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[LINUX/MAC/WINDOWS] MPlayer porting to XBMC for Linux/Mac/Windows?
#76
After much time spent with picasa, i dumped it. It started scanning all my local and LAN drives - scanning 40 GB of pictures over the WiFi - nobody thought about that? I hate when the machine tries to be smarter. After that I discovered that there was a limitation on the size of the picture - kinda lame, if you ask me.

So, here it is:
http://s494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/realn/

There's not much difference at first glance. But if you look at each detail:
- texture of the car;
- borders of images;
- tree leaves;
- smoke
- cables;
- wrenches;
- hands & eyes of the guys;
- colors;
etc. you see every time difference.

I wanted to let you pick the better pictures of each pair (note I didn't put any quotes) without letting you know which comes from where, unfortunately I couldn't (didn't know how to) remove the bar at top right of the ones coming from XBMC.
I don't know much about this stuff - interpolation, anti aliasing, filtering have very vague meaning for me, but my eyes don't lie. Don't forget that the brain doesn't have the time too see these differences - it's on the auto pilot mode. With only one difference from the machine - it gets tired. Instead of enjoying.
Didn't have time to analyze the moving aspect of it, it already took me some time to do the screen shots.
Please let me know what you think.
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#77
First off, thanks for taking the time for posting the pictures - I know it's time consuming to get it frame accurate, and you've got it perfectly.

The most obvious difference in the shots is a difference in the colour balance - I suspect we're using different YUV->RGB coefficients.

The second obvious difference is the mplayer shots appear sharper than the XBMC shots. This could be due to differences in scaling at two points (and may well also be due to the colour conversion as well):

1. The scaling itself (i.e. video frame size -> output frame size)
2. The alignment of the output frame size onto the screen (pixel alignment problems).

The settings you use for mplayer, and version information etc. would be most useful.

EDIT: Also, what film is it (exact version) as it'll be useful to get some comparison shots from the xbox version, which has had much more effort put in to the output stages, and has both mplayer and the dvdplayer built in.

Also: Was there any scaling in the snapshots before posting? If so, I'll throw you an address to send the originals to - they may show more differences that may be useful for pinpointing the problem.

Cheers,
Jonathan
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.


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#78
Hi,

Couldn't it be also that the codecs from MPlayer are more performant than the ones used in XBMC? (I don't know anything about these thing, so please excuse me if I am completely wrong about it).

Movie: Knight Rider (I don't know which version, unfortunately);
Scaling: no scaling whatsoever, the only thing I did is to convert the snapshots from XBMC from BMP (around 3MB) to PNG (around 1MB).
Mplayer settings: this is what it displayes when launching the movie, please let me know if you need some more info and how to get it (command line options, etc. which might help you).

/usr/bin/mplayer -noquiet -nofs -sub-fuzziness 1 -identify -slave -vo x11 -ao alsa -zoom -nokeepaspect -framedrop -input conf=/usr/share/smplayer/input.conf -stop-xscreensaver -wid 81788942 -colorkey 0x020202 -monitoraspect 1.6 -subfont-autoscale 1 -subfont-text-scale 5 -subcp ISO-8859-1 -aid 1 -sub films/KnightRider/KnightRider.srt -subpos 100 -contrast 0 -brightness 0 -hue 0 -saturation 0 -nocache -ss 733 -osdlevel 0 -vf-add screenshot -channels 2 -softvol -softvol-max 110 films/KnightRider/Knight Rider.avi

MPlayer 1.0rc2-4.2.3 © 2000-2007 MPlayer Team
CPU: Intel® Core™2 Duo CPU T7300 @ 2.00GHz (Family: 6, Model: 15, Stepping: 10)
CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
Compiled with runtime CPU detection.
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.
Terminal type `unknown' is not defined.

Playing films/KnightRider/Knight Rider.avi.
AVI file format detected.
ID_VIDEO_ID=0
[aviheader] Video stream found, -vid 0
ID_AUDIO_ID=1
[aviheader] Audio stream found, -aid 1
VIDEO: [XVID] 624x352 12bpp 23.976 fps 1091.1 kbps (133.2 kbyte/s)
Clip info:
Software: VirtualDub
ID_CLIP_INFO_NAME0=Software
ID_CLIP_INFO_VALUE0=VirtualDub
ID_CLIP_INFO_N=1
SUB: Detected subtitle file format: subviewer
SUB: Read 1252 subtitles.
SUB: Adjusted 19 subtitle(s).
ID_FILE_SUB_ID=0
ID_FILE_SUB_FILENAME=films/KnightRider/KnightRider.srt
SUB: Added subtitle file (1): films/KnightRider/KnightRider.srt
ID_FILENAME=films/KnightRider/Knight Rider.avi
ID_DEMUXER=avi
ID_VIDEO_FORMAT=XVID
ID_VIDEO_BITRATE=1091144
ID_VIDEO_WIDTH=624
ID_VIDEO_HEIGHT=352
ID_VIDEO_FPS=23.976
ID_VIDEO_ASPECT=0.0000
ID_AUDIO_FORMAT=85
ID_AUDIO_BITRATE=128000
ID_AUDIO_RATE=0
ID_AUDIO_NCH=0
ID_LENGTH=4765.30
xscreensaver_disable: Could not find XScreenSaver window.
Opening video filter: [screenshot]
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffodivx] vfm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG-4)
==========================================================================
ID_VIDEO_CODEC=ffodivx
==========================================================================
Forced audio codec: mad
Opening audio decoder: [libmad] libmad mpeg audio decoder
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 128.0 kbit/8.33% (ratio: 16000->192000)
ID_AUDIO_BITRATE=128000
ID_AUDIO_RATE=48000
ID_AUDIO_NCH=2
Selected audio codec: [mad] afm: libmad (libMAD MPEG layer 1-2-3)
==========================================================================
AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)
ID_AUDIO_CODEC=mad
Starting playback...
VDec: vo config request - 624 x 352 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.77:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
ID_VIDEO_ASPECT=1.7727
[swscaler @ 0x8934890]SwScaler: using unscaled yuv420p -> bgr24 special converter
VO: [x11] 624x352 => 624x352 Planar YV12 [zoom]
X11 error: BadAccess during XSelectInput Call
X11 error: The 'ButtonPressMask' mask of specified window has probably already used by another appication (see man XSelectInput)
X11 error: MPlayer discards mouse control (reconfiguring)
X11 error: BadAccess during XSelectInput Call
X11 error: The 'ButtonPressMask' mask of specified window has probably already used by another appication (see man XSelectInput)
X11 error: MPlayer discards mouse control (reconfiguring)
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#79
arnova Wrote:why can't one set the default player (mplayer or dvdplayer) on Xbox-xbmc?
Please respect that there is a separate discussion thread for that, see => http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=15141
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.
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#80
So, what's the continuation of this story?
Jonathan, we have to see if this difference comes only from the settings or comes from somewhere deeper.
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#81
I think a start would be outputting with no scaling from both apps. This is "Original Size" mode on xbmc.
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.


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#82
more detail plz
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#83
rarfs from xbox1 Smile
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#84
no kidding as the #1 warez video player on the planet; should embrace those that supported xbmc through the years. you may not agree with that statement but it is the truth.
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#85
hi,

I am getting confused more and more about what this thread is about. I'll try to summarize: some people ask for mplayer support in XBMC. The answer to this request is fuzzy (at least for me), there seems to be two directions:
1) there is no reason to do that, XBMC native player is as good (at least) as MPlayer;
2) there are technical issues, specifically about ld and -fPIC. Are there any others?


1) It seems that after all there are some differences which make MPlayer better (please see screenshots I attached in earlier post). We have to see how important they are, where they come from and if and how the gap can be covered. Because if there's no difference, why do we bother with point 2? Why did I spend a couple of hours taking screenshots, why is there a task (medium priority) of porting MPlayer to XBMC if it's no better than the native one?

2) We have to do something about it. I started getting involved in this thread by saying that I liked a lot XBMC, that it's the best (my opinion as an user) except the video player. Until you incorporate the best one, XBMC won't be the best.
Now, this task is medium priority. Is it that difficult to port it? Did anyone make a sizing and said "yes, it will take 5 man-month" and then (maybe another one) said "well, we cannot afford that because another 10 features won't be imlemented". If nobody made a sizing, why is that? If there is a sizing, how much work is it about?

Please help me clearly understand one thihng: is it all about resources, or is it (also) about politics? If it's the former, I'll try to carry on with my humble contribution. If it's the latter, I'll just stop posting on this thread and reconsider using XBMC.
Thanks to all of you for your support.

PS Perfect doesn't exist, but we can get close to it.
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#86
certainly not about politics.
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#87
Question 
HI I CANT USE MPLAYER ON XBMC ON LNIUX

no, just kidding. I'd like to offer a suggestion.

I think MPlayer support is REQUIRED, but should not be PREFERRED since DVDPlayer makes some good advances. To me, (i'm biased towards end-user) the project looks like it has taken a step backwards because it moved goal posts too far away with 'dvdplayer'. The quality of product the end users "sees" has suffered; it dropped about 10-20 codecs, some very common ones. I understand clean code is important too (respect to XBMC devs!) but this is an important area when considering the trade off. But I can only speak for myself when saying codec support trumps GUI integration. Any step taken in another direction lessens how much of a media player XBMC is, and makes the user more likely to use another product.

I request Mplayer support is escrowed to the operating system's package management, and XBMC simply calls binary if found in PATH when codec not supported in DVDPlayer/XBMC. Then XBMC can watch other streaming media codecs again!

It may then be possible to stipulate which media player core to use in a script like this:
xbmc.Player( xbmc.PLAYER_LINUX_MPLAYER ).play( rtsp_url, listitem )

What I'm proposing could be considered a duct tape solution. But if the proposal can offer more codecs by relying on another media player (if found in system) XBMC would be more useful to the average user. Many would be willing to compromise on XBMC GUI niceties to watch the odd .rm file they have lying around.

another idea; (last one!) mplayer can play in root X11 server window. could a nested X server be used for mplayer and XBMC GUI details overlaid on this? Could a new video output driver for mplayer be created? -vo xbmc_core?
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#88
Hi,

I have just installed and tested XBMC (windows). That's an amazing work (especially the UI and the scrappers !).
However (and that's what bring me to this thread), there are a few points which prevent me to use XBMC (unlike some mplayer-based distrib like GeexBox) Confused :

- The inability to load subtitles within an MKV container.
- The inability to read RV9 encoded movies (although throughout posts it seemed to me that some users succeeded, it never worked for any of my vids)

Why is that a deal-breaker for me ?
My mother tongue is not English, and I like to watch my movies in English with subtitles while keeping the possibility for my entourage to watch them in native language if they prefer. So 90% of my movies are MKV. And most of the good releases in this container format contain RV9 encoded video.

So when I view posts of people saying that dvdplayer is at least as good as mplayer , I need to disagree. For those who ask for what should be added to dvdplayer, I think I'm not the only one to think that the two points above are important.

I hope they will be supported in the near future (or that user on windows version could choose his default player), as it's heart-breaking for me to leave XBMC aside after having used it ! Sad

Thanks again for your work.
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#89
Hi. I've been using MythTv and Geexbox for while and than I found XBMC. After grabbing some info about it I've decided to try it. I removed MythTv from my PC and installed Ubuntu 8.10 + Atlantis 8.10. I just fall in love with the clean and beatiful GUI and the scrapers are AMAZING.

But besides of all of this, today I am returning to GeexBox because dvdplayer can play only 10% of my video collection. All the other 90% I got frame drops and audio sync issues (CPU is below 20%) because somehow the dvdplayers codecs can't correctly decode my videos. Mplayer play all perfect.

I wish there were some way to use XBMC GUI and scrappers with mplayer as backend. It would be a dream.

I know that must be a lot of difficults to integrate both, but I simple way to call my system mplayer passing the movie as parameter would already be better then falling back to geexbox/mythtv IMO.

Thanks
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#90
we already have that - search for 'external player'
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[LINUX/MAC/WINDOWS] MPlayer porting to XBMC for Linux/Mac/Windows?0