Are You Using MPC with Media Browser

[dbone1026]

Up to now I have been using the default WMP player in WMC with Media Browser. I just got a 5670 GPU and am working on getting bitstreaming working. RIght now through WMP is very buggy with Bitstreaming (my AVR lights up DTS-MA but playback is horrible, a lot of stuttering). MPC HC seems to be the most reliable solution for the time being. However, I can't use MPC with Media Browser if it affects the WAF and doesn't feel seamless. So my question is, is anyone using MPC, and if so what have you done to get it to integrate as best as possible with WMC/Media Browser? Basically I need it to be where I can control it with my MCE remote, right now if I set MPC to launch from Media Browser my MCE remote does nothing to control MPC but instead controls WMC in the background. All my videos are standalone mkvs/ts. Thanks

[pheare]

Hey Damian,

You've offered me so much help and advice in the past, glad I can return the favor. I just recently got mpc setup to the point where it is quite seamless with wmc. I however never did end up going the bitstreaming route, I've got an issue where the audio cuts out for a split second every now and then.

I assume WAF means wife and family?

So, you've got mpc launching from wmc, good. One issue I and many others have is that when wmc/media browser is full screen, mpc either launches behind wmc or will launch in front, but does not take focus - thus the remote will not work. First let's get it so you mce remote can control mpc - if you are one of the lucky ones where mpc launches in front of wmc and takes focus, you are good. If you are like me, we'll work on making sure mpc gets focus next.

There are a couple of things I did. For basic remote functionality, it is very easy to set things up to get your mce remote working with mpc.

1. Launch mpc and go View --> Options --> Keys (under player). Here you can set which mpc functions are controlled with which mce buttons.
For example for the:
- Exit Command, I mapped to the App Command: Media_Stop (this will close mpc and return to wmc when pressing stop) Alternatively you could map to the Stop Command
- Play Command, I mapped to the App Command: Media_Play
- Pause Command to App Command: Media_Pause
- etc, etc,

I took things one step further and installed LM Remote Key Map:

http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/60/article.asp

This will let you map keyboard keys (Among many other thigns) to an mce button.
For example:
- in mpc, I set the Remaining Time Command to Key 'i' (make sure you remove any Modifiers). Then in LM Remote I mapped 'i' to the Info button (you can map to any mce button you wish). So now, when I push Info, I get the Time Remaining displayed. I have also mapped the Audio Next and Audio Previous commands in such a manner.

LM Remote will also let you disable the 'Exclusive' MCE buttons, My Pictures, My TV, My Music, etc. So you can map those to anything you want - assuming you aren't using them for their native purposes. This all works well for me as I use the Harmony 1100, so I can rename the buttons to be anything I want.

Okay, assuming you can't get mpc to take focus, you need to do the following:

As noted in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3380&start=50#p29000

1. Grab ExternalLauncher Minimize MC.zip from http://www.mymovies.dk/forum.aspx?g=posts&t=10956 (it is at the bottom of the long post - don't worry about reading the post)
2. Extract ExternalLauncher to your mpc folder.
3. Create a batch file with the following contents (obviously change the path to your mpc-hc.exe):

@echo off
"C:\Program Files\Combined Community Codec Pack\MPC\mpc-hc.exe" %1 /fullscreen /play /close
Exit

4. Point the external player in Media Browser config to ExternalLauncher.exe

Now when you launch a movie from wmc, you should have it so mpc is front and center and your remote works. When you push stop (assuming you mapped it to Exit) mpc will close and wmc will reappear.

I made by desktop wallpaper black and hid all desktop icons and auto hid the task bar, so it all looks seamless.

Note: If you do not use externallauncher.exe (because mpc takes focus), it may take about 10 seconds for mpc to lauch. Apparently it is tricky to get mpc in front of wmc. If you use externallauncher.exe, mpc launches much faster.

To furhter add to the seamlessness, add the following to command to ehshell.exe and when you launch wmc, media browser will open automatically:
/entrypoint:{CE32C570-4BEC-4aeb-AD1D-CF47B91DE0B2}\{FC9ABCCC-36CB-47ac-8BAB-03E8EF5F6F22}

---edit---
You may find this thread particularly relevant for you bitstreaming
http://www.avforums.com/forums/home-ent ... owser.html

[dbone1026]

First off, I have full bitstreaming of DTS(MA) and TrueHD in MPC with both mkvs and ts :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

@ pheare - I greatly appreciate you taking the time to document your MPC setup. I am going to print your post up and give it a whirl. The nice thing about MPC is the only codec/filter I installed was FFDShow, nothing else. I will make sure I post about all this.

Once again, many thanks for your post, I will write back once I can work through

[pheare]

You might want to register the MPCVideoDec.ax (or some similar name). This should give you HA for both VC-1 and AVC.

Easy to tell if HA is being used by mpc. You will see 'DXVA' in the bottom left down by the time.

[dbone1026]

You might want to register the MPCVideoDec.ax (or some similar name). This should give you HA for both VC-1 and AVC.

Easy to tell if HA is being used by mpc. You will see 'DXVA' in the bottom left down by the time.

There is actually no need to register any filters if using MPC as MPC uses its own internal filters (with MPCVideoDec being one of them). If you use WMP then you want to register MPCVIdeoDec and assign to AVC/VC-1 with Win7FilterTweaker (although you will get DXVA with AVC just using WMF). Now I just have to decide if I want to throw my TS VC-1s into mkv so I can avoid having to hack around with WMF like I do currently to use WMP (if I stick with MPC then no need to worry)

[pheare]

There is actually no need to register any filters if using MPC as MPC uses its own internal filters (with MPCVideoDec being one of them). If you use WMP then you want to register MPCVIdeoDec and assign to AVC/VC-1 with Win7FilterTweaker (although you will get DXVA with AVC just using WMF). Now I just have to decide if I want to throw my TS VC-1s into mkv so I can avoid having to hack around with WMF like I do currently to use WMP (if I stick with MPC then no need to worry)

Right. I knew that. I have bounced back and forth between using the internal player and mpc a few times and I'm forgetting what needs to be done with what. :o

I'm definitely happy with mpc, once setup, seems to be the most trouble free (vs. internal player) in terms of audio. Too bad you lose the resume functionality with an external player.

[thejulianath20]

MPC-hc has resume in it too! View-Options-Miscellaneous-Video: Remember DVD Position and Remember File position...

[pheare]

MPC-hc has resume in it too! View-Options-Miscellaneous-Video: Remember DVD Position and Remember File position...

Cool! I will have to give it a try and see how well it works with media browser.

[andyd]

dbone - You're on AVSForum and have a Zino HD right?

How is it that you got bitstreaming working?

If you're not the same person, then sorry :)

[dbone1026]

dbone - You're on AVSForum and have a Zino HD right?

How is it that you got bitstreaming working?

If you're not the same person, then sorry :)

Yes I am on AVSForum and no I don't own a Zino HD. I have posted in that thread about helping out setting some stuff up (WMC, codecs, etc...), but that is about it. To get bitstreaming working you need either a clarkdale i3/i5 (I have one but have actually not gotten a mobo yet to build) or get a Radeon 5xxx GPU. I just got the 5670 which I added to my HTPC to get bitstreaming.

If the zino is capable of adding on a dGPU then you could probably get a low profile 5xxx, otherwise there probably isn't any chance to get bitstreaming with the Zino.