DirectShow Filter for x264 decoding?

[Revgen]

I never use any of the VMRx modes. I only use Overlay Mixer when I play videos with Zoomplayer. All videos look fine in this mode. I've never seen a difference between FFDshow or TCMP. Heck, last night I even tested an X264 video with both players and even compared them to the original DVD source, and all looked fine.

[Dark_Angel_PT]

CruNcher: I use VMR7 renderless because VMR9 crashes MPC, and the playback in VMR9 mode with subs is very slow, perhaps due to my crappy FX5200 card?

Actually in retrospect I must apologize for disturbing everyone so much... this rendering issue has bugged me for so long and I just could not find any solution. Now that this is solved, it looks like ffdshow will once again become my preferred decoder for various fourCCs.

VMR9 is preferable over VMR7 for various reasons. If you use MPC you should know that. I consider VMR7 inferior personally.

However, VMR9 requires DirectX9.0 installed, and your grafics card doesn't support DirectX 9.0 fully on hardware, and thats why it drags itself when you use VMR9.

I believe you are confusing things like "a problem with colorspace conversions/configuration between filters/renderes/hardware" with "a problem with ffdshow"

I remember a thread on AVSForums.com that has like 100 pages on a single matter concerning this and there are even Microsoft insiders saying this as been a mess for a long time....

[Isochroma]

I have DX 9.0c developer edition installed, and yes my card fully supports DX9, but it is slow. And when you say 7 is inferior, you may be right for some people with high-end cards, but for the majority they will never be able to use 9 in renderless mode with subtitles because of its extremely poor performance.

[3ngel]

Well, today i've done tests between latest FFDShow build and ND decoding.
Setting FFDShow as Manao's settings, the color error is gone and so the color space is the same as ND. But there is a light difference between the two concerning brightness: FFDShow shows a little more brightness compared to ND (and DVD) (a little amount but present).

@Isochroma
I use VMR9 and MPC in renderless mode and i've not seen poor performance with subtitles.

[Doom9]

Unfortunately, the brightness issue is not restricted to the decoding filter and things vary with the renderer you use and the GFX cards. Last year, taking screenshots for the codec comparison was a major PITA. This year it worked out in the default output mode (which appears to be overlay since if I open a second player, the picture is severely degraded. When I switch to VMR9 renderless, that problem is gone, but then ffdshow (and so far only it from a couple of installed decoders) displays images too bright (check the theora shots in the 2005 codec comparison qualification for a few tasty examples)). In the end, it's an evil triangle between GFX drivers, player settings and decoder settings and you just have to find the right way through the jungle. Last year, I had to redo all my shots but the source ones because the color was off.. since a different decoder was used for every source, I clearly cannot blame a specific decoder for the problem.

[Isochroma]

Which video card do you have? I'm using a generic FX5200 @ AGP8X on an Asus A7V8X with single-channel PC3200 clocked at 333 MHz, Athlon XP 2500+. It would be interesting to find out what hardware can do it well, so that I can incorporate it into future designs.

You're right about the small brightness difference...

[3ngel]

@Doom9
From what i know, i've never encountered image degradation opening more and more MPC all at the same time (rendering different streams with different codecs, or same codecs). The image is the same as if i open every stream separately (this concerning the image degradation). I'm speaking of VRM9 in any case.
Regarding the brightness question, well i don't know other codecs, but it's for sure FFDShow is brighter than ND and DVD.

@Isochroma
I use Asus A7N8X-E, Ati X800 AGP8x, VRM9, MPC, Barton 3200+, FSB 200Mhz, Nforce2 Ultra 400.

Regarding subtitles don't forget to set in MPC :
- Number of subpictures to buffer ahead : at least 10 (important)
- Maximum texture resolution : 800x600 (for a good sub quality)

[Doom9]

I use VMR9 and MPC in renderless mode That's just the combination that causes problems on my end, too. But, if I switch back to the system default, the discoloration is gone (I should know since I took a series of screenshots.. they're in the odec comparison). Try to set it back to the system default...

[Caroliano]

I don't know if I shoud ask that but: why only FFDShow has all these problems? Or he is not the only?

I can't use VMR9, so I can't open two players at same time? There is no way to fix that?