Tutorial: Playing .mkv-Files

[seco]

Originally Posted by Inker

Maybe because coreAVC is payware while ffdshow is free and open source? Besides, it can handle most audiocodecs too whereas with you're combination as far as I can tell you also need a seperate ac3 decoder and so on (assuming the mkv comes with an ac3 track).

Well the first post has a statement about CoreAVC:

Requirements

* CoreAVC Codec (yes I know its not free, but it's worth the few bucks) (CoreAVC.com: World's Fastest High Definition H.264 Video Software Decoder

which is indeed true and the reason for recommending it again.

Basically CoreAVC + CCCP + AC3Filter would be my choice.

[RXP]

Is there anyway to get around autoloading vsfilter? Because there seems to be a bug in VSFilter that doesn't let you use EVR, only VMR9. So all my MKV's have to be viewed with VMR9, even though I have EVR in the MP options :-/

[Goose]

@RXP

you can add vsfilter in the movies postprocessing section. BTW Haali's latest versions seem to have autoload enabled by default.

[RXP]

Sorry, I meant a way to disable it and still have mkv's work with MP. VSFilter forces you to use VMR9 rather than EVR.

[vuego]

RXP, I agree. It seems unnecessary to use VSFilter when ffdshow can do the job (and also decode video/audio if desired).

What you need to do is add ffdshow raw video filter at Movie Post Processing in MediaPortal Configuration. Now you can watch .mkv:s with embedded subtitles and if you want them displayed, enable Subtitles in ffdshow Video decoder configuration.

I guess this is some kind of bug in MediaPortal. It would be nice if the movie launched without subtitles if no filter can handle it instead of MP crashing. If anyone is interested here's what the log file says when that happens:

2008-03-07 21:28:12.809593 [ERROR][MPMain]: VideoPlayer9: Failed to render file -> vmr9
2008-03-07 21:28:13.051765 [ERROR][MPMain]: Exception while releasing COM object (NULL) - stacktrace:    at DShowNET.Helper.DirectShowUtil.ReleaseComObject(Object obj)
   at MediaPortal.Player.VideoPlayerVMR9.Cleanup()
   at MediaPortal.Player.VideoPlayerVMR9.CloseInterfaces()
   at MediaPortal.Player.VideoPlayerVMR7.Release()
   at MediaPortal.Player.g_Player.Play(String strFile)
   at MediaPortal.Playlists.PlayListPlayer.FakePlayer.MediaPortal.Playlists.PlayListPlayer.IPlayer.Play(String strFile)
   at MediaPortal.Playlists.PlayListPlayer.Play(Int32 iSong)
   at MediaPortal.Playlists.PlayListPlayer.PlayNext()
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Video.GUIVideoFiles.PlayMovieFromPlayList(Boolean askForResumeMovie, Int32 iMovieIndex)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Video.GUIVideoFiles.OnClick(Int32 iItem)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Video.GUIVideoBaseWindow.OnClicked(Int32 controlId, GUIControl control, ActionType actionType)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Video.GUIVideoFiles.OnClicked(Int32 controlId, GUIControl control, ActionType actionType)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindow.OnMessage(GUIMessage message)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Video.GUIVideoFiles.OnMessage(GUIMessage message)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindowManager.SendMessage(GUIMessage message)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindowManager.DispatchThreadMessages()
   at MediaPortalApp.FrameMove()
   at MediaPortal.D3DApp.Application_Idle(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponent.FDoIdle(Int32 grfidlef)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(Int32 dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run(Form mainForm)
   at MediaPortalApp.Main(String[] args)

[RXP]

Any ideas from anyone how to use EVR in the case of MKVs?

[jojjal]

This poster was soooo right.... worked so great.....

Thanks for the info....

//johan

[Goose]

I have evr working with vsfilter/vobsub when viewing .mkv files in MP. I have verified this with graphfilter. BTW this is with vista x32. I have quite recent versions of both ffdshow and haali though, perhaps that makes a difference.

[mp1405]

works great.

[panic]

Hi,

I use cccp and coreavc and some mkv movies play well in MP BUT some not at all.
log of a file wich does not play in MP (works in external players like mediaplayer etc. without any problem)

2008-03-26 18:12:36.750000 [ERROR][MPMain]: VideoPlayer9: Failed to render file -> vmr9
2008-03-26 18:12:37.234375 [ERROR][MPMain]: VideoPlayerVMR9: Exception while cleanuping DShow graph - Object reference not set to an instance of an object.    at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(Object o)
   at MediaPortal.Player.VideoPlayerVMR9.Cleanup()