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[Linux] [HTML5 Video] Is it possible to check which backend gstreamer is using, or force it?

  • 2 (ردّان اثنان)
  • 28 have this problem
  • 7 views
  • آخر ردّ كتبه globe

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Since Firefox 24.0 now supports most video formats in HTML5 video tags in Linux using gstreamer, I started looking into hardware-accelerating this process. I'm an ATI user, so I'm used to having to jump through hoops.

I'm an Arch user (x86_64), and I have installed:

>catalyst, the proprietary ATI driver, which provides XvBA hardware-acceleration

>libva-xvba-driver, the package that enables VA-API (by passing it to XvBA)

>libvdpau-va-gl, which enables VDPAU (by passing it to VA-API)

>gstreamer0.10-{base,good,ugly,bad}, the video playback backend that Firefox uses in Linux

Yes, I did toggle media.gstreamer.enabled in about:config, before anyone asks. :P

When I open an h.264 file or an MP4 file inside Firefox (or use an MP4 video on Youtube via the script ViewTube, e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuXTeEwr5Rs ), the video plays, but CPU usage flies to 100%. It will stay there for the whole video, unless I pause the video, wait a few seconds, and unpause it. Then CPU usage drops to something much more sane.

If I download, and play the same file in mplayer (i.e. via VDPAU, via VA-API), CPU usage is noticably (but not substantially) lower than in Firefox. If I play it in VLC (i.e. just via VA-API), CPU usage is lower still.

I even tried using the package

>gstreamer0.10-vaapi

which adds VA-API support directly to gstreamer, but CPU usage didn't change noticably, and it still uses 100% unless I pause and unpause.

This ultimately leads me to my question: Is there a way to check what video-acceleration backend Firefox/gstreamer is using, or force it to use a particular one? I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that it's not using VA-API or VDPAU, and instead something like software or just OpenGL.

Since Firefox 24.0 now supports most video formats in HTML5 video tags in Linux using gstreamer, I started looking into hardware-accelerating this process. I'm an ATI user, so I'm used to having to jump through hoops. I'm an Arch user (x86_64), and I have installed: >catalyst, the proprietary ATI driver, which provides XvBA hardware-acceleration >libva-xvba-driver, the package that enables VA-API (by passing it to XvBA) >libvdpau-va-gl, which enables VDPAU (by passing it to VA-API) >gstreamer0.10-{base,good,ugly,bad}, the video playback backend that Firefox uses in Linux Yes, I did toggle media.gstreamer.enabled in about:config, before anyone asks. :P When I open an h.264 file or an MP4 file inside Firefox (or use an MP4 video on Youtube via the script ViewTube, e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuXTeEwr5Rs ), the video plays, but CPU usage flies to 100%. It will stay there for the whole video, unless I pause the video, wait a few seconds, and unpause it. Then CPU usage drops to something much more sane. If I download, and play the same file in mplayer (i.e. via VDPAU, via VA-API), CPU usage is noticably (but not substantially) lower than in Firefox. If I play it in VLC (i.e. just via VA-API), CPU usage is lower still. I even tried using the package >gstreamer0.10-vaapi which adds VA-API support directly to gstreamer, but CPU usage didn't change noticably, and it still uses 100% unless I pause and unpause. This ultimately leads me to my question: Is there a way to check what video-acceleration backend Firefox/gstreamer is using, or force it to use a particular one? I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that it's not using VA-API or VDPAU, and instead something like software or just OpenGL.

Modified by aphirst

All Replies (2)

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Hi there. I've the same problem and opened a ticket in arch bug tracker system, and maintainer answered - "Gstreamer support in firefox should get killed until they port it to 1.0. I want to drop this unmaintained crap, but adding more dependencies on 0.10 will not make that task easier." https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/36997#comment114424

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I am also affected by this problem. Setting media.gstreamer.enabled in about:config to from enabled to false reduces my CPU usage from 120% to max. 20%. I am on Fedora 20 using Firefox 27.0.1. My computer is using an Intel i5-3210M CPU with "build-in" HD4000 graphics.

Modified by globe