Getting Intel Quick Sync to work with Blue Iris (Settings & Troubleshooting)

TL1096r

TL1096r

IPCT Contributor
Jan 28, 2017
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This is a good place to start figuring out what system you want to purchase if you do not already have one:
Choosing Hardware for Blue Iris | IP Cam Talk

First, you can check if your system has Quick Sync.

Follow this link:
Intel product specifications
E4dv6ZP.png

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Now that you establish you have Quick Sync please follow the Wiki Page how to Optimize your Blue Iris.
Optimizing Blue Iris's CPU Usage | IP Cam Talk

->You must have "Direct-to-disc recording" enabled which is shown in the above link.

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I want to point out how to specifically make sure your Quick Sync is enabled.

Go to your Blue Iris Options -> Cameras -> Choose "intel":

XHU3Cp4.png


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Now right click on each Camera and go to "Camera properties..."

bXpI2ou.png



Then go to "Video Tab" and where it says "Hardware Accelerated decode" choose "Default" - 'Default' will set HA to whatever you choose in the general options:

XJ4A0B3.png


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To confirm Intel Quick Sync is working:

First way to check:
Thanks to @Walrus - go to your task manager to confirm your Quick Sync is enabled:
-Make sure your GPU Engine tab is showing (right click on any tab in task manager and make sure "GPU Engine" is checkmarked)

-It will say "GPU 0 - Video Decode" next to your Blue Iris Process if quick sync is working:
PCGZoIY.png


Second way to check:
You can also go to "status" -> under the "Cameras" tab - if Quick Sync is enabled you will see # next to the MP as seen below:

***PLEASE NOTE FOR BLUE IRIS 5 it will now be under the "HA" tab and it will be the letter "I" and not #
yE3Oesp.png


Third way to check @bp2008 method:

In Windows 10, you can simply look in Task Manager on the Performance tab and it will include each enabled GPU in the list on the left. By looking at the details of the Intel adapter, you can tell if Quick Sync is working based on the Video Decode usage.

lxs231D.png


With many motherboards, you need to find the BIOS option that allows the integrated graphics to remain active while you have a PCIe graphics card installed. This can sometimes be named a bit cryptically, called something like "iGPU Multi-Mon."

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For Troubleshooting:

1) If you feel it is not working please disable Quick Sync through Blue Iris and see if you see an increase in the CPU %

2) You can also rollback your intel drivers as some new drivers cause quick sync to stop working - follow he link below to make sure you do it the correct way:
Learn How to Roll Back Your Driver to a Previous Version

3) If you're running h.265 blue iris will turn off hardware acceleration. Quick Sync only works with h.264.

4) Check with GPU-Z:
thank you @fenderman for this info:
TechPowerUp
Under Sensors Tab -> open blue iris in the background -> then check GPU load

5) You also sometimes have to find the BIOS option that allows the integrated graphics to remain active while you have a PCIe graphics card installed. This can sometimes be named a bit cryptically, called something like "iGPU Multi-Mon".

6) Memory Leak Issues fix from wiki:
Memory Leak: Quick Sync (Hardware Acceleration) | IP Cam Talk

7) if running computer headless (configured to operate without a monitor)
-> plug in a monitor and this should enables quick sync
 
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anijet said:
Selecting Intel on the Camera Properties page overrides the setting on the Options Camera page.

Set the Camera Properties to default and it will use whatever is on the Options Page. This way you can turn HA on/off for all cameras with one change on the Options Page.
Click to expand...

Thanks for info. Changed it.
 
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:goodpost:

I've got "GPU 0 - Video Decode" on task manager, BI running at 25% CPU usage on i5 8600 (non-k). 5 cameras mostly 2mp. I just updated settings on them few weeks ago, stretched out storage from 5weeks to now 7weeks. Even changed to h265. All seems to be working ok after restarting BI once or twice.


TL1096r said:
First, you can check if your system has Quick Sync.
3) If you're running h.265 blue iris will turn off hardware acceleration. Quick Sync only works with h.264.
Click to expand...

Is there a note somewhere about pro n con of this. h265 saves space at cost of CPU cycles? Is there more to it than this.
 
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xtropodx said:
:goodpost:

I've got "GPU 0 - Video Decode" on task manager, BI running at 25% CPU usage on i5 8600 (non-k). 5 cameras mostly 2mp. I just updated settings on them few weeks ago, stretched out storage from 5weeks to now 7weeks. Even changed to h265. All seems to be working ok after restarting BI once or twice.




Is there a note somewhere about pro n con of this. h265 saves space at cost of CPU cycles? Is there more to it than this.
Click to expand...

You got quicksync to work with h265? Switch to h264 and see if it lowers the CPU %?
 
TL1096r said:
You got quicksync to work with h265? Switch to h264 and see if it lowers the CPU %?
Click to expand...


Well it seems to be running ok, don't really want to switch back as it was a pain to get it working. Admittedly I did make some other changes which also affected storage capacity, tuned down FPS from 20 to 17-18 per camera but also increased resolution of some of them, I didn't think that'd have such big impact but it has. Now at 8.5 weeks storage, which is great as give me breathing room once I start adding some extra cameras once Andy gets newer cameras in.
 
Hi QuickSync is great at lowering CPU, so I find the PC has more headroom for other activities and basically load the PC up with more cams than I could support with just a CPU.
However, although the CPU usage is low, surprisingly the heat and power consumption are about the same\if not a little worse...
I read that QuickSync was supposedly super-efficient, more so than the CPU and was expecting that the CPU power consumption (measured from the wall) would noticeably reduce. Using an i7-6700 in 1 box and an i7-4770 in another.
Don't ask about NVIDIA the power usage was shocking, so bad I question why it is even supported at all.
Not bagging out QuickSyync (as the low CPU usage is giving me a warm feeling), just wonder is anyone else found the same?
TIP: Make sure you Codec drivers also use QuickSync or GPU to keep the CPU load down, during playback. I use the K-Lite basic pack and that seems fine with both Intel\AMD and NVIDIA.
 
xtropodx said:
:goodpost:

I've got "GPU 0 - Video Decode" on task manager, BI running at 25% CPU usage on i5 8600 (non-k). 5 cameras mostly 2mp. I just updated settings on them few weeks ago, stretched out storage from 5weeks to now 7weeks. Even changed to h265. All seems to be working ok after restarting BI once or twice.




Is there a note somewhere about pro n con of this. H.265 saves space at cost of CPU cycles? Is there more to it than this.
Click to expand...

Nailed It. When you use H.265 you can't use QuickSync (YET) so has to use the CPU. And Yes the CPU load is slightly higher than using a CPU for H.264. The higher the resolution the bigger the difference.
Most cams will also draw more power under H.265 and get warmer (but wouldn't consider this increase noticeable to most or even an issue).

On all my machines I have a remote playback issue via the IOS app when Hardware decode is enabled.
Live feeds and iOS Alerts work, but if I click Alerts and view an Alert, I just get a blank screen and nothing plays. UI3 playpack is fine. Suspect a codec driver issue (but they are also used by UI3 playback) so who knows,
I record in MPEG, not BVR. BVR format seems fine, either way.
 
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spammenotinoz said:
if I click Alerts and view an Alert, I just get a blank screen and nothing plays. UI3 playpack is fine. Suspect a codec driver issue (but they are also used by UI3 playback) so who knows
Click to expand...

Yep, & this is why don't want to revert back even temporarily. I was getting really distorted playback to no playback at all, restarted BI/Cameras a few times & all good.
 
I didn't realize that I didn't have quick sync working on my PC so I have turned it on and am very surprised to see my cpu usage has gone from about 28% before enabling to about 44% after. I have direct to disk set up and I can see its being used in task manager.

Any ideas?
 
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Timbum

1) Did you reboot the computer ?
2) what processor ?
3) What driver ?
4) screen shots of the BI hardware acceleration setting tabs ?
 
I have followed the above instructions, but two of my cameras will not accept "Default" or "Intel" when I put them into "Hardware Acceleration Decode". I am able to switch them to default or intel, but as soon as the camera cycles the change, they revert to No in the selection. My third camera (Hikivision) doesn't revert but stays at default. The two that won't stay at default are Reolink 420's. Any idea what I can do to make them stay on default or Intel?
 
Reading through these threads with interest. When I try and set my HW decoding to Intel in the camera’s video settings, the camera drops out and BI says “no signal”. No amount of restarts brings it back.

I’ve also tried reverting to known good drivers for my integrated GPU, but to no avail.

The CPU is an i3-2120, which I know is old but it does have Quick Sync andI only have 2 cameras.
 
garmcqui said:
Reading through these threads with interest. When I try and set my HW decoding to Intel in the camera’s video settings, the camera drops out and BI says “no signal”. No amount of restarts brings it back.

I’ve also tried reverting to known good drivers for my integrated GPU, but to no avail.

The CPU is an i3-2120, which I know is old but it does have Quick Sync andI only have 2 cameras.
Click to expand...
Maybe you need to try a different driver?

ark.intel.com

Product Specifications

quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.
ark.intel.com ark.intel.com
 
garmcqui said:
Reading through these threads with interest. When I try and set my HW decoding to Intel in the camera’s video settings, the camera drops out and BI says “no signal”. No amount of restarts brings it back.

I’ve also tried reverting to known good drivers for my integrated GPU, but to no avail.

The CPU is an i3-2120, which I know is old but it does have Quick Sync andI only have 2 cameras.
Click to expand...

So at one time BI did work with your CPU and QuickSync?
 
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