[mythtv-users] Mplayer wrapper: semi-intelligent software scaling

[jedi at mishnet.org]

> Hi. I had need for a wrapper script for mplayer to handle
> semi-intelligent scaling. Because none of the existing wrappers I had
> found served my needs I wrote up my own and thought I'd share the
> fruits of my labor, so to speak...
>
> It's a wrapper for mplayer designed for use-scenarios where use of the
> command line or gui isn't practical (eg, a mythbox). The solution it
> provides is intelligent dynamic fullscreen software scaling that
> adapts itself to the aspect ratio of the content so that it does not
> attempt to scale to a resolution > than your display's (and thus warn
> and instead default to a poor quality display native scale)
>
> Caveats:
> 1) This is not meant for command-line kings who love to throw options
> all around. I am assuming you have pre-determined use scenarios and

    Even guys like us (command-line kings) like/prefer automation.

    I've done something similar to this for xine. It started out as a
way to accomodate how xine deals with ISO files and has evolved from
there. My xine wrapper accounts for how xine doesn't quite correctly
handle VOBs converted to avis and also creates a sort of virtual
navigation mechanism for traversing through multiple media files in the
same directory.

     I like to rip TV DVD's into my jukebox. The main thing I wanted
to do is to allow easy viewing of episodes in order.

     I have bogus media files that are just controlfiles that my wrapper
can read to go to the next episode, current episode, first episode or
to play 5 random episodes (for SpongeBob).

     Something like "xine-wrapper.sh StarTrek-NextEpisode.vob"

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