How to enable hardware decoding and check whether it works

[usingsystem8]

I'm sorry, but I don't know how to enable hardware decoding while playing videos at all.
By default, does mpv play videos with hardware decoding?
Because I don't know whether mpv is now using hardware decoding, I added an option '--hwdec=vdpau'. However, I think this makes no difference from before.
In addition, please tell me how to check whether hardware decoding is used.

Hardware...MacBook Air (Late 2010)
OS...OS X Mavericks (10.9)

[pigoz]

On OS X you need to use --hwdec=vda --vo=corevideo. VDPAU in not an OS X API. There is also https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/tree/vda_gl_interop this branch if you like testing stuff. It allows to use --hwdec=vda in compination with --vo=opengl.

[usingsystem8]

Although I tried '--hwdec=vda --vo=corevideo', but I found that mpv isn't using hardware decoding, because I got a message "Using software decoding."

This is the whole log I got:

Detected file format: QuickTime / MOV (libavformat)
Clip info:
major_brand: isom
minor_version: 512
compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
encoder: Lavf55.1.0
copyright: hogehoge. All Rights Reserved.
[stream] Video (+) --vid=1 (h264)
[stream] Audio (+) --aid=1 --alang=jpn (aac)
Using software decoding.
Selected video codec: H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10 [lavc:h264]
Selected audio codec: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) [lavc:aac]
AO: [coreaudio] 44100Hz stereo 2ch floatle
Could not find matching colorspace - retrying with -vf scale...
Opening video filter: [scale]
VO: [corevideo] 640x480 => 640x480 yuyv
AV: 00:00:04 / 01:33:08 (0%) A-V: -0.000

[pigoz]

can you make sure FFmpeg version is new enough: 2.0 or head? (warning: homebrew installs 1.2 by default).

[usingsystem8]

Oh, I didn't notice that. My ffmpeg version was 1.2.4. Sorry.
After I update ffmpeg, I'll try hardware decoding.

[usingsystem8]

I updated ffmpeg to version N-57964-g48f3766. However, I still get the log "Using software decoding".

[pigoz]

did you compile ffmpeg with --enable-vda? it is disabled by default.

[usingsystem8]

I had compiled ffmpeg without --enable-vda, so I recompiled ffmpeg with that option.
Then, I tried playing videos with --hwdec=vda --vo=corevideo, but it still uses software decoding.
Do I have to recompile mpv?

[pigoz]

Do I have to recompile mpv?

Yes. You need to rerun ./configure, not just recompile.

[usingsystem8]

Thank you. I succeeded in using hardware decoding.
I got the log "Trying to use hardware decoding".

What I've done is:
1.git clone https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv-build.git
2.cd mpv-build
3.sh ./force-head
4../update
5.echo --enable-vda >> ffmpeg_options
6.make
7.sudo make install

[pigoz]

We should maybe put a notice about --enable-vda somewhere. You are not the first guy to fall for this.

[usingsystem8]

What option do I have to put after "mpv" on ubuntu?
I think the option is different from Mac.

[ghost]

Also a combination of --hwdec and --vo, but probably different values. RTFM.

[usingsystem8]

I'm sorry not to have read the manual.
Now I've read the manual and executed mpv --hwdec=vdpau --vo=opengl <filename>, but an error occurred.
This is the log I got:

Detected file format: QuickTime / MOV (libavformat)
Clip info:
 major_brand: isom
 minor_version: 512
 compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
 encoder: Lavf55.1.0
[stream] Video (+) --vid=1 (*) (h264)
[stream] Audio (+) --aid=1 --alang=und (*) (aac)
X11 error: GLXBadFBConfig
[vo/opengl] Could not create GL3 context. Retrying with legacy context.
VO does not support requested hardware decoder.
Using software decoding.
Selected video codec: H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10 [lavc:h264]
Selected audio codec: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) [lavc:aac]
AO: [pulse] 44100Hz stereo 2ch floatle
VO: [opengl] 640x480 => 640x480 420p 
AV: 00:00:00 / 01:30:40 (0%) A-V:  0.000                                        

I noticed that opengl doesn't support hardware decoding, so I tried these video outputs:

opengl         : Extended OpenGL Renderer
xv             : X11/Xv
opengl-old     : OpenGL
x11            : X11 ( XImage/Shm )
null           : Null video output
image          : Write video frames to image files
opengl-hq      : Extended OpenGL Renderer (high quality rendering preset)

However, I couldn't play the video with hardware decoding.
Is there any way to play the video with hardware decoding?

[Note]: The os of my pc is ubuntu 13.10.

[pigoz]

You need to install vdpau.

[usingsystem8]

I wanted to install vdpau with command "sudo aptitude install vdpau", but package 'vdpau' wasn't found. Alternatively, I found libvdpau-dev, but it was already installed.
So I installed vdpau-va-driver, but nothing has changed.
What package should I install? Could you give me the exact name of it?

[pigoz]

We have a pkg-config check for 'vdpau >= 0.2'. I think that is provided by 'libvdpau-dev'. Maybe post your config.log file created in the build/ directory.

[usingsystem8]

My config.log file is too long, so I uploaded it to my dropbox.
click here to download

[usingsystem8]

When I run mpv --hwdec=vdpau --vo=vdpau <filename>, I always get this error:

Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_nvidia.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
[vo/vdpau] Error when calling vdp_device_create_x11: 1
Error opening/initializing the selected video_out (-vo) device.

What does this error mean? Does this mean that my pc isn't supported hardware decoding?
(Note: my pc has not a nvidia video card, but an intel video card)

[pigoz]

You need to use VAAPI with Intel, not VDPAU. VDPAU is only available for nVidia and AMD afaik.

[usingsystem8]

Oh, I didn't know that.
However, mpv supports these vo:

Available video outputs:
  vdpau          : VDPAU with X11
  opengl         : Extended OpenGL Renderer
  xv             : X11/Xv
  opengl-old     : OpenGL
  x11            : X11 ( XImage/Shm )
  null           : Null video output
  image          : Write video frames to image files
  opengl-hq      : Extended OpenGL Renderer (high quality rendering preset)

So, I can't select VAAPI as vo.

[usingsystem8]

I tried mpv --hwdec=vaapi --vo=opengl <filename>, but mpv outputs Using software decoding.
In addition, mpv --hwdec=vaapi --vo=vaapi causes an error [vo] Video output vaapi not found! Error opening/initializing the selected video_out (-vo) device.
How can I use hardware decoding?

[usingsystem8]

I think --enable-vda option is wrong on ubuntu. What option should I put in ffmpeg_options?

[Nyx0uf]

VDA is an OS X only API, of course it will not work on Ubuntu.

[usingsystem8]

Thank you!
I succeeded in playing videos with hardware decoding on ubuntu.

Summarizing the above,

OS X (with Intel Graphics)
[ Installation ]
1.git clone https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv-build.git
2.cd mpv-build
3.sh ./force-head
4../update
5.echo --enable-vda >> ffmpeg_options
6.make
7.sudo make install
[ Playing ]
mpv --hwdec=vda --vo=opengl <filename>

Debian or Ubuntu (with Intel Graphics)
[ Installation ]
1.sudo apt-get install equivs devscripts libva-dev libva-intel-vaapi-driver
2.git clone https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv-build.git
3.cd mpv-build
4.mk-build-deps -s sudo -ir
5.sh ./force-head
6../update
7.echo --enable-vaapi >> ffmpeg_options
8.make
9.sudo make install
[ Playing ]
mpv --hwdec=vaapi --vo=vaapi <filename>

Debian or Ubuntu (with NVIDIA or AMD)
[ Installation ]
1.sudo apt-get install equivs devscripts libvdpau-dev
2.git clone https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv-build.git
3.cd mpv-build
4.mk-build-deps -s sudo -ir
5.sh ./force-head
6../update
7.echo --enable-vdpau >> ffmpeg_options
8.make
9.sudo make install
[ Playing ]
mpv --hwdec=vdpau --vo=vdpau <filename>

*I don't know how to install and play on OS X with NVIDIA or AMD.

[pigoz]

on OSX you should prefer mpv --hwdec=vda --vo=opengl <filename> with git HEAD

[usingsystem8]

What is the difference between corevideo and opengl?
Does opengl process faster than core video?

*Updated my previous comment.

[pigoz]

vo_opengl performs color conversion to RGB correctly. OTOH, vo_corevideo always assumes a BT.601 colormatrix when using hwaccel direct rendering (which is wrong for HD video).

[usingsystem8]

When I use vo=opengl, I got this error:

Could not find matching colorspace - retrying with -vf scale...
Opening video filter: [scale]
The selected video_out device is incompatible with this codec.
Try appending the scale filter to your filter list,
e.g. -vf filter,scale instead of -vf filter.
Attempted filter chain:
 [scale] ??? -> ???
 [vo] ???
Error using hardware decoding, falling back to software decoding.

FATAL: Could not initialize video filters (-vf) or video output (-vo).
[ffmpeg/h264] reference picture missing during reorder
[ffmpeg/h264] reference picture missing during reorder
[ffmpeg/h264] reference picture missing during reorder
[ffmpeg/h264] Missing reference picture, default is 0
[ffmpeg/h264] decode_slice_header error

What was wrong? My config file is clean.

[ghost]

This should usually happen only if there was a video filter inserted (doesn't seem to be the case), or because the VO doesn't support hardware decoding (doesn't seem to be the case), so I'm unable to guess what's your problem.

[pigoz]

you need the git master to use hardware decoding with vo_opengl

[usingsystem8]

How can I get the git master?

[pigoz]

brew install --HEAD mpv

[usingsystem8]

How can I do it without Homebrew?
I compiled mpv with running sh ./force-head. Is this the way to do it?

[usingsystem8]

Updated version of the way to use hardware acceleration:
OS X (with Intel Graphics)
[ Installation ]
1: git clone https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv.git
2: cd mpv
3: ./bootstrap
4: ./waf configure --enable-vda-hwaccel
5: ./waf build
6: sudo ./waf install
[ Playing ]
mpv --hwdec=vda <filename>

[xswqaz]

Failed to hwaccel even with --hwdec=vda

[ffmpeg/video] h264: Cannot initialize VDA -12473
failed to init VDA decoder: Generic error returned by the decoder layer. The cause can range from VDADecoder finding errors in the bitstream to another application using VDA at the moment. Only one application can use VDA at a givent time. (-1094995529)
[ffmpeg/video] h264: decode_slice_header error
[ffmpeg/video] h264: no frame!
Error while decoding frame!
Error using hardware decoding, falling back to software decoding
VO: [opengl] 1920x1080 => 1920x1080 yuv420p

[pigoz]

This is not a mpv issue. Either the file you are watching is not supported by VDA, or VDA is being used by another application on your system.

[xswqaz]

How can I detect Application using VDA?
It was no change after shutdown other application(e.g. Safari)

[usingsystem8]

Reboot your machine, and the problem will disappear.

[xswqaz]

Problem was not disappeared after Reboot

[usingsystem8]

Then, what's the codec of the video file?

[xswqaz]

It is h264 I written

[usingsystem8]

I think this line in the log is associated with this problem:
VO: [opengl] 1920x1080 => 1920x1080 yuv420p

My log is following:
VO: [opengl] 1920x1080 => 1920x1080 vda

You probably should clean your config file.

[ghost]

You don't need to speculate. This error:

[ffmpeg/video] h264: Cannot initialize VDA -12473
failed to init VDA decoder: Generic error returned by the decoder layer. The cause can range from VDADecoder finding errors in the bitstream to another application using VDA at the moment. Only one application can use VDA at a givent time. (-1094995529)

is pretty clear on what's going on. VDA won't work, and we can't do anything about it. There's (AFAIK) not even a way to see what other applications might use VDA, or any other details about what's wrong.

[xswqaz]

Debug log informed Pixel could be decoded by vda_vld vda yuv420p
and Failed to open decoder instance ( OS X 10.10 PB3 )

[vd] Pixel formats supported by decoder: vda_vld vda yuv420p
[01:15:48.030] vtDecompressionDuctCreate signalled err=-8973 (err) (Could not select and open decoder instance) at /SourceCache/CoreMedia_frameworks/CoreMedia-1562.19/Sources/VideoToolbox/VTDecompressionSession.c line 1181