Is DVDMF 5 faster than 4 on dual core cpus?

rasta · Post by **rasta** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:07 pm

DVDMF 5 claims to be faster on dual cores, has any one tried this over past version? specially in render times. I need to know what happens in the real world to make my decision about buying a dual core cpu.

thanks

sgurvey · Post by **sgurvey** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 3:54 pm

I have been trying out DVMF5 with a new Dell Dimension 5150 with Pentium D. When rendering CPU usage (which I find to be 100% on an older and slower Pentium single core processor) registers at 50% in the task monitor, while the system idle proess takes 50%. I conclude from this that the rendering process is NOT taking advantage of the dual core processor. Perhaps others or someone from ULead will comment. Am I correct?

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:43 pm

I conclude from this that the rendering process is NOT taking advantage of the dual core processor. Perhaps others or someone from ULead will comment. Am I correct?

You are correct. If you run another CPU-intensive program at the same time, you should get 100% utilization.

My standard analogy:
It's like you've got two mechanics working on your car. It only works if you have two equally difficult tasks, on two different parts of the car. Otherwise, one mechanic is going to be standing around most of the time... maybe saving a little time by handing the other mechanic tools.

It is possible for the programmer to break-down the program's tasks into two equal threads, but it is very difficult, and he/she would have to do it individually for all of the various program functions/features. (It woudn't hurt if they at least optimized the rendering engine for dual core / multi-CPU systems.)

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EDIT - Well... Ulead does make that claim:

MPEG.Now Dual Core Rendering – get faster Smart Render times with dual core or dual-CPU machines.

sgurvey · Post by **sgurvey** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:52 pm

I would think then that they could do that. As I understand it, MPEG consists of sets of a complete frame (called, I believe I-frames) followed by a number of frames derived from it, tracking only the changes, which achieves the compression. If the number of frames in each set were constant, assigning each set to a different processor would seem to be pretty easy. Of course, when variable set sizes are used, it would be much harder.

ruggy1 · Post by **ruggy1** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:34 am

Intel's move into Dual core is a great marketing move but a sad one in terms of CPU throughput. I have been in Unix multiprocessing for the last 25 years and NO commercial program I have seen has ever been able to take advantage of what is known as 'parralel processing' - the ability of one program to split a single task across more than one CPU. If there are multiple discreet tasks, like 200 users all asking for something to be done then multiprocessing works, and is good. But for the likes of you and me who simply want faster rendering, the only way forward is either for Intel to release higher performance low-cost single CPUs, which it is unable to do at present, or for Ulead to discover 'parralel processing', which I am sure it cannot do.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:33 pm

snoops · Post by **snoops** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 11:10 pm

Hi,

NO commercial program I have seen has ever been able to take advantage

Here's one: Oracle database on Solaris.

Software engineers do have to be careful and check for mutex contention, when a required lock (like certain system calls) causes the other CPUs to wait until released.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:42 am

ruggy1 · Post by **ruggy1** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:16 am

This is going outside the scope of this Forum, but Oracle, which I have used for years, has many processes operating at any one time, which suits a SMP environment. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe even Oracle cannot split a single-stream large SQL batch job (typical of overnight processing) to work across as many of the CPUs that the system has, and then re-assemble the results from many CPUs to form a cohesive result. The only advantage I can see from multiple CPUs as far as Ulead is concerned is that while you are rendering on one CPU you may be able to capture on another, but I am not convinced that one will not interfere with the other at a system level. I would love to hear from anyone who has done this.n The problem is that Intels dual CPU systems have less performing CPUs than their single CPU offerings.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:00 pm