Announcing Zoom Player v8 Release Candidate 3

[mr.duck]

Trying to use Zoomplayer RC3 Free to play a TS file using the mediapotal file reader (works with potplayer).

I can't figure it out, if it is even possible. There seems to be no place to add the filter and then 'prefer' it. I can configure MPEG2 Transport in the smartplay thing, but the mediaportal filter isn't there. Plus there seems to be filters listed that I'm sure are not even installed.

[Defcon]

I purchased ZP a few years ago, at the time it was the best player out there, the most flexible and configurable. I don't know, this still may be true. But I moved on after I discovered KMPlayer which offered just as much flexibility, came with all codecs (so I didn't need to install ffdshow etc, even though ZP since then has automated that step) and good defaults. I miss ZP's navigators and a few other things, but when I try it I still spend far too much time configuring it to suit my needs. Its a strength as well as weakness, but I do appreciate all the hard work you guys put into it.

[Blight]

mr.duck:
You're used to how MPC handles filters with the 'prefer' modes. Zoom Player is more straight-forward, you can specify a filter by format and file extensions.
Here's a video tutorial showing how to configure smart play:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob4GS2H4M9I

ZP can use any filter as a source filter, I'm not sure what the benefits of mediaportal's file reader, but ZP has no issues with MPEG2 transport. By default Haali Media Splitter is used, but you can easily switch it to LAV Splitter or even media portal (there's no pre-defined profile for media-portal, but there's you can simply click add filter to add it.

Note that we've rewritten the smart play configuration dialogs since RC3 to make them clearer.
You'll be able to see the changes in the final version next week.


Defcon:
With each version, we're trying to make things more automatic and require less user-interaction to start playing while still maintaining flexibility that is unmatched in other players.
If you've bought ZP, then you can use your existing key with v8 free of charge.

[mr.duck]

I've watched the video now. It seems that it is not possible to get ZoomPlayer working with the mediaportal file reader filter. I failed to get it working both by using smart play and by changing direct show filter merits.

Originally Posted by Blight

By default Haali Media Splitter is used, but you can easily switch it to LAV Splitter or even media portal (there's no pre-defined profile for media-portal, but there's you can simply click add filter to add it.

Haali and LAV cannot open a file that is still being written to (needed for watching live TV). The mediaportal one can. It updates the timeline in the media player every second so can keep playing indefinitely. I tired adding it, but it is not in the list. I can get it working in PotPlayer, so I assume it is a problem with ZoomPlayer.


Any alternative TS filters, anyone?

[pirlouy]

Maybe that's not the best place to ask, but how can you use ffdshow audio processor with ZP (free), after choosing LAV filters for decoding audio ?

I don't know if it's normal, but I still have this bug with madVR with RC3 (from 31/08/2011):
When I exit Fullscreen mode, the window is not at the same place it was before to go in FullScreen. It is moved at up left of the screen (linked to the option "Fiw Window movement glitches")...

2nd problem: I'm not able to have madVR seekbar.

Plus the fact Exclusive mode of madVR is not always activated. All that prevents to have a good user experience with madVR. :/

[nx6]

Prolly a stupid question, but does the new version of Zoomplayer support 10 bit (Hi10P) h264 video? I'm not having much luck with the CCCP versions that support it, and Zoomplayer is already my default player because of the fullscreen media browser interface.

[Blight]

nx6:
There's no reason it shouldn't, you just need to have the right filters in place, it's more of a setup issue than a feature issue.
LAV and FFDShow have working 10bit support. And I believe CoreAVC also added this support in v3. All of which are selectable decoding options in Zoom Player.
I've created a few video tutorials that should cover filter setup, check my sig for the link.


mr.duck:
ZP actually hooks the filters to force them to open files if they are shared by other applications (as long as they're not read-locked, which is rare).
I'm not sure if this filter needs custom work, such as a callback function that updates the player about the duration change.
It's probably a small fix, or maybe just a configuration issue.

If you would like to get 100% interoperability with media portal, please visit the ZP forum, talk with the Booga, the forum admin, tell him Yaron sent you regarding media portal interoperability and he'll get you in the ZP closed beta group section.
Open a thread about media portal, and we'll iron things out to make sure everything works perfectly.


pirlouy:
You'll notice that ZP allows you to chain several filters (the "add filter" button on the smart play configuration dialog).
All you need to do is add the ffdshow audio processing filter after it. If LAV outputs data that ffdshow can accept as input, it should work. You can see if it works when playing by right-clicking the video and looking under 'filter properties'.

ZP disables the MadVR seekbar as it has it's own seekbar with greater functionality...
If you can give a good reason why MadVR's seekbar should still be used, I'm listening.

I'll need a more detailed bug report regarding the window moving. Such as your system setup, multi-monitors? How do you exit fullscreen (keyboard/mouse/remote/etc).
The best thing would be if you could somehow make a video of the desktop as it happens (disable exclusive mode so you can record the screen).

With regards to MadVR not kicking into exclusive mode. Firstly, make sure you use the latest ZP build, there's been several updated EXEs in this thread.
If this doesn't help, activate MadVR's debug mode and try to reproduce the issue where it doesn't kick in and then post the debug log in the MadVR thread on doom9.
There's on reason why it shouldn't always kick in automatically, but if there is, madshi might be able to make out what's going on from the debug logs.

[nevcairiel]

Working on 10bit support? psh!
It was working in LAV Video long before CoreAVC 3.0 was released, and its even faster!

[nand chan]

ffdshow also had 10 bit support long before CoreAVC 3.0 was released..

[Blight]

nev:
I corrected my "typo" to indicate that LAV Filters have 10bit support

[pirlouy]

Here is what I have when I launch video; no problem window opens where it was last time.


Then I go to Fullscreen (with or without exclusive madVR Fullscreen) in double-clicking.
Then I quit Fullscreen by double clicking later. And here is what I have:



Except the player is above the taskbar.

About my config, it's single monitor, Windows 7 x64; 1080p TV (24,50,60Hz), ATI HD5770; madVR, LAV Filter.
No software interfering.

Originally Posted by Blight

If you can give a good reason why MadVR's seekbar should still be used, I'm listening.

Because I come from MPC-HC, and I want to have the same stuff as MPC-HC. Then after that, I'll try your control bar. But for now, I want what is the best for madVR in exclusive mode: only madVR stuff.
And more, I don't want any control/buttons in full screen. I only need a seekbar. And the one from madVR is really nice.


For the exclusive not always kicking, it's not that important for now, since it works sometimes, and I'm too lazy to try a debug build, upload all stuff, and more, madshi has no time for that right now. But as I said, it's not important. The 2 issues above prevent me to test ZP more in fact and yet, I'd like to use it more.

[FreeFall]

pirlouy,

I had a similar problem when switching between fullscreen / windowed modes. Unticking the Snap to Screen / Windows edges (pixels): option http://www.mediafire.com/i/?zu3o4khtub3k7l8 should fix the problem.

regards,

FreeFall

[Blight]

pirlouy:
1. Please test with freefall's suggestion, I'd be interested to hear if it makes a difference.
2. Does it matter where on-screen you double-click to exit fullscreen?
3. You can setup ZP's control bar to hide most buttons (all except the volume and close buttons). The control bar works through MadVR's OSD code, which means that exclusive mode is maintained and it gives you much more functionality (even without the buttons).
I'll see about making ZP disabling MadVR's bar optional to help with users transitioning between players.

[pirlouy]

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, it did not work in my case. But I tried other options in this screen, and once, I manage to have the window where it was before Fullscreen, but just once. It was when I enable "Center UI when exiting Fullscreen".

But I found a way to avoid this issue, but it's not really usable. First, this problem is ONLY with madVR, no problem with Overlay Mixer for example. But it's not a madVR issue since:
If I disable the option "Fix window movement glitches" in menu "Playback > Video", If I go to Fullscreen thanks to the button on title bar, or thanks to the context menu, no problem, I go to Fullscreen, then, when I double click to exit Fullscreen, it works ! The window is where it was.
Unfortunately, it's not usable, because I can't go Fullscreen with a double-click; indeed, each time I do a simple click on the image, the window is moved to another place (a bit lower and at right)

Ahhh, I think I've found the problem... You have to go to Interface > Mouse > Media Left Click, and choose "Move Window" ! If I choose "disabled", I can't move window, but it's a good workaround (since I can move window with the title bar) !
You should reproduce if you enable "Move window" for left click.

[pirlouy]

Originally Posted by Blight

pirlouy:
You'll notice that ZP allows you to chain several filters (the "add filter" button on the smart play configuration dialog).
All you need to do is add the ffdshow audio processing filter after it.

Maybe it's because I use the free edition, but I don't find a way to add a filter.
I'm in Smart Play options (I'd like to keep disable Smart Play disable if possible), but I can't add a filter; there are buttons "New" which might be those you talk about, but when I try, I have the "upgrade" popup.

[Blight]

Pirlouy:
The new build now lets you use MadVR's seek bar.

New Build:
http://t.inmatrix.com/zplayer800prefinal12.rar

Changes from RC3:

  * New navigation skin scripts variables "CursorActive" and "CursorInactive"
    used to specify the brightness adjustment value for the fullscreen
    virtual keyboard navigator cursor.

  * New Setting (Adv. Options / Playback / Video) allowing you to enable
    MadVR's seek-bar.  By default the MadVR seekbar is disabled as its
    functionality duplicates Zoom Player's Control Bar.

  * New Setting (Adv. Options / Playback / History) allowing you to
    auto-save the play history after playing each media file.

  + MadVR support for non-fullscreen images while in fullscreen exclusive mode
    (zoom in/out, panning, etc).

  + MadVR mouse-wheel scroll/tilt now works on the control bar.

  + The options search dialog now highlights the selected components, big thanks
    to Mitko for the enhanced code.

  + Redesigned the Smart Play configuration dialog for greater clarity.
  
  + The Smart Play configuration dialogs now prompt you to update a modified
    profile when clicking on a different profile in the list or clicking the
    OK button to close the configuration dialog.

  + The guard-dog function now forces Zoom Player to close if it detects a
    freeze during shutdown.

  + The "Start Player in" setting has moved from "Adv. Options / Interface" to
    "Adv. Options / Interface / Position & Size".

  - When using MadVR fullscreen exclusive mode in combination with auto-changing
    monitor resolution on fullscreen, exiting fullscreen did not restore the
    original monitor's resolution.  Thanks Hawke.
  
  - Unchecking the "Enable TAG display" setting would hide the entire display,
    including the background image rather than just the TAG display.

  - Choosing to hide the Zoom Player task bar icon would fail (the icon would
    reappear) under certain circumstances.

  - The GuardDog feature no longer restart Zoom Player if the internal screen
    saver is active.

  - Fixed a complete freeze when playing audio files containing corrupt
    ID3 tags.  

  - The control bar and time display should now appear in the correct position
    when moving the video area or zooming with MadVR.

  - JPEG scanline image fixed!  Thanks Spuncut/OV2.

  - Folder image base names did not recognize the use of paths.  Thanks Orf.
  
  - The Smart Play configuration dialogs now selects the first profile from the
    list when erasing a profile so the previously erased profile's filters do
    not remain active.
    
  - Changing the navigation keyboard layout could cause a crash when closing
    the skin selection dialog through the keyboard.  Thanks Gleb Egorych.

[Blight]

pirlouy:
There's an OS "bug" in Win 7 that moves the Window if you try to drag it from the video area.
It affects several renderers and the only way to get it to work is to "trick" windows (that's why there's a special setting that controls windows movement). The "trick" however, can explain what you're seeing on the window move.

You do need the Professional/MAX version to create your own custom profiles with filter chains.

[pirlouy]

Thanks for the new build. I'm not sure if I can install it. Is it a professional build ? Or all builds are the same and I can use it like a Free build with limits ?

Ok for the Win7 bug. It's strange MPC does not have this problem, but I believe you. Now that I've found a work-around, it's ok.

Another strange behavior:
Directshow is not used like for example MPC. Indeed, I don't have LAV audio and LAV Video showing up, whereas, they are the ones with better merits.



Even with smartplay, it is not correct. :/

[nevcairiel]

SysWOW64 is actually the folder of the 32-bit components on a 64-bit Windows.

[Blight]

pirlouy:
Zoom Player by default doesn't use LAV for everything.
You need to select the LAV profile for the video formats you want in Smart Play.
If the filters you select aren't being used, you can enable the smart play debug messages to see what's broken.
To know which profiles are used, press "I" with a video playing and the dialog will show you.

ZP only uses 32bit filters.