Introduction
I previously wrote a guide detailing how to offload decoding of h264 and x264 video files to the graphics card. That guide is very outdated now, but still relevant. I therefore decided to give you an updated version that also takes Windows XP users into account and simplifies the whole process.
Changes from previous version
- Uses a newer and better Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC-HC)
- Accounts for Windows XP users
- Does not require Cyberlink video decoder, which should save you some money as well as simplifying the setup
This 3 step tutorial is based on following links:
http://mpc-hc.sourceforge.net/DXVASupport.html
http://nunnally.ahmygoddess.net/watching-h264-videos-using-dxva/
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=123537
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=145203
Step 1 – Requirements and installation
Latest Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC-HC): http://mpc-hc.sourceforge.net/
A supported Operating System: Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista/7 32bit/64bit
Step 2 – Configuration
After installing MPC-HC, fire it up and open the options by going to View > Options.
Make sure the settings are as described in the screenshots below:
Step 3 – Testing
With the correct settings in place, it is time to check that Hardware Decoding is actually functioning.
To do this you will en a test file, you can get one from the following address: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/76037/dxva/Aristocats.mkv
Start the movie, then right-click and go to Filters > MPC Video Decoder as shown below.
In the properties window it should display the following under DXVA settings, if it says Not Using DXVA, then look trough the troubleshooting points at the end of this tutorial.
Troubleshooting
Problem: MPC Video Decoder Properties says Not Using DXVA under DXVA mode with the Aristocats.mkv test film.
Solution: If you configured MPC HC exactly as noted in this tutorial, then you should make absolutely sure your graphics card supports x264 hardware decoding.
Problem: MPC Video Decoder Properties says Not Using DXVA under DXVA mode on some films other than the Aristocats.mkv test film.
Solution: First make sure the video format in use is actually encoded in h264/x264. If it is in h264/x264 you might be unlucky as not all encodes properly support hardware decoding and DXVA (especially older files). Click here for more info.
