Windows 7, x264, and Media Center Extenders - Page 2

HookedOnTV · 12th January 2009, 22:38

I also have only had success with h264 video in the mp4 container with 2 channel sound. Seems like it would be harder to cripple things to work so poorly than just making it work. Really, is h264/ac3 in m2ts so much to ask for?

clsid · 12th January 2009, 23:24

Did some testing with subtitles in WMP. DirectVobSub loads for IDX/SUB but not for SRT subs.

Crono141 · 13th January 2009, 05:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronin-7

I've had some success with Win7 Beta1 64-bit and the Xbox MCX

Everything was encoded with Ripbot264 and I was able to play
H.264 High Profile M2TS with AC3 5.1 (played a 1080p video too but its a bit buggy)

H.264 High Profile MP4 with AAC HE or AAC LC (2 channel)

It would not play the AAC 5.1 Ripbot264 created though it played fine in WMP12 and Win7 media center. There is supposed to be a transcoder built in to help when media does not play I'm guessing its not working in beta 1.

However some test AAC-HE/LC MP4 videos I made using XviD4PSP caused the Xbox MCX to freak out and stop all video playback until it was restarted.

I also tried some videos encoded from Nero v8 and only the MP4 with 2 channel audio would play the AAC 5.1 and AC3 from Nero would not in the Xbox MCX (Nero's AAC 5.1 plays fine in WMP12/WMC and the AC3 MP4 plays video but no audio)

Overall it sorta works but its pretty buggy, obviously given its beta 1 status. Try Ripbot264 Crono141 if you want to get some videos working.

As far as I can tell the Xbox dash is still the same though the M2TS/MP4 videos now show if streaming from WMP12 but its still H.264/AAC-LC in MP4 only.

Can you please detail exactly what settings you used for RipBot264 to get h264/ac3 in m2ts to play on Media Center Extender. I just finished an encode that didn't work, and I just found all the possible settings inside the program. h264/AC3 in m2ts would be perfect if I can get it to play in an Extender.

Snowknight26 · 13th January 2009, 05:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by clsid

The H.264 decoder of Windows7 only works in WMP12/MC (since it uses Media Foundation instead of DirectShow/DMO) and only for MP4/MOV files.

Better late than never, but also with m2ts files.

Ronin-7 · 13th January 2009, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crono141

Can you please detail exactly what settings you used for RipBot264 to get h264/ac3 in m2ts to play on Media Center Extender. I just finished an encode that didn't work, and I just found all the possible settings inside the program. h264/AC3 in m2ts would be perfect if I can get it to play in an Extender.

What I used in Ripbot was the
Level 4.0 profile
audio = copy stream
Save as Blu-ray disc [look in bdmv\stream for video]

Thats all I did, the source material were some mpeg-2 clips I had.

Xvid4PSP also managed to output a working one select M2TS as container and copy audio and that worked for me.

[Now maybe there is something else going as I installed Ripbot264/ffdshow on the Win7 box and it worked perfectly, maybe the transcoder is active and working in the background which is why M2TS are playing for me but I cant really tell as the MCX gives no info about the video that is playing]

Playback was buggy though so you couldn't rely on it for normal usage, for example seeking in M2TS is broken in WMP12/WMC anyway.

I used the feedback tool about the various issues above so hopefully comes beta 2 we'll see some improvement.

Jay Bee · 13th January 2009, 14:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by clsid

The H.264 decoder of Windows7 only works in WMP12/MC (since it uses Media Foundation instead of DirectShow/DMO) and only for MP4/MOV files.

Are you sure? I couldn't get it to connect to any splitter but it does work in DVBViewer.

Crono141 · 13th January 2009, 14:58

Weird, thats exactly what I did with no success. Only difference is I'm running 32 bit win7. Do you have ffdshow set to decode h264? I've also left feedback asking for support for multichannel ac3 and aac in m2ts and mp4 containers.

EDIT: Turning of H264 decoding in FFDshow didn't help me. I have noticed that MCE now plays all the old Divx/Xvid content natively, which is very nice.

The next thing I think I'm going to have to settle for is 2 channel AAC in mp4, but encode it as Dolby Pro Logic II. I'm no expert when it comes to DPLII. How does it compare (as far as channel separation/quality) to its source AC3? If its "close enough" I'll just run with that, as my receiver does DPLII.

Crono141 · 17th January 2009, 03:47

Just to update and bump: the best solution right now is to encode DVD to h264/2 channel AAC with Dolby Pro Logic II. While not "true surround" I've found DPLII to be close enough, at least for my uses. Hopefully, since MS is pushing the whole "Windows 7 is built using user feedback" line, they'll take the user feedback submitted by members of this forum and build in h264/AC3 in their final win7 build. So in other words, if you want an instant gratification solution, h264/DPLII is the way to go. If you want to back up your DVDs once, I'd wait until Win 7 Beta 2 or final to see if they'll add in this feature.

In other news: Windows 7 is so much better than vista, it isn't even funny. I believe Vista will go down as the "Windows Millennium" of this generation of OS's, with Windows 7 being the new XP.

LoRd_MuldeR · 18th January 2009, 05:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crono141

In other news: Windows 7 is so much better than vista, it isn't even funny.

Do you have anything more specific? Since the H.264 and MKV support turned out to be more or less useless, I wonder whether any of the other promises prove true.

For example: Did they reduce the install size of Windows 7 significantly compared to Vista? And is UAC really less annoying than it used to be under Vista?

Dark Eiri · 18th January 2009, 05:52

@LoRd_MuldeR: Yes and yes. The 7 Ultimate takes about 8 GB of HDD space once installed. Vista Ultimate takes about ~13 GB. And UAC is REALLY better, not annoying at all, buf of course, you can disable it easily too.

Crono141 · 18th January 2009, 07:16

Library's are a cool feature too. Seems much more stable. I've only ever gotten a BSOD when trying to install an incompatible driver. I used to BSOD regularly on vista. I also use my PC in a living room on a large TV, and Windows 7 large fonts are much easier to read than Vista was. The new taskbar is nice, and things take up less room. Performance is nicer, and despite this thread, the added media center functionality is really nice. I don't need transcode 360 any more. It seems DivX/XviD is fully supported for MCE now. My next experiments with DVD backup are going to be with XviD/DivX because AC3 audio is supporting with those formats now. I've never done any DVD backups with XviD though (just WMV and H264), so its going to be another learning process.

tre31 · 18th January 2009, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crono141

I'd wait until Win 7 Beta 2 or final to see if they'll add in this feature.

OT: I think they said there is no beta 2 as such, just one beta (and then possibly release candidates? - thats what they usually do)

Crono141 · 18th January 2009, 18:39

I'm really not down with the whole lingo of Beta vs RC's. RC just seems like a fancy name for Beta 2 or 3 or whatever.

LoRd_MuldeR · 18th January 2009, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crono141

I'm really not down with the whole lingo of Beta vs RC's. RC just seems like a fancy name for Beta 2 or 3 or whatever.

The difference is that a "beta" is an unfinished test version, while a "release candidate" (RC) is a version that might actually be released.

If any bugs are found in a RC, then a new RC needs to be made. This process is repeated until the very last RC version is renamed to "Final".

slavickas · 18th January 2009, 21:31

and RCs are "feature complete", you shouldnt expect any new feature added

Guest · 19th January 2009, 04:42

Attachment deleted. Post large (useless) images elsewhere and link here. Do not use profanity.

kosmonaut · 21st January 2009, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by CruNcher

Sure it's main reason is better content Protection ...

So, has anyone found anything about Media Foundation that is actually of major value? Or is it really just about DRM? I haven't tried Windows 7 yet but I would think better integration with hardware acceleration could be seen as a true value?

Crono141 · 21st January 2009, 23:49

Back on topic: I've decided to go with XviD/AC3. Plays natively in ps3, plays natively on x360 dash, and win7 transcodes it to mce. Larger file size, but I got the space.

Edit: Now I'm not sure again, because the wife just got a zune 120, and we discovered that it doesn't like xvid/ac3 in an avi container, and all the old registry hacks don't work in the new zune software. Bummer.

LoRd_MuldeR · 22nd January 2009, 02:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by kosmonaut

So, has anyone found anything about Media Foundation that is actually of major value?

The current status is: Media Foundation decoders and splitters (like Microsofts H.264 and MKV filters) currently work with WMP12 and MediaCenter only.

Decide yourself whether this is of any value for you. For me it isn't, but I don't miss it either. We really have enough great OpenSource alternatives...

Toti · 22nd January 2009, 05:12

I like the new Windows 7, it finally got to work Hardware acceleration. My .wmv do get accelerated uses about 15~25% cpu and .ts or .m2ts with AVC/AC3 uses from 1~5% CPU. Amazing that H.264 works easier and better than its native .wmv Also, note that the new media center has "Movie Library" meaning that if you open a folder drop the movie in in wmv, m2ts or ts it reads it great and has "resume" memory that was only previously available on .dvr-ms only and if you drop a .jpg file with the movie cover name it "folder.jpg" and it will appear as the cover page.

12th January 2009, 23:24	#22 \| Link
clsid ***** Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,542	Did some testing with subtitles in WMP. DirectVobSub loads for IDX/SUB but not for SRT subs. __________________ MPC-HC 2.0.0

13th January 2009, 14:58	#27 \| Link
Crono141 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 150	Weird, thats exactly what I did with no success. Only difference is I'm running 32 bit win7. Do you have ffdshow set to decode h264? I've also left feedback asking for support for multichannel ac3 and aac in m2ts and mp4 containers. EDIT: Turning of H264 decoding in FFDshow didn't help me. I have noticed that MCE now plays all the old Divx/Xvid content natively, which is very nice. The next thing I think I'm going to have to settle for is 2 channel AAC in mp4, but encode it as Dolby Pro Logic II. I'm no expert when it comes to DPLII. How does it compare (as far as channel separation/quality) to its source AC3? If its "close enough" I'll just run with that, as my receiver does DPLII. Last edited by Crono141; 14th January 2009 at 03:36.

21st January 2009, 23:49	#38 \| Link
Crono141 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 150	Back on topic: I've decided to go with XviD/AC3. Plays natively in ps3, plays natively on x360 dash, and win7 transcodes it to mce. Larger file size, but I got the space. Edit: Now I'm not sure again, because the wife just got a zune 120, and we discovered that it doesn't like xvid/ac3 in an avi container, and all the old registry hacks don't work in the new zune software. Bummer. Last edited by Crono141; 22nd January 2009 at 03:19.

22nd January 2009, 05:12	#40 \| Link
Toti Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 160	I like the new Windows 7, it finally got to work Hardware acceleration. My .wmv do get accelerated uses about 15~25% cpu and .ts or .m2ts with AVC/AC3 uses from 1~5% CPU. Amazing that H.264 works easier and better than its native .wmv Also, note that the new media center has "Movie Library" meaning that if you open a folder drop the movie in in wmv, m2ts or ts it reads it great and has "resume" memory that was only previously available on .dvr-ms only and if you drop a .jpg file with the movie cover name it "folder.jpg" and it will appear as the cover page. __________________ VAIO VGX-XL3 4gig RAM, 4Tb HDD. MEDIA CENTER WINDOWS 7 simply the best!!

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12th January 2009, 22:38	#21 \| Link
HookedOnTV Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 122	I also have only had success with h264 video in the mp4 container with 2 channel sound. Seems like it would be harder to cripple things to work so poorly than just making it work. Really, is h264/ac3 in m2ts so much to ask for?

17th January 2009, 03:47	#28 \| Link
Crono141 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 150	Just to update and bump: the best solution right now is to encode DVD to h264/2 channel AAC with Dolby Pro Logic II. While not "true surround" I've found DPLII to be close enough, at least for my uses. Hopefully, since MS is pushing the whole "Windows 7 is built using user feedback" line, they'll take the user feedback submitted by members of this forum and build in h264/AC3 in their final win7 build. So in other words, if you want an instant gratification solution, h264/DPLII is the way to go. If you want to back up your DVDs once, I'd wait until Win 7 Beta 2 or final to see if they'll add in this feature. In other news: Windows 7 is so much better than vista, it isn't even funny. I believe Vista will go down as the "Windows Millennium" of this generation of OS's, with Windows 7 being the new XP.

18th January 2009, 05:52	#30 \| Link
Dark Eiri Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 335	@LoRd_MuldeR: Yes and yes. The 7 Ultimate takes about 8 GB of HDD space once installed. Vista Ultimate takes about ~13 GB. And UAC is REALLY better, not annoying at all, buf of course, you can disable it easily too.

18th January 2009, 07:16	#31 \| Link
Crono141 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 150	Library's are a cool feature too. Seems much more stable. I've only ever gotten a BSOD when trying to install an incompatible driver. I used to BSOD regularly on vista. I also use my PC in a living room on a large TV, and Windows 7 large fonts are much easier to read than Vista was. The new taskbar is nice, and things take up less room. Performance is nicer, and despite this thread, the added media center functionality is really nice. I don't need transcode 360 any more. It seems DivX/XviD is fully supported for MCE now. My next experiments with DVD backup are going to be with XviD/DivX because AC3 audio is supporting with those formats now. I've never done any DVD backups with XviD though (just WMV and H264), so its going to be another learning process.

18th January 2009, 18:39	#33 \| Link
Crono141 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 150	I'm really not down with the whole lingo of Beta vs RC's. RC just seems like a fancy name for Beta 2 or 3 or whatever.

18th January 2009, 21:31	#35 \| Link
slavickas I'm Shpongled Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lithuania Posts: 303	and RCs are "feature complete", you shouldnt expect any new feature added

19th January 2009, 04:42	#36 \| Link
Guest Guest Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 21,907	Attachment deleted. Post large (useless) images elsewhere and link here. Do not use profanity.