DScaler no longer working - alternatives? (1 Viewer)

[BugsBunny]

MediaPortal Version: 1.1 RC1
MediaPortal Skin: Blue3 wide
Windows Version: XP Pro SP3
CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
HDD: 1) OCZ Vertex 30GB 2)WD RE4 GP 2TB
Memory: 2 x 2048MB Kingston DIMM 4GB PC2-6400
Motherboard: ASUS P5B-E
Video Card: Point of View GeForce 9500GT 512MB
Video Card Driver: ForceWare 196.21
Sound Card: ESI Juli@
Sound Card AC3: ESI Juli@
Sound Card Driver: v1.23
1. TV Card: FloppyDTV DVB-C/CI
1. TV Card Type: DVB-C
1. TV Card Driver: 5.2.N BETA
2. TV Card: FloppyDTV DVB-S2
2. TV Card Type: DVB-S2
2. TV Card Driver: 5.2.N BETA
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec: CoreAVC 185
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Astra 19.2°E/Hotbird 13°E
HTPC Case: Zalman HD160
Cooling: Noctua NH-U9F / Noctua NC-U6 / NF-R8
Power Supply: Seasonic SS-301HT
Remote: MCE over IRTrans
TV: Sharp Aquos LC-46 XD1E
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI

With MP 1.1 RC1 DScaler seems to be no longer working in TV. It was the only mpeg2 codec I knew that was working correctly with the aspect ratio flag in SD channels. For example a SD channel transmits commercials in anamorph 16:9 and then goes back to a program that is in 4:3, DScaler correctly switched the aspect ratio to from 16:9 to 4:3. Now that DScaler no longer works with MediaPortal what alternatives to correctly switch the aspect ratio for these cases? Tried PDVD7, ffdshow and the Gabest filter and all fail to do so. Maybe there's a way to configure ffdshow to handle this correctly? What codec is able to do this?

It's quite sad that DScaler no longer works - besides the ability to correctly switch the aspect ratio it also had a superb video quality.

If I can't get the aspect ratio problem fixed I'll go back to 1.02 since DScaler still worked there. This problem is a showstopper for me

 

[el Filou]

I'm using ATI's AVIVO decoder for TV (SD) and it detects and switches aspect ratio just fine.
However it might be a bit less smart than DScaler when it comes to detecting film-sourced content and forcing Weave.

 

[Evzen]

Second that...
How comes that nobody else is bothered by the Gabest's unability to switch AR correctly? :-O
If it can't handle such BASIC functionality, then it's of no use...

 

[Boony]

I've got the same issue. I had to resort to the Microsoft MPEG-2 decoder to watch TV

When I use the other codecs 1 of my tv channels doesn't display correctly.

 

[BugsBunny]

With the nvidia PureVideo decoder I got it working, but in my opinion DScaler is still the best quality codec for mpeg2.
Anyway had to switch back to MP 1.0.2 on my "productive system"
There have been other issues with 1.1 RC1 for me and WAF also was down for 1.1 RC1

 

[samundsen]

I also could not get DScaler to work in 1.1RC1, so I had to resort to my backup solution of using Zoom Player as external player. No other mpeg2 codec seem to approach DScaler in pure picture quality. Other codecs are soft and blurry in comparison, and it's the only codec I can stomach watching DVDs with on the HTPC. In addition, 1.1RC1 introduced the problem of not launching external player when playing .ts files (I don't even use the TV part of MP), so I had to rename all my .ts files to something else. Fortunately Zoom Player can be configured to play pretty much anything.

 

[hoborg]

Becouse MePo will no longer blacklist FFDshow MPEG-2 decoder to be used for LiveTV, i am writing this post.
I am using this decoder for LiveTV 1/2 of the year now (but not in MP - i am on GB-PVR)
Let me share my experience - i went thrue all kind of MPEG-2 decoders and end of FFDshow. PDVD, Dscaler, Elecard, Gabest,... (not remember them all)
No one fit my need until i tryed FFDshow+NV12 output.

I didnt hit any problem since i use it. One week ago i finaly got DVB-t and AR is changing correctly for me, i was on analog signal before.
As advanced fetures i am using Crop to remove black borders and Picture propherties to make black black.
Thanks to NV12 output, GPU will do deinterlacing, so thanks to VA deinterlaciong, it is perfect.
As a bonus this decoder works great for DVDs too.
Only issue can be no DXVA support, but who cares? FFDshow use ~10% CPU on Intel Atom here do decode MPEG-2 - i didnt see any problem with that.
One can say what about 50i->25p reduction? Well, no problem for me.
Last think i cannot try myself if SD - HD - SD channel swap, becouse i have no acces to any HD channel yet...