ViewModeSwitcher plugin (Version 0.3) (15 Viewers)

[2BitSculptor]

I think the plugin is a great idea... except.... I have at this time only a 4:3 TV.

I have the same issue with switching zoom modes, but the other way. My local broadcast stations that are sending ATSC use different formats, some 4:3 SD, some 4:3 SD in 16:9 HD aspect (black on sides), 16:9 HD, and of course the infamous 16:9 in 4:3 SD in 16:9 HD aspect (black on sides AND top/bottom)

Is there perchance a possibility to adapt this plugin for us saps still in the stone-age?

... maybe set a toggle to test the left and right sides for black, instead of top and bottom, for 4:3 displays.

If the test is true (black on sides) then use ZOOM, if false, use Normal. That way, if it is 4:3 SD or 16:9 HD it will play as Normal, anything else will be Zoom.



Chuck

 

[nickastaldo]

This seems promising, but how do you install it?

Thanks for any help

 

[Monchi]

just hit enter (double click) the *.mpi file

 

[tatus]

Hi Gemx,

I keep having problems with aspect ratio using the Nvidia decoder. Dscaler works nice but has flicker problems. I have a 4:3 setup. Do you think it may be worth trying your plugin in my case as well? I just want to make sure that all content is displayed with the correct aspect ratio, so a ball is always a ball and not an ellipse

Regards
Frank

 

[lkuech]

Hi tatus.

I guess my plugin will not improve much in you case. The plugin does not change a zoom mode or change the show aspect ratio. It just reacts on the change of the "source" aspect ratio and chooses the best out of the already available zoom modes.
If your ball is an ellipse ... than you have to use the configuration wizard that is provided by MediaPortal itself. There is a small rectangle that you have to configure to appear as a square...

CU
Lars

 

[tatus]

Hi Lars,

its not a configuration issue, it is a bug in MediaPortal that has appeared several months ago. I had made a post (https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/bugreports-tv-server-client-85/wrong-aspect-ratio-fixed-33552/). It is reading "fixed", but it is not. I have just checked with a recent SVN a week ago.

In short, the DVB'received ball is a ball, it remains a ball in the .TS file. It even remains a ball when I play back the .TS file in Mediaportal (!). The funny thing: it's a ball in MP as well, but when I switch to another channel and then switch back, it becomes an ellipse. This happens with Nvidia and WinDVD decoder. With Dscaler, the aspect ratio is correct but I have strong flicker that disappears after some minutes (the decoder seems to sync with an adaptive algorithm).

Regards
Frank

 

[lkuech]

Ok... thats funny (Well, I know... it is not).... I use the PowerDvd codec and never experienced such an issue...

 

[tatus]

When I read all that about balls and ellipses ;-)

I don't have PowerDVD :-/ this is the only decoder that I haven't tried yet.

I am currently waiting for TVE3 become stable again, and then check again and test your plugin. As soon as I will have a widescreen TV I will appreciate it anyway

 

[illStyle]

Hey lkuech,

thanks for your new version. Working great so far. There is one important feature missing, though. That would be the ability to define in which sections the rule should be enabled (or disabled). You could create a rule that is only active in My Videos but not in LiveTV.

Any chance to get that feature implemented?


Regards,
Simon

 

[jonaskp]

Yay, I got it working.

I didn't understand you at first, or wasn't reading very carefull. I kept making two rules, one for the "Normal zoom mode", and then one "with letterboc detection". When all I should have done, was make only one rule, with the normal parameters, and then add letterbox detection. Thanks, now it's working.

One problem: Sometimes, if there is a 4:3 show on, and it ends, the screen turns all black and then it shows the credits. Viewmode switcher then detects the blackness on the top and bottom, and switches to zoom mode. Is there a way to stop it from doing this?
Also sometimes, if there is a kind of dark scene, it changes also. Can this be done by lowering the black level tolerance? Can it be lowered below 0,1 - say to 0,01?


One thing I could use in the future: Different types of letterboxes. For some reason, some of my channels are shown in another aspect than normal. It's still inside 4:3 with letterbox, but smaller black screen. If I use 14:9 zoom mode, it fits vertically, with small black bars on the side.
Would it be possible in the future, to have the program detect the size of the letterbox bars, on change to different zoom modes, depending on this?