ffdshow Video Decoder?

[mlbdude]

OK, as an experiment I started messing with ways to load ffdshow all the time no matter what kind of renderer I selected.

I eventually tried this in my properties file...

videoframe/additional_video_filters=ffdshow MPEG-4 Video Decoder,In,Out

Once I did that, ffdshow starts to show up in my list of available video decoders. Sure enough if I sue that decoder it loads every time no matter if I use VMR9 with 3D or anything. This is good right?

How do I know what video decoder it is using? I have Elecard 2.2 installed and I think that is what it is using but that is just by me looking at the video.

Next problem, how do I determine for sure what decoder it is using and how do I change it.

Just in case you don't believe me attached is a screen-shot .

[gplasky]

What you might try is going into Windows Media Player. Go to Tools. Then go to Options. Click on the DVD tab and go to advanced. Usually-I say usually with caution-your default decoder would be the one that shows up in this advanced option. For instance, I have NVDVD3, WinDVD 5, and Elecard installed. Whe I go into the advanced options I get the properties page for Elecard. Now if you have manually adjusted your decoder priorities I don't think this will hold true. But for the most part this should tell you what your default encoder is. (OK-it's a theory.)

Gerry

[kny3twalker]

well the order in which you install does not make a difference
if you install NVDVD it will automatically become your default deocder
I use radlight see why it is default and it sets itself as preferred for some reaon
but very cool mlbdude
how's PQ?

[xlr8shun]

Originally posted by mlbdude
videoframe/additional_video_filters=ffdshow MPEG-4 Video Decoder,In,Out

thank you, thank you, thank you

and it works perfectly!

[mangriotis]

Next question is: What settings are you using to post process the picture in ffdshow? I am new to ffdshow and have no idea what config options I should be setting to get a great picture. Any advice?

Have you tried nvdvd 3.0? If so, how does the PQ compare?

[mlbdude]

I don't have 3.0 but do use NVDVD 2.55. Overall Elecard gives a much sharper image with better colors. However, if you are the type that likes a smoother image with some of the original background noise removed then NVDVD does that way better.

For ffdshow I sue sharpen, noise reduction, and some of the items on the post-processing tab. I will post some before and after shots tonight. Overall the differences are pretty dramatic.

[xlr8shun]

i cant use nvdvd3, sage spits out an error.

using nvdvd2.27 now, and im only using the sharpen filter at the moment..

im still figuring stuff out, i'll probably switch codecs also, maybe to elecard, i seem to get the best pq out of it, and cheaper (cpu wise) deinterlacing.

[GbrNole]

the more typically used settings are as follows and not necessarily in this order:

blur & NR: gradual denoise 25-40 *or* denoise3d 0.5, 0.5, 5

sharpen: unsharp mask

resize & aspect: preferred resize ratio. some go up high and let the video card scale back down while others (me) scale to the same res the vid card is set to. for sage i typically use 960x540.

resize settings: method lanczos, bicubic or bicublin (you choose) parameter default, luma sharpen 1.4, chroma sharpen 1.4.

your pc may not be powerful enough though to resize while using sage but the first 2 filters should provide a nice boost.

[lovingHDTV]

So if I use ffdshow in this way, is it loaded even when playing a DVD?

thanks,

[mlbdude]

It could work since you can specify a decoder for DVD and it does show ffdshow as a choice, however, for me the MPEG2 decoder that is getting used by ffdshow is Elecard. I don't think Elecard can play encrypted MPEG2 streams.

If someone could figure out how to get this to work with Sonic then it should work. Perhaps if you only have Sonic on your machine it would work if Sonic was configured to allow additional filters.

I have yet to get ffdshow to work with anything other than Sonic or Elecard.

[stanger89]

How did you determine that Elecard was being used?

[mlbdude]

Changed my deinterlace settings from to Weave (no deinterlacing) from VMR in the Elecard decoder. Could easily see it.

On this machine I had Elecard, NVDVD, PowerDVD, and Hauppauge Intervideo installed.

I tried un-installing Elecard to see if something else would load. Sage would then error. Removed PowerDVD. Sage would error. Verified that NVDVD and Intervideo were not running DXVA. Removed NVDVD. Sage would error.

I want to try it with Sonic but don't want to experiment on my main HTPC (where Sonic is). So if someone has Sonic only installed and is able to use ffdshow with Default try this new method with VMR9 or Overlay.

[snoop244]

If you right-click on the ffdshow icon in the task bar, the top portion of the context menu lists the active decoder and provides access to its settings when clicked. At least, it works this way on my setup.

S.

[stanger89]

Way to go mlb! I just tried it out and it works. I've attached a screenshot with the proof. Several things to note:
1) The ffdshow OSD is visible (if you look very carefully(
2) nVDVD CP is open displaying the current bitrate
3) nVDVD CP displays "Undefined Rnederer"
4) Semitransparent OSD indicating the selected VMR9 Renderer
5) The fact that I could take a screenshot and get the video shows VMR9 is in use (using PrintScreen).

Now I'm going to have to take some serious time and tweak ffdshow.

Once again, good find mlb

[mlbdude]

As promised here are some example of what ffdshow with just a couple of adjustments is doing.

Example 1 - without ffdshow

[mlbdude]

As promised here are some example of what ffdshow with just a couple of adjustments is doing.

Example 1 - with ffdshow

[mlbdude]

As promised here are some example of what ffdshow with just a couple of adjustments is doing.

Example 2 - without ffdshow

[mlbdude]

As promised here are some example of what ffdshow with just a couple of adjustments is doing.

Example 2 - with ffdshow

[lovingHDTV]

EDIT: Nevermind, forgot to select raw video in FFDSHOW config. Now it works


I have added the above line and also see ffdshow added to my list to select. However, here is what I get in the log file after trying to watch a recorded show:
An unexpected exception has been detected in native code outside the VM.
Unexpected Signal : EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION (0xc0000005) occurred at PC=0x4511532B
Function=GetWatermark+0x65EB
Library=c:\Program Files\Common Files\Sonic Shared\CinemasterVideo.DLL


Yes, I do have the Sonic decoder installed. I use it for DVD viewing, buy I'm currently trying to was a recored TV show.

Ideas?

[mlbdude]

Have you had ffdshow working with Sonic before? There is a registry key for Sonic you need to set to get it to load.