Improving movie playback on pc

[square_wave]

I have been using this custom made pc for a while now for playback of movies. It is one of those AMD A8 6600k processors sitting on a MSI FM2-A75MA board in a cooler master micro atx box.

The movie playback is pretty good but I am sure you can tweak this. Using custom softwares, tweaks etc.

I do not have any plan to install a graphics card. The only other activity I do on this pc is ripping cds using dbpoweramp..

Any thoughts ?

 

[reignofchaos]

Install media player classic home cinema. The latest version has lav codecs integrated. Setup lav to use DXVA2 copy back. Then download madvr, put it in a convenient location and run the install script. Set media player classic home cinema's output to be madvr. Play any movie. The madvr logo should appear in the task bar. Double click it and go to scaling algorithms. Set chroma upscaling to jinc 4 taps and enable the anti ringing filter checkbox. Do the same for image upscaling. For image downscaling, select lanzcos and enable the anti ringing filter. That's it! Your machine is setup for state of the art video playback now.

 

[dheerajin]

I have been using this custom made pc for a while now for playback of movies. It is one of those AMD A8 6600k processors sitting on a MSI FM2-A75MA board in a cooler master micro atx box.

The movie playback is pretty good but I am sure you can tweak this. Using custom softwares, tweaks etc.

I do not have any plan to install a graphics card. The only other activity I do on this pc is ripping cds using dbpoweramp..

Any thoughts ?

This is for Music only not video---
If you see dbpoweramp's log after ripping CD, it says..Not in accurate rip..and thats where actual game lies. Noise is introduced and pace of the bits is not matched to the actual recording. Try ripping your CDs with EAC (EXACT AUDIO COPY) and see the difference.
However if you think WAV is better format then it can be done via EAC also..just dont add FLAC plugin.
for EAC try this link-
http://www.hifivision.com/portable-...s/2157-ripping-flac-using-eac.html#post574245

cheers

Dheeraj

 

[musicbee]

Daum PotPlayer is the best I've come across for video. Its low on resources and way better than anything else I've test like VLC, MPC, etc.

I would recommend starting with it and tweaking based on personal preferences.

PS - Its pretty good for audio playback too... just not customizable to the extent of Foobar with its addons.

 

[reignofchaos]

Daum PotPlayer is the best I've come across for video. Its low on resources and way better than anything else I've test like VLC, MPC, etc.

I would recommend starting with it and tweaking based on personal preferences.

PS - Its pretty good for audio playback too... just not customizable to the extent of Foobar with its addons.

This is a misconception. The player or decoder has pretty much zero influence on output if the decoding is bit perfect. It all depends on the renderer or presentation layer. If you use madvr with potplayer you will in theory get the exact same quality.

 

[musicbee]

This is a misconception. The player or decoder has pretty much zero influence on output if the decoding is bit perfect. It all depends on the renderer or presentation layer. If you use madvr with potplayer you will in theory get the exact same quality.

I can see another CD vs. Vinyl argument coming up... why not leave it to personal preference? You prefer MPC and I prefer PotPlayer.

Here is a screenshot of the same scene from both MPC and PP. MPC is setup as per your instructions. Everything else remaining the same.

PotPlayer is the first image and if I take my argument I'll argue it has more detail (check the blindfolds behind the characters for the buildings on the left and for the raindrops on the right). MPC appears (to me) to have less detail and also be more washed out in colors (not sure what to call the yellow).

But like I said there will be no end to this argument as go so many other arguments on HFV. So lets chalk that up to personal preference and not insist which is the better player.

PS - Even the light reflected on the floor is better represented in Daum PP.

 

[reignofchaos]

This is a simple case of things not being setup properly. It is a difference in brightness as well. Make sure there are no additional filters/post processing enabled in pot player. What is your output format? Make sure it matches your display device. There are a few other changes that are required to be put - such as the gamma curve and you must disable any gpu driver video processing.

There is no analog vs digital debate here. All video finally goes through directx (specifically directshow) onto the gpu and the presentation layer (renderer) writes onto the gpu buffers. The player simply creates a filter graph with a source (video file), transform filter, demux, decoder, presenter and sink(display device). It takes barely 20-25 lines of code to write a video player as long as you have the requisite codecs on your system.

 

[musicbee]

This is a simple case of things not being setup properly.

MPC-HC was setup exactly as you described in your post. Now if that's not the best/optimum then do share what else needs to be tweaked.

Make sure there are no additional filters/post processing enabled in pot player.

Why not? MPC sucks out of the box without any tweaks. PP does much better out of the box and even better with tweaks. Now if you really want to test then do so disabling all filters for both players. Not just PP.

That said I've not tweaked PP much... most of the rendering/processing is on auto select/recommended settings. PP is just a better player, right out of the box and/or with any additional tweaking.

 

[reignofchaos]

MPC-HC was setup exactly as you described in your post. Now if that's not the best/optimum then do share what else needs to be tweaked.



Why not? MPC sucks out of the box without any tweaks. PP does much better out of the box and even better with tweaks. Now if you really want to test then do so disabling all filters for both players. Not just PP.

That said I've not tweaked PP much... most of the rendering/processing is on auto select/recommended settings. PP is just a better player, right out of the box and/or with any additional tweaking.

Filters should be disabled in both players. Any transform filter is like an equalizer in audio. They will change pixels - maybe for better or for worse. You need to setup the CMS system in madvr to the correct color profile and gamma of your display. Check in madvr options.

MPC HC is a blank slate and the simplest possible thing out there - really lightweight and no post processing of its own unless you do enable it explicitly. PP is exactly the opposite in comparison. It throws in everything including the kitchen sink. Some may prefer it that way.

 

[square_wave]

Install media player classic home cinema. The latest version has lav codecs integrated. Setup lav to use DXVA2 copy back. Then download madvr, put it in a convenient location and run the install script. Set media player classic home cinema's output to be madvr. Play any movie. The madvr logo should appear in the task bar. Double click it and go to scaling algorithms. Set chroma upscaling to jinc 4 taps and enable the anti ringing filter checkbox. Do the same for image upscaling. For image downscaling, select lanzcos and enable the anti ringing filter. That's it! Your machine is setup for state of the art video playback now.

Awesome !! Just the kind of reply I was expecting

Will try this out and post back !!

Thanks ROC..

 

[vijwilso]

Install media player classic home cinema. The latest version has lav codecs integrated. Setup lav to use DXVA2 copy back. Then download madvr, put it in a convenient location and run the install script. Set media player classic home cinema's output to be madvr. Play any movie. The madvr logo should appear in the task bar. Double click it and go to scaling algorithms. Set chroma upscaling to jinc 4 taps and enable the anti ringing filter checkbox. Do the same for image upscaling. For image downscaling, select lanzcos and enable the anti ringing filter. That's it! Your machine is setup for state of the art video playback now.

I have the same arrangement for the movie with DXVA for the hw video decoding . It is good and very less CPU utilisation. However one thing I am unable to achieve is the good down-mixing to stereo from DTS/DD. I tried various filters including AC3Filter , which works functionally for down-mixing to stereo , however nothing come close to the quality of down-mixing by the external AVR . Earlier i was using AVR to decode/downmix to stereo for the movies , but now i moved to Stereo amplifier and forced to use the SW for the down-mixing . Any suggestions here .

 

[Subha15011976]

Install media player classic home cinema. The latest version has lav codecs integrated. Setup lav to use DXVA2 copy back. Then download madvr, put it in a convenient location and run the install script. Set media player classic home cinema's output to be madvr. Play any movie. The madvr logo should appear in the task bar. Double click it and go to scaling algorithms. Set chroma upscaling to jinc 4 taps and enable the anti ringing filter checkbox. Do the same for image up-scaling. For image down-scaling, select lanzcos and enable the anti ringing filter. That's it! Your machine is setup for state of the art video playback now.

Can AMD APU A8 handle MadVr high-end up-scaling algorithms JINC 4tap + AR. I have a doubt. At least my old nVidia Geforce GT 440 can't handle this. And I think Catmull-Rom + AR+LL is the best down-scaling algorithms for madvr.

 

[Rockfella]

This debate never ends. Just use whatever you like. Use Ccleaner. It keep the pc fast. Just adding on.

 

[reignofchaos]

Can AMD APU A8 handle MadVr high-end up-scaling algorithms JINC 4tap + AR. I have a doubt. At least my old nVidia Geforce GT 440 can't handle this. And I think Catmull-Rom + AR+LL is the best down-scaling algorithms for madvr.

Cat mull rom was the best until anti ringing features were added. I prefer lanzcos now. Anyways it hardly ever gets used as most of the content I watch is either 720p or 1080p. I use an antique 6570 1gb gpu and it handles 1080p24 content at those settings just fine. I am sure the a8 will work as well.

 

[spirovious]

Believe it or not.I compared 3 free sw at 3 diff setups.Mine and 2 FM.
Mostly talked XMBC had lowest quality of Bit-streaming compared to MPCHC and Potplayer.
Potplayer was the best among three.Now you will argue how can sound will change if there was Bitstreaming? Just compare back to back and you will know.
Even using same filters,Potplayer was better than MPCHC in sound.
Setting can be done like this-
http://www.hifivision.com/home-thea...49996-how-bitstream-hd-audio-htpc-laptop.html

 

[Rockfella]

Checking out pot player now. Thanks.

Believe it or not.I compared 3 free sw at 3 diff setups.Mine and 2 FM.
Mostly talked XMBC had lowest quality of Bit-streaming compared to MPCHC and Potplayer.
Potplayer was the best among three.Now you will argue how can sound will change if there was Bitstreaming? Just compare back to back and you will know.
Even using same filters,Potplayer was better than MPCHC in sound.
Setting can be done like this-
http://www.hifivision.com/home-thea...49996-how-bitstream-hd-audio-htpc-laptop.html

 

[karthi1000]

regarding mpc-hc advance setting guide for newbies

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/26-home-theater-computers/1357375-advanced-mpc-hc-setup-guide.html

 

[Subha15011976]

Cat mull rom was the best until anti ringing features were added. I prefer lanzcos now. Anyways it hardly ever gets used as most of the content I watch is either 720p or 1080p. I use an antique 6570 1gb gpu and it handles 1080p24 content at those settings just fine. I am sure the a8 will work as well.

I think to run MadVr scaling algorithms smoothly you must need a dedicated GPU because it demands high GPU as well as CPU power. For a try play a 1.5gb - 3gb mkv file having resolution of 1280x544p or some thing like this and turn-on the playing status by entering "Ctrl+J" when MPC-HC is running. And set the madvr scaling like this.

Up-scaling - Jinc 3 Tap + AR (Croma): Jinc 3 tap + AR (Luma)
Down-scaling - Lanczos 3 Tap+AR+LL
and now see what is your playback status. To know better about it install "GPU-Z" and see gpu power consumption.

 

[reignofchaos]

As I mentioned, 1080p24 or lower is perfectly smooth with the settings you mentioned. I get one frame drop/repeat every 46 minutes.

 

[musicbee]

Filters should be disabled in both players. Any transform filter is like an equalizer in audio. They will change pixels - maybe for better or for worse. You need to setup the CMS system in madvr to the correct color profile and gamma of your display. Check in madvr options.

MPC HC is a blank slate and the simplest possible thing out there - really lightweight and no post processing of its own unless you do enable it explicitly. PP is exactly the opposite in comparison. It throws in everything including the kitchen sink. Some may prefer it that way.

Well I have setup MPC as per your guide and also a couple of other guides on the internet and every single time PotPlayer is the better player (tested with SD and HD content).

Unless someone can prove it otherwise with actual screenshots and share the way MPC has been setup and the same can be replicated in other systems, I'd venture to say Daum PotPlayer is the better player anyday.

PS - I'm open to correction... only because I too like to enjoy the best PQ and SQ and I'm not a PotPlayer fanboy.

With regards to the kitchen sink... well my previous player of choice VLC is heavy on resources in comparison, PotPlayer hardly uses any CPU or RAM in fact.