Hollywood Plus DirectShow Filter alpha version

[Jake]

Hi,

I'm in the early stage of developement of a DirectShow filter for Hollywood Plus boards and I want to add in the near furure all functionality of DivXPlus. For this I need some testers to help me find bugs and give me some suggestions for furure features. I'll attach this direct show filter to this message. In this alpha version mpeg2 file (mpg and decripted vob) playback should work.

Jake

[Jake]

oops ... I forgot to put the link to the file .... and here it is ...
hpds001.zip (http://hplusds.homedns.org:99/hpds001.zip)

[BlackSun]

Wow, do you plan to make it working with AVI and all H+ Chipset Revision ?

[wanton]

Any chance you could also post link to the source code for this filter? Easier to find bugs if there are any. And does your filter support both mpeg-2 and mpeg-1?

Second question is are you planning to do avi playback via h+ with recompressing video to mpeg-2 i-frames or somehow directly using YUY2 buffers in h+ like divxplus does? (i don't have clue how that jediknight did that but his vanished somewhere)

Third question is it going to be for both audio and video or is it just for video output when using other than mpeg-1/mpeg-2 video streams like? If it's just for video are you planning to add audio input pin to it?

[Jake]

Sorry but the source code will not be available ... maybe in the future ...
Yes, my filter support both mpeg1 and mpeg2 encoded movies and play both video and audio. I have already included support for subtilte playback, but this part is not yet tested .. so this can be verry buggy. In the next release I'll support also AVI playback using YUY2. Playback using recompressing will be to slow for some computers.
(for BlackSun: yes, I want to make it working with all H+ Revision)

Jake

[Emp3r0r]

been waiting for this for a long time... I will begin testing as soon as I get home, thanks jake and please consider releasing the source so that it may improve faster

[Alexy]

this link not work

[wanton]

If you get that YUY2 thing working get bicubic YUY2 resizer from that bicubic directshow filter i made because with using that when need you'll get really good looking output to tv when streching lower resolutions to resolutions like 640x480 or 640x576. H+'s mpeg-1 playback really sucks it doubles every scanline so it looks like shit. I rather watch 352x240 resized to 640x480 and then outputed to tv looks much better.

[macdaddy]

The filter shows up, but there are no places to configure it. The only problem with divx/zoomplayer is that the picture is inverted (composite out of dxr3 to ntsc television set)...

The directshow bicubic filter fixes these issues (more information here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13578)). The directshowfilter is configurable via the properties dialogue when played through zoomplayer, and has the invert function, as well. Divx+ does not need the directshow filter, but zoomplayer gives you so many more options...

Since I only have one coaxial input on my receiver (and the ap 24/96 does not have optical output), I need to have all output go through one coaxial connection...

The audio filter I used belongs to the software DVD player, PowerDVD XP. When you install the program, it installs the filters in the program file folder, but in doing so is not sharing the filter with the rest of your system. We need to change that. Specifically we are looking for the audio decoder that will enable the soundcard to output a tru dolby digital stream to your audio/video receiver...

PowerDVD's audio filter is called "claud.ax" and is in the \program files\cyberlink\powerdvd\ folder. Copy it and put it in the windows\system\ folder. In the same folder, make a .bat file that has one line: regsvr32 "claud.ax" and run it-a window will tell you the filter was installed...

Open graphedit and its "insert filter" dialogue. Among the filters you will add are the Cyberlink Audio Decoder, the Hollywood Plus DirectShow filter, and the WavOut S/PDIF Delta-AP audio renderer. If you want, disable "auto-arrange," and arrange the filtersso they appear logical, and connect them. Save the graph as .xml, and use the conversion tool. to make a graph. You can use a batch file like the one below; place it in the same folder as the executable...

xml2zoom "C:\My Documents\Hplus.Maudio.xgr"

Alter the graph file, according to blight's guide, save, and you are done (almost)...

Go into the registry, and make sure the "DSAUIF" key is set to a decimal value of 4 in both the [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CyberLink\PowerDVD] and [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CyberLink\PowerDVD] directories. This enables the S/PDIF output of PowerDVD's audio filter....

That's it. To play the video file, open ZoomPlayer, register the appropriate graph, and play. DVD playback from the hard drive is fully-functional (and my preferred method of viewing); read more about that here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13556)...

avi/ac3 is a little different. You need to use a "filters" file, which simply loads all the filters necessary to play avi/ac3. You can find the ones that work for your system by using graphedit, arranging the filter, and playing it-if it works, then you did it correctly...

I named the file "avi.ac3.filters" and it looks like this:

LoadFilter({51653990-57B4-11CF-8EB1-02608C9BABA2},AC3 from AVI XForm)
LoadFilter({9BC1B780-85E3-11D2-98D0-0080C84E9C39},CyberLink Audio Decoder)
LoadFilter({E30629D1-27E5-11CE-875D-00608CB78066},WavOut S/PDIF Delta AP)
LoadFilter({82CCD3E0-F71A-11D0-9FE5-00609778AAAA},DivX MPEG 4 DVD Video Decompressor )
LoadFilter({AA59CBFA-F731-49E9-BE78-08665F339EFC},Bicubic Video Resizer)
LoadFilter({4D4B1600-33AC-11CF-BF30-00AA0055595A},HPlus YUV Video Renderer)

The hprender filter and the directshow bicubic resize filter have made the dxr3/h+ alot more valuable. Subjectively, I think the hardware DVD decoding of the dxr3/h+ is top notch. The TVout picture quality is better via the dxr3/h+ than the via Radeon 64MB DDR tv-out (composite) or the tnt2ultra (composite-out) using tvtool. Thanks to blight for giving us the media player that can handle all the formats and filters. This setup should serve me well, at least until I can spend 4 to 5 large upgrading my display device...

I hope this helps, or at least is encouraging, to some of you with similar hardware. Thanks again to all who have developed this stuff...

[Emp3r0r]

I'm having trouble getting AC3 to play at the same time as the Video. I can successfully play a VOB file using the filter but I can only hear on my digital connection when it the filter is set to PCM. When I change to AC3 it doesn't output sound. Now if I disconnect the Video Pin in Graphedit and just have the Audio Pin hooked up then the filter will play AC3 just fine. Any suggestions? I'm using winxp.

PS: If my SantaCruz shows up tommarrow..... then just forget this post :D

[macdaddy]

the reg tweaks work with powerdvd's filters, and there are ones for winDVD, too (I just don't know what they are-but I think you can get at them with DVDgenie)...

I am still having the async DVD issues, and I don't know why...

btw-your post in the "very small faq" is missing the "[" before the url, so none of the links work-I thought you might want to edit it...

[Emp3r0r]

I don't think I'm going to worry about trying to get AC3 sound from my H+ card anymore. If my soundcard arrives today I'm just going to attempt your method and use my soundcard for the AC3 portion.

@macdaddy: does the menu's, etc work using your H+ and zoomplayer? I didn't notice a dvd navigator filter.

PS: fixed my links but topic still screwed?

[macdaddy]

do the menus, etc. work using your H+ and zoomplayer?

Sort of-they work inconsistently. For example, the down arrow works sometimes, sometimes it doesn't. Occassionally you can get the movie to play, other times you get stuck perpetually in menu-land...

I'm going to buy another coaxial cable and run it from the S/PDIFout on the dxr3 to the S/PDIFin on the ap 24/96 (dongle). This should sync everything up nicely, solving my problems (albeit in a seemingly backass way). I wonder what has to be done for the dxr3 to output .ac3 to the ap 24/96 via the PCI bridge (the way it's supposed to)...

fixed my links but topic still screwed?

the links look good; what's wrong with the topic..?

[Emp3r0r]

well, I've managed to display a few seconds of the fbi screen of my dvd using zoomplayer and H+. I was successfully playing a vob file with AC3 audio using graphedit but it was way out of sync. Not sure what the problem is but I'm guessing it has something to do with trying to use my santa cruz to pass the AC3. I'm planning on reinstalling from scratch and trying all over again. Is anybody else making better progress than me? Does anybody know where discussions can be found on this topic?

[macdaddy]

The most active discussion I've found is right here...

I think that the only way that the h+/dxr3 can ouput ac3 in-sync with its mpeg2 decoder (which is what you want) is via the S/PDIF out on the card. I didn't get to the store today, but I will tomorrow. The cable from dxr3 S/PDIFout to the ap 24/96 S/PDIFin should do the trick, since the sound card touts being able to do this (pass thru audio in-sync). I'll let you know...

btw, in Eugene's player and the coaxial cable attached to soundcard, I get perfect playback, with in-sync sound, but the audio output is surround/prologic since either the surround or sb 4 speaker output had to be checked (6 channel out does not work with ap 24/96)...

[wanton]

Jake any word on filter progress? Like this filter alot because now i can watch transport streams with h+ too because there are directshow demultiplexors which demux transport streams too. I use for DVB streams i have.

[Emp3r0r]

@macdaddy: what is your ap 24/96, is that a soundcard or a receiver?

now that I have my music playing digitally, sound quality has increased ten fold. I'm not sure if it is because of my high quality Denon Dolby Digital Processor or my Denon receiver couldn't manage the sound as effectivly (especially the bass) but since my sub has no true crossover, the Processor does a better job of routing the right frequences amoung the speakers for an overall better sound. I don't know why I waited so long to update to digital sound output... I guess I'll just wait for a higher quality nForce before I consider upgrading again.

Oh and I have four RCA interconnects from my computer to my theater so I guess I can now just use 2 for H+ and 2 for AVI's (desktop, etc). Screw waiting on this directshow filter to start working correctly, if I hook it up this way everything will work between two inputs on my receiver. Well I attached a picture of my Home Theater setup in case anybody cares. I'm making a webpage on the DIY projects involved in case anybody wants to know how I made my own stuff.

PS: if I ever graduate and get a house I'll be happy to never live in a trailer again, but it is fine while I'm at school and the ladies seem to like my place

update: well I guess attachments don't work, I'll just put it up on my site

http://131.204.73.234/img/my%20current%20HT.jpg

[macdaddy]

the ap 24/96 is a sound card product homepage (http://www.midiman.com/products/m-audio/audiophile.php)...

I have the coax out goin into the coax in of the sound card, the card says the stream is valid, but I am not getting the output to pass thru (even though the company says that that is a feature of the card). I get downmixed output fine, and in sync, but that's not what I want, I want the digital, and I really don't wnat to have to switct the cables. If I can't get the pass-thru working (I am sure that I can, though), I will get an external switcher, plug the two S/PDIF sources into it, and connect it to the lone S/PDIF input on my receiver...

[macdaddy]

Well I was wrong, I still don't know what's happening. I posted specifics of the problem here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=110993), since alot of people over there use the same soundcard...

Since my receiver has one optical and one coaxial input, and my problem is two coxial inputs (which is all I need ftm), I was looking at these things (http://www.tradertrax.com/format_converters.htm) to solve my problem (specifically the coax to optical box)...

Does anybody know if these things will carry a Dolby Digital stream? If they do, $30 might be a small price to pay to be done and configured...

[Emp3r0r]

This may sound stupid but I believe since you are working with digital streams you could simply splice them together with a y-connector. I'd try that before spending $30. As long as you don't try and output 2 streams at the same time there probably won't be any problems doing this, yet I haven't tried it and I'm against using splitters on anything analog but I say give it a try with digital.

[macdaddy]

Thanks for the idea, Emp3r0r. I am looking into it...

I am using Eugene' Player for DVDs (ac3 output of dxr3, as well)-works wonderfully, especially when playing from the harddrive...

The filter this thread was started to discuss works great when combined with zoomplayer and powerDVD's audio filter to playback avi/ac3. Using other filters allows for all kinds of divx playback, they all seem to work fine...

I would love to play with this filter, and see if it will render winamp visualizations-this would be bitchin'. I am not going to have much time to screw around with this stuff for the next few days, but that is my next thing. winamp3 seems VERY configurable via scripts, and it should be possible to implement the hp rendering thing-milkdrop would be spectacular. I don't see why you can't render in a small window, kick in a resizer and the hprender, and you should be in business...

I wonder if there is a way to use trbarry's simple resize to port to a directshow filter-this might give legman the performance he needs for the slower machine. I am just guessing, though...

[ZoomPicard]

I managed to get Ac3's that are added to some divx's to decode on the card using the filter driver. But only through graphedit so far due to a bug in the filter driver.

Normaly if I tried to play a Divx with Ac3 it would use IndeoVideo's Ac3 decoder which is available for download on this site. Not sure if that installs a filter AC3_from_AVI_XForm.

Attaching the audio output of this to the hollywood filter audio in.
This of course should work straight off but because of a bug in the filter it will simply crash graphedit and at the mo any .filters files u create for zoomplayer.

The bug strangly is in the filter's properties on the first tab screen where u have the slider bars to control the level of sound under these are three radio buttons. Now by default regardless of what u change the filter defaults to the right most radio button which controls the right channel audio output volume. By moving the radio button to the centre button and saving this and trying to run it. IT WORKS!!!

Something needs to be changed on the filter so that it sets the default to the centre radio button since when launched in zoomplayer etc it tries to auto play or fully initalize it and simply crashes the program since u can't change this option before it does those things.

Combined with Divxplus we can hopefully see a fully working Hollywood card outputing a divx file and an (if exists) Ac3 codec thats in it!!!

[Pulver]

Hello, sorry for bringing this old topic up again but...
I would appreciate some help getting this to work.

I have downloaded and installed the directShow filter - started Zoom Player (v.2.60) and have been looking around to find where to activate the filter.

I´m not interested in AC3 - just getting a DivX movie to play through the Hollywood+ TV-out - cause that is what this should do - right?

Or is there another way to do this now? (like an updated version of DivXplus for Win XP ... :-) or something else ?)

Would be glad for any help I can get.

using Win XP and Hollywood+

[Pulver]

Well I guess its the ol XP problem then...

This does not work at all under XP - just as DivXplus doesnt work under XP?

:(

[DarkAvenger]

@ Jake

Are you still developing the filter? Or would you release the source to let others enhance it?

[n9801904]

Any news on this filter?

[THXTEX]

Hi

I extracted the MPEG2 DS filter from the XCard driver and it looks like it works with H+ as well.
With a MPEG file it plays OK. I also tried a DIVX reencoded to MPEG with AC3. I can get either the video part running or the AC3 sound, but not both at the same time.
Also the DS-Filter from the NetStream2000 driver seem to do the same trick. My tests are done using Graphedit.
I don't know so much about graphs, so maybe som of you guys could take a look at this.

My tests are done using Graphedit.

[belzebub]

Xact and SS2 with the Hplus and Xcard,working fine.

http://free.pages.at/flo37/

http://mediabox.port5.com/index.html

http://mediabox.nstemp.com/