Video Stutters in Windows 8 MCE with 2x Speed Fast Forward (Herky Jerky)

[JSmej]

I used to use the ">>" x2 fast forward speed feature often (for watching talking head news programs among others). I enable it by hitting pressing the fast forward button on my remote only once. Video Playback is 2x'ish the speed, and audio is kept at the same normal pitch on at twice the speed.

In Windows 7 it worked perfectly, the audio sounds fine and the video moves smoothly at about 1.5x speed, not 2x speed. After upgrading to Windows 8 the audio sounds fine and plays smoothly but the video is jerky/stutters e.g., it seems to move at regular speed for few hundred milliseconds then it moves at 8x speed for a 100 milliseconds to catch back up to the audio.

Here is a Video example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OoVnWBc5oM Video Stutters in Windows 8 with 2x speed Fast Forward - YouTube

There is a post about this with other Media Center users confirming they have the same problem.

http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=4337 http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=4337

I tried the new July beta drivers I discovered on this XBMC Corruption thread.

/message/198381# 198381 http://communities.intel.com/message/198381# 198381

The new drivers fixed XBMC video corruption. My Media Center still is herky jerky when I use the speed watching feature.

Can you please have the engineers test this and tweak the drivers to work smoothly again?

Windows 7 playback is perfect, but Windows 8 is herky jerky.

I can provide some Video example clips for playback testing if you don't have access to tuner to add to Media Center.

[DArce]

We appreciate your feedback on this matter. At this moment these are beta drivers that are provided as-is.

We suggest that you review the information available on this article:

/docs/DOC-21233 http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-21233

If you are not using Microsoft* Windows* 8.1, and just using Microsoft* Windows* 8, then use the drivers that have been officially released for this platform and provide the dxdiag report from your system.

[JSmej]

Thanks I understand, I only installed the beta drivers in hopes it would return my Win 8 system to it's former Win 7 smooth-perfection days.

The Windows 8 Media Center x2 herky jerky problem happens on the latest and previous official intel drivers too. It has been a problem since the very beginning of Windows 8 installation for me and others.

The problem is confirmed by others on TheGreenButton forum. Windows 7 latest drivers = Great, Windows 8 latest drivers = herky jerky. Please make sure the Intel devs have a chance to replicate the problem. Here is a test clip.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ilk3io5y9ex3iod/NBC%20Bay%20Area%20News%20at%2011_KNTVDT_2013_08_06_22_58_00.wtv Dropbox - NBC Bay Area News at 11_KNTVDT_2013_08_06_22_58_00.wtv

Open with Media Center in Windows 8. Press the fast forward button once.

Here is a side by side comparison I just made. If you don't notice it right away, watch the bus, cars, train move.

NVidia Quadro 1000M (i7 Laptop on the left) vs Intel HD4000 (i7 desktop on the right)

http://youtu.be/-cVGQwP3NqE Intel vs NVidia, Windows 8 Media Center Herky Jerky video x2 fast forward (speed watching) - YouTube

Remember this is at fast forward >>, audio pitch is reduced to sound normal. The left is so smooth it looks natural even though it's x2 speed. The right is herky/jerky, you'll notice it the most while panning or cars moving etc.

[DArce]

Thank you for this feedback jazjon.

Could you please post the dxdiag report from that system while running the official driver released for your system?

One thing I would like to check is, have you checked on this using another media player and using any other video source?

[JSmej]

No problem, here you go.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gtvl8ve91h1oq4c/JazJon%27s%20DxDiag.txt https://www.dropbox.com/s/gtvl8ve91h1oq4c/JazJon%27s%20DxDiag.txt

I uninstalled the Beta driver package and installed the latest

Intel HD graphics Driver for Windows 8 x64

File name: Win64_15319.exe

Version: 15.31.9.64.3165

Download Date: 05/10/2013

Status: Latest

Per your request, I just confirmed that "VLC Player" can Speed Watch MCE DVR *.wtv files smooth at 1x/1.5x/2x/etc on both my NVidia based laptop and my Intel HD4000 based HTPC. For some reason Windows 8 Media Center speed watching playback with HD Graphics chips are not smooth for myself or anyone else. Multiple people have confirmed this on TheGreenButton (Media Center) Forum. Again Windows 7 is smooth, so something is not optimized right on the intel Windows 8 HD drivers.

Please let me know if you've replicated the buffer/lag stutter. I provided the example above.

Speed watching is great for watching twice the amount of TV in half the time. It plays with my head when it's herky jerky. It's very smooth and natural looking & sounding when it's right.

Thanks for looking into this! I'd hate to have to avoid or not recommend Intel Graphics HTPC's to my friends in the future.

~Jon

[DArce]

Thank you for your feedback on this. Let me further research on this and get back to you

[DHoga2]

I also encounter the 1.5x "fast speed stutter" problem with my Windows 8 Media Center 64-bit with Intel HD4000 release driver. Was there research / response?

[DArce]

What driver version are you using?

Additionally, provide the dxdiag report of that system.

[DHoga2]

I have sent you private msg with dxdiag report from current driver (3316), although you did not answer if there research and response that I missed. It is fairly simple to install Windows 8 Pro properly on some Intel motherboard/CPU with HD 4000, add Windows Media Center, record a show, then playback recording and click the fast forward button once (should result in approximately 1.5x fast sound and smooth video, but Intel graphics end up with jerky video).

[DArce]

In fact the issue is under investigation since it was reported as it was already replicated.

As soon as a fix is available, we will let you know.

[Allan_J_Intel1]

Thanks for your patient, I have received information from engineering team that this issue resides with the Windows Media Center application itself, you will need to address this matter through Microsoft.

Allan.