Video Playback Performance – Processing

I try out different video playback mechanism in the Processing to compare their performance. The digital video is the one I used in the last post. It is the trailer of the film Hugo. The details are: 1280 x 692 H.264 AAC, bitrate 2,093.

The computer I am using is iMac 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD 4670 256 MB graphic card. Processing is the latest 1.5.1 version.

For the video playback classes, I tested the default QuickTime Video library, a FasterMovie class, the GSVideo library, and the JMCVideo library with JavaFX 1.2 SDK.

To render the video, I start with the standard image() function, and proceed to test with various OpenGL texturing methods, including the GLGraphics library.

Again, I sample the CPU and Memory usage with the Activity Monitor from the Mac OSX utilities, in an interval of 30 seconds. The results are the average of 5 samples.

Performance with 2D image function

The OpenGL and QuickTime video libraries have problem working together. The program stops at the size() statement. I have to either put the first video related command before the size() or a dummy line

println(Capture.list());
size(1280, 692, OPENGL);

The second batch of tests use the standard OpenGL vertex and texture functions.

Performance with OpenGL texture and vertex functions

The third batch of tests involve custom arrangement in OpenGL. Both GSVideo and JMCVideo come with their own functions to write directly to OpenGL texture. For the FasterMovie test, I combine it with the pixel buffer object I have shown in my previous post.
 
Performance with custom OpenGL texture method

 
Sample code for GSVideo and GLGraphics (from codeanticode)

import processing.opengl.*;
import codeanticode.glgraphics.*;
import codeanticode.gsvideo.*;
 
GSMovie mov;
GLTexture tex;
 
void setup() 
{
  size(1280, 692, GLConstants.GLGRAPHICS);
  background(0);   
  mov = new GSMovie(this, "Hugo.mp4");
  tex = new GLTexture(this);
  mov.setPixelDest(tex);  
  mov.loop();
}
 
void draw() 
{
  if (tex.putPixelsIntoTexture()) 
  {
    image(tex, 0, 0);
  }
}
 
void movieEvent(GSMovie _m) {
  _m.read();
}

 
Sample code for JMCVideo (from Angus Forbes)

import jmcvideo.*;
import processing.opengl.*;
import javax.media.opengl.*; 
 
JMCMovieGL mov;
PGraphicsOpenGL pgl;
 
void setup() 
{
  size(1280, 692, OPENGL);
  background(0);
  mov = new JMCMovieGL(this, "Hugo.mp4", ARGB);
  mov.loop();
 
  pgl = (PGraphicsOpenGL) g;
  GL gl = pgl.beginGL();  
  gl.glViewport(0, 0, width, height);
  pgl.endGL();
}
 
void draw() 
{
  GL gl = pgl.beginGL();  
  mov.image(gl, 0, 0, width, height);
  pgl.endGL();
}