MP video quality compared to Media Player Classic

[davejm]

Hi guys...

Up to now, I've been using Media Player Classic to view HD encodes (720p and 1080p TV episodes and films) but I've just started using Media Portal with a view to setting up a dedicated HTPC.

One thing I have noticed is that picture quality through MP isn't as good as with MPC. The blacks aren't as black, and everything appears to be 'washed out'. It's to a point where I'm closing MP and using MPC to view the files, which isn't ideal.

I selected the ffdshow codec, the same as what MPC is using... so I assumed it should look the same. Does it not work like that? Is there processing going on in the player that is making it look like that? If so, are there settings that I can edit from within Media Portal that will make it look as good as it does with MPC?

I think there's a setting that I can use so that it opens up MPC from within MP, but is this seamless enough to be a viable option? I presume I then wouldn't be able to use the remote control functions to control the videos?

Cheers for any help guys. I'm really happy with the front end that MP offers. I'm just looking for the picture quality now for the videos, and then I'm sorted.

[ThaClown]

Try GrapEdit (use remotegraph with MP playing a file) to see what codec is use in MP and see wich codec is use in MPC....
I think you will find that both programs are not using the same codec...
You can force the PC to use a certain codec by changing the MERIT with a program called GSpot.

[davejm]

Cool, I'll give that a go, cheers.

With MPC classic I either use ffdshow or CoreAVC for viewing x.264 encoded files. So do I need Gspot to force MP to use one of these codecs too?

[ThaClown]

Yes, try to get the exact same Graph in both programs...
I usually lower the merit of just one: the codec used in MP (just lower it a little under the one you want to be used) and then try again...
Takes a little time but if you change too mutch at once I get lost...

[Sh4nn0w]

I just set mine here (works for either ffdshow or coreavc for me):

[davejm]

Ah nice one... I must have missed that in the options when I had a look through before.

Cheers guys.

[davejm]

Just been playing around with the applications mentioned above. Both MP and MPC are using ffdshow as the codec, but MPC is also using Haali Video Renderer whereas MP is using Video Mixing Renderer 9.

How can I get MP to use Haali Video Renderer too? I've tried altering the merit levels, but it doesn't affect anything. It seems Media Portal is using VMR9 regardless of any settings that I change.

Any ideas?

[FlipGer]

Hi,

sorry, the renderer cannot be changed....

But you can fiddle around with the VMR9 settings. They can be found in the nVidia control panel. Something like TV&video colors. Afaik its a known issue, that VMR9 uses not the whole colorspace, it cuts off some of the black values. I read somewhere, that this can be hacked, but I am not sure about that.

Flip.

[FlipGer]

Hi,

a short researched did come up with this one:
http://forum.doom9.org/archive/index.php/t-96526.html

There are two tipps which may help (try only one after the other)
1) Set the input sliders in ffdshow Levels page at 16-235
2) Change the ffdshow output settings. Only allow RGB32 as colorspace

HTH,
Flip.

[davejm]

Ooof, I was up until 2am last night fiddling with the settings...

Managed to have some success by lowering the input sliders in ffdshow, but the picture quality still isn't as good. I'll try your second tip there FlipGer when I get home and see if it helps.

I'd be happy using MPC as an external player, but it's not working with some files. Any idea why? It seems to be some of the 1080p encodes I have that aren't launching, but I don't know why Media Portal would need to do anything other than launch the player, which works fine from outside MP with these same files.