ffdshow, xvid, TV- problems (3 Viewers)

[-Wake-]

MediaPortal Version: 0.2.0.0 (2006-07-03)
MediaPortal Skin: Razor
Windows Version: Windows XP (SP2)
.NET CLR Version: 2.0.50727
DirectX Version: 4.09.00.0904 (9.0c)
Audio Codec: Mostly AC3, but have tried them all...
Video Codec: NVidia PureVideo at the moment, but have tried them all...
CPU Type: Intel Core2 - 6400 @ 2.13GHz
Memory: 1 GB
Motherboard: P5B-Deluxe (ASUSTeK Computer INC.)
TV Card Model: firedtv DVB-C
TV Card Type: DVB
TV Card Driver: 4.2, firmware: 1.2.2
Video Card Model: Nvidia Geforce 7900 GS (512 MB)
Video Card Driver: 9.1.4.7
Video Card Resolution: 1280x720
Video Render Type: VMR9 or Overlay
Audio Card Model: SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio
Audio Card Driver: 5.10.1.4570
TV: Sanyo Z4
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI (TV) --> HDMI (Receiver) --> DVI (PC)

Hi,

Mediaportal's great, installed it on my new HTCP a few days ago. Everything else works smoothly except for three minor glitches...

1. ------------SOLVED-------------

I'd like to use ffdshow to post-process the image but it won’t work as it is supposed to. When I install ffdshow, should I tick all the options “Let ffdshow control divx, xvid…” ? If I do so, it’s automatically always ON, processing the image even though I haven’t selected “enable post-processing for ffdshow” in Mediaportal. If I don’t enable ffdshow to control these file types then it won’t start at all, even if I enable ffdshow from MP. (It’s easy to check if it is processing the image by enabling OSD from ffdshow) At the moment I’m using v. 20060821 of ffdshow, but I recall I had the same problem with version 20041012.


2. ------------SOLVED------------ THANKS!

Xvid files have a small rectangular box in the right bottom corner. Looks like watching trough thick glass. Strange? Using XviD 1.1.0 from www.xvid.org. This would probably be resolved by using divx to decode xvid (if possible?). But it should work with the xvid-codec anyway…


3.------------SOLVED------------ THANKS!

When using the TV some strange “bars” occur on some channels at the right most side of the screen. Most channels are ok. I think I read about this somewhere but I couldn’t find it again. Sorry if I double posted… I tried with different video decoders so it shouldn’t be the issue of this.

Fhhweehh… long post.. thanks in advance for any help!

 

[reagan+carter]

2.

Xvid files have a small rectangular box in the right bottom corner. Looks like watching trough thick glass. Strange? Using XviD 1.1.0 from www.xvid.org. This would probably be resolved by using divx to decode xvid (if possible?). But it should work with the xvid-codec anyway…

I use the genuine Koepi's Xvid codec 1.1 and I didn't ever notice anything like this. Does it occur with every xvid files you'd like to play?
BTW Divx does handle the XVID fourcc.

3.

When using the TV some strange “bars” occur on some channels at the right most side of the screen. Most channels are ok. I think I read about this somewhere but I couldn’t find it again. Sorry if I double posted… I tried with different video decoders so it shouldn’t be the issue of this.

If it happens on some channels only then it is apparently how it is originally broadcasted. I've already observed that kind of 'glitch' from some TV channels too. This thin border is not (usually) seen by most watchers who still use standard analog TV sets.
How big are those bars?

 

[SciDoctor]

1. Have you tried adding ffwdshow to the postprocessing filters in the main MP setup for TV etc

2. This may be an xvid codec watermark, try turning this off in the xvid settings for the codec.

3. The bars can be part of the actual broadcast, use the crop function to move out of view .

 

[-Wake-]

1.

Yes I've tried to add postprocessing to TV, video, DVD separately also. Didn't do any difference.. Don't know what's causing this behaviour. Is it by the way possible (assuming that I'll get this glitch fixed first) to have MP select different image presets for TV and DVDs from ffdshow (in ffdshow you can save different image settings depending on purpose)? For DVDs I'd need to set ffdshow up differently than for TV so did would be a nice feature if it would work somehow... Don't want to sharpen that uggly TV signal too much...

2.

The xvid codec which I'm using is the Koepi 1.1.0 version, and yes it happens with all xvid clips. I just installed windows xp, divx 6, ac3 codec, mediaportal and a few other apps No codec bundles... So my setup should be as "clean" as it can be, don't know what's causing it if it isn't the codec itself?

3.

Actually all channels have some kind of greyish frame around them. Just a few channels have some weird bigger bar on the right side. About 6cm thick. Did I mention I use a projector? I guess I just see a lot "outside" the actual stream. Got to crop the extra away then. Was just worried I wasn't seing the entire picture. Thanks for the advice.

 

[reagan+carter]

2.

The xvid codec which I'm using is the Koepi 1.1.0 version, and yes it happens with all xvid clips. I just installed windows xp, divx 6, ac3 codec, mediaportal and a few other apps No codec bundles... So my setup should be as "clean" as it can be, don't know what's causing it if it isn't the codec itself?

I don't know which one of Xvid or Dvix has the higher DirectShow 'merit' by default. If Dvix actually reads your Xvid's then there is (using factory defaults) a small watermark visible in the bottom-right hand corner of the screen.

3.

Actually all channels have some kind of greyish frame around them. Just a few channels have some weird bigger bar on the right side. About 6cm thick. Did I mention I use a projector? I guess I just see a lot "outside" the actual stream. Got to crop the extra away then. Was just worried I wasn't seing the entire picture. Thanks for the advice.

6cms on your projected video? It obvioulsy depends on the size of your wall/projection surface Less than 20px is quite frequent for channel dependent artifacts.
You'd better try to experiment with a monitor screen first and then calibrate your video projector.

My 2 quids/bucks/euros worth.

 

[-Wake-]

Aaah,

ronald+jimmy you were right. I think my xvid problem was related to the divx codec. Well not actually, but maybe in the encoding process. The artifact was at the presice place where the divx logo appears. (I enabled the logo to check). It seems as it is encoded in the video, and all xvids I tried was encoded the same way. Tried another xvid and it was fine. Divx did the encoding though. Disabled "support decoding of generic MPEG-4 video" in divx conf. and now xvid does the job! THANX

Still have the ffdshow problem. Anyone who has a working setup? Using ffdshow with i.e. DVD and not TV? Mine is just ON or OF on all, video, dvd and tv...

 

[-Wake-]

1.

Got this problem solved. Uninstalled ffdshow (20060821) and installed the older one (the version mentioned on MP's web). Then when I installed ffdshow I unchecked support for all codecs (can be done from the codec configuration also, but this way it worked at least). This way it only gets activated when selected from MP!!

Last question: anyone who knows if possible to setup MP to use different video setting presets from ffdshow?