transcode with n100/i7 8700 via vaapi (x265)

Gerd H · 2025-01-10T16:29:15+00:00

Hi ! it tried to setup above named but i get only audio during transcode and log says 2025-01-10 17:26:55.349 vaapi: Bitrate = 2000 kbps; Buffer size = 1200...

Gerd H

Hi !

im using Ubuntu 24.04 with ppa from m.marley..
Is there a ubuntu 24.04 ppa with the ffmpeg package or do i have to compile it on my own ?

Ciao Gerd

Gerd H

OK i made some tests and read a lot... it seems that in this ppa the direct support for it is build in... and i tried to set it up...

i setup a codec (x265_vaapi) but tvh is searching for a CUDA device

2025-01-11 15:39:44.987 subscription: 0433: "HTTP" subscribing on channel "BR Fernsehen Nord HD", weight: 100, adapter: "SAT>IP DVB-S Tuner #6 (192.168.63.120@UDP)", network: "Astra", mux: "11582.25H", provider: "ARD", service: "BR Fernsehen Nord HD", profile="webtv-384", hostname="::ffff:192.168.63.4", client="VLC/3.0.20 LibVLC/3.0.20"
2025-01-11 15:39:45.731 transcode: 000E: 02:H264: ==> Using profile vaapi_x265
2025-01-11 15:39:45.732 transcode: 000E: 03:MPEG2AUDIO: ==> Using profile webtv-aac
2025-01-11 15:39:45.732 transcode: 000E: 04:MPEG2AUDIO: ==> Filtered out
2025-01-11 15:39:45.732 transcode: 000E: 05:MPEG2AUDIO: ==> Filtered out
2025-01-11 15:39:45.732 transcode: 000E: 07:AC3: ==> Filtered out
2025-01-11 15:39:45.732 transcode: 000E: 08:DVBSUB: ==> Filtered out
2025-01-11 15:39:46.532 libav: AVHWDeviceContext: cu->cuInit(0) failed
2025-01-11 15:39:46.532 libav: AVHWDeviceContext:  -> CUDA_ERROR_NO_DEVICE: no CUDA-capable device is detected
2025-01-11 15:39:46.532 libav: AVHWDeviceContext:

What is going wrong ?

Ciao Gerd

Flole

You enabled the hw acceleration checkbox, IIRC that is for Cuda only, at least that's how it used to be. Try disabling that one.

Gerd H

Flole

Hi !

Yeah thats it ....
btw: what a kind of difference.... i have a N100 and the I7 8700 with an A380 ...

doing transcode to x265 or vp9 .... the A380 is kind of "bored" and N100 needs about 20-25% of the GPU ressources

Ciao Gerd

ukn_unknown

Flole
@Flole I don't have a system with Nvidia + VAAPI, but I think if we compile with NVENC and VAAPI, HW decoding will be tried with NVENC (higher priority). Interesting is that MMAL has higher priority than NVENC and VAAPI.

src/transcoding/transcode/stream.c --> static int tvh_stream_setup(TVHStream *self, TVHCodecProfile *profile, tvh_ssc_t *ssc)

Do you think is worth the effort to make them coexist? Probably be replacing the check box with a combo box that allows a particular decoded (or CPU) to be selected. Anyway, what is your opinion?

ukn_unknown

If you use x265 or vp9 you encode using software encoding (CPU). I don't think the 20-25% GPU is comming from encoding.
if you disabled the hw checkbox (as stated above) you are perfoming software decoding ... is strange that you see GPU load.
If you run the spawn command it make sense to have GPU load because you use hardware QSV decoding+encoding.
For best flexibility regarding the parameters use for encoding, you need to go though this paiful process: https://tvheadend.org/d/8186-tvheadend-build-and-install-on-lubuntu-20-04-64bit-with-igpu-8-for-gpu-transcoding
Personally I started with ffmpeg but I dropped when I realized that is better if you implement what you need in TVH and you build your own flexibility (like bitrate that is adjusting with resolution ... as an example).
Both your units are able to transcode vaapi with GPU https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/compare_cpu-intel_processor_n100-vs-intel_core_i7_8700
But A380 is by far the most powerefull in hardware transcoding, you can encode even AV1 (not implemented yet in TVH ... but I think is available in ffmpeg 7+).
Based on my experience, the quality of hardware encoding will be (from best to worst): A380, i7 8700, N100.

Gerd H

ukn_unknown

Ok i tried many times (with my N100)
pass => CPU/GPU is low > 10%
hevc => intel_gpu_top shows around 20%-25% which matches the cpu usage (n100 has gpu on board)
for me its ok....

Ciao Gerd

Kiril St.

Hi, unknown! I just test latest changes in your PR in github. With or without force vaapi enabled my cpu is 100%, and transcoding to hevc is impossible! What profile you use - libx265 or hevc_vaapi? I test your changes with transcode/av-lib stream profile, and libx265 codec profile. My hardware is amd-based!

ukn_unknown

I would recommend you to use master (until you confirm you have the drivers working). Only after you confirm it works with master you should try the PR (experimental changes).
I tested using an intel CPU gen 9 i5-9500T with Nvidia P1000 GPU.
Many don't apply for you (because setup was for Intel) but take a look at: https://docs.tvheadend.org/documentation/development/compiling/compiling-tvh-with-vaapi-support/for-lubuntu-24.04
From other's experience AMD drivers are most of the time the issue. Another problem can be your GPU doesn't support HEVC.
When you setup codec profile select AMD for platform.
In order for us to help we need a little more info ... can you click on the two arrows from bottom right side of your web interface and copy all log generated when you switch on channel that require transcoding? Also let us know what system you have (CPU / GPU / RAM / OS ...) .

Kiril St.

Finally!!! With latest mesa 25.0.0 amd gpu-hevc_vaapi transcoding works! My card is Radeon RX570! So, drivers are really the problem! I test this with latest PR changes in github from @ukn_unknown and ffmpeg7.1! I will test also with latest github-master code, and report back!

vindicator

Tony Wagner
I'm wiping out what I originally wrote.
In short, are you saying you've been able to use kodi with the pvr.hts addon to view a streaming spawn profile?
I found that htsp was still being used.
It wasn't until I forced the spawn profile name in the client that it just failed because it wasn't "Available for some reason.
I ended up opening an issue about it (kodi-pvr/pvr.hts/issues/704) after having a pretty good interaction with Flole, whom I see is also in this thread.

Tony Wagner

vindicator In short, are you saying you've been able to use kodi with the pvr.hts addon to view a streaming spawn profile?

Sorry I missed this. No, I wasn't using Kodi with any spawn profiles.

Whatever channels I wanted transcoded, I just duplicated them as a separate IPTV pipe:// channel, pointing to a transcode.sh script containing the FFMPEG command I shared above.