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[Osho]

Lately, I have been playing with different video renderers, video codecs and audio codecs to improve the quality of playback. I have many different type of video files (.wmv, .mpg, .mkv, .mts, .m2ts, .mp4, .flv, .mov etc.). It is very tedious and time-consuming to change video renderers, video codec and audio codec for all these different filetypes. It would be great if there was one place where I can select the video renderer for all type of video playback (including DVD). Also, it would be great if we can assign priority on decoder filters for video and audio - for example, I would always prefer to use ffdshow video and audio codec for a given stream if applicable. It is currently tedious and non-intuitive to provide any such global priority of codecs.

Thanks,
Osho

[jmone]

Hi Osho - Little known fact is you can multi select your file types and update them all at once!

[gvanbrunt]

Wow, wish I tried multi selecting before. would have saved me some work...

I think a Default entry would make things more user friendly though.

[Osho]

Hi Osho - Little known fact is you can multi select your file types and update them all at once!

That's good to know. I will try that next. Still, I think we need a better way to specify defaults.

Thanks,
Osho

[glynor]

Osho, generally if you want to apply "universal" changes to filters, wouldn't it be better to do that in Windows using the built-in filter merit system?  The tools in MC for specifying filters are useful if you need to override one or two filters for specific purposes, or to configure MC to use a non-default filter setup.  However, if you want ffdshow to be used for just about everything that it supports, then you should leave all of those types set to Automatic and fix the filter merit scores in Windows.

Specifying each filter manually in MC's options is a disaster-in-waiting.

[fitbrit]

I'd second Osho's request. When playing with the settings, I'd like the playback dialog box to remember which filetype youw ere last workign with. Currently, if you're adjusting mkv settings, for example, you have to scroll down to mkv every time after testing.
Also, would it not make more sense to set filters for codecs rather than filetypes? I've seen mkvs with h264 and vc-1 codecs; it's difficult to get one concise set of codecs that will work for all options in one container.
I've often asked for filters to be set on a per-file basis if the file varies from the default in how it's encoded.

Glynor, your suggestion to work at the Windows level, makes sense, but I wouldn't even know where to begin!

[gappie]

i actually disagree, glynor. i want to set the codecs in mc. i dont give a donkeys tail about the setting of the codexs in windows. and besides that, where would i set that in windows xp, and where in 7.
it would be nice to apply "universal" changes to filters in mc because mc is for playing back my videos, windows is just the operating system.

 
gab

[gvanbrunt]

Fibritt:

The best way to experiment with settings for a file type is to actually play a file, right click and select Filters. You can change the settings there and it will remember the changes. You don't even Have to go into the options dialog that way.

Also I think you are talking about settings per encoding, not per codec. I agree that would be useful, but would make less sense to the uninitiated.

Glynor:
I agree merit is the way to go, but not so easy for the novice user.

[fitbrit]

Fibritt:

The best way to experiment with settings for a file type is to actually play a file, right click and select Filters. You can change the settings there and it will remember the changes. You don't even Have to go into the options dialog that way.

Also I think you are talking about settings per encoding, not per codec. I agree that would be useful, but would make less sense to the uninitiated.

Glynor:
I agree merit is the way to go, but not so easy for the novice user.

Thanks. I know that the right click method works. I use it when I can. However, what do you do when the combination of codecs fails to even open the media file? Or causes MC to crash, hang, become unresponsive?
And, as far as I know, I mean settings per codec as I stated, e.g. h.264, DivX, mp3 etc. I do believe that is the correct terminology, but we both know what I mean, right?

[gvanbrunt]

Ya, you have to go to options when it fails. I hate that part. One thing I do here though is double click on the Audio, and Images as that Closes them up and jumps to Video...

As for the terminology, I know what you ment. A codec is the actual software that encodes/decodes a stream. So you could have 5 codecs that all work for h264 for example. You don't want to have settings per codec, but rather per encoding. Not trying to be hoity toity or anything, but just trying to spread the knowledge...

[fitbrit]

Thanks for the tip about closing images and audio! That'll help a lot.

Also, as for the terminology, I thought that's what you were getting at. With that in mind I did search for the definitions online before my reply to you, as I'm a stickler for being correct on these types of things too. I'll bear in mind your definitions. So how would you describe CoreAVC? It's a filter not a codec, right? How are filters defined, then - only able to decode/decompress?

[glynor]

As for the terminology, I know what you ment. A codec is the actual software that encodes/decodes a stream.

This is nerd stuff, but... Actually, yes and no.  A codec is, by definition, a piece of software that does both enCODing and DECoding (hence "codec").  Generally, with most modern codecs, though, they are best used for ENCODING only.  For example, you would generally use the XviD or x264 codecs to CREATE a video file, but you would not use the codec to play the file back.  You COULD, but that doesn't mean you should.  Often the best practice is to use a special purpose decoding filter (like FFDSHOW or CoreAVC) to handle decode responsibilities.

In practice, people also often use the term "codec" to refer to the TYPE of compression applied to a particular video stream.  So you might say the "codec" of a particular file is MPEG-4 AVC (H264) or MPEG-4 ASP (XviD) or HuffyUV if you're oldschool.

[gvanbrunt]

Even at the expense of being nerdy, I thought I would add this:

Filters can often decode or encode more than one type. For example ffdshow audio decoder actually decodes a whole slew of stuff. Technically it is a "codec" although it doesn't offer the ability to encode, that can decode steams of many different encodings...

Truth is the term codec now seems to mean a lot of things to different people, so it's best avoided if possible. If you refer to filters and encodings, the meanings are pretty clear...

I will now step down off my podium and return to playing with the pens in my pocket protector...

[JimH]

Even at the expense of being nerdy, I thought I would add this:

Filters can often decode or encode more than one type. For example ffdshow audio decoder actually decodes a whole slew of stuff. Technically it is a "codec" although it doesn't offer the ability to encode, that can decode steams of many different encodings...

Truth is the term codec now seems to mean a lot of things to different people, so it's best avoided if possible. If you refer to filters and encodings, the meanings are pretty clear...

I will now step down off my podium and return to playing with the pens in my pocket protector...

Ha ha.

I think of a codec as a "compression scheme".  MP3 may be the best known.  Codec stands for "Compression", "Decompression".

The software that does the work for the codec comes in two parts:
1.  Encoder
2.  Decoder

Either can be part of a bigger software system.

I rest my case and return to The Simpsons.

[gvanbrunt]

Nerd.

[JimH]

Nerd.

LOL, but I don't deserve the title.

[gvanbrunt]

OK,

But don't tell anyone I got the codec thing slightly wrong... Should know better too it came up during some stupid triva game we were playing and I said the same thing. Here I was all excited that the question was specifiically for a ner.. er I mean cool guy like me, then I get it slightly wrong.

If only the question was for Modem as we all know that one is Modulus/Demodulus...