Automatic Refreshrate Changer (1 Viewer)

[gibman]

U need at least VGA, component or DVI for this.

/gibman

hi everybody,

it think this plugin might be the solution to my stuttering issues, but sadly it isn't really working for me

first of all:
i've been using vista media center for some time and recently switched to mediaportal. but until now vmc was the only piece of software that could provide stutterfree playback of divx/xvid content on my tv but only when used in fullscreenmode. when vmc was started it somehow changed the refreshrate of my tv and gave me stutterfree playback. any other player and even vmc in windowmode resulted in stuttering playback (interval of about 1second).
since i have the same problem with mediaportal now, i gave this plugin a shoot (or rather a few shoots) but without success ;(

my system configuration:
AMD Athlon X2 3800
2Gb Ram
nforce4 Ultra MoBo with realtek ac97 onboard sound (using latest drivers for chipset and sound)
ATI Radeon X1800XT 512mb (using catalyst 8.10)
Monitor: Samsung 226BW (at 1680x1050 - 60Hz)
Monitor2: 32" 100hz widescreen TV connected via svhs tv-out (at 25i hz - 1024x768) - extended desktop - used for mediaplayback / mediaportal
mediaportal 1.0 rc3 with 0.61 of this plugin - using evr
latest ffdshow tryouts for movie audio / videorendering (tried different versions)

my current config:
<entry name="autochangerefreshrate">yes</entry>
<entry name="notify_on_refreshrate">yes</entry>
<entry name="cinema_ext">C:\\dc.exe -monitor=\\.\DISPLAY2 -refresh=24 -force -quiet -apply</entry>
<entry name="pal_ext">C:\\dc.exe -monitor=\\.\DISPLAY2 -refresh=25 -force -quiet -apply</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_ext">C:\\dc.exe -monitor=\\.\DISPLAY2 -refresh=30 -force -quiet -apply</entry>
<entry name="tv_ext">C:\\dc.exe -monitor=\\.\DISPLAY2 -refresh=25 -force -quiet -apply</entry>
<entry name="cinema_fps">23.976;24</entry>
<entry name="pal_fps">25</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_fps">29.97;30</entry>
<entry name="tv_fps">25</entry>
<entry name="cinema_hz">24</entry>
<entry name="pal_hz">50</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_hz">60</entry>
<entry name="tv_hz">50</entry>
<entry name="default_hz">pal_hz</entry>
<entry name="use_default_hz">yes</entry>
<entry name="devicereset">no</entry>
<entry name="force_refresh_rate">no</entry>

i played around with different cominations of devicereset and forcerefreshrate with no success.

when i play a movie/tv series in mp it starts up fine and almost stutterfree but when i try to play another movie i get a blank screen. switching back to mp gui sometimes leads to a flickering screen or crash. if the gui doesnt start flickering or crashes my dvd covers and series banners are missing.

without the plugin mediaportal runs flawlessly - exept for the stuttering issues

any hint what i might be doing wrong ? i this plugin even supposed to work with tv out ?

thanks in advance

 

[sloth]

Hi there,
first of all: this plugin is great! Exactly what was missing. Unfortunately it doesn't work for me. I am using dc.exe to change the refresh rate and on its own it works fine. However, when I activate the plugin in the mediaportal.xml most of my videos don't play anymore and the screen returns to the movie selection within mediaportal. The videos that start playing do so without the refresh rate being changed. I don't see any notification as well.
This is my configuration:
<entry name="autochangerefreshrate">yes</entry>
<entry name="notify_on_refreshrate">yes</entry>
<entry name="cinema_ext">C:\Windows\System32\dc.exe -refresh=72 -apply -quiet</entry>
<entry name="pal_ext">C:\Windows\System32\dc.exe -refresh=75 -apply -quiet</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_ext">C:\Windows\System32\dc.exe -refresh=60 -apply -quiet</entry>
<entry name="cinema_fps">23.976;24</entry>
<entry name="pal_fps">25</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_fps">29.97;30</entry>
<entry name="cinema_hz">72</entry>
<entry name="pal_hz">75</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_hz">60</entry>
<entry name="tv_hz">75</entry>
<entry name="default_hz">pal_hz</entry>
<entry name="use_default_hz">yes</entry>
<entry name="devicereset">yes</entry>

Any help would be appreciated. This feature puts mediaportal once again on top of all the competitors.
Thanks in advance.

 

[edterbak]

<entry name="cinema_ext">C:\Windows\System32\dc.exe -refresh=72 -apply -quiet</entry>

THis should be:
<entry name="cinema_ext">C:\\Windows\\System32\\dc.exe -refresh=72 -apply -quiet</entry>

Hope this works for you.

btw. more info about your system is welcome. ATI / NVidia. Did you copy the dc.exe in the folder which you describe above?
WHat codec are you using.. etc.
Do you know for sure the mentioned refreshrates are supported by your tv?

 

[sloth]

Thanks so much! Working now. However, when I start a video that requires the refresh rate to be changed the rate is changed and I get the notice. Then it goes back to the video list so I have to start it again. No big deal but I thought I'd mention it.
Somehow th plugin seems to remove video enties from the MyTV-Series plugin after I have watched them.
I am using Vista 32 and G45 graphics.
Thanks and congratulations for this plugin again.

 

[edterbak]

Somehow th plugin seems to remove video enties from the MyTV-Series plugin after I have watched them.

Crap.. I have this as well. I thought I messed up my computer again because my 2nd ATI card I received 2 weeks ago just stopped working. But if you have this vanishing of TV Series entries as well, maybe its a bug.

@ Gibman
Is there any way that the latest version of your beautiful refreshrate changer is able to delete all the entries in MyTV-Series??
Using v 0.61 With the appropriate RC3 + SVN

 

[VoGoD]

Great, loardcane! It works. Thank you a lot. Nevertheless, I have a litte problem. When I want to play a video I have to select it (press enter) 3 times to play it. It doesn't start at first. I will continue reading this forum to see if anyone else has had the same problem. Perhaps I have to disable the "devicereset". I will tell you if I succeed in it.

By the way, thanks a lot, gibman. Without you I don't know how we would be viewing o...u..r films (I wanted to simulate a judder effect XD).

It works perfectly! I put "no" at devicereset option and Mediaportal works perfectly. If I select a video it starts at once (I don't have to press enter 3 times XD).

Thx again everybody and, especially, to loardcane and gibman!

 

[Slurm]

Has anyone else seen problems with myTVSeries?

When I use <use_default_hz> there are no images (episodes and seasons) and sometimes no text after returning back from an episode with another RR as default_hz.

 

[tourettes]

Has anyone else seen problems with myTVSeries?

When I use <use_default_hz> there are no images (episodes and seasons) and sometimes no text after returning back from an episode with another RR as default_hz.

Check your logs if the refresh rate change triggers the device reset. If yes then I guess this is causing some textures to be unloaded.

 

[Slurm]

Ok, here is the part of the log when I stop playing the media:

2008-11-11 20:19:51.442435 [Info.][MPMain]: VideoPlayer:ended C:\Serien\Akte-X\Akte-X 8x21.avi
2008-11-11 20:19:51.442435 [Info.][MPMain]: VideoPlayer9:cleanup DShow graph
2008-11-11 20:19:51.458060 [Info.][MPMain]: state:Stopped 0
2008-11-11 20:19:51.458060 [Debug][MPMain]: VMR9: Dispose
2008-11-11 20:19:51.458060 [Debug][MPMain]: VMR9: Inactive
2008-11-11 20:19:51.458060 [Debug][MPMain]: PlaneScene: PresentImage() dispose surfaces
2008-11-11 20:19:51.458060 [Debug][MPMain]: PlaneScene: PresentImage() dispose surfaces
2008-11-11 20:19:51.458060 [Info.][MPMain]: VMR9: ReleaseComObject(): 0
2008-11-11 20:19:51.458060 [Debug][MPMain]: PlaneScene: PresentImage() dispose surfaces
2008-11-11 20:19:51.645560 [Info.][MPMain]: VideoPlayerVMR9: Disabling DX9 exclusive mode
2008-11-11 20:19:51.645560 [Info.][MPMain]: Main: Received DX exclusive mode switch message. Fullscreen && maximized == False
2008-11-11 20:19:51.645560 [Debug][MPMain]: Main: Goto windowed mode: False
2008-11-11 20:19:51.645560 [Debug][MPMain]: D3D: Switch to windowed mode - Playing media: False
2008-11-11 20:19:51.739310 [Debug][MPMain]: D3D: Switched to windowed mode successfully
2008-11-11 20:19:51.739310 [Info.][MPMain]:   fonts.SetDevice()
2008-11-11 20:19:51.739310 [Info.][MPMain]: g_Player changing back refreshrate to 30hz
2008-11-11 20:19:51.739310 [Info.][MPMain]: g_Player running external job in order to change refreshrate c:\\displaychanger\\dc.exe -refresh=60 -apply -quiet
2008-11-11 20:19:51.879935 [Info.][MPMain]: g_Player running external job completed
2008-11-11 20:19:51.879935 [Debug][MPMain]: Windowmanager: Goto previous window
2008-11-11 20:19:51.879935 [Info.][MPMain]: No translation found for id 109811
2008-11-11 20:19:51.879935 [Debug][MPMain]: Window: MediaPortal.GUI.Video.GUIVideoFullscreen deinit
2008-11-11 20:19:51.879935 [Debug][MPMain]: TextureManager: CleanupThumbs()
2008-11-11 20:19:51.895560 [Info.][MPMain]: No translation found for id 109811
2008-11-11 20:19:51.895560 [Debug][MPMain]: Window: WindowPlugins.GUITVSeries.TVSeriesPlugin init
2008-11-11 20:19:51.911185 [Debug][MPMain]: Action : MediaPortal.GUI.Library.Action
2008-11-11 20:19:51.911185 [Warn.][MPMain]: Main: ***** OnDeviceLost *****
2008-11-11 20:19:51.911185 [Info.][MPMain]: Main: Device lost - Fehler in der Anwendung.
-2005530520 (D3DERR_DEVICELOST)
   bei Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Device.PresentInternal(tagRECT* sourceRectangle, tagRECT* destRectangle, IntPtr overrideWindow)
   bei Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Device.PresentInternal(tagRECT* sourceRectangle, tagRECT* destRectangle, Control overrideWindow)
   bei Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Device.Present()
   bei MediaPortalApp.Render(Single timePassed)
2008-11-11 20:19:51.942435 [Debug][MPMain]: d3dapp: RecoverDevice called
2008-11-11 20:19:51.942435 [Debug][MPMain]: d3dapp: DeviceNotResetException
2008-11-11 20:19:51.942435 [Warn.][MPMain]: d3dapp: Resetting DX9 device

Does this mean it resets the device even if I have <entry name="devicereset">no</entry> in my xml? And what about the DirectX error?

 

[olavm]

Finally took the upgrade to RC3. RC2 was untouched for a month, can you believe it. This is the best addition of features in MP since the Blu-ray plugin. Using a nvidia 9400gt-card and dc.exe i also needed to set displayreset to no and now it works fine without hitting the movie 3 times before it starts.

It's probably suggested before, but is it possible to have to display rate info OSD as a timed OSD window and not that needs to manually closed?

Again, many thanks for this effort!