MrNorth:Ahh then it is just as useless as the original dvd library. Why not add support for any file format available??? It is so incredibly easy, and would add lots of value for me at least, then I dont have to bother with buggy 3rd party programs just to add a simple movie gallery. Wake up MS.
It isn't really that easy. Think about how the process to discover the metadata would work. You can't always use use the filename since the filename doesn't always have all of the required data for discovery. Movie filenames that don't include the date of release are a problem, how does the code know which version of "The Thing" is in the file? Recorded TV uses some kinda GUID from the EPG data and ripped DVD's have a serial number encoded on them, or something like that. VMC uses those codes to get the metadata. User created files are a challenge to get metadata for and always will be. The only solution is to build an interface to pick from results returned from a filename search.
MrNorth:At least make a tool that allow me to convert mkv to wtv, same containers, just replacing its content. Surely I can add srt, vc1 video and ac3 audio in an wtv file??? That would work for me, given that the video is still as compressed as in an mkv. I dont want to transcode anything, just moving the content from one container (mkv) to another (wtv). Any MVP that find this possible??? I would happily pay for such a program
As time allows, I'm researching this possibility. Don't hold your breath though as WTV is still new and there isn't much code out there yet (well none) for creating these files.
C# / Media Center Hack http://twitter.com/Ogre
speedycars:Hello, I have these major (for me) problems with 7MC Ultimate x64: *DivX can't be handled by ffdshow *that means I don't have a VobSub subtitles *It seems like 7MC handles that format with some crappy internal encoders instead of ffdshow and divx (ffdshow priority is set to maximum, but no result) - the result is crappy sluggish performance in divx movies *can't install PlayReady (Error Code 0x80240003) *i had sound problems with my analog Pinnacle 110i - but I'll reinstall soon to investigate if it wasn't just messed up media center setup Pluses that I found interesting in 7MC are: *MKV is still handled very well with ffdshow, CoreAVC and matroskasplitter.ax for x64 (Thank God!) *f.f. and rewind in DivX (it was about a time...) *better music album playing (with album's content before entering into the album) *better compatilility with network libraries! *the new pictures slideshow *better look comparing with tvpack (vista) *builtin internal encoder for analog tuners without hardware encoders!!! (Well Done!) That's for now from me... The major problems that I want to solve are the divx and subtitle issues. Then I could migrate to 7 for constantly. ;)
Basically, the deal with MKV's is that there's no native splitter for Media Foundation and all of the new codecs (DivX/XVid/H264) are Media Foundation codecs. Since there's no splitter, you have to install Haali or some other MKV splitter and those splitters don't talk to Media Foundation, only DirectShow, so you still need a DirectShow codec to deal with the data after it's split. Setting the codec priority/merit won't change anything because the new codecs aren't DirectShow, they're Media Foundation.
I've been looking at the Media Foundation SDK to try and figure out how to port the MPC-HC Matroska Splitter to Media Foundation but, heh, my C++ is really rusty and there's no "How-To Convert DirectShow Splitters to Media Foundation" documentation out there so it's basically dead-in-the-water at this point. (Translation: I have no idea what I'm doing...)
Also, I don't think anything with subtitle streams will work with the new codecs. I couldn't find any AVI's with subtitles but I did try one with multiple audio streams and they were mixed together and I couldn't see any way to pick between the different tracks. With FFDShow-tryouts, this is handled by the System Tray icon, but there doesn't seem to be an interface to handle this with the new codecs in WMP12. I can't test in Media Center 7 yet, since I've only installed 7 on my circa 2001 laptop and the video card in that thing only has 4MB so 7MC crashes pretty rapidly after it's launched. I'm gonna guess though that there really isn't any support in the new codecs for subtitles since there's no real standard for subtitles at this point, there's only community based solutions and community based codecs that support these community based solutions. :)
Personally, I do hope that MS decides to, at the very least, add support for MKV's. The specs are totally open and it really is the best container format out there:
http://www.matroska.org/technical/index.html
At the very second to least (heh), I hope they add support for subtitles since we kinda need them for Anime, foreign films and... you know... old people.
Ogre: At the very second to least (heh), I hope they add support for subtitles since we kinda need them for Anime, foreign films and... you know... old people.
Yeah, and all us non-English speaking. I know lot's of people who are more or less fluent in English, but still have trouble hearing the dialouge or understanding slang. Translated subtitle are of great value to them. Personally I prefer not using subtitles, but for some movies they're good. In those cases I usually use English subtitles. So I guess, what I'm saying is that there is a great number of people wanting this...
Ogre: MrNorth:Ahh then it is just as useless as the original dvd library. Why not add support for any file format available??? It is so incredibly easy, and would add lots of value for me at least, then I dont have to bother with buggy 3rd party programs just to add a simple movie gallery. Wake up MS. It isn't really that easy. Think about how the process to discover the metadata would work. You can't always use use the filename since the filename doesn't always have all of the required data for discovery. Movie filenames that don't include the date of release are a problem, how does the code know which version of "The Thing" is in the file? Recorded TV uses some kinda GUID from the EPG data and ripped DVD's have a serial number encoded on them, or something like that. VMC uses those codes to get the metadata. User created files are a challenge to get metadata for and always will be. The only solution is to build an interface to pick from results returned from a filename search. MrNorth:At least make a tool that allow me to convert mkv to wtv, same containers, just replacing its content. Surely I can add srt, vc1 video and ac3 audio in an wtv file??? That would work for me, given that the video is still as compressed as in an mkv. I dont want to transcode anything, just moving the content from one container (mkv) to another (wtv). Any MVP that find this possible??? I would happily pay for such a program As time allows, I'm researching this possibility. Don't hold your breath though as WTV is still new and there isn't much code out there yet (well none) for creating these files.
Hi!
I really dont see the problem. All you need is a simple xml file tha tlooks something like this
<movies>
<movie id="1">
<title>The thing</title>
<production year>2001</production year>
<rating>3</rating>
<actors>Kurt Russel, Frank SInatra, Michael Jackson, George, W Bush</actors>
<Comment>best movie ever!!</comment>
<folderart>c:\movies\the thing\folder.jpg</folderart>
<filesource>c:\movies\the thing\the_thing.mkv</filesource>
</movie>
</movies>
And then make the"movie library" gui read this file/database. I have worked a little with MCML and I can't see any limitations whatsoever on that end. The only simit seems to be in the minds of the media center program owners that can't see how extremly useful this feature is to all it's users.
As I understand things, this is what the dvdlibrary does today, but it has a strange limitation to only allow VIDEO_TS movies.
I dont really care about the automatic discovery feature that some apps have. I would happily do that manually, just as long as I can add any file into the movie gallery. OR be able to transcode them into wtw format.
kind regards
Henrik
bmorgan:Anyone know (sorry if I missed this in my searching and readings) if the maximum number of extenders has been incresed from the limit of 5 today in Vista?
Cannot say on Win7 but Niveus and lifeware both support 10 extenders now with TV Pack
A cross link to my post on WMP 12 and the library, which seems to affect 7MC as well:
http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/permalink/306199/313981/ShowThread.aspx#313981
Kinda serious, from my perspective. Anyone recognise this?
I'm not using win7 for the simple fact it's pre beta, so your experience can vary greatly. I've been following the the various threads, and I haven't seen anyone report the same issue that you have stated in the other thread. I've been following closely reading all the experiences that other people have been having. If I had a spare machine to play with I'd load it on that, but I won't sacrifice my media center to play with it. Depending on how the official beta goes I might try it after the first round, but then again I can wait until it's released as I'm in no hurry.
I recently installed W7 6956 and this update definitely gives me the warm and fuzzy... While I believe Microsoft can win in this market, this update finally will get the hay-sayeers talking...
Search the internet for some screen shots if you don't believe me... And if you are the adventurous type, download and install... Changes that impress me, media library, Start Menu layout, internet/channel guide, mini guide, download speed for TV listing, PREMIUM digital cable and there's more... I just order me two extenders and I"m hoping it will just get better...
ARobinso0502: Changes that impress me, media library, Start Menu layout, internet/channel guide, mini guide, download speed for TV listing, PREMIUM digital cable and there's more...
Can you go into detail on any of this? I haven't been able to find any media center specific screens.