Automatic Refreshrate Changer (1 Viewer)

[AberDino]

Great work, I've been waiting for this feature for a long time. In my opinion, it is essential to be able to switch to the correct refresh rate in order to get the best picture quality. Quite often I demonstrate this to people by playing the start of 'The Day After Tomorrow', where chunks of ice make their way from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen at fairly high speed. Judder is all to clear if you're not using the correct refresh rate. No doubt the best way is to detect and switch refresh rate before the media starts playing. In the past, I've tried the refresh rate control plug-in + reclock and reclock + vbs script, with an without powerstrip and/or the ATI CCC. None of these worked without problems, essentially because they switched refresh rate after media playback had started, causing all sorts of issues. Last night I installed the latest SVN, and after that configured and installed the refresh rate changer files (overwrote the SVN's Core.dll and MediaPortal.exe files with the files included in the refresh rate changer package, don't know if that was needed). I tried a few mkv and avi files, and it is working great, thank you!


I have one question though for gibman, in your first post you say:

Blueray still uses the same powerdvd plugin along with manually activating refresh rates

I use this plugin too, but what do you use to manually switch refresh rates?

 

[edterbak]

Ok, I did a complet fresh install of OS and MP.
I tried this code in combination with the ATI Profiles.
When I first press play the resolution changes but the movie doesnt start playing. It ends up back in the menu again. The resolution stays changed, so the second time I press play the file does play full screen...
Is there any way to prevent the going back to menu part?

This is my setting in mediaportal.xml

<entry name="autochangerefreshrate">yes</entry>
<entry name="cinema_ext">c:\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Core-Static\\CLI.exe start Load profilename="24"</entry>
<entry name="pal_ext">c:\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Core-Static\\CLI.exe start Load profilename="50"</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_ext">c:\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Core-Static\\CLI.exe start Load profilename="60"</entry>
<entry name="tv_ext">c:\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Core-Static\\CLI.exe start Load profilename="50"</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">yes</entry>

 

[gibman]

can I see ur logs ?

and r u on XP or vista ?

/gibman

Ok, I did a complet fresh install of OS and MP.
I tried this code in combination with the ATI Profiles.
When I first press play the resolution changes but the movie doesnt start playing. It ends up back in the menu again. The resolution stays changed, so the second time I press play the file does play full screen...
Is there any way to prevent the going back to menu part?

This is my setting in mediaportal.xml

<entry name="autochangerefreshrate">yes</entry>
<entry name="cinema_ext">c:\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Core-Static\\CLI.exe start Load profilename="24"</entry>
<entry name="pal_ext">c:\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Core-Static\\CLI.exe start Load profilename="50"</entry>
<entry name="ntsc_ext">c:\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Core-Static\\CLI.exe start Load profilename="60"</entry>
<entry name="tv_ext">c:\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Core-Static\\CLI.exe start Load profilename="50"</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">yes</entry>

 

[edterbak]

Oh, sorry. forgot those. Im running XP in VMR9 exclusive mode with MPC mpeg2 + MPC videoDec

btw. just noticed that the mkv file doesnt play smoothly.. maybe some other issue is bugging me as well.

I started debug mode. went to my videos. Started Enchanted.mkv.

 

[gibman]

The current internal poll for keeping this feature stands at 4:1 (the '1' being myself) in favour of ditching the whole thing.
Im not sure if I am willing to make unofficial builds each week to support this thing.

I am thinking most team members are not using this feature at all (ex. running all at 50hz or similar).
As long as the whole thing is default disabled I personally don't see any dangers with this being included into SVN.

New features in MP1 are looked down upon a bit.

btw.
I had the "win32 API" way of changing the RR working.
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern int ChangeDisplaySettings(ref DEVMODE1 devMode, int flags);

This kills the need the for nvidia/ATI cmd lines from those not using pstrip.
It still does a device reset like it normally would when changing RR within windows.

/gibman

 

[gorman]

The current internal poll for keeping this feature stands at 4:1 (the '1' being myself) in favour of ditching the whole thing.
Im not sure if I am willing to make unofficial builds each week to support this thing.

I am thinking most team members are not using this feature at all (ex. running all at 50hz or similar).
As long as the whole thing is default disabled I personally don't see any dangers with this being included into SVN.

New features in MP1 are looked down upon a bit.

If it works and if it's disabled by default, what's the point in taking away something that works?

 

[thrawnarn]

Im not sure if I am willing to make unofficial builds each week to support this thing.

How about just the for the stable ones?

 

[edterbak]

Personally I think that this feature would be something that would set MediaPortal apart from every other MedieCenter software. Every audiophile/videophile would welcome this feature. Would be a shame it its not recognized as such. In my opinion the lack of proper video signals coming out of a HTPC it THE achillesheel of the entire HTPC. Compared to a simple dvd/hd-player or NMT (NetworkMediaTank) this is the only thing which is fundamentally different/flawed.

just my 2 cents..

 

[stoked]

The current internal poll for keeping this feature stands at 4:1 (the '1' being myself) in favour of ditching the whole thing.
Im not sure if I am willing to make unofficial builds each week to support this thing.

I am thinking most team members are not using this feature at all (ex. running all at 50hz or similar).
As long as the whole thing is default disabled I personally don't see any dangers with this being included into SVN.

New features in MP1 are looked down upon a bit.

btw.
I had the "win32 API" way of changing the RR working.
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern int ChangeDisplaySettings(ref DEVMODE1 devMode, int flags);

This kills the need the for nvidia/ATI cmd lines from those not using pstrip.
It still does a device reset like it normally would when changing RR within windows.

/gibman

That's unfortunate. This feature is awesome gibman! I'm hoping you can convince the devs to include it into the SVN disabled. Just like your SMB streaming option, it's really too bad both of these are not making it into the SVN and developed further.

 

[pvkleeff]

What I don't understand is why they want to ditch the whole thing.
You can also put the code in the svn's and leave it at that (so we still have to user powerstrip/ATI profiles, etc).
It's not that they have to actively develop anything for it (You already did that).

Especially if it's disabled by default it doesn't do any harm and for people like me who really want to use these options it's a big plus for MP.