3D support?

[doncote0]

I'm pretty sure frame sequential isn't going to work for an HD300. You can't implement frame sequential BEFORE compression, because the 2 frames would have artifacts from each other. The HD300 doesn't have the capability to decode the two streams, and composite/display them in frame sequential. this is why side-by-side is the only option.

I was not proposing this. I was talking about getting all of the left frame and right frames together and shuffling them like a perfect deck of cards.

The resultant stack would have alternating LR frames and since each frame was distinctly obtained they would not have artifacts from each other.

So the HD300 would just process it as a normal progressive stream (1 entire frame at a time) and pass it on to the TV, which, if in 3D mode, would attempt to use the frame sequential mode first.

That said, I don't know what the FPS min and max are for the HD300. If I deliver 24Hz or 48Hz to the HD300 and it does any kind of recoding, line doubling or frame drop it just would not work. If that is the case, then only SBS would work (which is a common format on any set since 2010).

[doncote0]

For the easiest and best possible 3D experience, compatible with the most formats you want all your components to be HDMI 1.4a, but in some cases, HDMI 1.3 hardware can be made to work for 3D (consider that the PlayStation is 1.3 and it claims to support 3D).

I agree with many things from the articles but others are just plain wrong.

The 3D versions of the 1.4a HDMI formats (720p50, 720p60 and 1080p24) can be fully supported by any Category 2 HDMI 1.3 cable. There might be limitations in some HDMI 1.3 chipsets and media processors that exclude one or more formats, but the bandwidth of Category 2 HDMI 1.3 cable (10.6 GB/sec) is capable of supporting them all.

Supporting 1080p60 as a 3D format requires a pixel clock of almost 300 MHz, however. HDMI 1.3 (and most early HDMI 1.4) chips can support up to 220 MHz. As of now not many 3D devices support 1080p60, most will only support 1080p24.

So while the cables will support the 1.4 formats, the devices will need to be HDMI 1.4a to support 3D 1080p60. Otherwise, 3D 1080P24 is the best option. Since film is shot in 24fps, it's not a bad option anyway.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by doncote0

I was not proposing this. I was talking about getting all of the left frame and right frames together and shuffling them like a perfect deck of cards.

The resultant stack would have alternating LR frames and since each frame was distinctly obtained they would not have artifacts from each other.

So the HD300 would just process it as a normal progressive stream (1 entire frame at a time) and pass it on to the TV, which, if in 3D mode, would attempt to use the frame sequential mode first.

That said, I don't know what the FPS min and max are for the HD300. If I deliver 24Hz or 48Hz to the HD300 and it does any kind of recoding, line doubling or frame drop it just would not work. If that is the case, then only SBS would work (which is a common format on any set since 2010).

That's my point though, the HD300 can only take in a single, compressed stream. It can't do any processing of the decompressed images/frames. This means the only way to get it to output interleaved frames, would be to interleave them prior to encoding them and sending them to the HD300.

[doncote0]

This means the only way to get it to output interleaved frames, would be to interleave them prior to encoding them and sending them to the HD300.

Agreed. That is what I proposed.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by doncote0

Agreed. That is what I proposed.

Right.. but that won't work. The encoding will cause artifacting/crosstalk between the left and right eye images, which will destroy the 3D.

[doncote0]

Ran some tests and discovered some potential issues.

TV's actively look at the input stream before allowing 3D modes. If the stream does not say "Hey I am a standard 3D stream" in the encoding, you might not be able to select SBS or Over-Under for 3D mode formats...instead you might be allowed to select simulated 3D only.

I was able to record into Sage from 2 different 3D channels, but the recordings did not allow 3D when replayed. If anyone has the HD300, please post your experiences with the same test. Unless the 3D recording identifies itself to the TV properly when replayed, I doubt standard 3D modes will be allowed (despite the delivered video information being the same).

[Fuzzy]

That would be an issue with your display. I'm positive not all displays exhibit this behavior. most I've played with allow setting SBS or Over-Under manually, no matter what the content is.

[doncote0]

That would be an issue with your display. I'm positive not all displays exhibit this behavior. most I've played with allow setting SBS or Over-Under manually, no matter what the content is.

It might not be an issue. I was using a non-HDMI input. The TV probably will not let you select 3D formats, unless it is a HDMI input.

[Fuzzy]

Yeah, that's likely. I know my older samsung will only enable 3D mode on a single HDMI (HDMI3)

[doncote0]

Sony Bravia XBR-52LX900.

I would expect other sets to have the same issue with non-HDMI. Especially Sony sets.

[scoful]

I've been trying to use the external apps plugin to launch a batch file that mounts a DVDFab miniso file. I can get the batch file to work fine when I manually run it (playbd.bat \\server\bd\mainmovie\men_in_black_3\bdmv)

It strips 'bdmv' off and adds dvdfab.miniso to the path, mounts it with dvdfab vdrive and launches PowerDVD to play it back.

When I launch it from the external apps plugin it doesn't mount the miniso file for some reason. I've had it output the info sent from the plugin (echo %1 > %temp%\output.txt) and the path reported is correct.

I have seen other instances when Windows 7 seems to encapsulate things when a program initiates the action and suspect that may be causing a problem, but I'm not sure how to work around it.

Any ideas?

[wbarber69]

I think what your asking to do is disable UAC

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by wbarber69

I think what your asking to do is disable UAC

There should be no reason to disable UAC. I launch apps from sage all the time, and never have to do anything like that. The problem you are seeing, though, is that the External Apps plugin, as I recall, executes the process on the server, which means it is running in the SageTVService's session (it was designed for background tasks, like launching VideoReDo on the recording), which likely doesn't have the mapped iso mount available. You might instead, try with my BluRay playback plugin, which should launch the batch file from the client process.

[scoful]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

There should be no reason to disable UAC. I launch apps from sage all the time, and never have to do anything like that. The problem you are seeing, though, is that the External Apps plugin, as I recall, executes the process on the server, which means it is running in the SageTVService's session (it was designed for background tasks, like launching VideoReDo on the recording), which likely doesn't have the mapped iso mount available. You might instead, try with my BluRay playback plugin, which should launch the batch file from the client process.

I'll try your plugin tonight. The weird thing is that the script does dismount any mounted iso, so I know it's doing something locally.

[scoful]

Your plugin worked much better.
Below is a copy of my batch file in case anybody else wants to use this method. It doesn't have any error handling - it requires 'dvdfab.miniso.
It should allow you to use any player you want. PowerDVD proved to be highly unstable for me (even just regular disc playback).


set str=%1
set str2=%str:~0,-4%
set str3=%str2%dvdfab.miniso
"C:\Program Files\DVDFab Virtual Drive\VDRIVE.exe" /U:0
"C:\Program Files\DVDFab Virtual Drive\VDRIVE.exe" /m:0 %str3%"
rem
rem The following lines determine which player you want to use. PowerDVD came with my drive but is NOT good.
rem Be sure and change the drive letter to match your DVDFab VirtualDrive letter.
rem
rem "C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD10\PDVDLaunchPolicy.exe" AUTOPLAY DVD e:\
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcSoft\TotalMedia Theatre 5\uMCEPlayer5.exe" e:

[Fuzzy]

I'll try to dig up my batch file I use for launching TMT5. It is a single script that can handle iso's, BDMV's, etc.

[Rob]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I'll try to dig up my batch file I use for launching TMT5. It is a single script that can handle iso's, BDMV's, etc.

If it helps, this is the version of Fuzzy's bat file I use. Works great for Blu-Ray and for DVD's:

@echo off
cls
if x%~n1==xBDMV goto bluray

goto dvd

:bluray
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Arcsoft\TotalMedia Theatre 5\uTotalMediaTheatre5.exe" %~sdp1
goto end

:dvd
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Arcsoft\TotalMedia Theatre 5\uTotalMediaTheatre5.exe" %~s1
goto end

:end


I'm also trying to get ISO's working for 3d on a client and am using Fuzzy's modified pheonix xml to call TMT5 for blu rays and DVD's (I figured out how to add DVD's to the xml).

However, I have not been able to fugure out how to modify the xml to make it call the external player (bat file) for ISO's. Fuzzy, do you have any insight on the changes the xml would need to make pheonix call the external player for ISO's (is seems they are not considered Blu-Rays or DVDs and therefore it does not call the external player)?

[Fuzzy]

Honestly, not sure on the phoenix side of things - been a long time since I even looked at that code. I do know my plugin for the default UI does launch ISO's if sage has detected that the ISO is a DVD or bluray.

For waht it's worth, here is the batch file I use for launching TMT5. The event.exe commands are to switch my remote control to TMT mode and back to sage mode. The VCDMount.exe commands are to mount and unmount the iso.

@echo off

set VCDLetter=W:

if X%~x1==X.iso goto iso
if x%~n1==xBDMV goto bluray
goto dvd

:bluray
"C:\Program Files\Promixis\Girder5\event.exe" StartTMT
start /wait "" "C:\Program Files\ArcSoft\TotalMedia Theatre 5\uMCEPlayer5.exe" %~sdp1
"C:\Program Files\Promixis\Girder5\event.exe" StopTMT
goto end

:dvd
"C:\Program Files\Promixis\Girder5\event.exe" StartTMT
start /wait "" "C:\Program Files\ArcSoft\TotalMedia Theatre 5\uMCEPlayer5.exe" %~s1
"C:\Program Files\Promixis\Girder5\event.exe" StopTMT
goto end

:iso
"C:\Program Files\Promixis\Girder5\event.exe" StartTMT
start /wait "Mounting ISO" C:\PROGRA~1\ELABOR~1\VirtualCloneDrive\VCDMount.exe /l=%VCDLetter% %~s1
start /wait "" "C:\Program Files\ArcSoft\TotalMedia Theatre 5\uMCEPlayer5.exe" %VCDLetter%
start /wait "UnMounting ISO" C:\PROGRA~1\ELABOR~1\VirtualCloneDrive\VCDMount.exe /l=%VCDLetter% /u
"C:\Program Files\Promixis\Girder5\event.exe" StopTMT
goto end
 
:end

[Rob]

Thanks for the script. I changed the pheonix xml to look for !IsTVFile instead of IsBluRay and it works great. It plays Blu Rays, DVD's and ISO's with your above bat file perfectly.

However, is there a secret to getting sage to import iso's. I have 11 on a single import drive and each time I drop and add the drive as an import to sage is only imports one of the iso's (Ice Age 4 - Continental Drift).

[drewg]

Originally Posted by doncote0

I was able to record into Sage from 2 different 3D channels, but the recordings did not allow 3D when replayed. If anyone has the HD300, please post your experiences with the same test.

3D works for me with ESPN-3D. It is top/bottom, and my TV (LG 60PZ950) allows me to select 3D.

The 3D effect is nice. I watched a basketball game a few weeks ago, and it was like being there. I think sports really are the best use of 3D, much better than the 3D movies that I have seen.

Drew