A Couple of General Questions about MPC

[Zach]

I'm using the MPC shipped with the CCCP tryouts package:

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/1268/mpcnf6.jpg


First, is this the "recommended" build to use these days (since Gabest apparently stopped development), or should I check out some other build?

Second, can anything be done to improve the image quality (IQ) of MPC's resizing algorithm (for lack of better terminology)?

My desktop resolution is sitting at 2048x1536, so I typically need to double, quadruple, or more the original video resolution; otherwise, it pretty much looks like a thumbnail. :p

With WMP9, WMP10, WMP11, and Nero's Showtime, resizing--even to Full Screen--yields very good results, i.e., amazingly little reduction in IQ. With MPC, even just doubling the size makes the video very blocky and pixelated.

I've tried changing the Output DirectShow Video render (System Default, VMR7, VRM9, Overlay, etc.), but I could see no change in the IQ.

Can anything be done, or should I just stick with WMP11?

[niknik]

Are you using FFDshow?
If so, you have the option to use a number of different rescalers and post processing options.
For xVid(Divx video, I find that having post processing at maximum + deband filter + sharpen filter to give good results when upscaling.

To be sure you have the latest versions of mpc and codecs, you can always get:
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Mega_Codec_Pack.htm
Updated on Jun 26.

[sheppaul]

The default video renderer of Vista is changed to EVR, so you can try it with new MPC build patched by Casimir666.

http://tibrium.neuf.fr/

[Mangix]

First, is this the "recommended" build to use these days (since Gabest apparently stopped development), or should I check out some other build?

I've tried changing the Output DirectShow Video render (System Default, VMR7, VRM9, Overlay, etc.), but I could see no change in the IQ.

Can anything be done, or should I just stick with WMP11?
there is no recommended build. AFAIK, the MPC built in CCCP has some extra code put in there by the CCCP people to fix bugs and other stuff. I also use it as well and i have no problems.

use Overlay. VMR7 and VMR9 have some issues when it comes to color and they use more CPU. Overlay displays the stuff correctly.

[Zach]

use Overlay. VMR7 and VMR9 have some issues when it comes to color and they use more CPU. Overlay displays the stuff correctly.

Yeah, but I don't think that will give me what I want. It turns out that I'm blind because right next to the renderer selection are the tweaks I was inquiring about:

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/5218/resizerwg4.jpg
(note the "Resizer" setting)

Messing around with that removed the "blockiness" and pixelation for the most part. Also, I don't like using Overlay because that causes Vista to disable Aero whenever MPC starts playing a file. My CPU usage is next to nil when doing plain playback, so that's not an issue.

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I have another problem now, though. The reason I didn't like using MPC in the past was because there was no way for it to remember its previous size between sessions. (Every single time I played a different clip, I would have to manually resize the window each time. It was an annoyance, so I begrudgingly went back to WMP9 [at the time].)

Anyway, now it seems Autofit and "Remember Window Size" have been introduced in the optons (yay), but the thing is, it's now stuck at the first test resize (about 1600x1200)!

I resize it back down (manually, as that's what I'm testing... the Autofit feature), exit, reload, and it's back at the original 1600x1200 size!

What's up with that?



Clarification: If I just launch MPC, resize it, and then exit. The resize "sticks." BUT, the moment I play something, it resizes itself back to that original 1600x1200 size.

UPDATE: Okay, I found the problem. Disabling Autofit in the "Playback" settings tab fixed the problem. <shrug> The "Stretch to Window" (in View) is apparently a different beast, as that alone is giving me the persistent zoom I wanted.