Automatic Refreshrate Changer (4 Viewers)

[5Hundred]

This a note for those wishing to use this plugin and ATI profiles, i have it working within Vista without using a device reset and changing the resolution as well as the refresh rate.

Took a while but the problem i could see ocurring was that the video was playing too soon after the screen changed, this resulted in a never ending cycle where the video would stop and the screen would return to the default hz, then try to start the movie, change the screen res and repeat until something would have probably gone up in smoke.

So what solved the problem was using a cmd file to change the ATI profile and into that cmd file i built in a wait period of just a few seconds (using this exe Wait.exe)

This gives enough time for the screen to change before starting the movie/video clip/dvd etc

I put the cmd files (one for each res/rate) into my ATI folder i.e. c:\program files\ati technologies\ati.ace\core-static (and also the wait.exe and a file called mauraus.exe more of which below) and then used the refresh rate changer to use them to change the res/refresh rate.

An example of my 24fps.cmd file is

********************

CLI.exe start Load profilename="CinemaProfile"
wait 4
mausraus.exe

******************************

This changes my ati profile to cinema rate of 24fps and a resolution that my TV supports at that frequency, then it waits for 4 seconds, then it sends the mouse cursor to the bottom right of the screen. I included the last exe as i was getting a cursor showing briefly on screen every time a resolution changed, this got rid of that. Because Automatic refresh rate changer waits to play the movie\clip\dvd until the cmd file has finished (thankyou for this feature!) it completes all 3 tasks successfully and now plays perfectly.

To make life simpler might I suggest that it might be worth giving us the option to put in the mediaportal.xml a "wait for this number of seconds before playing media" setting which we could specify a time. This might help others who have issues with this plugin (i may of course be the only one with this problem).

My mediaportal.xml settings currently for this plugin are as follows

<entry name="autochangerefreshrate">yes</entry>
<entry name="notify_on_refreshrate">no</entry>
<entry name="cinema_ext">c:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\24.cmd</entry>
<entry name="pal_ext">c:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\tv.cmd</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_ext">c:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\ntsc.cmd</entry>
<entry name="tv_ext">c:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\tv.cmd</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 hope this might give some food for thought or help someone out, thanks for a great plugin!

 

[frenzy]

I have this issue now:

When I change to 24HZ, my movies don't appear full screen anymore but just a part of it on the left of the screen, like "windowed" Also the taskbar is shown... Please advise, I don't find it..

When I press stop, it goes back to fullscreen..

edit: This is because of the change of VSYNC options; so frenzy's advice gives me problems.

Does anybody know how to force 1280 X 720 @ 24HZ to my HD3200 graphics card??

Ati drivers... you never know what an option change might do lol. Sorry mate, I get similar problems using AA with MP, but VSync works like a charm with the RR feature.

-I would like to propose an option added in the .xml -just something that annoys me a little: The refresh rate display stays on screen for four seconds, is it possible to change it to two? After you get used to it 4 seconds seem a little long. Just a thought.

Thanks again for this

 

[tourettes]

To make life simpler might I suggest that it might be worth giving us the option to put in the mediaportal.xml a "wait for this number of seconds before playing media" setting which we could specify a time. This might help others who have issues with this plugin (i may of course be the only one with this problem).

When running MP under Vista there isn't any need for such option (XP is maybe a different case). In Vista MP uses DirectX9Ex that virtualizes GPU and for example changing refresh rate should be invisible for MP. So, there might be some bug in the gibman's code (If I remember correctly he's using XP).

Basicly there should be only two things be done on Vista when changing refresh rate.

1) call something to change the refresh rate
2) start video playback

even the order doesnt matter, and that can be checked by following steps (make sure that RR is disabled)

1) start video playback (MP in windowed mode, makes next step easier)
2) change refresh rate from display properties

Video playback might be having few glitches during the refresh rate change, but it shouldnt stop like it does under XP

 

[Justchill]

- What is RR?

Anybody has the solution for audio/video sync problems @24Hz

 

[akiaki]

rr=refresh rate

I noticed I only have sync problems with DTS files while DolbyDigital play lip sync perfect... I have to look into that and probably uninstall ac3filter..

 

[Aurora13]

I have this issue now:
-I would like to propose an option added in the .xml -just something that annoys me a little: The refresh rate display stays on screen for four seconds, is it possible to change it to two? After you get used to it 4 seconds seem a little long. Just a thought.

Thanks again for this

Please no! My plasma screen needs 3 sec to switch the frequency, so I only see it for 1 sec.

Or maybe I can use the wait.exe program to wait 3 sec after switching frequency, I think that will be a better option because otherwise I miss a few sec of the start of the movie!

 

[frenzy]

No, I would just like to be able to configure the time to my needs not change it for everybody... My ego is not that big lol

 

[5Hundred]

tourettes I'm also changing the resolution, i posted a while back why but suffice to say that its essential for me. I think its this that causes my issues rather than simply changing the refresh rate. Its also why i have to use ATI profiles.

It did work fine when devicereset was set to yes on an earlier version but it looks like support for this feature has stopped. (is it worth having this option in the XML anymore as if i use it the movie will not play first time?)

As i said this works fine for me, and i'm glad my post has developed a wee bit of discussion, who knows maybe the device reset option will come back to life!
Thanks

 

[Bushwacka]

problem solved

 

[AberDino]

So what solved the problem was using a cmd file to change the ATI profile and into that cmd file i built in a wait period of just a few seconds (using this exe Wait.exe)

This gives enough time for the screen to change before starting the movie/video clip/dvd etc

Thank you 5Hundred, this was exactly what I needed to make this plugin work for my setup!