FFDshow questions...

[TBSN]

I'm in the process of trying to setup my computer to playback DVD's as best as it can, and I hear that setting up a DVD player to work with FFDshow post-processing is the best way to do that.

Unfortunately, I don't even know where to start. I do not have any DVD software on my computer as of yet, and the one guide I found on setting up FFDshow requires other software that must be purchased.

Is there any software that is free, and works with FFDshow? also, is there a guide or something that can clearly explain how I would go about setting this up? Playing DVD's has always just been popping in the disc and watching it using the default software on the computer, like PowerDVD, so I really have no experience with this kind of thing and I really don't know where to start!

ANY suggestions would be appreciated...

 

[Fallen Kell]

Go download Media Player Classic, it is free and works properly with FFDShow. I am pretty sure you can play DVD's through it as well. As for where to start, well, depends on your computer specs. I do the following with the system in my signature:

However, I use it primarily to process captured/recorded TV video, so my settings are based on removing and limiting noise, good de-interlacing and upscaling to my HDTV:

De-interlace
Blur and Noise Reduction
Sharpen (x-sharpen algorithm I believe, it is the one that does edge detection, and sharpens the edges, which minimizes noise from being sharpened)
Resize (keep original aspect ratio, resize to 1920x1080)

The order of operations is extremely important. De-interlace should almost always be the first thing you do. If you have the processor for it, doing the resize next is ideal, however, depending on what you are re-sizing to, you will quickly find that this is an extremely CPU costly action as it increases the CPU consumption exponentially to all other actions that occur after the resize, although it results in the best image quality. If you can do it, go for it, however unless you have an overclocked quad core, I don't think you will have the processing power to do it real time.

Other then that, go read up in avsforu: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=719041

 

[TBSN]

thanks for the reply,
I guess I was just really overwhelmed by the myriad of settings that the program has. I'll check out Media Player Classic.

Also, I have a 4:3 CRT, and when I resize I don't know if I should put the resolution that I'm running on my screen, or the resolution of a 16:9 image. If I put the resolution of my screen, will it automatically put black bars at the top and bottom or will it squeeze the image?

 

[mruffin75]

Originally posted by: Fallen Kell
Go download Media Player Classic, it is free and works properly with FFDShow. I am pretty sure you can play DVD's through it as well. As for where to start, well, depends on your computer specs. I do the following with the system in my signature:

I'm pretty sure that Media Player cannot playback DVD software on it's own, it *uses* the DVD playback software on your PC to do it.

 

[mercanucaribe]

WMP Classic plays DVDs. AFAIK, you just need one of those codec packs. Anyway, how do you set it to use FFDshow??

 

[Sav]

I have tried the FFDShow guide on AVS forum but it always makes my videos look much worst. Jaggies and noise everywhere .

 

[ra990]

If you see jaggies and noise all over the place, you are definitely not doing it right. You are probably over-doing it. With FFDshow, less is more.

Also, you can't get wmp to use ffdshow, try zoomplayer, media player classic, or some other player that supports post processing filters.

 

[BernardP]

I have been using Gom Player for some time and it is very powerful. Tons of options, fairly intuitive, superior picture quality. It is totally self-contained and independent of system codecs.

I have some downloaded Divx/Xvid videos that look blocky in other players, yet GOM renders them without these artifacts. I still have not fully explored all options and tweaks.

This player seems to have suddently popped ot of nowhere and is already very good. From looking at the menus and options, I have the impression it is based on an open-source player. I would guess VideoLAN

 

[JackBurton]

Do you guys think Media Player Classic with FFDShow will do a better job of upscaling a DVD than with just using PowerDVD?

 

[TBSN]

I guess it depends on how its set up... Supposedly its possible to get really good results with FFDshow, if only you have the CPU power and can actually set it up right...

 

[mercanucaribe]

I don't see any options in WMP Classic to use FFDshow. I don't get it.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Originally posted by: TBSN
I guess it depends on how its set up... Supposedly its possible to get really good results with FFDshow, if only you have the CPU power and can actually set it up right...

You don't need the most powerful CPU in the world for FFDShow, as can be seen with the rig in my sig. That is the one I use FFDShow. It depends on what you need it to do and what you expect it to do. I use it to clean up my TV feeds and upscale to my HDTV's native resolution and it does that very well.

As for getting better results then just PowerDVD, well, the pics in any and all the reviews prove that statement and many of the reviews came out in 2004, using hardware from then. Well, CPU's have somewhere between 8-10 times more power now, so you can only assume that you can do 8-10 times more processing with FFDShow as well on current chips. My CPU is starting to show its age, and I have an upgrade path in place already, but that won't happen until Penryn comes out, at which time my desktop gets the new Penryn CPU and the HTPC gets my E6600 (with appropriate motherboard and RAM upgrades as well).

Go read up on it. Yes, it can get overwhelming at first because there is so much you can do with FFDShow. But that is the case with anything. You either have the ability to do a ton of tweaking at the cost of a complex product, or you have a simple application which just has a few changible settings, making it easier to have some quick results, but not necessarily the best results possible. Remember you are doing real time video and audio editing, where there are vastly different qualities of input out there.

As for using with a 4:3 display and resizing, ALWAYS select the maintain source aspect ratio setting. If you don't, you will get all kinds of distorted output which really destroys the image quality. If the material needs to add black boxes, it will do so, if it doesn't, then it won't put them in there. Set your output resolution to the resolution of the TV or monitor that you will be displaying the video on just keep the original source aspect ratio of the video and it will do all the rest for you.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
I don't see any options in WMP Classic to use FFDshow. I don't get it.

Follow the pictures....

http://www.imagehosting.com/out.php/i712570_Mediaplayerclassic.jpg