[Beta - Update 2013/08/09] MP3D - Render 3D videos via MediaPortal! (2 Viewers)

[Pontus Berg]

I have fully working 3D with my LG TV. Side by side screens converted to 3D by a function in the TV so I didn't need to do anything myself - it's all there. Trouble is the subtitles. Pressing the 3D button on the remote of course corrupts the subtitles totally when the twin screen with 2G rendered subs are shown in 3d.

Is this the plugin to use if I want to watch 3D (and having the Tv do the dual -> 3D) with working subtitles?

Also; a plugin updated about a year ago doesn't seem to be in active update mode, while still marked as beta. Any comments on that?

 

[ScRePt]

Hello to you too!

Side by side = 3d. Your TV does not do any 3d conversion or sth magic! It just shows one side of the video on each frame.
Yes, if you want 3d subtitles or the video has letterbox that you want to get rid of, then the plugin is of use to you.

The plugin was updated a year ago because there was nothing to update! If there is need for new features or bug fixing, I will update it.
Also, the beta flag will probably be removed in the next release.

 

[PontusBerg]

The LG screen can do several sorts of 3D rendering based on the format for the source, but the films I have tested are so far only side by side. If the HTCP set-up can do the screen flipping and maintaining the 3D this way and the plugin that does it was mature enough to not need updates ina year, it's for sure a mature 1.0. Many thanks for this and thumps up for your work, dude!

 

[ScRePt]

Thanks, try it and let us know if sth does not work for you.
Not pushing updates could imply that people do not use it/report bugs or it would mean that it is mature. dunno yet.

 

[Collective]

Not pushing updates could imply that people do not use it/report bugs or it would mean that it is mature. dunno yet.

Don't know about anyone else, but I gave up with this plugin because my suggestions were totally ignored, and because of this post

Just to be clear.
If you use this plugin you have to disable DXVA in your codecs configuration. Since this plugin adds a post-processing filter in the chain you cannot have DXVA.
So i am pretty sure half of the people complaining that it doesn't work are using a DXVA codec.

I don't know who would want to disable DXVA for entire Mediaportal playback. Post-processing filters can quite easily and successfully be added to DXVA codecs, why should we disable DXVA just for this plugin?

so, I would say no updates because it doesn't work as expected and people stopped trying to use it.

 

[ScRePt]

ok,man. Fair enough. BUT: There is an issue tracker on the project page on codeplex. It is empty. This means that either people do not care or there are no problems. I wouldn't know. I know it works for me and I am happy with that!

The plugin does not apply the filters itself. If you insist that MediaPortal can apply the post-processing filters on DXVA please try the following:
1. Disable MP3D
2. Manually add the 3dtv.at filter as post-processing
3. Configure it from sbs to top/bottom or sth.
4. Set DXVA
5. Run MP and render a 3d video.
6. Stop it, start it, fast-forward it, skip it, try again with an other 3d video.
7. If everything works ok, then it is sth wrong with the plugin. Otherwise, we can discuss other alternatives ...
Plus: If it is sth wrong with the plugin that means that it MAY be fixable. MP is not designed to allow adding filters on-the-fly. That is not sth I can fix!

But please keep in mind that: works as expected <> works as designed !!!

PS: I do not even know what DXVA is and I do not care. If people want it, I can try to support it. But people that want it need to help out by other means than coding ...

Cheers!

 

[Collective]

I am not a coder, so I don't post on codeplex. I would hope that problems and issues reported would make their way there by coders

DXVA = DirectX Video Acceleration.... ie. hardware video accelerated playback rather than software
DXVA free's the CPU from decoding video and leaves if free for post processing filters to use the CPU
All major codecs support DXVA, from FFDshow to MPC-HC to Core codec and powerdvd's codecs and LAV filters. MediaPortal itself has been running on MPC-HC's codecs for a while by default with DXVA. Why should we be forced to switch this feature off for all video playback for this one plugin?

firstly, there are many 3dtv.at filters. These are the ones listed as available. There is no one 3dtv.at filter
3dtv.at Audio Stream Switcher
3dtv.at Effect Renderer
3dtv.at Effect Source
3dtv.at JPEG2000 Video Decoder
3dtv.at Null Video Renderer
3dtv.at Stereo Image Source
3dtv.at Stereo Image Renderer
3dtv.at Stereo Transformation
3dtv.at Stereo Windows Media Source
3dtv.at Stream Control

Your plugin is meant to create the correct filter chain with the needed filters, just adding one is not enough and your plugin is meant to enable/disable the function. We don't want it enabled for all playback.

But, I manually added 3dtv.at Stereo Transformation filter anyway, set it up, and it does have in it's performance options, multi-core optimisations, use SSE2 AND....... use DXVA2, so there is no reason for it to require DXVA be disabled, but this filter alone will not playback 3d properly. Even outside MP, you need several of these filters in a chain to get it working

Here is the filter list when playing from stereoscopic player directly (as an example, on this computer, not my HTPC)
3dtv.at Stereo Renderer
In connected to 3dtv.at Stereo Transformation (RGB, 32 bpp, 1 x 1920 x 800, 24:5)
DirectSound Audio Renderer
Audio Input pin (rendered) connected to 3dtv.at Audio Stream Switcher (PCM IEEE float, 6 ch, 48000 Hz, 32 bits)
3dtv.at Stereo Transformation
Input 1 connected to 3dtv.at AVC/MVC Decoder (by CoreCodec) (YV12, 12 bpp, 3840 x 800, 24:5, 23.976 fps, progressive)
Subpicture Input not connected
Output 1 connected to 3dtv.at Stereo Renderer (RGB, 32 bpp, 1 x 1920 x -800, 24:5)
3dtv.at Audio Stream Switcher
Input 1 connected to Microsoft DTV-DVD Audio Decoder (PCM IEEE float, 6 ch, 48000 Hz, 32 bits)
Input 2 not connected
Output connected to DirectSound Audio Renderer (PCM IEEE float, 6 ch, 48000 Hz, 32 bits)
3dtv.at AVC/MVC Decoder (by CoreCodec)
AVC connected to 3dtv.at MP4 Source (by MPC-HC) (MPEG2, 3840 x 800, 24:5, 23.976 fps)
Output 1 connected to 3dtv.at Stereo Transformation (YV12, 12 bpp, 3840 x 800, 24:5, 23.976 fps, progressive)
Microsoft DTV-DVD Audio Decoder
XForm In connected to 3dtv.at MP4 Source (by MPC-HC) (AAC, 6 ch, 24000 Hz, 16 bits)
XFrom Out connected to 3dtv.at Audio Stream Switcher (PCM IEEE float, 6 ch, 24000 Hz, 32 bits)
3dtv.at MP4 Source (by MPC-HC)
Output 1 connected to 3dtv.at AVC/MVC Decoder (by CoreCodec) (MPEG2, 3840 x 800, 24:5, 23.976 fps)
GPAC ISO Audio Handler connected to Microsoft DTV-DVD Audio Decoder (AAC, 6 ch, 24000 Hz, 16 bits)
Output 3 (eng) not connected


MP has an option for automatic codec settings. It's here

This allows you to set codec prefs outside of MP and allow custom filter chains. I already use it to allow DXVA codecs to decode video, and depending on the type of video, use ffdshow to upscale, clean up older noisy video or cleanup compression artifacts, different settings for different types of video depending on size, codec, etc.

I did make the suggestion of reading an SVI file, where the 3d settings for every video can be read. This is part of the stereoscopic player program to create SVI files so that the video will automatically load with the correct settings everytime. But, this idea was dismissed, instead making you re-setup every 3d video in the plugin and let the plugin remember it. Setting SVI as a filetype in MP would have been a great way to separate 2d and 3d playback.

So, I'm left to load 3d video in powerdvd. Stereoscopic player doesn't respond to remote control settings and does not playback subtitles. It would have been nice to have a plugin that can be turned on and off, within MP but I will not sacrifice DXVA and more for it.

It's a shame, it could have been a good plugin. Perhaps you could get some more skilled coders to take over.

 

[ScRePt]

Thanks for your feedback man. Here are my comments:

1. Codeplex is the issue tracker for this project. Please report bugs/features there
2. Your "filter list" starts with "3dtv.at Stereo Renderer". That is a Renderer that is not supported by MP. It is not a filter. The plugin can not help.
3. Just adding 1 more filter is enough. It works for me at least. The plugin also "illegally" enables/disables the function, ie MP does not allow this. The other filters in the chain are automatically loaded by MP. No need for the plugin to change sth.
4. I am not aware of the "Automatic Decoder Settings" thingy. Does it break MP3D? (not in the case of DXVA). I do not follow why you mentioned it.
5. The SVI file could be supported in the future. It is not dismissed. Needs some research: There are numerus other ways of storing 3D information ... What would happen to users without SVI files? To users without "write-access" to the video folder? Should MP3D settings override the SVI? What about metadata in mkv containers? Shouldn't the plugin also "guess" the source format from the filename? Dude, it's not that simple ... trust me, I want that feature too!
5. What do you "Sacrifice" appart from DXVA? Please let me know. Would it be acceptable if the DXVA turned-off during 3d? I BET that's "illegal" in MP too but I can try!
6. The whole plugin SHOULD NOT be a plugin. It does too many "illegal" things ... It started as a PoC and MP could embrace it as build-in feature ....

.. and about the "shame" + "skilled coders" + "take over": I think I was nice to you. Please ...

 

[Collective]

ok... a few points..... first, please don't call me man or dude, I am female (my avatar of 7 of 9 I thought was a dead giveaway)

2 - the filter list I said was an example playing it directly from stereoscopic player.
3 - You cannot just add 1 filter to say MPC-HC or MP and have it work, I've tried.
4 - automatic codec settings lets mediaportal run off the codecs set up in windows via directshow merit, meaning you can change renderes and filter etc
5 - since stereoscopic player is a requirement for this plugin to work, why rewrite the wheel with configuring 3d settings when SVI is part of the required program. Having the option doesn't mean using it is compulsory
5(a) DXVA should not have to be disabled at all since the option to use DXVA is built into the 3dtv.at filters. But if you HAVE to disable it, the doing so ONLY when playing 3d files would be preferable

".. and about the "shame" + "skilled coders" + "take over": I think I was nice to you. Please ..."
I was being nice too. You stated in previous conversations that you were new to coding and you yourself mentioned perhaps letting more skilled coders take over, and not knowing (or caring) what DXVA is just reinforced this.

I still think it's a shame that a plugin to make 3d work in MP doesn't seem to work

 

[ScRePt]

2. I am just saying that if DXVA needs 3dtv.at Renderer, do not get your hopes up until MP (or somebody) supports the renderer
3. MP3D adds only 1 filter ... anyway. The problem is probably the renderer ...
4. Automatic Codec Settings: And above that, MP itself applies the post processing filters? MP3D should work. I do not get the reason of discussing this.
5. 3dtv.at Stereoscopic Player is not prerequisite. It's filter is. (just a dll). To proove it: eventhough I have a license of the player, I do not even use it. So *I* do not have SVI files. Still this needs more investigation and I responded just to "proove" that it was not rejected/dismissed.

I am not new to coding. 3 years ago I was new to *MP* coding. I've been coding since 1997 in more than 10 different languages. I do not know C++ and maybe I mentioned sth misleading before.
The point of "I do not care" means that the plugin should not do DXVA. It should just plug some filters. If there is some way of making it work via GraphEdit without 3dtv.at Renderer ... pleeease share it.

* did not check your avatar and I am sorry, lady!