how to use ffdshow in stead of WMVideo decoder DMO?

[Lotsofjazz]

TV-Server Version: TV Engine 3
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.3 (stable download of december 25, 2007)
MediaPortal Skin: Project mayhem III
Windows Version: windows XP pro SP2
CPU Type: Intel Core Duo E600, 2.4Ghz
HDD: Samsung SATA3 500Gb
Memory: 4x1Gb DDR2 800Mhz
Motherboard: Abit fatal1ty I90HD
Motherboard Chipset: ATI radeon Xpress 1250
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: ATI Xpress1250 (on board)
Video Card Driver: 7.12
Sound Card: Realtek HD Audio (on Board)
Sound Card AC3: Realtek HD Audio (on Board)
Sound Card Driver: 1.78
1. TV Card: Digital everywhere FloppyDTV-C/CI
1. TV Card Type: DVB-C
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: PowerDVD 7.3
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Antec Fusion 430 silver
Cooling: Antec tricooler/Scythe Mini Ninja
Power Supply: Antec Fusion 430Watt
Remote: Microsoft MCE
TV: JVC LCD 32S60
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI/VGA


I am not so pleased with the video quality of the media portal internal player, when playing HD files (H264) in a WMV container (extension WMV). Black turns into something greyisch and a little blockage banding, like in a bad JPG picture.. it is like the whole image is a bit hazy. The same happens when I play the file with Windows Mediaplayer 11.

With graphedit I checked the graph while playing in Mediaportal and noticed the WMVideo Decoder DMO is used, in stead of ffdshow. When rendering the graph on the file outside MediaPortal, it does use the ffdshow video decoder, and when playing the file using the graphedit player the picture quality is excellent!

So the question is simple, How do I force Mediaplayer internal player to use ffdshow, when playing H264 WMV files ? I hope this is possible, because I try to prevent using outside players.

Thanks!

lots

[deebo]

if the wmvideo dmo is used, then the content is VC-1, not h264

and ffdshow cant handle VC-1 properly, it wont honor pulldown flags and plays certain VC-1 tracks at wrong speeds

[Lotsofjazz]

Ok, maybe that about VC-1 is true (cant check at the moment, I am not at home), but how do you explain that in Mediaplayer 11 the video looks like crap, using the WMVideo Decoder DMO... And with the graphedit player, using ffdshow, it is brilliant?.. ffdshow must do something good, what WMV doesnt...When I am home, I will check some things... slowly we are getting there :-)

Thanks anyways,

Lots

[Lotsofjazz]

I have been playing with ffdshow raw video as a postprocess, and this has worked out pretty cool!, it has taken me two days to figure out the best settings, but now I have found the best setting I think.. it required sharpening, brightness and contrast adjustment in combination with noise filters and adjusted deblocking filters. I also had to adjust the TV itself, it was way too bright, less brightness and more contrast was needed on the TV.

Lots