Hello all,
I know that codec's and decoders are covered pretty extensively in this forum. Some require extensive setup, some are just packs that install in minutes and off you go. I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here but I have just had plain bad luck with trying to outfit my htpc with what I consider a good setup.
Let me say that what I have tried thus far ranges from installing Sharks Codec Pack - to lesser codec packs - to ffdshow/avisynth/matroska splitter/etc. I always seem to end up back at one spot, a hodge podge of stuff loaded on my htpc. Things that worked for some files, but not all. Or - not working at all and requiring a reload.
The "decoder" is probably the single most frustrating thing for me with regard to my HTPC. What I am looking for is what most are looking for: the ability to play ripped dvd's in higher quality then I will get with the 7MC decoder built-in. And, play my MKV's, avi's, divx, etc. AND - I want to set it up once, and be done. I don't want to constantly have to open up a configuration interface to fine tune for a file that doesn't play. Maybe this takes me the codec pack route, maybe it doesn't.
As of now I have followed, yet another guide, that details how to set up ffdshow, avisynth, reclock, etc. I have used the graphstudio utility to determine that my audio and video decoder is in fact ffdshow. When I go to play a dvd in MCE I get a decoder error. If I use the MCE decoder utility to re-enable the built-in decoder dvd's play again.
I can use Media Player classic to do some quality testing and I must say, it is difficult at best to discern any difference between MCE playing the dvd with its built-in decoder and Media Player Classic playing the same dvd through ffdshow.
How much difference is there really with ffdshow, set up properly, vs the built-in 7mc decoder with regard to playing dvd's? Closer to 5% or 50%?
Is there a better alternative than ffdshow that utilizes hardware? (I have an Nvidia 8800gt in my HTPC)
Can ffdshow be a "set-it-and-forget-it" option or is that unrealistic?
I'm not incredibly satisfied with the quality of my dvd's played back on my 60" 1080p plasma in MCE. This is why I am trying to figure out the best course but there are so many different pieces of advice, setups, and decoders. Any help would be much appreciated.
Scott
I know that codec's and decoders are covered pretty extensively in this forum. Some require extensive setup, some are just packs that install in minutes and off you go. I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here but I have just had plain bad luck with trying to outfit my htpc with what I consider a good setup.
Let me say that what I have tried thus far ranges from installing Sharks Codec Pack - to lesser codec packs - to ffdshow/avisynth/matroska splitter/etc. I always seem to end up back at one spot, a hodge podge of stuff loaded on my htpc. Things that worked for some files, but not all. Or - not working at all and requiring a reload.
The "decoder" is probably the single most frustrating thing for me with regard to my HTPC. What I am looking for is what most are looking for: the ability to play ripped dvd's in higher quality then I will get with the 7MC decoder built-in. And, play my MKV's, avi's, divx, etc. AND - I want to set it up once, and be done. I don't want to constantly have to open up a configuration interface to fine tune for a file that doesn't play. Maybe this takes me the codec pack route, maybe it doesn't.
As of now I have followed, yet another guide, that details how to set up ffdshow, avisynth, reclock, etc. I have used the graphstudio utility to determine that my audio and video decoder is in fact ffdshow. When I go to play a dvd in MCE I get a decoder error. If I use the MCE decoder utility to re-enable the built-in decoder dvd's play again.
I can use Media Player classic to do some quality testing and I must say, it is difficult at best to discern any difference between MCE playing the dvd with its built-in decoder and Media Player Classic playing the same dvd through ffdshow.
How much difference is there really with ffdshow, set up properly, vs the built-in 7mc decoder with regard to playing dvd's? Closer to 5% or 50%?
Is there a better alternative than ffdshow that utilizes hardware? (I have an Nvidia 8800gt in my HTPC)
Can ffdshow be a "set-it-and-forget-it" option or is that unrealistic?
I'm not incredibly satisfied with the quality of my dvd's played back on my 60" 1080p plasma in MCE. This is why I am trying to figure out the best course but there are so many different pieces of advice, setups, and decoders. Any help would be much appreciated.
Scott
