How to get SageTV to use FFDSHOW for MPG?

[vorius]

I am having a really hard time getting my install setup to be able to play video files with subtitles. I tried VOBSUB but then every video I play gets washed out/faded as if the brightness was ramped up.

So now I am trying FFDSHOW and it's working great with AVI files, plays the video + subtitles without any depredation in the video quality as I had with VOBSUB. But I can't figure out how to get SageTV to use FFDSHOW when I select an MPG file... please help!

When I play an AVI I see the FFDSHOW icon appear in my tray. Not so with the MPG file.

In my SageTV video setup I have:

Video Renderer: VMR9
MPEG2 Video Filter: Default
MPEG4 Playback: DirectShow

In any of the menus for these settings I do not see FFDSHOW

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by vorius

I am having a really hard time getting my install setup to be able to play video files with subtitles. I tried VOBSUB but then every video I play gets washed out/faded as if the brightness was ramped up.

So now I am trying FFDSHOW and it's working great with AVI files, plays the video + subtitles without any depredation in the video quality as I had with VOBSUB. But I can't figure out how to get SageTV to use FFDSHOW when I select an MPG file... please help!

When I play an AVI I see the FFDSHOW icon appear in my tray. Not so with the MPG file.

In my SageTV video setup I have:

Video Renderer: VMR9
MPEG2 Video Filter: Default
MPEG4 Playback: DirectShow

In any of the menus for these settings I do not see FFDSHOW

Get DSFMGR and either unregister the SageTV decoder or lower the merit.

[vorius]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Get DSFMGR and either unregister the SageTV decoder or lower the merit.

Hello, thanks for the reply!

I downloaded that utility and went down the list and found the area where SageTV is. I set anything I could find video related and set the merit to "Do Not Use" (so now they are all red). I then shut down Sage/re-ran it and selected the video file but it's still not using FFDSHOW (no icon in task bar). Do I need to reboot maybe, or is there something else that needs to be done?

[jerryt]

Please don't register filter, it is much easier.

In sage property file add FFDSHOW to list of additional filters, then for Video Decoder FFDSHOW will appear and you pick it.

[vorius]

Originally Posted by jerryt

Please don't register filter, it is much easier.

In sage property file add FFDSHOW to list of additional filters, then for Video Decoder FFDSHOW will appear and you pick it.

How exactly is this done?

The only way i thought of was to add "FFDSHOW" next to the property named "videoframe/additional_video_filters="

but once I did this and reloaded SageTV nothing changed, I dont see FFDSHOW

[nyplayer]

Make sure that in FFDSHOW configuration mpeg1 and mpeg2 is not disabled. Set it to use libavcodec.

[vorius]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Make sure that in FFDSHOW configuration mpeg1 and mpeg2 is not disabled. Set it to use libavcodec.

I went in and found MPEG1 and MPEG2 and they were disabled, so I set them to libavcodec but SageTV is still not using FFDSHOW for this mpg file. I even rebooted the system.

If it means anything, I can play the video using Media Player Classic and when I do the FFDSHOW icon pops up so it's being used there. Just not when SageTV plays it.

Also I noticed when I play this video under Media Player Classic it has that washed out/faded/excessive brightness problem some videos had when I used VOBSUB. When SageTV plays the same video it looks fine. Very strange... no idea what it means.

[jerryt]

This is my entry

videoframe/additional_video_filters=ffdshow Video Decoder

Working fine. "ffdshow Video Decoder" is called the "friendly name" which your computer should recognize. Caps most likely matter.

[vorius]

Originally Posted by jerryt

This is my entry

videoframe/additional_video_filters=ffdshow Video Decoder

Working fine. "ffdshow Video Decoder" is called the "friendly name" which your computer should recognize. Caps most likely matter.

Yep, that got the ffdshow to show up in the list and I selected it but SageTV is still not using ffdshow when playing this file.

any other ideas?

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by vorius

Yep, that got the ffdshow to show up in the list and I selected it but SageTV is still not using ffdshow when playing this file.

any other ideas?

Verify that your MPEG2 settings look like this;

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by vorius

Yep, that got the ffdshow to show up in the list and I selected it but SageTV is still not using ffdshow when playing this file.

any other ideas?

Check what Jerry said also are you sure that you do not have another MPEG2 Decoder. So that when you set Sage to default you are using another decoder other than FFDSHOW. Also in FFDSHOW configuration you can set the merit set it to the highest. I do not have that line in my properties and it works fine as long as FFDShow has the highest merit of your mpeg2 decoders and Sage is set to use the default.

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by vorius

Yep, that got the ffdshow to show up in the list and I selected it but SageTV is still not using ffdshow when playing this file.

any other ideas?

In "ffdshow video decoder configuration", "
Directshow control" tab,
"Don't use ffdshow in .... EDIT"
press EDIT and remove Sage from the list.

"Use ffdshow only in .... EDIT"
press EDIT and add Sage to the list.

Working fine with ffdshow (Audio & Video) selected in Sage, icon shows in tray, smooth playback.