FFDShow Raw video filter issues

[frankwaan]

Hi,

When I use de Mediaportal Codec for decoding DVD content (MPV codec) and add the FFDShow Raw Video filter in de postprocessing section, the movie stutters. When I connect to the Mediaportal graph, I get the following sequence:

SOURCE -> MPV filter -> FFDShow video decoder -> FFDShow raw video filter -> EVR input

Is the FFDShow video decoder necessary here? Also, the output of the FFDshow video decoder, says that it's 1920x1080 in resolution. It seems the decoder also processes the image and thereafter the raw video filter does it again (that explains the stuttering playback, as far I can imagine). This is also confirmed by the OSD (when you look closely, it seems it prints 2 OSD's on top of each other, which confirms the graph).

When I add the FFDShow video decoder directly in the post processing section, the graph only shows that filter and the playback is less stuttering.

So:
1. Is de FFDShow video decoder necessary when using the raw video filter in the postprocessing section. If so, why is it's output resolution 1920x1080 (in other words: why does it also uses all the settings I setup in de codec configuration for the raw video filter) ... ?

I'm using the latest clsid build (as from 11 August) from the ffdshow tryout. Older versions had the same problem.

Thanks,
Frank

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[FlipGer]

Hi,

the "FFDShow raw video filter" is only necessary if you use other decoders like MPV or nVIDIA. If you use the "FFDShow video decoder" for decoding the MPEG2 material the postprocessing (resize, colors, etc.) is already done there. As you recognized correctly, the work is done twice, if you use the "raw video filter" and the "video decoder".

HTH,
Flip.

[frankwaan]

Originally Posted by FlipGer

Hi,

the "FFDShow raw video filter" is only necessary if you use other decoders like MPV or nVIDIA. If you use the "FFDShow video decoder" for decoding the MPEG2 material the postprocessing (resize, colors, etc.) is already done there. As you recognized correctly, the work is done twice, if you use the "raw video filter" and the "video decoder".

HTH,
Flip.

Helli FlipGer,

Thanks for your answer. The problem is I don't use FFDShow for decoding, only for post processing. I selected the MPV decoder for decoding DVD.

The settings are:

- under DVD codecs -> I use the MPV decoder for decoding.
- under post processing, I add the raw video filter.

When I then play my movie and check the graph, I see:

SOURCE -> MPV -> FFDShow decoder -> FFDShow raw video filter -> EVR

When I add the FFDShow decoder under Post processing (and uncheck the raw video filter), it only shows the decoder in the graph (which goes directly into the directshow EVR. This however, seems unnecessary, as the MPEG2 content is already being decoded by the MPV decoder... Or is this a wrong conclusion?

So, it seems i can not enable the raw video filter without having the FFDShow video decoder being enabled, which shouldn't be the case (I think).

[Inker]

In FFDShow Video decoder properties (not the FFDSHOW RAW filter), under codecs, do you have RAW (all the way down) set to all supported or something specific?

If so, I guess what happens is that FFDShow sees a raw video and connects to it, and then MP, because it is conifgured to do so, adds the FFDSHow raw codec on top of that.

[frankwaan]

Originally Posted by Inker

In FFDShow Video decoder properties (not the FFDSHOW RAW filter), under codecs, do you have RAW (all the way down) set to all supported or something specific?

If so, I guess what happens is that FFDShow sees a raw video and connects to it, and then MP, because it is conifgured to do so, adds the FFDSHow raw codec on top of that.

Hi Inker, thanks for your reply.

Sound logical. Should I configure the FFDShow decoder, that it's raw filter is disabled and set the all supported option in the postprocessing section (MP) of the raw video filter only?

Frank

[Inker]

Yes, either that or disable the postprocessing raw filter in mp configuration. But then FFDShow will continue to connect to any DS graph (because the result is always a "raw video"). This may be desirable to also postprocess video in other applications that do not allow you to configure an additional filter like MP does.

[frankwaan]

Originally Posted by Inker

Yes, either that or disable the postprocessing raw filter in mp configuration. But then FFDShow will continue to connect to any DS graph (because the result is always a "raw video"). This may be desirable to also postprocess video in other applications that do not allow you to configure an additional filter like MP does.

Well, I'm on a deticated mediacenter machine, so that's no factor. I'll give it a go by disabling the raw filter in de 'normal' FFDShow decoder configuration and check for the graphs. Your second option (disable postprocessing raw filter) isn't desirable, because I'm currently decoding with the MPV decoder (which I like because of it's low CPU usage), and therefor needs post processing to upscale / sharpen / blur my MPEG2 content.

As I said I give it a go and get back later.

Thanks so far!

[Inker]

I think you slightly misunderstood. Within MP both options will have the same effect, either the "normal" ffdshow filter provides the postprocessing (if you disable the raw filter in MP config), or the raw filter provides the postprocessing (if you disable the "raw codec" within ffdshow video decoder properties).

[frankwaan]

Originally Posted by Inker

I think you slightly misunderstood. Within MP both options will have the same effect, either the "normal" ffdshow filter provides the postprocessing (if you disable the raw filter in MP config), or the raw filter provides the postprocessing (if you disable the "raw codec" within ffdshow video decoder properties).

Ok I understand. There should be no difference between those two indeed, other than that there will be insered a FFDShow video decoder after de MPV (MPEG2) decoder, just to pass it internally to the RAW filter. Therefor, I will try the RAW filter in post processing method first, just to eleminate extra filters in de DS graph.

Am I seeing things right now?

[Inker]

Uhmm, if I understand you right, then you understand it wrong :-)

Consider the graph (that is the chain of filters) as it is now

Mpeg2 Video Input -> MPV (decodes MPG2 into Raw Video, most likey yuv2)
-> FFDShow Video Decoder (takes raw video and postprocesses it, like upscaling etc. if configured to do so, and outputs raw video again) This one connects by DS looks for a suitable filter to connect Raw video to, and ffdshow is conifigured to do that, it has nothing to do with MP per-se.
-> FFDshow Raw Video filter is inserted by MP here (and not DS itself), it also takes raw video, and prostprocesses it again the way it is configured
-> Renderer (EVR/VMR whatever)

If I understand you right, what you say is that the graph will stay the same, only the the FFDShow Video filter is a dummy, that is it does no processing and simply hands it off the the Raw Video Filter.

Instead what I mean is that you completely get rid of either the "FFDShow Video Decoder" or the "FFDshow Raw Video filter". Remember, both can perform post processing, so you only need one or the other.

You can get rid of "FFDShow Video Decoder" by disabling its support for RAW video under codecs.
You can get rid of "FFDshow Raw Video filter" by disabling it in MP configuration post processing section.

But anyways, my knowledge is entirely from experience here and has no real theoretical background, so let's first see if my theory is right in the first place before going on :-) I'm sure a DS dev could tell you exactly how and why pins connect.