Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mojave]

I've been playing around with integrating Blu-ray disc playback into MC. For most discs, I rip them as MKV's with lossless FLAC so playback is easy. However, other discs I want to play straight from the disc. I found that launching them from MC into Media Center Classic-Home Cinema is fairly easy, but I still like just playing the m2ts file in MC.

I found a program call BDInfo that provides all the info about a Blu-ray including chapter locations and which m2ts files are used for seamless branching. This info is also used for the NEW Unofficial Blu-ray Audio and Video Specifications Thread at AVSForum.

I used the data from BDInfo to create a CUE file for a Blu-ray. I didn't know if it would work, but I thought I would try it anyway. It did launch the m2ts file and play. It also showed all the chapters as separate tracks in the playlist. However, if I went to another chapter, the movie would start at the beginning again.

I wonder if the data from BDInfo could be parsed and kept online in a MC database. When a Blu-ray is inserted it could be matched to the online database and playback could begin from the correct m2ts file. The chapter info could be used for "chapter support" in MC and the m2ts file list for titles with seamless branching could also be used for providing seamless branching support in MC.

For a simpler method, I wonder if there is a way to allow users to create their own CUE files (or similar) for chapters with Blu-rays.

I'm not even sure why I am thinking about this because I never use chapters. I'll start and stop where I want regardless of where chapter breaks happen to be placed.

Here is an example of some of the data from BDInfo:

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     THE_AVIATOR
Disc Size:      29,481,105,222 bytes
Protection:     AACS
BD-Java:        No
BDInfo:         0.5.3

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00000.MPLS
Length:                 2:50:06 (h:m:s)
Size:                   0 bytes
Total Bitrate:          0.00 Mbps

VIDEO:

Codec                   Bitrate             Description    
-----                   -------             -----------    
VC-1 Video              0 kbps              1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / Advanced Profile 3

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description    
-----                           --------        -------         -----------    
Dolby Digital Audio             English         640 kbps        5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio             French          640 kbps        5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio             English         192 kbps        2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround
Dolby Digital Audio             Spanish         192 kbps        2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround

SUBTITLES:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description    
-----                           --------        -------         -----------    
Presentation Graphics           English         0.000 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           English         0.000 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           French          0.000 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           Portuguese      0.000 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           Spanish         0.000 kbps                      

FILES:

Name            Time In         Length          Size            Total Bitrate  
----            -------         ------          ----            -------------  
00000.M2TS      0:00:00.000     2:50:06.029     0               0              

CHAPTERS:

Number          Time In         Length          Avg Video Rate  Max 1-Sec Rate  Max 1-Sec Time  Max 5-Sec Rate  Max 5-Sec Time  Max 10Sec Rate  Max 10Sec Time  Avg Frame Size  Max Frame Size  Max Frame Time  
------          -------         ------          --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  
1               0:00:00.000     0:02:17.554     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
2               0:02:17.554     0:08:16.496     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
3               0:10:34.050     0:06:58.042     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
4               0:17:32.092     0:04:04.327     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
5               0:21:36.420     0:05:05.179     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
6               0:26:41.600     0:03:38.301     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
7               0:30:19.901     0:02:18.471     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
8               0:32:38.373     0:04:31.479     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
9               0:37:09.852     0:04:55.712     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
10              0:42:05.564     0:05:21.237     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
11              0:47:26.802     0:05:13.271     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
12              0:52:40.073     0:01:31.883     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
13              0:54:11.957     0:03:43.765     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
14              0:57:55.722     0:05:30.246     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
15              1:03:25.968     0:04:43.449     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
16              1:08:09.418     0:01:07.734     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
17              1:09:17.153     0:03:18.698     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
18              1:12:35.851     0:03:20.533     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
19              1:15:56.385     0:05:15.273     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
20              1:21:11.658     0:08:29.759     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
21              1:29:41.417     0:03:02.348     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
22              1:32:43.766     0:02:58.052     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
23              1:35:41.819     0:05:32.707     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
24              1:41:14.526     0:06:27.720     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
25              1:47:42.247     0:04:24.472     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
26              1:52:06.720     0:11:10.711     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
27              2:03:17.431     0:13:58.504     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
28              2:17:15.936     0:04:36.818     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
29              2:21:52.754     0:07:55.224     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
30              2:29:47.979     0:09:42.582     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
31              2:39:30.561     0:04:01.532     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
32              2:43:32.093     0:06:28.096     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    
33              2:50:00.190     0:00:05.839     0 kbps          0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 bytes         0 bytes         00:00:00.000    

[jmone]

Interesting Idea using Cue files and it may work with BD's created using multiple M2TS files.  I like the approach MPC-HC has taken in parsing and the actual MPL.  If MC did this you could then get playback of the playlist, and with the right filters (such as updates to FFDSHOW) you now can get most of the goodies (minus the Java Layers) such as selectable Audio (with the excpetion of High Def DTS decoding), Subs, Chapters......

[mojave]

For RMAF 2015 we will have about 35 ripped Blu-ray concerts. Every time I starting working to making Particles of chapters I think that there has to be any easier way. I like simple with not much work.  JMone has a good guide for adding chapters but I feel it has too many prerequisites and looks complicated.

I remembered my Cue file idea and thought I'd revisit it, but add some simplicity.

ChaptersDb.org has chapter lists with track names of most Blu-ray concerts I own. One can click "download" and save a text or xml file of what is very similar to a cue sheet. Alternatively, one could create the file with ChapterGrabber. Or JRiver could make their own ChapterGrabber interface.

It would be extremely simple for someone to save the file in their Blu-ray folder and let JRiver take over from there. Is there a way these files can be parsed and leveraged to provide chapter names within JRiver?

JRiver could use the ChapterDb.org "cue" file for the following:
1.  Start playback of a Blu-ray and list each chapter as a separate item in Playing Now with proper chapter titles
2.  Allow one to pick any chapter in the playlist and recognize it is part of the same Blu-ray. This way it doesn't destroy/restart video when switching chapters even though they are separate "files" in Playing Now.
3.  Allow one to manually modify the "cue" file to skip content between songs (like Adele's profanity laced long monologues)
4.  Create a Blu-ray view that lists all chapters just like tracks in a song

[Hendrik]

We already have this functionality, its called particles.
No need to think about adding some secret sauce to make your things playing, the only thing missing is creating particles from chapters, maybe on top of importing data from chapter db.

[BartMan01]

We already have this functionality, its called particles.
No need to think about adding some secret sauce to make your things playing, the only thing missing is creating particles from chapters, maybe on top of importing data from chapter db.

Are particles (apart from the .mpls file specific ones) working bullet proof now? The last time I tried to use particles on a concert DVD they kept randomly breaking, and feedback at the time was that they were just not stable for that use. Has that changed now?

[mojave]

We already have this functionality, its called particles.
No need to think about adding some secret sauce to make your things playing, the only thing missing is creating particles from chapters, maybe on top of importing data from chapter db.

I like Particles and that is what I am using. Creating and editing about 800 of them takes a while. I would love Particles from chapters.

Besides the two things you mentioned I would add these three:
1.  Particles from the same Blu-ray played in sequence would just skip to the correct time stamps - no stop/start of the video
2.  An easy way to transfer Particles from one computer to another
3.  Seamless transition from one Particle to another with no flashing cover art when using madVR

[jmone]

MrC's script did create chapters and grab the details from ChatperDB and it worked well.  We put heaps of effort into it but I'd have to say:
- It is no where near as accessible as if it was part of MC like the existing "Create Particles for Playlists" and "Get Movie & TV Info", plus
- with his absence there is no real way to keep it maintained 

I also remember a discussion about keeping the playback chain running when transitioning from one particle to another and at that time the comment was it would require a custom source filter to handle this.  I'm not sure if that has changed over the years.  The other option I looked at but could not get working was to create a custom MPLS (much like a CUE file for BD) but as far as I got was to create a MPLS to join the 2 disk LOTR EE into one playback segment without a gap where you would normally have to change a disk.

[mojave]

So you're saying we need a virtual MPLS for Particles? 

[jmone]

The idea of using custom made MPLS was one of my attempts to get Chapter based playback.  I could create them but could not work out an "easy" was of scripting their creation and in the end MrC worked his magic creating his script for Chatper based particles.  One good thing about MPLS is they are like sidecar files in that they can be shared and used to re-create the entries in the DB.  At present particles can not be exported to a sidecar file.

[blgentry]

Particles are really neat.  I've played with them.  Making them from chapters in videos seems like a fantastic idea.  But the setup to get there just seems like too much of a pain.  If I had dozens or hundreds to do, it would probably be worth the time investment.  For me, it's just too much work for how many particles I would be creating.

That, and the fact that particles can't be moved with a hack have made me stay away.

I wonder why Particles were never "finished"?  There must be some kind of technical hurdle.  MC's team doesn't seem at ALL shy about developing new stuff.  I'm guessing there's some big road block.  Or just very, very little demand for the feature?

Brian.

[Hendrik]

I considered building a particle from chapter feature using the new video engine, since extracting information from that one is super easy. However, there is one problem: the new engine doesn't do Blu-ray structures yet. So this particular thread wouldn't be helped.
Not sure its worth doing without that, since that seems to be the major request. Maybe I'll re-visit the idea once it can do Blu-ray structures.

[jmone]

Brian - I guess it is the law of diminishing returns or the 80/20 rule.  There is always more features than dev hours.  Anyway, Particle are great and do the most common tasks really well.  Apart from new features (like creating by Chapter), these are the limitations as I see them (from the Wiki).
- "Rename, Move, & Copy Files" does not work on Particles - http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=75334.0
- Particle Duration not correct in DB but correct when it plays - http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=75371.0
- Incorrect Filename on Create Particles (sometime) - http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=81508.0
- Sidecar Files & Particles - http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=80828.0
- No Subtitles or Languages with DVD Particles - http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=82343.0
- "Right Click --> Stacks --> Advanced --> Create Particle" action is not added to the "Recent command" list

Hendrik - I always thought that pulling the chapter info from the existing filters would be easy as they show up in the Chapter list during playback in MC already.