.

also, while playing in 'media player classic', right-click the video, mouse over 'filters' and list which filters are shown.

do you notice high cpu usage during other tasks? eg viewing pictures, browsing the web, etc, or only when watching video? have you tried lowering/increasing video shared memory in the BIOS?

also, download 'virtualdubmod'. open a divx file in it. under 'video', select 'direct stream copy' under 'streams', click 'stream list'. click 'disable'. click 'OK'. under 'file', click 'save as' (or 'save as avi'). save with a different file name. try playing THAT file. it will have no audio. does it also have high cpu usage?

i know its a lot of questions to answer, but its not very often that ffdshow does not fix mpeg-4 decoding problems

[jrbmendes]

I will need some time to do everything you advised.

First: I liberated 3.75Gb on the D drive and it seem to have some impact on the problem. I was able to see 25minutes of the movie before the CPU reached 100%. I would like to understand this relationship: disk space on the D drive versus Divx playing performance.

The AGP 4X information came from the Radeon proprieties. I used to be an IT professional but I am from the time of PCI versus VESA. I am completely out of date to judge that kind of information.

I have Norton Internet Security (Antivirus & Firewall), Google desktop search, MSN Messeger and Chacheman on background. But I tried to deactivate them with no affect on the problem. Besides, it is the Player itself that starts to eats CPU. I don't notice the 100% CPU problem when I am doing anything else.

The filters displayed are:
Default Directsound Device
Video Renderer
Audio Switcher
Ffshow MPEG-4 Video Decoder

I am going to try to mess with the video shared memory in the BIOS and do the virtualdubmod test as soon I have time and I will give you the results. Please forgive me if my answer delays. The next couple of days are going to be full for me.

Thanks again!

[jrbmendes]

Dear Anonymez !

Your tips actually solved the problem with the codec. I discovered a Hardware problem ( my CPU was overheating) that was the guilty for the remaning problems.

Thanks a lot !!!

[anonymez]

glad i could help, jrbmendes