All video stretched vertically when played through MP internal player (1 Viewer)

[kernsb]

I had this issue on a friend's MP machine and was never able to figure it out - eventually I just chalked it up as a quirk specific to his machine. However, I have recently had to rebuild my own MP machine after some hardware failure and now I am having the exact same behavior on my new build.

It doesn't make much sense, but basically all videos that are played through MediaPortal's internal player are stretched vertically. However, these are the same files (literally the same storage hard drives) that worked perfectly on my last build. Also, on the MP computer, if any of these files are opened in any other player (Win Media Player, Zoom, VLC) the videos are proportioned correctly and play back perfectly.

At first I thought that maybe it was just a zooming/aspect ratio issue, but even when "Original" is selected in MediaPortal the video is still stretched vertically. And again, opening the same file in any other player the video is not stretched.

Next, I thought it could be a codec issue, but it happens using both the ATI AVIVO codec and the CoreAVC codec.

Lastly and mostly basically, my video card is set to 1280x720, which is the native resolution of my TV. The Windows GUI and the MediaPortal *interface* all appear perfectly proportioned, with no stretching. It is only the video that is stretched. I have tried multiple different resolutions and refresh rates with no difference, and I can see no options in the control panels that should have this kind of effect on just video playback.


Other points that may or may not be helpful:

• All videos are M4V format and worked perfectly on the previous build.

• There are virtually no hardware similarities between my build and my friends MP machine that is having the same behavior.

• This happens on ALL video files that are played back with the MP internal player, not just specific files.


I need HELP from the MP PROS!!!! I have become so dependant on my MP that it is agonizing without it!!


Thanks in advance,

Brandon Kerns




I am filling in as much as this as I can, but I am at work and not at the PC right now...

MediaPortal Version: 1.0.2
MediaPortal Skin: XFace 1.8
Windows Version: XP Pro SP3 - Fully updated
CPU Type: Intel Pentium E5200
HDD: System: IDE Western Digital 160GB, Storage: 2 x SATA Hitachi 1TB
Memory: 2GB
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP43-UD3L
Video Card: ATI Radeon x1600 Pro (PCIe)
Video Card Driver: Latest from ATI website
Sound Card: Integrated HD Audio
1. TV Card: None
MPEG2 Video Codec: ATI AVIVO
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPC - MPA Decoder Filter
h.264 Video Codec: ATI AVIVO or CoreAVC
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Comcast
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS500 500W
Remote: MCE Media Remote

 

[Spragleknas]

Please post your log files.
See: How to gather log files - MediaPortal Manual Documentation for instructions.

 

[kernsb]

Log files

No problem, I will get those posted up here just as soon as I can. I will also try to get some comparison screenshots so that you all can see exactly what is happening.

 

[kernsb]

Requested items...

I apologize for the delay in getting this posted, but it has been a full weekend! Here they are as promised:

Included are:

MediaPortalLogs_07_06_09.zip - MediaPortal logs, of course

MP-Normal.jpg - MediaPortal video playback with "Normal" aspect ratio selected

MP-Original.jpg - MediaPortal video playback with "Original" aspect ratio selected

WMP-FullScreen.jpg - Windows Media Player playing back the same video at Full Screen on the same computer

Interface.jpg - For reference: The MP interface, showing that only the video is affected, not the GUI.

 

[kernsb]

MP not honoring anamorphic???

After staring at these for a little while, it really looks like MP is not honoring the fact that these videos are anamorphic and handling them accordingly, while the other players are doing so and are therefore rendering them correctly!

Still no idea WHY or how to fix, however....

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Have you always used EVR instead of VMR9 as renderer, what does the picture look like with VMR9.

There is nothing in the logs that tell me why your aspect is out, the graph supplied of codecs used is nice and clean, so does not look to be codec related, just to be sure, you could run filmerit.

 

[kernsb]

I do generally use VMR9 .... it only got set to EVR while I was trying things to see if it would make a difference to the stretching ... and unfortunately it did not.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

I honestly do not know why this may be happening, have you set anything inside the catalyst control centre, that relates directly to video, which could be kicking in only for MP\EVR\VMR9.

Remember most players use overlay for displaying video, not the above renderers.

 

[kernsb]

Some more trys...

So last night I systematically went through the Catalyst Control Center, turning an option off, checking MP, and then turning it back on and moving to the next. Nothing in the CCC made any difference to the behavior in MP.

So I tried installing FFDShow (K-lite Codec Pack) ... No difference there either.

Next I uninstalled EVERYTHING. All Codecs removed and a complete uninstall of MP (full cleanup). I then reinstalled MP and CoreAVC only. Same behavior...

I just don't know what else it could be! I don't understand how nobody else seems to have faced this, but I have run into two machines within a month and a half with this behavior .... Rotten luck, right?

Well, I'll keep trying I really hope I can figure out this with MP, because I like it so much better than Media Center!

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions so far, and if anyone else can think of anything to try please post them!

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Just out o0f interest, how is the pc connected to the tv, should not make a difference I know, its just so we have the full picture, no pun intended

The only time I have seen something similar, is when postprocessing with FFDShow has been enabled, but of course you did not even have that installed, so that blew that one straight out of the water.

The only codec pack I would recommend trying with is Vista codec pack by shark007, this has been known to correct registy problems, maybe worth a try, but I'm seriously steering towards ATI being the main culprit, just don't know why.