Updated Kernel - video judder/stutter

[mattjb]

I think I was previously on 4.13.0-39-generic which I had noticed no apparent issues at the time other than an occasional X11 crash, which I only noticed when x11vnc refused connections. Restarting mdm didn't fix, had to reboot in those cases.

Decided it was time to upgrade, and hoped that I could finally use hardware acceleration, which I had always been lacking.

I updated from Mint 18.1, to 18.3, to 19 with the 4.15.0-33-generic kernel.

I am now on lightdm, per the requirements for Mint 19.

After upgrade to v19, and 4.15.0-33-generic. I noticed an abysmal video judder on any framerate, even the native 60fps.
Media player of choice is Kodi - I had to compile it, as the apt version keeps throwing some kind of error about pcrecpp.
I compiled both Kodi 17.6 and 18 out of different prefixes.

• "Disable compositing for full-screen windows" is checked.
• All desktop effects that I could find in "Effects" are disabled.
• Wireless adapter is disabled.
• Tests were done with both VAAPI enabled and disabled -- seems worse with it disabled.
• Sync playback to display is on; Adjust refresh rate at start/stop.
• Kodi 17.6 - judders and stutters every 2-5 seconds. There seem to be an occasional skip backwards of a frame or two.
• Kodi 18 - stutters for 1 second every 5 seconds almost like clockwork. At every 5 second mark, there's the backwards frame skip which I would describe as judder, followed by what would seem as Kodi trying to compensate (stutter) for a second after.

For both 'VC-1_23.976_sample.mkv' and 'FPS_test_1080p60_L4.2.mkv' framerate tests, the behavior is seemingly identical on Kodi 18, whereas Kodi 17.6 have slight differences, but still unbearable nonetheless.

Now on to the kernels where I tested this on...
I still have:

• Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon, with Linux 4.4.0-53-generic
• Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon, with Linux 4.10.10-041010-generic
• Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon, with Linux 4.13.0-39-generic
• Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon, with Linux 4.15.0-33-generic

At the present time, the only kernel that gives me buttery smooth playback on Kodi 17.6 only is Linux 4.4.0-53-generic (the original kernel that came with my Linux Mint at the time). Kodi 18 stutters on that old kernel.
Strangely enough, 4.10.10-041010-generic and 4.13.0-39-generic (which I didn't notice any problems with before) are now exhibiting stutter & judder on both Kodi 17.6 and Kodi 18 @ 23.976 and 60fps.

As a side note, maybe related, but x11vnc crashes on window resizing with 4.15.0-33-generic, whereas no crashing is present in the same manner on 4.4.0-53-generic.

Any suggestions to try to get the newest kernel stutter-free?

Current inxi -Fxz ... (if I need to boot up in 4.15.0-33-generic and report the same, let me know):

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System:    Host: htpc Kernel: 4.4.0-53-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 5.4.0
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.8.9 (Gtk 3.22.30-1ubuntu1) Distro: Linux Mint 19 Tara
Machine:   Device: desktop Mobo: ASRock model: H110M-STX serial: N/A UEFI: American Megatrends v: P1.50 date: 09/14/2016
CPU:       Dual core Intel Pentium G4620 (-MT-MCP-) arch: Skylake rev.9 cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 14783
           clock speeds: max: 3700 MHz 1: 3700 MHz 2: 1600 MHz 3: 1400 MHz 4: 3700 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel HD Graphics 630 bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 ) drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 630 (Kaby Lake GT2)
           version: 4.5 Mesa 18.0.5 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel Sunrise Point-H HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.0-53-generic
Network:   Card-1: Intel Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k bus-ID: 00:1f.6
           IF: enp0s31f6 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel Wireless 3160 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlp3s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 4256.8GB (93.2% used)
           ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 model: WDC_WDS256G1X0C size: 256.1GB
           ID-2: USB /dev/sda model: Elements_107C size: 4000.8GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 227G used: 187G (87%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/dm-0
           ID-2: /boot size: 473M used: 327M (73%) fs: ext2 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 8.27GB used: 0.39GB (5%) fs: swap dev: /dev/dm-1
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 39.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 275 Uptime: 2:49 Memory: 2264.1/7686.7MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56

[gm10]

I got no experience with Kodi, but are you sure you even got the VA-API drivers installed? Try this:

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apt install i965-va-driver gstreamer1.0-vaapi

Also you should really consider updating your BIOS, yours is very outdated.

[Pjotr]

I updated from Mint 18.1, to 18.3, to 19 with the 4.15.0-33-generic kernel.

Upgrading from one Mint series (18.x) to another (19.x) is a bad idea. This might even account for (part of) the performance hit you're experiencing. Start your problem solving by doing a clean installation of Mint 19.

[mattjb]

I got no experience with Kodi, but are you sure you even got the VA-API drivers installed? Try this:

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apt install i965-va-driver gstreamer1.0-vaapi

Also you should really consider updating your BIOS, yours is very outdated.

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Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
i965-va-driver is already the newest version (2.1.0-0ubuntu1).
gstreamer1.0-vaapi is already the newest version (1.14.1-1~ubuntu18.04.1).
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 29 not upgraded.

I will give the BIOS upgrade a try this weekend.

Also, I might add that HW acceleration didn't work for any x265 & some h264/x264 content prior to upgrading to v19. However, that seems to be working now (though running on the old kernel).

[gm10]

Also, I might add that HW acceleration didn't work for any x265 & some h264/x264 content prior to upgrading to v19. However, that seems to be working now (though running on the old kernel).

That's because the kernel has nothing much to do with that, that depends on the va driver. You can see your capabilities with the vainfo command (if you don't have it install the package of the same name). x265 is called HEVC.

Anyway, I am not sure what's wrong then. I've seen a lot of reports around these parts from people getting stuttering with Cinnamon so it could a problem with the compositor they are using (which you cannot change with that desktop, you'd have to change the entire desktop environment), or it could be something about Kodi. Did you try taking a video that you get stuttering with using Kodi and playing it with mpv or vlc instead?

Do that with one of the problematic kernels, of course. While you're there, confirm that your inxi -G output still showsmodesetting, i.e. the kernel mode driver, as the active driver.

Last but not least, what Pjotr said is certainly not wrong, either. Upgraded installations are usually messed up on one way or another. You should also try this from the Mint 19 live environment (you will need to install the va drivers to it, vlc is pre-installed, the kernel in that environment is 4.15.0-20) to see whether you've got the same issues there.

[mattjb]

Finally got around to trying Live USB Mint 19... got a couple more tests to do, but even the Live USB is exhibiting the same behavior on Kodi 17.6, i965-va-driver, & gstreamer1.0-vaapi -- all installed via apt. The behavior of Kodi 17.6 on the Live USB is very much to the same degree of Kodi 18 (~5-6 seconds between judders, even on 60 FPS videos). Haven't upgraded the BIOS yet. Hoping to get some more time this weekend to try and report back a few more things.

[MrEen]

See if disabling wifi fixes it.

[mattjb]

Disabled Wifi - behavior still persists..

I tested on VLC too, where the 60fps @ 60Hz test isn't as juddery, but does skip every now and then -- too long to recognize a pattern to it.
I'm uncertain how to manually set the HDTV to a certain framerate. Kodi does this automatically with the Sync Playback to Display and Adjust Framerate to Refresh Rate on. So the 23.976fps test @ 60Hz on VLC is bad as expected.

I do notice there is a lot of intermittent spam in the Live USB Mint 19's run of journalctl while a video is playing in Kodi, however the timing for those seem to be longer (20-30 seconds-ish), whereas the judder effect is every 4-5 seconds. The old kernel doesn't report these. I haven't looked for these yet on the newer kernels (aside from the Live USB).

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Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed
Sep 22 00:08:19 mint gvfsd-metadata[1930]: g_udev_device_has_property: assertion 'G_UDEV_IS_DEVICE (device)' failed

Some other info from Live USB Mint 19:

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mint@mint:~/Desktop$ vainfo
libva info: VA-API version 1.1.0
libva info: va_getDriverName() returns 0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_1
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
vainfo: VA-API version: 1.1 (libva 2.1.0)
vainfo: Driver version: Intel i965 driver for Intel(R) Kaby Lake - 2.1.0
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline:    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline:    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline:    VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileH264Main               :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264Main               :    VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileH264High               :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264High               :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264High               :    VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileH264MultiviewHigh      :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264MultiviewHigh      :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264StereoHigh         :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264StereoHigh         :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileVC1Simple              :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Main                :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Advanced            :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileNone                   :    VAEntrypointVideoProc
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           :    VAEntrypointEncPicture
      VAProfileVP8Version0_3          :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP8Version0_3          :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileHEVCMain               :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain               :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileHEVCMain10             :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain10             :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileVP9Profile0            :    VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile0            :    VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileVP9Profile2            :    VAEntrypointVLD

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System:    Host: mint Kernel: 4.15.0-20-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.8.8 (Gtk 3.22.30-1ubuntu1)
           Distro: Linux Mint 19 Tara
Machine:   Device: desktop Mobo: ASRock model: H110M-STX serial: N/A
           UEFI: American Megatrends v: P1.50 date: 09/14/2016
CPU:       Dual core Intel Pentium G4620 (-MT-MCP-) 
           arch: Skylake rev.9 cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 14784
           clock speeds: max: 3700 MHz 1: 800 MHz 2: 800 MHz 3: 800 MHz
           4: 800 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel HD Graphics 630 bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 )
           drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 630 (Kaby Lake GT2)
           version: 4.5 Mesa 18.0.0-rc5 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel Sunrise Point-H HD Audio
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-20-generic
Network:   Card-1: Intel Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V
           driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k bus-ID: 00:1f.6
           IF: enp0s31f6 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel Wireless 3160 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlp3s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: NA (-)
           ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 model: WDC_WDS256G1X0C size: 256.1GB
           ID-2: USB /dev/sda model: Elements_107C size: 4000.8GB temp: 0C
           ID-3: USB /dev/sdb model: SD_Transcend size: 128.6GB temp: 0C
Partition: ID-1: / size: 3.8G used: 704M (19%) fs: overlay dev: N/A
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 54.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 199 Uptime: 28 min Memory: 1514.7/7679.9MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56 

Something that I do remember a while ago before v19 was out, I did try some experimental Mesa 18.0.0 in order to try to get HW acceleration working, and it ended up exhibiting this same behavior. I had to roll back to the official Mesa 17.x.x (can't remember exact version) to restore proper function again. This was when I was still running Mint 18.1.

[gm10]

All I can say is I don't have the problem with Mesa 18 on intel hardware. My suggestion would be to try with a non-Cinnamon live USB if you can. As I said further up, I've seen quite a few Cinnamon users complain about freezes. So see if you're having the same problem with MATE as well, at least then you'll know for sure whether the DE is responsible or not.

[mattjb]

Tried MATE (linuxmint-19-mate-64bit-v2.iso) as a Live USB tonight for 2-3 hours, and here are my findings...
Tried:

• Marco|+Compositing|+Compton

• Metacity|+Compositing|+Compton

• Compiz

The Compositing window managers seemed to all exhibit screen tearing, but when screen tearing was present, judder & stutter was not.
When Compositing was selected, the "taskbar" at the bottom in fullscreen mode would still be visible until I right click and left click off it.
There was another case where getting rid of the taskbar at the bottom would fix the tearing, but after it does that, it resumes juddery behavior.
Compiz had no screen tearing, but still had judder.

I decided it was time to roll back the main install via timeshift (to my old 18.1), which screwed a bit with my sound (appeared as a dummy or no device present at all).
Revived sound with:

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sudo apt install --reinstall alsa-base alsa-utils pulseaudio linux-sound-base libasound2
rm -rf ~/.config/pulse
sudo reboot

Now that I'm rolled back, I can report some more info here that may be useful in troubleshooting v19.
In 18.1, I can confirm there is no stutter or judder on my device, and there are some interesting things to note here... particularly "intel" instead of "modesetting", Kernel 4.13.0-39, and Mesa 17.2.8:

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System:    Host: htpc Kernel: 4.13.0-39-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.2.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3) Distro: Linux Mint 18.1 Serena
Machine:   Mobo: ASRock model: H110M-STX Bios: American Megatrends v: P1.50 date: 09/14/2016
CPU:       Dual core Intel Pentium G4620 (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 14784
           clock speeds: max: 3700 MHz 1: 800 MHz 2: 800 MHz 3: 800 MHz 4: 800 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Device 5912 bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 630 (Kaby Lake GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.8 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel Sunrise Point-H HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.13.0-39-generic
Network:   Card-1: Intel Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k bus-ID: 00:1f.6
           IF: enp0s31f6 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel Wireless 3160 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlp3s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 4000.8GB (89.4% used) ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 model: N/A size: 256.1GB
           ID-2: USB /dev/sda model: Elements_107C size: 4000.8GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 227G used: 174G (81%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/dm-0
           ID-2: /boot size: 473M used: 178M (40%) fs: ext2 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 8.27GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/dm-1
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 50.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 221 Uptime: 1:45 Memory: 1230.6/7680.2MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 

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$ grep modesetting /var/log/Xorg.0.log
[    21.495] (==) Matched modesetting as autoconfigured driver 2
[    21.496] (II) LoadModule: "modesetting"
[    21.496] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/modesetting_drv.so
[    21.496] (II) Module modesetting: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    21.497] (II) modesetting: Driver for Modesetting Kernel Drivers: kms
[    21.517] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for modesetting
[    21.528] (II) UnloadModule: "modesetting"
[    21.528] (II) Unloading modesetting

[gm10]

The Compositing window managers seemed to all exhibit screen tearing, but when screen tearing was present, judder & stutter was not.

Yeah, the compton defaults they're using aren't the best, you need to tweak those a little to remove tearing. But at least you pinned the problem to the compositor, as I had initially expected. Cinnamon gives you little control over the compositor, but there are some startup options published here, maybe worth playing with:
https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3620

In 18.1, I can confirm there is no stutter or judder on my device, and there are some interesting things to note here... particularly "intel" instead of "modesetting", Kernel 4.13.0-39, and Mesa 17.2.8:

That's expected. Mesa 17 defaults to the old intel driver when it's installed. Theoretically modesetting would still be the better option for you though for your hardware. If you were to apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel and reboot you should use kernel modesetting instead, would be interesting to see if you remain stutter-free then. Although that kernel you're using may be a bit too old for your hardware to properly support modesetting. Actually we should have had you try a 4.18 kernel instead while you were still on LM19.

[Pjotr]

Actually we should have had you try a 4.18 kernel instead while you were still on LM19.

As an aside: I've just checked, and the 4.18 kernel is already present in the (more or less) "stable" branch of the Canonical Kernel Team PPA. Namely 4.18.0-8. Which should make installing it less risky.

[gm10]

Actually we should have had you try a 4.18 kernel instead while you were still on LM19.

As an aside: I've just checked, and the 4.18 kernel is already present in the (more or less) "stable" branch of the Canonical Kernel Team PPA. Namely 4.18.0-8. Which should make installing it less risky.

The PPA is never stable since testing only takes place afterwards. -8 is still in cosmic-proposed, it still hasn't completed automated testing. The verified "stable" version in cosmic is -7 for now.

See my post here on how to add it from the cosmic repo rather than the PPA:
viewtopic.php?p=1525706#p1525706

[Hoser Rob]

I updated from Mint 18.1, to 18.3, to 19 with the 4.15.0-33-generic kernel.

Upgrading from one Mint series (18.x) to another (19.x) is a bad idea. This might even account for (part of) the performance hit you're experiencing. Start your problem solving by doing a clean installation of Mint 19.

That may not have been what the OP wanted to hear but he's right.

[mattjb]

The Compositing window managers seemed to all exhibit screen tearing, but when screen tearing was present, judder & stutter was not.

Yeah, the compton defaults they're using aren't the best, you need to tweak those a little to remove tearing. But at least you pinned the problem to the compositor, as I had initially expected. Cinnamon gives you little control over the compositor, but there are some startup options published here, maybe worth playing with:
https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3620

In 18.1, I can confirm there is no stutter or judder on my device, and there are some interesting things to note here... particularly "intel" instead of "modesetting", Kernel 4.13.0-39, and Mesa 17.2.8:

That's expected. Mesa 17 defaults to the old intel driver when it's installed. Theoretically modesetting would still be the better option for you though for your hardware. If you were to apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel and reboot you should use kernel modesetting instead, would be interesting to see if you remain stutter-free then. Although that kernel you're using may be a bit too old for your hardware to properly support modesetting. Actually we should have had you try a 4.18 kernel instead while you were still on LM19.

Installed 4.18.0-7 per your instructions, still on 18.1 though. I'll test a bit later today and gather findings:

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Linux htpc 4.18.0-7-generic #8-Ubuntu SMP Tue Aug 28 18:24:42 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I'll try purging xserver-xorg-video-intel and also gather observations.

I should have probably indicated my primary reason for upgrading is because HEVC 10-bit playback/trancoding is incapable of using HW acceleration, 2160p HEVC 10-bit is out of the question as the processor maxes out in SW. Secondary reason was, as mentioned my my first post, that the desktop environment would occasionally crash for some reason -- rebooting was the only recovery method there. LM 19 seemed to solve those problems, but breaks other things in the process.
That was my reason for trying an experimental Mesa 18 ppa, which also resulted in this similar playback behavior.
Thus, provided that 4.18.0-7 doesn't break anything, I think the next step would be to try upgrading Mesa again.
Is this the advisable way to do that?

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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/updates
sudo apt update
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt install mesa-utils

To verify:

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glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"

[gm10]

That was my reason for trying an experimental Mesa 18 ppa, which also resulted in this similar playback behavior.
Thus, provided that 4.18.0-7 doesn't break anything, I think the next step would be to try upgrading Mesa again.
Is this the advisable way to do that?

Sure, as part of identifying the actual source of the problem that sounds like a good idea. I still think you should test with mpv because that uses different libraries for the playback.

I have no experience with that Mesa PPA or its interaction with LM18.1 though so you're on your own there. Should you end up discovering that the kernel driver was the reason and not the Mesa version then I would still recommend moving back to LM19 though and try to solve the remaining issues there, but that's just me.

[mattjb]

Alright, I didn't even get as far as Mesa.
As soon as I apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel followed by a reboot, my inxi -G looks like:

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Graphics:  Card: Intel Device 5912
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 630 (Kaby Lake GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.8

Loaded up a video and it judders exactly the same as it did with drivers: modesetting on LM 19.

Reinstalled xserver-xorg-video-intel and it's back to normal

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Graphics:  Card: Intel Device 5912
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 630 (Kaby Lake GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.8

So I loaded up the MATE Live USB again, and tried apt install xserver-xorg-video-intel only to discover it is already installed, but not in use, as it shows drivers: modesetting

Is it possible to force it to "intel" on LM 19 and just do a sudo systemctl restart lightdm for it to take effect, so we can see if that fixes the issue on LM 19?

[gm10]

Don't forget to try the Mesa 18 upgrade in combination with the 4.18 kernel.

As to the live environment, you can add i915.modeset=0 to the boot command line (press e at the boot menu to edit) to prevent the use of modesetting, but it will probably just fall back to fbdev or something. The intel driver is meant for < 2007 hardware, you won't get hardware acceleration with that.

To force X11 into a specific driver you'd have to create a xorg.conf to that effect.

[mattjb]

Latest observations and testing:
I upgraded Mesa to 18:

Code: Select all

$ inxi -G
Graphics:  Card: Intel Device 5912
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 630 (Kaby Lake GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 18.0.5

Video is smooth still; however, upon apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel and a reboot, inxi -G says drivers: (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) and video is juddery like it was with modesetting from the Live USB.

I haven't gotten around to trying the Live USB with i915.modeset=0 yet.

I do get HW acceleration with most if not all x264/h264, and non-10bit HEVC. But 10bit HEVC is still SW.
If modesetting is loaded (as it is on the LM 19 Live USB), I get HW acceleration for 10bit HEVC as well, but judder is present everywhere.

Any ideas?