[mythtv-users] Internal player has problems in myth

[Allen Edwards]

On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 2:20 PM, Kevin Ross <kevin at familyross.net> wrote:
> Allen Edwards wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 1:51 PM, Kevin Ross <kevin at familyross.net> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Allen Edwards wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 1:18 PM, Kevin Ross <kevin at familyross.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Allen Edwards wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 12:58 PM, Kevin Ross <kevin at familyross.net>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Allen Edwards wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Is this the right string to play videos?
>>>>>>>> mplayer -fs -zoom -quiet -vo xv %s
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I have a few problems.
>>>>>>>> 1) On some videos, I get to a still, like the parental warning, and
>>>>>>>> everything hangs there.  Have to restart X to get out.
>>>>>>>> 2) On some videos, the menu shows only cursor positions, no text or
>>>>>>>> background image so you can't tell what to do.
>>>>>>>> 3) There are skips on the audio.  This I can live with and think it
>>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>> probably in the video itself but thought I would list it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The only one I trouble shot is the first and mplayer can play past
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> parental warning when started outside myth.  In cases 1 and 2 using
>>>>>>>> VLC
>>>>>>>> plays the video fine but the WAF is non-existent for this mode so I
>>>>>>>> have to
>>>>>>>> do it.  If myth won't play the video when I am not there, the video
>>>>>>>> doesn't
>>>>>>>> get watched.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I updated mplayer to 1.0rc2-4.2.4 which I think is the latest one.
>>>>>>>>  No
>>>>>>>> change.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Allen
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 1 and 2 make it sound as if you're trying to play DVDs (.iso images
>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>> VIDEO_TS folders), as opposed to, say, .avi or .mkv files.  I've
>>>>>>> never
>>>>>>> had
>>>>>>> good results playing DVDs with mplayer.  I always use Internal for
>>>>>>> DVDs.
>>>>>>>  Internal player also has much higher WAF than mplayer.
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> OK, I am stupid.  The mplayer command is the "default" player but
>>>>>> "mythdvd.DVDPlayerCommand" is set to "Internal" so I guess I am not
>>>>>> using mplayer.  So, I just changed the subject (causing the thread to
>>>>>> break sorry).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You are correct that I am playing .iso images.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Same problems, but with the internal player.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Allen
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Actually, playing .iso files uses whatever you have configured under
>>>>> Media
>>>>> Settings->Videos Settings->File Types.  Go to "iso" and see what it is
>>>>> configured to use.  If set to "use default player", then it will use
>>>>> the
>>>>> default video player command, NOT the DVD player command.  So, in this
>>>>> case,
>>>>> if "iso" was set to "use default player", it would in fact be using
>>>>> mplayer,
>>>>> not Internal.
>>>>>
>>>>> Also, what version of MythTV?  The internal player in 0.22 works much
>>>>> better
>>>>> for DVDs than the one in 0.21.  There were many DVDs that the menu
>>>>> wouldn't
>>>>> work, or would cause the player to freeze, in 0.21, that now work fine
>>>>> in
>>>>> 0.22.
>>>>>
>>>>> Hope this helps!
>>>>> -- Kevin
>>>>>
>>>>> ____
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the reply.  It is set to internal. I am using 0.21.  I
>>>> guess that is the problem.  I am afraid to upgrade because it seems
>>>> like there are significant differences and some of them don't seem
>>>> like they are helpful for my use.  Plus, I have been of the opinion if
>>>> it isn't broke, don't fix it but perhaps what you are saying is that
>>>> it is broke.  Every significant upgrade I have done has crashed the
>>>> system so that is also an issue.  What to do?  I have an old CRT TV
>>>> that we use most of the time. For movies we use a 10 ft screen and a
>>>> projector but my understanding is that 0.22 has smaller fonts that are
>>>> difficult to see with an old TV.  That in and of itself is a killer.
>>>> Not sure what to do.
>>>>
>>>> Allen
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> It IS a fairly significant change.  I understand why you wouldn't want to
>>> touch a working production system.
>>>
>>> Have you tried other media players for .iso's?  How about xine?  I've
>>> heard
>>> it's a good DVD player, but I haven't tried it myself.
>>>
>>> As for fonts, I found they are bigger in .22, not smaller.  I had to
>>> tweak
>>> the xml files for my favorite theme to make the fonts smaller.  Also, the
>>> themes are different in .22 than in .21.  For example, there is a theme
>>> called MythCenter in both .21 and .22, but the one in .22 isn't like the
>>> one
>>> in .21 at all.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I think when I upgrade it will be with a new HD and a fresh install.
>> Not now though.
>>
>> I can play with videos with VLC just fine and I have considered
>> switching to that to try and improve the WAF of video watching.
>>
>> This http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/VLC seems to give a pretty good
>> overview but also seems to leave a few things out.  For example, it
>> says what the command is but it doesn't say where to put it.  Should
>> be obvious right.  Like the internal default issue I had at first
>> nothing is obvious imho.  I try to be very clear in my digital audio
>> wiki but I am sure many people find it cryptic.
>>
>> VLC seems to have some other nice features so I might spend time
>> trying to use it rather than upgrading right now.  I just wanted to
>> give the internal player a chance by asking this list before going
>> away from it.  That was a suggestion from one of the wikis I read
>> before posting.
>>
>> Thanks again,
>>
>> Allen
>>
>
> Okay since you are familiar with VLC and you know it works, use that.  As
> for where to put the command, it's really up to you.  Do you want to use it
> for all videos, or just .iso files?  If you want it for all videos, go to
> Media Settings->Videos Settings->Player Settings, and make it your default
> video player.  If you want it for only .iso's, go to Media Settings->Videos
> Settings->File Types, go to "iso" and put the player command there.
>
> Follow the advice of the wiki.  Make it fullscreen.  Disable the OSD.  Map
> the key bindings so they match what MythTV uses.  Add commands to the
> .lircrc file if you're using LIRC.  These last two items should drastically
> improve the WAF.
>
> -- Kevin
>
>

Thanks.  That helps.  I now have a new project for the next rainy day
(tomorrow).

Allen