Bad quality and playback issues when playing video with VLC

Question

I encounter problems when playing H.264 (not tested with others) encoded videos with VLC or others players (tested MPlayer, Totem not playing the video just the sound). I'm sure it's about driver but I don't know how to fix it. I tried to install proprietary drivers from AMD but after rebooting I can't log in (only Terminal). My graphics card is an AMD Radeon HD 8 series. I don't know if it's related, I boot with nomodeset option. Thanks for your help.

Edit : here the result of :

lspci -nnk

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Haswell-ULT DRAM Controller [8086:0a04] (rev 09)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0a16] (rev 09)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
 00:03.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:0a0c] (rev 09)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
00:14.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP USB xHCI HC  [8086:9c31] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP HECI #0 [8086:9c3a] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
Kernel driver in use: mei_me
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP HD Audio Controller [8086:9c20] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP PCI Express Root Port 1 [8086:9c10] (rev e4)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP PCI Express Root Port 2 [8086:9c12] (rev e4)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP PCI Express Root Port 3 [8086:9c14] (rev e4)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP PCI Express Root Port 4 [8086:9c16] (rev e4)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP PCI Express Root Port 5 [8086:9c18] (rev e4)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
 00:1d.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP USB EHCI #1 [8086:9c26] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
 00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP LPC Controller [8086:9c43] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
Kernel driver in use: lpc_ich
 00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP SATA Controller 1 [AHCI mode] [8086:9c03] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
Kernel driver in use: ahci
 00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation Lynx Point-LP SMBus Controller [8086:9c22] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
08:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8188EE Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:8179] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:197d]
Kernel driver in use: rtl8188ee
09:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E     PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller [10ec:8136] (rev 08)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]
Kernel driver in use: r8169
 0a:00.0 Display controller [0380]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Sun XT [Radeon HD 8670A/8670M/8690M] [1002:6660]
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:2164]

Solution 1

for me SMPlayer works the best and it plays h264 flawlessly. Did you install sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras? and after installing new driver you need to configure X to use it properly. How to config AMD and this can also come in handy.

Solution 2

Thnaks to @JohnnyD I have succeeded to solve my problem by manually installing Catalyst 13.4 (this) and then editing the grub option. Change nomodeset option to acpi_backlight=vendor.

Comments

[Mat Nadrofsky]

Add your version of Ubuntu to the tags in this question if possible.

[JoKeR]

you can find out about your current driver info and add it to your question lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 VGA

[Hunsu]

I have tried to install some drivers from synaptic, and now I can't log in (only terminal) I will try to solve that and post the result of that command.

[JoKeR]

the login reason explained in my answer

[JoKeR]

from your screenshot you copied it cut forgetting the rest kernel driver in use or you don't have any... read tutorial in my answer please

[Hunsu]

I don't think I'm understanding what are saying.

[JoKeR]

well you need to follow and read the documentation about how to use AMD and config it properly it's explained step by step... your output lspci vga should look like this for example pastebin.com/EDDCmeGK

[Hunsu]

Now I understand what you saying. I don't have any kernel driver

[Hunsu]

Yes I installed that package

[Hunsu]

I tried the first tutorial and it doesn't work. I can't log in (only terminal). I will try the second

[JoKeR]

you must be missing something or you're doing it wrong pay attention to every step! to do a clean install before you must purge old installation files and only then continue to install new ones after it finished configure X as explained in tutorial and only then to reboot.

[Hunsu]

I have done it like explained in the tutorial.

[JoKeR]

what version of ubuntu are you using?

[Hunsu]

Ubuntu Gnome 13.10

[JoKeR]

well did u pay any attention that driver in ubuntu repo not highly recomended for Saucy? you need to read every single detail to understand how it works best at the beginning there's a warning read it it tells what to do next.

[JoKeR]

if my answer suits you and it solved your problem you can accept it if you agree so the other users could follow your example :-)