Applications and multi-core performance

Hi,
I have a video encoding app that seems to only use 1 core. When it's doing a run the cpu on my pc rises to about 13% (I have 8 logical cores). When I view the load across the cpus I see 1 core is maxed out and the others are yawning in the background.

Can someone explain how applications can be made to take as much cpu as they need? This app is modern and so is almost certainly multi-core aware. So I'm assuming I need to configure something in order to take the foot off the brakes...


Regards,
David

What's the video encoder? Does it use AviSynth? Many AviSynth filters haven't caught up with multi-threaded AviSynth. Most encoders that use it have to put the encoding through a single thread.

Edit: ffmpeg is multi-threaded now. Many encoders that use it can take advantage of multi-core. Where you can save some time with any encoder is in the muxing. If you have a large enough SSD that you can have it as both source and desitination drive, the random access is almost as fast as sequential. Or if you have 2 fast conventional drives, make one source the other destination if the encoding app allows it.

Edit2: I've gotten away from video encoding. For up to date info I recommend the forums here:
VideoHelp.com - Forum, Guides, Tools and hardware lists

I'm using DVDFab 9.

Another great thing about videohelp is the user comments for both hardware and software. You can find out stuff that isn't printed on the product package.

Here's the page for DVDFab 9
DVDFab 9.1.1.1 - Version History

I searched "thread" and it seems to indicate BluRay ripping and video preview as taking advantage of theading. I didn't see any mention of encoding. There was a freeware encoder called FAVC that used multiple instances of HCEnc. Unfortunately the author abandoned it around the time Windows Seven came out. It hasn't been updated to play nicely with the new releases of HC and AviSynth. But that used to max out my quad core.

It may seem counterintuitive but you may have a better chance of finding multi-core support with the freeware or beta encoders. I would take a look at some of the listings in videohelp. Also post questions. It's a good source. The board owner allows pretty wide ranging discussion while still careful not to bring down any copyright infringement hassles on the site.

There are dozens of encoders, stand alone but many all-in-one video programs might incorporate some of those. I think I used to use DVDfab9, but I switched to AnyDVD just to be able to Rip to ISO, then from there I can simply use WinRAR to extract out the folders and VOB files. AnyDVD works on most Disney Moovies. I've rarely had it choke on a DVD, except for disk 1 in my Fringe Season 1 DVD set- But it is probably a glitch on the disk.

For converting I use Xilisoft Video Converter and for Editing I use NCH Videopad. I've been using those ever since I HAD a 1-core system, There is another company called VSO that makes similar software, I use that to convert MKV files to DVD.

There is one thing the OP might consider, just keep using DVDFab but when it starts, open up Task Manager and go to the Details Pane, look for the DVDFab Process and set the Affinity to that it uses only the last 4 cores. That way, it will run more in the background. I only have 2 cores, but when I am doing a conversion process I set it to it is working on the 2nd core only- That way I can still do some other things and it wont lock up my machine. On an 8 core machine, it should work well.

A lot depends on what you want to use for source and destination format. I used to have a WD set top box for USB 2.0. It didn't like full size BluRay images very much. But I found I could use MakeMKV to rip most BluRay I was interested in and then use BD Rebuilder (BDRB for short) to reduce the image to DVD5 size and the quality was excellent. Not being a stickler for the utmost quality but compromising for short processing time while maintaining very nice looking video, I found I could process most BluRay in BDRB in less than real time.

I also found it possible to convert the .MKV to DVD9 standard DVD Video in one pass using QuEnc. Those with 8 core processors might go for the extreme quality. My Phenom I couldn't handle it. But "good" one pass settings in BDRB looked excellent to my eye.

MakeMKV you can either use as a free Beta or buy it to get a license key. The main benefit is you can back off to an older version with the paid license key if the latest beta happens to have some bad bugs. Using the free license key you are locked to the current release. It also makes .mkv files out of standard DVD. This can be very convenient for set top boxex that don't always understand all the ins and outs of DVD Menus. With MakeMKV each title is split out as a separate file. Great for episodic DVDs like Dr. Who that can be problematic when not using a standard DVD player.

HCEncode used to be excellent. I'm not sure of the current state of it. Trouble with the free programs by one author is real life tends to get in the way. The author of FAVC said his wife didn't grok why he spent all this time developing it when nobody sent him any money, etc...

Those are all High-Profile Video-Phile conversion programs, all good if you have a system with the balls to run them, I wish my system had balls like that.

XweAponX said:

Those are all High-Profile Video-Phile conversion programs, all good if you have a system with the balls to run them, I wish my system had balls like that.

Click to expand...

BDRB actually ran pretty well on my AMD dual core. The Phenom I had some performance but at the cost that as soon as one core showed some percentage load, the fans kicked on. The surging up and down of the sound reminding me of Hurricane Frances. It drove me crazy. I used to fix cars so my enthusiasm for opening up the boxes extended to inserting a card in a slot. I didn't want to install 3rd party fans etc.. But my dual core ran quiet even under full load. Depending on the encoder it would chug along and maybe take 33 or 40% longer to do the job. I used to run encodings on the dual core and use the quad for surfing while I was waiting. Damn fan noise reversed the logic.