Picture Quality better in WMP

[mbrown3]

I find myself recording shows using Sage (1.4), but watching them for playback on WMP9...the picture quality is better at full-screen mode. Not much, but enough to notice and make a bit of a difference. Quality of Sage at default size is fine, but at full-screen quality is better in WMP9. Any thoughts as to why this is?

[mlbdude]

Compare what decoders and settings are being used in WMP9 to what you have setup in Sage. There is no reason why they should not look the same.

[mbrown3]

OK, I'll check it out but I'm pretty sure they're set the same (though I did need to reinstall each a bit ago and maybe they got changed in the process). I'll post back after I check. Thanks!

[mlbdude]

If you set Sage to use Default everywhere that will duplicate it pretty close. WMP9 only uses the Default decoders.

[mbrown3]

No dice. Set all settings to default, picture is still noticably better in WMP9. Further suggestions? Thanks!

[mlbdude]

At this point the only difference between WMP9 and Sage 1.4 is Sage is using Overlay bey default. Perhaps your color balances are not right in Overlay? Sage 2.0 also allows you to use VMR9. However, VMR9 is generally known not to give as good PQ and Overlay - although the color balances do seem to be setup correctly by default.

At that point there is nothing happening differently on your PC between Sage and WMP9 so the difference may be placebo. Check to see if WMP9 is loading any plug-ins doing some video cleanup or something.

[mbrown3]

Well, it's definitely not placebo, there is a noticable difference...picture full-screen on Sage is grainy, not on WMP9. My wife even noticed it.... It looks OK in "half" mode, but when switched to full screen gets grainy and "pixel-y". It's not a big deal, because I just watch all playbacks in WMP9, but I'd rather have it all in one solution. I'll check to see if WMP9 is using any other decoders, but I haven't done anything special to alter it in any way.

[mbrown3]

Decoders in WMP9 are default, as they are in Sage...picture quality still different. Any further thoughts? I don't want to spend all kinds of time on this issue, since I can just open up recorded files and watch in WMP9, it would just be nice to get everything working properly in Sage. Had a couple more people check out the system (without prior information from me!) and all agree that picture quality is noticably better in WMP9. And, of course, hopefully all will be solved in V2...

[mlbdude]

Since you are using VMR9 in MP and Overlay in Sage it is not a good comparison. VMR9 defiantly softens and blurs the image which removes some detail but also make the image look cleaner. Also the color settings are better by default. Sage 2.0 will allow you to use VMR9 though so that could fix it for you.

Otherwise you may have a bad decoder on your box or something. As you can see from the forums you are the only one (or the only one speaking up at least) about this.

[mbrown3]

I've tried Sage with overlay and without...doesn't seem to make any difference. Color isn't really the issue, either, my concern is mainly the "graininess" of the picture. I've also tried reinstalling decoders, etc., to no avail. Thanks for the help anyway...if anyone else has suggestions, let me know.

[mlbdude]

Are you using 2.0? I was assuming you were using 1.4 which does not support VMR9.

[mbrown3]

I am using 1.4 at this point, but I can change overlay on/off (well, default). Maybe, as you say, it's just that VMR9 is a better decoder, but others (as you also pointed out) seem to have no problems in Sage. It's not unwatchable, per se, but WMP9 has a distinctly better picture quality, so maybe it just is the decoder and I'll have to live with it until V2 (which hopefully shouldn't be too far away)...

[mlbdude]

I think it is just preference. Lost of us don't like VMR9 because it does remove some of the origional source image. Some do like the smoothing though.

Another quick test would be to try ZoomPlayer. It will let you configure it to use VMR9 and the exact decoders you are using in Sage. That may confirm if it is VMR9 for you or not.

[mbrown3]

Ah, thanks! I'll try that and post back this evening.

[CanadianEh]

To test out ZoomPlayer, do I need the Professional version, or can I get by with the free Standard version?


Thanks!

BTW: I also am experiencing better picture quality in Sage 2.0.15 using the VMR9, but it always opens the video in an ActiveMovie window, rather than in Sage's Full-Screen window...

[mlbdude]

You get get an Active Movie window that means your decoder does not support VMR9 and it is defaulting back down to Overlay or VMR7.

ZoomPlayer standard works fine for media playback. Professional is only for DVD's.

[gplasky]

It sounds like you're trying to use PowerDVD codecs with vmr9. I don't think Powerdvd supports this. You may need a different decoder if you want to use vmr9.

Gerry

[TunaBoo]

I use powerDVD, and it always makes a new window in VRM.. So something is busted there. Too lazy to mess with other codec, overlay is fine on my pc monitor.