[MPlayer-users] MPlayer -priority high -noslices -double -dr options

[Reimar Döffinger]

On 28.09.2019, at 02:33, "Bill Crockett" <wsc4 at optusnet.com.au> wrote:

> I am using MPlayer to display 1920 x 1080p, 40 Mb/s videos.  AVC x.264.
> 
> mplayer -priority high -noslices -double -dr a_video.avi
> 
> I did see these options locked in on a few GUIs of MPlayer some years ago.
> 
> I always use the "gl" OpenGL video output driver.  The man says: For optimal speed try adding the options ?dr ?noslices.
> 
> -double
> 
> Is this option called double buffering, and fixes flicker by storing two frames in memory, and displaying one while decoding another?  Is it more efficient?  Do I need it?

I think it is the default. If you see flicker or tearing or other artefacts it's a good idea to have it.

> -dr
> 
> Turns on direct rendering.  This can result in significantly faster blitting on some systems.
> 
> ?noslices
> 
> Disable drawing video by 16-pixel height slices/bands, instead draws the whole frame in a single run.
> 
> Are these options not really needed for the videos I am using?

Generally all these options are from a time 10+ years back when CPUs were much slower and drivers much worse.
They could give the extra 5% speed needed to play a video smoothly.
It's unlikely there is much point in bothering with any of them nowadays, especially if you do not actually have any issues.