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Author Topic: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time  (Read 5935 times)

Hadakajime

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Since I missed the boat on the feature request threads, here's my 2 cents:

  • Easier controls for playback speed. I just upgraded to MC21 and when playing a video there are no immediately apparent playback speed controls.
  • Faster startup speed when directly opening a file from Explorer. I'm not sure if this is possible - I'm wondering if in this situation it's possible to only load the components relevant for playing the file, maybe resulting in faster startup (I guess it could load the rest if the file is stopped or minimised). In comparison with Media Player Classic, MPC can open a video in 7s first time and 3s subsequent times. MC21 however at best opens in 6s. I find myself turning to MPC when I want to quickly check files.

Regards
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blgentry

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2016, 08:13:27 am »

Faster startup speed when directly opening a file from Explorer. I'm not sure if this is possible - I'm wondering if in this situation it's possible to only load the components relevant for playing the file, maybe resulting in faster startup (I guess it could load the rest if the file is stopped or minimised). In comparison with Media Player Classic, MPC can open a video in 7s first time and 3s subsequent times. MC21 however at best opens in 6s. I find myself turning to MPC when I want to quickly check files.

"You're doing it wrong."  MC isn't designed as a player to launch quickly and then be killed and then be launched again.  It's designed to stay persistently running.  It's also designed to be navigated from it's own library, not from windows explorer.

I occasionally want to launch videos "on the fly" from a file explorer myself.  So I have video files associated with VLC instead.  Because this "on the fly" viewing is usually a preview activity and not really watching.

It's sort of the best of both worlds.  Fast launching player for previews (VLC); good long running player for real viewing (MC).

Brian.
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glynor

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2016, 10:22:52 am »

I do basically the same as Brian, though with MPC-HC.

However, MC will also launch extremely quickly if already running in Media Server mode, so an alternative is to have it start up that way via Tools > Options > Startup > Windows Startup > Run on Windows Startup: Media Server

I don't think MC supports the "speedy playback" (like you would use for a podcast, for example) that you're looking for, though I could be wrong.
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mwillems

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2016, 10:26:14 am »

I do basically the same as Brian, though with MPC-HC.

However, MC will also launch extremely quickly if already running in Media Server mode, so an alternative is to have it start up that way via Tools > Options > Startup > Windows Startup > Run on Windows Startup: Media Server

I don't think MC supports the "speedy playback" (like you would use for a podcast, for example) that you're looking for, though I could be wrong.

MC definitely supports speeding up playback for audio via the "pitch and tempo" dsp module (so it would work for pure podcasts).  I just don't think it would work for video as OP is hoping for (although I haven't tried it, so don't know).
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RD James

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2016, 01:24:18 pm »

I do basically the same as Brian, though with MPC-HC.
Me too. Keyframe seeking and frame-by-frame control is something that I'd really like to see implemented in JRiver.
Whenever I have to grab screenshots for something, it's always much quicker and easier to open the video in MPC-HC instead.
 
MC definitely supports speeding up playback for audio via the "pitch and tempo" dsp module (so it would work for pure podcasts).  I just don't think it would work for video as OP is hoping for (although I haven't tried it, so don't know).
The problem is that you have to disable VideoClock and restart playback to use it, then re-enable it again for the next video.
I wish that it was "soft-disabled" when you set playback to a higher/lower rate than 1x so that playback would work correctly if you reset it to 1x speed or changed video.
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glynor

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2016, 01:38:51 pm »

MC definitely supports speeding up playback for audio via the "pitch and tempo" dsp module (so it would work for pure podcasts).  I just don't think it would work for video as OP is hoping for (although I haven't tried it, so don't know).

Right. I meant for video.

The problem is that you have to disable VideoClock and restart playback to use it, then re-enable it again for the next video.
I wish that it was "soft-disabled" when you set playback to a higher/lower rate than 1x so that playback would work correctly if you reset it to 1x speed or changed video.

Interesting. I'd have never thought to do that.

You can do 1.25x playback that way (as an example)?
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blgentry

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2016, 02:30:43 pm »

Maybe just use a tool that works for the intended job?

(select video file) > (Right click) > Send to > External > (select your video player here.  I use VLC)

Then when your player appears, change the playback rate.

MC is a fantastic library manager, with a great player for audio and video quality.  But I don't think it was intended to be a the kitchen sink of players with every feature from every other player.  Or maybe I'm just being a curmudgeon today?  :)

Brian.
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glynor

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2016, 02:47:14 pm »

MC is a fantastic library manager, with a great player for audio and video quality.  But I don't think it was intended to be a the kitchen sink of players with every feature from every other player.  Or maybe I'm just being a curmudgeon today?  :)

Haha. Yeah, I agree.

That said, if MC can indeed already do fast playback for video, it would be nice to have easier access to it (ala "Play 1.25x speed" type controls). This is something I use every so often when viewing recorded seminars and other "lecture capture" items. It would be nicer to be able to do so from within MC.

As I said... I don't know that I'd have ever asked for it, since I don't care that much (and MPC-HC works just fine). But if MC can already do it, but you have to fiddle options on and off, it seems like they could "fix that" and fiddle the options on and off behind the scenes for you to enable the feature.
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RD James

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2016, 04:50:34 pm »

Interesting. I'd have never thought to do that.
You can do 1.25x playback that way (as an example)?
Yes, as long as you disable VideoClock you can use the Tempo & Pitch DSP to change the video speed.
The only thing is that it's a bit confusing because you need to use "+0.25x" to display the video at 1.25x speed for example.
 
Edit: Audio is fine but video seems to drop frames when you do this. It doesn't just turn a 30 FPS video into 60 FPS at 2x speed for example.
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Hadakajime

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Re: Feature Request: Easier playback speed control and startup time
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2016, 07:34:15 pm »

Thanks for the feedback!
I was really only curious about startup speed. I'll check out the media server solution.
But playback speed controls would definitely be much appreciated
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