okay... I looked on ebay and I see one: 2GB Dell Dimension C521 9200c 5100c XPS 200 210 Low Profile Slim PC Video Card for over $60 and another: NEW Dell Dimension C521 9200C 5100C XPS 210 Slim 256MB PCI-E DMS-59 Video Card for under $25. As you can tell I'm not a gamerso I bet the cheaper one is good enough. the current videos inf (obtained with lspci) is00:00.0 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Host Bridge (rev a2) 00:00.1 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 0 (rev a2) 00:00.2 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 1 (rev a2) 00:00.3 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 5 (rev a2) 00:00.4 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 4 (rev a2) 00:00.5 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Host Bridge (rev a2) 00:00.6 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 3 (rev a2) 00:00.7 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 2 (rev a2) 00:02.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1) 00:03.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1) 00:04.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1) 00:05.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation C51 [GeForce 6150 LE] (rev a2) 00:09.0 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Host Bridge (rev a2) 00:0a.0 ISA bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 LPC Bridge (rev a3) 00:0a.1 SMBus: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 SMBus (rev a3) 00:0a.2 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Memory Controller 0 (rev a3) 00:0b.0 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 USB Controller (rev a3) 00:0b.1 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 USB Controller (rev a3) 00:0e.0 IDE interface: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Serial ATA Controller (rev a1) 00:0f.0 IDE interface: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Serial ATA Controller (rev a1) 00:10.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 PCI Bridge (rev a2) 00:10.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 High Definition Audio (rev a2) So is the cheaper product good enough? :-)~MIKE~(-: On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 11:15 PM, Michael Havens wrote: > hey.... I found the system monitor. you were correct; the cpu runs at > about 50% until I start running a video. At that point usage spikes to > 100%. I guess I will need to get a video card with gpu. Can anyone > recommend a low-profile card (I think that is what I need). > > :-)~MIKE~(-: > > On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 7:18 PM, Michael Havens wrote: > >> yeah? I remember uploading a video that was jumpy to youtube and it >> played normally. Does that bit of information narrow the problem? >> what is the command to get the monitor up? 'apropos monitor' isn't much >> help. >> >> :-)~MIKE~(-: >> >> On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 6:54 PM, Joseph Sinclair < >> plug-discussion@stcaz.net> wrote: >> >>> Mike, >>> There are a few probable sources of the behavior you're experiencing: >>> 1) You may have a video chip that doesn't have good support in Linux, or >>> at least not good enough with respect to video display to handle AVCHD >>> video. >>> 2) Your computer main CPU may not be up to the task of decoding the >>> video in realtime. >>> 3) Your disk may not be able to read fast enough to keep the video >>> buffer full. >>> >>> All three possibilities would cause frame drops and skips. >>> The Audio playing clean suggests it's not a disk speed issue, rather the >>> AVCHD decoder isn't able to keep up on your system. (or, as others have >>> suggested, libavcodec might be buggy and need to be updated). >>> >>> The next thing you might check is that you're running the best available >>> video driver for your hardware, as video playback is very heavily dependent >>> on good support of the GPU hardware. >>> >>> You might also try running the system monitor while you play a video, >>> and see what ends up taking the most CPU and/or RAM (and which of those >>> resources is most heavily loaded). >>> If VLC is maxing out your CPU, then it's probably the system unable to >>> keep up or a buggy version of libavcodec. If X is maxing out the CPU, then >>> it's probably inadequate support for the GPU (X is falling back to swrender >>> too much), and looking for better drivers might help. >>> >>> Whatever the cause, you might be able to play the video on your current >>> setup if you first transcode it to something easier for your system to >>> handle, perhaps MPEG2 or MPEG4 at 720p. AVCHD is a pretty dense codec, so >>> it can be difficult for older systems to play at full framerate. >>> >>> >>> On 01/05/2015 06:21 PM, Michael Havens wrote: >>> > vlc is playing audio just fine but the video plays a little, stops, >>> jumps >>> > ahead a few frames to catch up with the audio then plays a little >>> more, >>> > then repeats. >>> > >>> > To get the errors I ran vlc from the terminal: >>> > >>> > bmike1@c521 ~/Pictures/2013/Peru2013 $ vlc 00004.MTS >>> > VLC media player 2.1.4 Rincewind (revision 2.1.4-0-g2a072be) >>> > [0x1971118] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use >>> 'cvlc' >>> > to use vlc without interface. >>> > "sni-qt/6719" WARN 18:17:00.958 void >>> > StatusNotifierItemFactory::connectToSnw() Invalid interface to >>> SNW_SERVICE >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > [0x7fbf14001248] main vout display error: Failed to resize display >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fbf2cc97000] illegal short term buffer state detected >>> > bmike1@c521 ~/Pictures/2013/Peru2013 $ >>> > >>> > and I noticed the third line so I ran that as well. >>> > >>> > bmike1@c521 ~/Pictures/2013/Peru2013 $ vlc 00004.MTS >>> > VLC media player 2.1.4 Rincewind (revision 2.1.4-0-g2a072be) >>> > [0x165b118] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use >>> 'cvlc' >>> > to use vlc without interface. >>> > "sni-qt/6649" WARN 18:09:38.641 void >>> > StatusNotifierItemFactory::connectToSnw() Invalid interface to >>> SNW_SERVICE >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > [0x7f1fc8001248] main vout display error: Failed to resize display >>> > [h264 @ 0x7f1fdcc96e20] illegal short term buffer state detected >>> > bmike1@c521 ~/Pictures/2013/Peru2013 $ cvlc 00004.MTS >>> > VLC media player 2.1.4 Rincewind (revision 2.1.4-0-g2a072be) >>> > [0x2398e18] dummy interface: using the dummy interface module... >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > [0x7fdb880020e8] main vout display error: Failed to resize display >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fdb78c97fc0] illegal short term buffer state detected >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object size does not accept value "0" >>> > [0x7fdb78c844b8] main vout display error: Failed to resize display >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fdb88c28120] illegal short term buffer state detected >>> > [0x7fdb88c277e8] avcodec decoder error: more than 5 seconds of late >>> video >>> > -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?) >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fdb88c28120] reference picture missing during reorder >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fdb88c28120] Missing reference picture >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fdb88c28120] reference picture missing during reorder >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fdb88c28120] Missing reference picture >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fdb88c28120] reference picture missing during reorder >>> > [h264 @ 0x7fdb88c28120] Missing reference picture >>> > >>> > and I see the eighth frame from the bottom. It seems my computer is too >>> > slow? >>> > >>> > :-)~MIKE~(-: >>> > >>> > On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 6:04 PM, sean wrote: >>> > >>> >> How about you actually tell us what problem you are having? Errors? >>> >> On Jan 5, 2015 6:00 PM, "Michael Havens" wrote: >>> >> >>> >>> My google search told me to: >>> >>> >>> >>> sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras >>> >>> >>> >>> which I did. However immediately after pressing 'enter' remembered >>> >>> (thinking I did) installing the extras after installing Mint so I >>> >>> ed. What should I do? Should I run that command? Why didn't >>> the >>> >>> extras install after I first installed Mint? >>> >>> >>> >>> :-)~MIKE~(-: >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 5:28 PM, Michael Torres < >>> matorres124@gmail.com> >>> >>> wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>>> Make sure all the codec are installed >>> >>>> >>> >>>> Do a search for your os and vlc codec and ypu should get the yum or >>> >>>> get-apt install commands >>> >>>> On Jan 5, 2015 5:20 PM, "Michael Havens" wrote: >>> >>>> >>> >>>>> I can't run video successfully with vlc. Would someone who knows >>> >>>>> something about vlc take one of my home videos and help me set vlc >>> up to >>> >>>>> run correctly? >>> >>>>> :-)~MIKE~(-: >>> >>>>> >>> >>>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> >>>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> >>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> >>>>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> >>>>> >>> >>>> >>> >>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> >>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> >>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> >>>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> >>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> >>> >>> >> >>> >> --------------------------------------------------- >>> >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> >> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> >> >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > --------------------------------------------------- >>> > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> > http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> > >>> >>> >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> >> >> >