[Mandarynek]

I performed the following steps:

1. I installed XBMCSetup-Rev # 553d719-dx.exe
2. quartz.dll registered and proppage.dll registered
3. I installed ffdshow-rev3851_20110512_clsid_x64.exe
4. ran XBMC ran started up a sample video

Feedback - directshow decoding does not work. :/

[liquidskin76]

I performed the following steps:

1. I installed XBMCSetup-Rev # 553d719-dx.exe
2. quartz.dll registered and proppage.dll registered
3. I installed ffdshow-rev3851_20110512_clsid_x64.exe
4. ran XBMC ran started up a sample video

Feedback - directshow decoding does not work. :/

Have you allowed xbmc in the ffdshow dxva settings?

By default the ffdshow dxva allow permissions are on, so unless you add xbmc, then ffdshow will not allow xbmc to use it.

Cheers

[Mandarynek]

I have xbmc.exe on allowed applications list.

[LordMerlin]

I installed ffdshow-rev3851_20110512_clsid_x64.exe

XBMC is a 32bit application. Install x32 version of ffdshow.

[Mandarynek]

XBMC is a 32bit application. Install x32 version of ffdshow.

Still does not work. :/

[liquidskin76]

1. I installed XBMCSetup-Rev # 553d719-dx.exe
2. quartz.dll registered and proppage.dll registered

Where did you download XBMCSetup-Rev # 553d719-dx.exe from? You shouldn't need quartz.dll or proppage.dll registered.

Download and install the latest version from here... http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=788...tcount=103 (just stick with the video version for now).

If you still have no luck, post a debug log.

Cheers

[therealjoeblow]

Hi!

Sorry guys, but I'm pretty new to this DSCodec stuff, so maybe my questions seem dispensable for you..

After I finally achieved playback with ffdshow-directshow-codec (instead of the build-in ffmpeg) and the results look promising, I faced some issues. I am not sure whether the relate to my onboard ATI-graphics card or to the DCCoded-XBMC:

1. When I set YCBCR 4:4:4 in the CCC Control the resulting video pic in DCCoded-XBMC is too "bright", i.e. black is not black but grey. I would assume a sort of RGB>YCBCR converting mismatch...

2. Setting CCC to RGB 4:4:4 leads in conjunction with the "automatically change refresh rate"-option in the XBMC setup to a very "unstable video picture" behaviour. Sometimes the picture is fine during a video playback with 60Hz but 24 Hz leads to a sort of pink frame around the video window. When I stop the video the colors in the xbmc-screen are "wrong" (they have some sort of green/pink shadow around and the picture quality is very low-end.

Thanks!

Start by using YCbCr 4:2:2, that is the BluRay standard; any of the 4:4:4 formats are really intended for incompatible displays and will do multiple colorspace conversions and fubar your black levels and color ramps. Most HQ plasma and LCD TV's default to 4:2:2 (cheap ones don't always).

Also, connecting your computer to your TV through an AVR will often do similar colorspace conversions with the same fubar results. Connect your machine directly to the TV with a HDMI cable.

Cheers
The REAL Joe

[therealjoeblow]

It could be done of course but it would be easier for you instead of using a filenaming convention. I already started integrating resolution to the rule.
Example if you want a rule for 1080p you put something like height_higher_than="1000"
this would be a rule for video with more than 1000 pixel in height

That should work, but I'd go with 'width' rather than height, since 1080p video is always 1920 wide, but height varies widely depending on aspect ratio (can be 768 px for 2.50:1 to 1080 px for 1.778:1 and anything in between).

Ps: To everyone following my development i am working 2 days a week on the project. And for this week i already did my 2 days. It doesn't mean i won't code a bit during the week but i am more active during my days off.

Tiben, thanks for your continued efforts and dedicated support! I was gutted when DSPlayer was abandoned, and like others was not keen on going back to the default crap quality of XBMC's built-in decoder. I'm really looking forward to a usable VMR9 build for WinXP!

Cheers Mate!
The REAL Joe

[Parker_Payne]

I was gutted when DSPlayer was abandoned, and like others was not keen on going back to the default crap quality of XBMC's built-in decoder. I'm really looking forward to a usable VMR9 build for WinXP!

Could you please explain this further? AFAIK DSCodec uses ffdshow and "normal"-XBMC uses ffmpeg but aren't both based on libavcodec? Where is the difference?

[Parker_Payne]

Start by using YCbCr 4:2:2, that is the BluRay standard; any of the 4:4:4 formats are really intended for incompatible displays and will do multiple colorspace conversions and fubar your black levels and color ramps. Most HQ plasma and LCD TV's default to 4:2:2 (cheap ones don't always).

Also, connecting your computer to your TV through an AVR will often do similar colorspace conversions with the same fubar results. Connect your machine directly to the TV with a HDMI cable.

Thanks for your reply. I've consulted google in the meantime... Regarding the changing pixelformat/color mismatch behaviour it seems an ATI-related issue. But i'm now wondering why this only happens in the DSCoded XBMC but not in the "normal"-XBMC. DSCoded (or ffdshow respectively) must do something different to XBMC-normal and also MPC-HC...

[ashlar]

I was gutted when DSPlayer was abandoned, and like others was not keen on going back to the default crap quality of XBMC's built-in decoder. I'm really looking forward to a usable VMR9 build for WinXP!

Emphasis mine. I think this is a seriously overblown statement. Crap quality? What do you mean?

[neoleo]

Thanks for your reply. I've consulted google in the meantime... Regarding the changing pixelformat/color mismatch behaviour it seems an ATI-related issue. But i'm now wondering why this only happens in the DSCoded XBMC but not in the "normal"-XBMC. DSCoded (or ffdshow respectively) must do something different to XBMC-normal and also MPC-HC...

I have noticed the same issue. Strange. Does Catalyst 11.5a solved the problem? Or YCbCr 4:2:2?

[Mandarynek]

Have you allowed xbmc in the ffdshow dxva settings?

By default the ffdshow dxva allow permissions are on, so unless you add xbmc, then ffdshow will not allow xbmc to use it.

Cheers

I have a motherboard with Intel HD 2000. XBMC's built-in DXVA mode does not work. I have artifacts in the image. I would like replace integrated codec into the external codec. For example, the MPC-HC codec with better support for Intel graphics or CoreAVC. Do XBMCSetup-20110430-caa7295-dx_video.exe include integrated alternative directshow codec / decoder? If so, why not work for me? I installed ffdshow, I turned on support for XBMC in the settings and still nothing changes. XBMC still does not use directshow.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4271477/xbmc.log

By the way I have one question. Why SD Video in XBMC looks so poorly? I understand that DXVA for SD does not work but on my old egreat media tank SD video picture quality was much better. When I turn on XBMC Post-processing for SD video I don't have a lot of macroblocks but video is so blurred. Now I don't use post-processing. There is another way to improve the quality of SD?

[Parker_Payne]

Do XBMCSetup-20110430-caa7295-dx_video.exe include integrated alternative directshow codec / decoder?

No, DSCodec is not shipped with an inbuild directshow coded (i.e. ffdshow/mpc-hc codec).

If so, why not work for me? I installed ffdshow, I turned on support for XBMC in the settings and still nothing changes. XBMC still does not use directshow.

What did you turn on in settings? In XBMC DSCodec you can not choose "use ffdshow" in GUI. You can decide whether to use directshow with or without DXVA...

I think in the very first beginning playing with DSCodec I had the same problem. ASFAIR I've done the following and after that it worked:
1. De-install XBMC DSCoded. Re-install XBMC DSCodec.
2. Install Haali Media Splitter. I don't know if this was/could be relevant, but in my testing session I've done that after re-installing XBMC.
3. For DXVA support you have to consider XBMC as "allowed DXVA application" in ffdshow dxva settings as stated before.

[Parker_Payne]

I have noticed the same issue. Strange. Does Catalyst 11.5a solved the problem? Or YCbCr 4:2:2?

I would assume I have solved the issue last night....

A summary:
The best picture quality results I have via RGB 4:4:4 setting in CCC. Of course this applies only to my equipment (Onkyo 608 AV receiver, Toshiba 55" Full HD LED TV). XBMC DSCodec playback's black is black (and not grey as it was on YCBCR). By the way, you can change ffdshow colorspace output, but especially for DXVA playback that didn't helped...

Pitfall of choosing this in CCC is that the picture stability is not given anymore, i.e. when changing display rate (or just switching back from directshow fullscreen playback to XBMC main window) the colors are misaligned (green and pink dominates the picture; windows have colored frames...)

Why this? The problem is with the EDID information provided by the connected display device (i.e. A/V receiver, TV). Anytime a change in display refresh rate/resolution happens, the graphics card asked the connected device for their reproducing capabilities. In fact my Onkyo receiver did not clearly state that he is able to consume RGB. Consequently, ATI driver switched back to some sort of fallback-mode which was YCBCR in my case. This causes the color mismatch problems since the TV is obviously not able to consider a "realtime" colorspace adjustment (in fact by switching the TV on and off a could resolve the issue in most of the cases but this is not really a feasible solution...)

How to solve? I've had a look into the EDID information provided by the Onkyo and see its not showing its actual colorspace reproducing capabilities (as far as I understand the information correct...)
So I build my own monitor driver for the onkyo which states that the onkyo is able to consider RGB and YCBCR. After that I had no problems with changing colorspaces anymore....
For the read-out of EDID data and build-up a customized monitor-driver I've used the freeware "monitor asset manager" (moninfo.exe) from Entech.