Tool for changing preferred DirectShow filters in Windows 7

[Zillion_]

Originally Posted by clsid

You have written some unneeded steps:
1) The tool already takes care of (temporarily) changing the ownership and access rights of the registry key.
2) Default settings can be restored by simply setting everything back to "Microsoft". A backup of the key is thus not really needed. A "reset to default" button will be implemented in the near future to quickly reset things.

Also, I don't understand what you mean with "bad keys". Please elaborate about what is wrong. Those values are only changed when a user selects the related opti on.

Also what is the error you mentioned on x86?

1) it's still necessary, you need ownership to remove the "bad keys".
2) just to make sure.
3) the "bad keys": I have explained what they do. They may already be present, but your tool re-writes them there when selecting the options mentioned in the article.
I've tested it all pretty thoroughly (for DivX, XviD and MKV files anyway, with either MP3 or AC3 audio).
Examples are in the Troubleshooting section: e.g. if you see the DivX decoder TWICE in the DirectVobSub menu (e.g. "DivX Decoder Filter" and "DivX Decoder 003"), you've left some of the "bad keys" in the Preferred DirectShow Codecs. See above. If nothing else helps, repeat the procedure but first delete everything under the "Preferred key" (make sure you've backed it up before !).

[Zillion_]

Originally Posted by clsid

Also what is the error you mentioned on x86?

Well, the error that it can't write to the x64 registry keys or something like that (someone else told you about this before)

[clsid]

The keys names are just media types and the values and identifiers of the decoders. There is absolutely nothing wrong or bad about them.

It may be true that they give some weird behavior in your testing, but that is not the fault of the keys, but rather of the player or perhaps the DivX filters. If we can figure out the exact cause of the problem, then I can take action to prevent those problems. Just blindly removing stuff is a bad idea (and will break playback when using other filters).

Can you reproduce the same problems with other decoders than the DivX ones? For example ffdshow.

{44495658-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71} equals FourCC "XVID" (capital letters)
{31435641-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71} equals FourCC "AVC1"
{5634504D-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71} equals FourCC "MP4V"
and
{64697678-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71} equals FourCC "xvid"

[Zillion_]

I've just done a new test install (under VM) to check that I didn't skip, or forget to document, any steps in my guide.
Here's the whole "basic" thing (some nice-to-haves have been skipped):

1. start with a standard Windows 7 installation
2. Disable User Account Control
3. Start Media Player once (configuration)
4. Open an XviD or DivX file - plays fine, no subs. MKV: not recognized.
5. Install DivX7, without its MKV splitter
6. DivX Config: full deblocking with sharpening
7. Open a DivX or XviD file: DivX icon doesn't appear in Systray
8. Install GSpot and configure it
9. Open XviD/DivX file in GSpot, analyze in MS A/V: Mpeg4s DMO and MP3 Decoder DMO are used
10. Install AutoGK 2.55 (all defaults: including AviSynth, XviD, VobSub...)
11. Upgrade DVobSub/VSFilter to v2.39
12. Open a DivX/XviD file that has a matching SRT in GSpot
13. Analyze in GSpot
14. DirectVobSub loads when GSpot renders
15. In Media Player: doesn't load (WMP isn't using DivX or DVobSub at all)
16. Install Haali Splitter. Leave all defaults during install.
17. Double-click .MKV file: unrecognized
18. Create & run .REG file to register MKV filetype
19. Double-click .MKV file again
20. Confirm and select "don't ask me again" when WMP warns about playing the file format
21. File plays, with subs from DVobSub (green arrow and haali icon visible in systray)
22. Install a recent ffdshow build (e.g. rev 3078 CLSID :-) )
23. Let "Reset all ffdshow settings" enabled
24. Disable the "Decode video formats" checkbox
25. Enable "Raw Video"
26. Disable "Decode audio formats"
27. Enable "MP3" with libmad or libavcodec
28. Enable Raw Audio
29. Enable Volume Normalization
30. Run Audio Config
31. Hide all filters except Volume
32. Enable Stream Switcher
33. In "Output", set "Connect To:" to "DirectSound", AND disable "Apply only to S/PDIF output", then click OK
34. Run Video Config
35. In "Codecs", click on "Raw Video", enable "Enable in WMP 11"
36. Hide all filters, click OK
37. Open your video file (same as above) in GSpot, analyze it with "MS A/V"
38. ffdshow video is loaded after Mpeg4s DMO, and ffdshow audio is loaded after MP3 Decoder DMO; DirectVobSub loads after ffdshow video. that's ok for now.
39. Double-click the same video: WMP doesn't use any of this (expected).
40. Start WinDSFilterTweaker 1.7
41. Note that ffdshow doesn't appear in the choices for H.264/AVC, XVID or DIVX (on some configurations, it does ! Maybe a problem with recent ffdshow builds ?). Enabled "DivX" as the default for all video codecs that have it, and enable ffdshow as the MP3 decoder.
42. Click apply. Runtime Error appears re. 64-bit registry keys: ignore it, click OK. Click Apply again, click Yes twice.
43. Analyze your video in GSpot again: now the whole path should be correct:
44. video: src -> avi splitter -> divx decoder -> ffdshow decoder -> directvobsub -> video renderer
45. audio: srv -> avi splitter -> ffdshow audio decoder -> default directsound device.
46. Click the "2" button to actually play the file
47. Double-click the same file: WMP still doesn't use any of this !
48. DMO DLL trick: go to windows\system32, locate DSDMO.DLL, Take Ownership, rename it (e.g. DSDMO.DLL.W7).
49. Double-click the file again: still no change
50. Back to System32, do as above for MP3DMOD.DLL
51. Double-click the file again: WMP is still going with Media Foundation
52. Restart your computer
53. Double-click the file again: WMP blocks. A thumbnail for the video may appear on the top left of your screen, in the small WMP window, if you've got "season folders" with posters set up (e.g. as done by & for MediaBrowser and MetaBrowser).
54. DirectVobSub systray icon (green arrow) appears, and ffdshow audio decoder (blue) is there, but NO! the ffdshow video decoder icon (red) is missing.
55. This is where the "Preferred" registry key, and what I've called the "bad keys", come into play. Three of the "media types / codec" combos under the "Preferred" DirectShow registry key need to be deleted (see Guide). Don't forget to take ownership of the "Preferred" registry key !
56. After that, double-click your test file again: YES ! it plays, ffdshow audio and video are loaded, and so are DivXSM and DirectVobSub/VSFilter.
57. Make sure the DivXSM and FFDSHOW Audio systray icons are always displayed in the systray (you can do "Customize notification icons", but it's a lot quicker to drag & drop the icons from the "popup" icon area to the systray).
58. NOTE: if you see the picture twice & upside down, disable "Deinterlacing" in the DivX decoder configuration tool. Your hardware can't take it or isn't compatible.
59. Right-click the DirectVobSub icon to verify which filters & codecs are being used: ffdshow audio is there indeed, but not the ffdshow video.(Note: if the ffdshow audio decoder appears twice, and sound is gibberish, you didn't configure ffdshow audio decoder properly: see above)
60. Double-click the DirectVobSub system tray icon. Doubled Resolution, always load, and change the font if you wish. PAR compensation: downscale (in most cases).
61. Install MediaInfo. Enable the Shell Info Tip and the Shell Extension.
62. Install the AC3 Filter.
63. Now test an MKV file: everything should be fine, you'll also see the Haali and AC3Filter icons in the system tray.

DONE !

[Zillion_]

Originally Posted by clsid

Can you reproduce the same problems with other decoders than the DivX ones? For example ffdshow.

mm I guess I could try with XviD, but not with ffdshow -- well that won't have the problem. The problem occurs when the video stream goes BOTH through a codec first, then is passed through ffdshow before going to the renderer.

Why ? See Guide: MediaControl "MUST" work. So the video and audio feeds must go through ffdshow, so mediacontrol can... well, "control" them (e.g. ffw / rew, switching audio streams...). I don't want to use ffdshow to do the actual video decoding work, because the quality is inferior compared to Divx7 with full deblocking + sharpening.

[Zillion_]

I guess I'm gonna rewrite the beginning of the guide to clearly state what the goals are, and why certain decisions were made, e.g. "why not just ffdshow" or "why bother with having both DivX and ffdshow"...

I anybody knows another way than MediaControl to enable ffw / rew + audio switching + sub switching in MediaCenter (a way that possibly doesn't require ffdshow or directvobsub/vsfilter, or even one that works through Media Foundation) I'll be very happy to try it out.

I'm still setting up my rig to start testing with CoreAVC, by the way.

[clsid]

Note that ffdshow doesn't appear in the choices for H.264/AVC, XVID or DIVX (on some configurations, it does ! Maybe a problem with recent ffdshow builds ?). Enabled "DivX" as the default for all video codecs that have it, and enable ffdshow as the MP3 decoder.

It only appears when said formats are enabled in ffdshow settings

[BetaBoy]

Originally Posted by Zillion_

I guess I'm gonna rewrite the beginning of the guide to clearly state what the goals are, and why certain decisions were made, e.g. "why not just ffdshow" or "why bother with having both DivX and ffdshow"...

I anybody knows another way than MediaControl to enable ffw / rew + audio switching + sub switching in MediaCenter (a way that possibly doesn't require ffdshow or directvobsub/vsfilter, or even one that works through Media Foundation) I'll be very happy to try it out.

I'm still setting up my rig to start testing with CoreAVC, by the way.

LMK and I'll send you and COMP copy as well (of CoreAVC that is)

[Zillion_]

Originally Posted by BetaBoy

LMK and I'll send you and COMP copy as well (of CoreAVC that is)

That'd be great, thx ! Send you a msg through msn.

[Joniii]

Anyone figured out yet how to play .m2ts files with haali+ffdshow?

Renaming mfds.dll makes haali load with .m2ts files instead of mf splitter but ffdshow is not used in h.264 or mpeg-2.

[Shark007]

Originally Posted by Shark007

Originally Posted by betaking
Originally Posted by Shark007
I may be an idiot in your shallow view of what peoples needs are when it comes to a bundle of filters to install but at least I'm not the INSANE PERSON behind the K-lite fiasco that has caused more formatted partitions than any other blunder known to the 8086 architechture.

I have replicated nothing. I have looked at your tool and it falls short in many instances.
It leaves the registry open to hackers by unlocking keys and leaving them in that state.

My users demand more. They need the security and peace of mind that Microsoft intended for thier systems. My implementation of filter swapping goes way beyond the functionality of your simple hackjob. My users are able to re-lock the keys and return ownership to the TrustedInstaller either by a system Administrator who adjusted the settings in the 1st place or by simply uninstalling my software.

You probably should consider replicating the functionality my software offers (like K-lite does).
I'll look forward to it in some future release of yours.


According to the agreement is that they can not be used for commercial purposes on!

OT, but your opinion is noted.

Originally Posted by clsid

Deliberate fail to quote properly to spread lies one more time?

Originally Posted by LoRd_MuldeR

Well, if CLSID's tool can take the ownership of the "TrustedInstaller" registry keys and modify values in those keys, then an evil hacker could do the same thing anyway

Someone recently informed me that you have corrected your oversite with the unlocking of the registry keys. Obviously you found my concern relevent enough to change the tools behavior but no where have you posted a changlog stating so.

[foxyshadis]

Yes, Shark, he 'corrected' it by never having it wrong in the first place. Your whole first post was wrong, and your continued insistence on reposting it constitutes harassment and advertisement. Stop posting it.

[Brazil2]

@ clsid

May I suggest you to update your first post when a new version is out ?

[scottsdaleBallroom]

Thanks clsid! I think this will help me out.. Thanks for sharing it.

[XhmikosR]

Hi, clsid. I get the following error with v1.8 on Win 7 32bit RTM.



After closing the error window, if I press "Apply" again I get the message that the changes have been applied is shown.

[clsid]

Fixed

[Lolitka]

Hello,

i have tried latest version of your switcher, but i don't get ffdshow to load in WMP. It loads when i tried to look what filters load graphedit64.

Is this bug, or there is still no way to force WMP to use ffdshow insted of default "Mpeg4s Decoder DMO".


BTW what acronym "DMO" means?

[Snowknight26]

Make sure you're using the 64-bit WMP.

DMO = DirectX Media Object.

[Lolitka]

I'm sure i using 64bit wmp - there is no *32 in taskmanager and 64bit vobsub tries to load.

[clsid]

I suspect you are playing a video format other than the ones controlled by the tool. Please supply MediaInfo output for that file.