Question A split second static flicker to TV through HDMI using i7 iGPU?

[IncredibleHat]

A little back story; I have a basic HTPC built for video recording and playback of OTA HD (using an AVerMedia card and SageTV). It is connected to my LG TV . The system is built from random game-rig leftovers:

Intel i7 4770K
Asus Z87A
GSKILL 8GB
Win10 64bit Pro
AVerMedia card
SageTV V9

The issue:

During playback of a recording (either a 720p or 1080i recording based on channel), the screen with flick a split second of what could best described as 'multi-color static'.

If I skip back and re-play the same scene, it will flick again at the same spot. However, if I skip back, and step-through each frame, it will never flick, nor show a frame that is static. Furthermore, if I make the video playback in a window (where desktop and taskbar is visible)... the flick happens across the ENTIRE screen (including the desktop and taskbar). And lastly, if I throw in an old AMD 5870 GPU and play the video back using that to the TV... no random flick of static events (however other issues, mentioned further below).

That leads me to believe its not the video recordings themselves (the flicker happens outside the video window, and it goes away on the amd card).

I've also tried setting the iGPU screen refresh to 120hz (my LG TV supports this), and 60hz. Tried two different HDMI cables of differing brands.

It seems to me, a glitch in the iGPU itself?

One could say "well, just use the AMD GPU". I'm not enamored with that idea, because its loud (for an HTPC, ugh), and the video playback of 1080i shows is jittery with random frames out of sync, and the 720p shows have this 1-second frame-slowing. Messing with LAV filter or playback settings or de-interlacing adjustments... I cant get both to look decent. A few settings I managed to get the 720p playback to stop the slowing every second, but it still slogs every now and then randomly, or the quality is pixelated and not as crisp. Same with the 1080i... if I "force" de-interlacing, it stops playing frames out of order, but has random sluggish ghosting every 15 seconds or so. The ADM GPU for video playback is crap, compared to the quality and smoothness that the iGPU produced (sans the random full-screen static issue this topic is about).

I wish I could just fix this weird freak flick of static issue with the iGPU. Like, do I just adjust something in the BIOS... or is this a 'known issue' (yet my google-foo wasn't helping me find answers).

PS: I know this is kind of "Graphics Card" related, but its really not. Its the iGPU in the CPU. But if this fits in the Graphics Card category better, then move it.

 

[SamirD]

I think this is driver related somehow. Have you tried changing the gpu driver version up or down?

 

[IncredibleHat]

I've not touched the driver that windows10 installs. Actually not had the displeasure of messing with drivers for the Intel Integrated GPU before (I have with nvidia and amd). It seems windows keeps installing what its going to install for it.

 

[SamirD]

I would install a driver then or change the current driver and see what happens.

 

[IncredibleHat]

Ok, I checked the drivers on the machine that Win10 keeps installing, and its build dated 2017. Went to the intel site for the 4th gens, and saw they had a build dated 2020. So I installed those. Will do some video views later and see if the static flicks happen. I did watch one, but I forgot I had a VNC window open to that machine at the same time, and unsure if the VNC actually squelched the issue, or the issue didn't happen. hahaha.

 

[SamirD]

Cool. Definitely let us know.

 

[IncredibleHat]

Well, so far it seems to have done the trick. Only had one episode of "Ask This Old House" which exhibited some odd flashes, but they were non-repeatable and went away when I made the window smaller than full screen.

However since that episode, I have watched 2 others, and some other shows that recorded over the week.

Thinking it must have been the drivers and its pretty much gone. Crossing Fingers

 

[SamirD]

Sweet--glad you found the solution--2017 to 2020 was a pretty big jump so I'm sure a lot change in the drivers.

 

[IncredibleHat]

Well, I kind of spoke too soon.

Last night I was watching a recording of Blacklist, which is a 1080i@30 broadcast channel. All the others apparently I had been watching recently were the 720p@60.

Seems that the 1080i recordings present this static output still. While the 720p recordings do not.

So I loaded up one of the 1080i recordings in VLC to play (instead of within SageTV). Still, same issue! Even though the VLC uses a different decoder and deinterlacer and all those other buzzwords that confuse the hell out of me.

So I'm kind of back to square one, halfway. Since 720p shows don't appear to cause it now, but the 1080i ones do.

Also to note: it doesn't matter if I'm in fullscreen or windowed, exclusive or not. If I'm in windowed, the static IS fullscreen. So yeah, it feels like a driver freakout... but dang, not sure what step to take now.

Frustrating! LOL.

 

[IncredibleHat]

Gosh, when it rains.... so, I was watching a "Rookie" recording (which is a 720p@60 kind), and it was flickering quite often. There goes the theory it was fixed for one kind but not the other.

Restarted the computer. Didn't help.

Went into Display settings and dug around clicking on various things trying to see if anything kicked it.... seemed (this is probably placebo) that when I set display properties to 60i from 60p, then back to 60p... it cleared up (at least for the last 30 minutes of the show).

sigh really wish I could find any other reports and mentions of this behavior, but I have exhausted google.

 

[IncredibleHat]

Well, after more time and watching things, it has not gone away. In some shows its happens so much it really is dragging down my desire to watch a show. While other shows, I rarely see it.

So I thought "maybe its the channel?"... well, last night I was watching some shows on the CBS website using Chrome (because a couple recordings were trashed due to bad weather).... and guess what? Yup! The static flashes were happening at random points during watching streaming content through Chrome too!

Summary thus far:

• Happens in SageTV
• Happens in VLC for same recorded files from SageTV
• Happens in Chrome for CBS Streaming
• New intel gpu drivers, old drivers
• Updated windows 10
• Updated board bios/chipset drivers

I'm thinking ... well... maybe the i7 chip is just bunk? Would hate to buy another just to find it does the exact same issue lol!

 

[SamirD]

I wonder if something is wrong with the audio or transport somehow? Have you tried a different port on the tv?

 

[IncredibleHat]

I wonder if something is wrong with the audio or transport somehow? Have you tried a different port on the tv?

Different ports (one with ARC, one without), different cables too.

My older TV used to do these 2-second long "black screens", randomly, but not very often... not as often as these static blasts happen at least. So I'm wondering if the older TV handled it differently (since it was older less responsive tech), that it would ignore/not show those frames since it was so low res/low response... but then sometimes it would get confused and just drop the screen to black as it re-established.

And then the newer TV is just so much more responsive, that its actually displaying a 1-frame flash of static during those events.

I do know, I get no static with the TV's built in apps/streaming, or using my BR player with HDMI, so I'm thinking its not the tv? .... but... I gues I need to drag another computer down there and hook it up and run some videos and see. However the issue didnt happen when using that cruddy old AMD GPU (other than the video playback was just sluggish and skippy in general lol).

 

[IncredibleHat]

And then the craziest thing is .... sometimes weeks go by without a single glitch out... like its been since about Feb 20th till today. I've not touched the machine before this spell of glitch-free viewing ... so its really unpredictable or why.

I'm sure it will start acting up again all in due time

 

[IncredibleHat]

Dang, I really can't figure this out.

1 - Adjusted the vcore up to 1.18v because I noticed in HardwareMonitor that they were hovering around 0.6v (which seemed awfully low). Tried turning off EIST too, and Turbo mode. - Did not help.

2 - Loosened up the ram timings and lowered their speed from the XMP settings (disabled XMP too). - Did not help.

3 - Played the same video recording in VLC and SageTV. Both would cause the problem.

4 - Then decided to play the same videos through Media Sharing directly on the TV (that is, access the video files through the TV's webOS and played from there). No issues, and the videos played quite well (smooth, and audio out was DDigital vs how the HTPC does only PL2). So this suggests the video recordings themselves are fine.

5 - I found an old Nvidia EVGA GTX 780 in the closet, and so I put that in thinking "oh! great!". Installed current nvidia drivers (not geforce experience). No random flick frames .... however -> the playback is ATROCIOUS. I mean, seriously just as bad as the old AMD card I had tried.

I don't get why the terrible playback with the GTX 780 (its not a bad card, and plays games well). The GPU readings in HardwareMonitor barely get over 24% for anything, and its not utilizing the CPU much either during playback. Disk read is low, not pinned. Makes no sense... guess just bad codec/playback handling or something. Its crap. So going to take that card out. At least with the iGPU the playback is smooth/nice .... just that random flick which is starting to give me seizures when I see it. Worse than subliminal messages haha.

6 - Tried again a few different HDMI cables, and different in-ports on the TV.

sigh

Really... really... dont' understand where or why this is happening.

 

[SamirD]

Man, you've tried everything! And if you don't need that GTX 780, I would love to have it as it would be faster than anything I have.

You're right though on the 780 as it shouldn't have been flickering or anything. And maybe that's a clue as to what's going on. I think dragging another computer down there will definitely help ferret out the issue because if another computer does it, it is reproducable. But if another computer does not, then it's just some sort of oddball issue with the setup as it currently is.

 

[IncredibleHat]

So, interesting span of time has passed since I last poked a 'setting'.... and I have yet to see a single static flicker since.

The setting I changed, was buried in the Intel HD Control panel, and I changed it from "60p" to "60i" for the refresh rate. I had tried others to match the TV, like the 120 refresh that the TV does (issue persisted), and 30... but oddly, ever since I set it to "60i" (guessing this means interlaced?), I have not seen the issue.

Overall the response of the PC is sluggish with that setting, but if video playback is fine, then I really can't complain.

HOWEVER.... I have also yet to "restart the machine" since I changed that setting lol. I'm afraid too. Afraid that the issue is just hiding, and if I restart, it will all come back. So, I'm holding off on a restart until it just cant be avoided. Will report back again after a restart.

 

[SamirD]

Yep, 60i would be 60 frames per second interlaced, which actually cuts the refresh rate in half, which should cause more flickering when viewing as a computer, but won't affect tv that's typically always been at 30 frames per second and seems to have solved your problem. Hopefully a reboot doesn't kill it, because technically any of the interlaced settings should have solved the issue.