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[jmone]

There is a good guide in the Wiki originally created by Glynor years ago http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/DirectShow_Playback_Guide but I thought it may be useful to have a thread on what people are using and why.

My Objective:  Like many I started with codec packs but I'm no fan of this approach as you really don't understand what is happening or why and you can end up with multiple versions of the same filter all installed in different directories etc.  I've been trying to simplify my Filters down to just the ones I want and need to produce the best quality Audio and Video outputfor my setup. 

I am most interested in getting the best quality I can from original HD Source Material (eg Blu-ray), Camcoder footage (SD and HD), then DTV and DVD.  Last and least for me is worrying about trying to squeeze the "best" from highly compressed material downloaded for the Net.  Understanding this bit is very important as it guides which Filters are better for what you want to do.  There is no "one" best filter for each users needs.

My Setup:    My setup is:
- HTPC: Q6600, Win7 32-Bit Ultimate, HD 5670 outputting Video (1080p) and Audio (LPCM 5.1) over HDMI
- Yami V2700 as the receiver feeding a 60" Pio Plasma (ISF Calibrated), and Axiom Audio 5.1 speaker setup (only Calibrated by me  )

My Filters:   I'll add a post on each filter but here is my current preferences:
- Source/Splitter:  LAVSplitter
- Audio Decoder: LAVAudio (+ Arcsoft HD Audio for DTS-MA)
- Video Decoder: FFDSHOW (+ MS DMO decoder for VC-1)
- Audio Renderer: Reclock (for now - waiting to use JR's Audio Renderer)
- Video Renderer: madVR

[jmone]

Filter Name:  LAVSplitter

Filter Type:  Source Filter and Splitter
Link: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=156191
Description:  A full description is on the first post but it is a versatile splitter that handles most file formats correctly splitting out the various streams (video, audio, subtitles).  It is under active development with the dev (nevcairiel) releasing regular updates and he is responsive to bug reports and feature requests.  Future development plans include adding Blu-ray Navigation Support!  The development of this has progress significantly and is now my preferred splitter.
Benefits:  Quick, stable, well supported
Limitations:  I've found none but you may need to test that it supports your media types
Other Similar Filters:  Haali, MPC Splitter
Configuration:  Very straight forward.  You can install and forget or add some config tweaks if Subs don't play as you expect.  

[jmone]

Filter Name:  LAVAudio

Filter Type:  Audio Decoder
Link: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=156191
Description:  A full description is on the first post but it is a versatile Audio Decoder handles most audio formats decoding them to PCM.  It is under active development with the dev (nevcairiel) releasing regular updates and he is responsive to bug reports and feature requests.  The development of this has progress significantly and is now my preferred Audio Decoder.
Benefits:  Quick, stable, and straightforward.  Supports all the major Audio Formats at full bit rate/bit depth decoding
Limitations:  Only supports decoding the DTS-MA "Core" but you can add in support for this - see http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=63282.msg428702#msg428702.  This filter is not for you if you want to do any post processing (but you can use JRiver Audio Renderer for this), or if you want to BitStream
Other Similar Filters:  FFDSHOW
Configuration:  Very straight forward.  You can install and forget or add some config tweaks if you want to deselect various formats.  

[jmone]

Filter Name:  ffdshow Video Decoder

Filter Type:  Video Decoder
Link:  http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=120465
Description:  ffdshow has been around for ages, and the project produces both an Audio and Video Filter though the efforts of various devs at various times.  When in doubt, ffdshow is a good all round choice though bugs and enhancements are when the (and if) the devs get to it.  There has been plenty of effort to clean up the code and a new "Stable" release is about to be made.  The main video decoding Library is known as "libavcodec" though there are other libraries that you can select for various formats.
Benefits:  Pretty much will handle everthing and has more options and features than you can poke a stick at
Limitations:  May not always be the "best" for a particular task and it can be an odd filter to configure correctly especially if you are new to many of the concepts and options
Other Similar Filters:  Std MS Video Decoders in Windows, Specialty Filters (CoreAVC etc)
Configuration:  The out of the box config is not too bad but I've found a couple of changes that I needed.
- Codec Section --> H.264/AVC change decoder to ffmpeg-mt if you need smooth playback of high frame rate 264/AVC (eg 50 or 60p from newer camcorders)
- Codec Section --> VC-1 change to either Disable (to let the std MS DMO Decoder load) or wmv9 if you have any Interlaced VC-1 content (libavcodec can not decode it)
- Deinterlacing --> YADIF + Double Frame Rate.  Best of the deinterlacing options in ffdshow IMHO
- Subtitles --> Check them on if you want to use subs (I do)

[jmone]

Filter Name:  Reclock

Filter Type:  Audio Renderer
Link:  http://forum.slysoft.com/showthread.php?t=44883
Description:  More info can be found in the JR Wiki at http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Video_Playback_Customization but in summary, reclock can help smooth video playback by
- Auto refresh rate change to match the frame rate of the Video file
- Resampling the Audio Stream to keep it in sync with the Video Stream
Reclock can also reverse PAL Speedup.
Benefits:  Stable, good for those seeking "smooth" video playback or PAL pitch correction
Limitations:  Only really suitable if you decode your Audio (it is not so good for those who want to bitstream the Audio)
Other Similar Filters:  J River's own Audio Renderer / DSP, or the std Direct Show
Configuration:  Can take some knowledge to get it going as you want especially as the Auto Refresh Rate Change uses a VBS script (examples are at the reclock site). 

[jmone]

Filter Name:  madVR

Filter Type:  Video Renderer
Link: There is already a MC thread on this at http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=62727.0 plus over at Doom9 http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=146228&highlight=OCD
Description:  A full description is in the MC thread and also on the first post on the Doom9 thread.  It is under active development with the dev (madshi) releasing regular updates and he has been working with J River to ensure support for MC.  He is responsive to bug reports and feature requests.
Benefits:  Top quality video rendering.  Especially noticeable of large calibrated screens
Limitations:  Needs a modern powerful GPU.  Does not work for DVD Playback.
Other Similar Filters:  EVR, Haali Video Renderer
Configuration:  Lots of options to tweak and play to fine tune this to your HW setup. 

[sunfire7]

My setup:
- HTPC: Phenom II x4 965, Win7 64-Bit Ultimate, Nvidia Gt220 (1080p) and Audio (LPCM 5.1) over onboard soundcard to Logitech's z5550, primary display (1080p @ 60hz via DVI) to 23.5'' Led Monitor and second display (1080p @ 24hz via HDMI) to 40'' LCD


Frontend:
MC 16 for music, pictures, music and home videos, Media Portal for Movies and TV series

Filters:
- Source/Splitter:  Haali Media Spliter
- Audio Decoder: ffdshow Audio decoder
- Video Decoder: CoreAVC with Cuda
- Audio Renderer: Reclock (It really makes movies perfectly smooth) (I havent tried J River Videoclock yet)
- Video Renderer: madVR

The reason I use Media Portal for Movies and Series is because the nice MovingPictures, MP-TVseries and fanart-handler plugins, works like a charm!, for every other thing, MC

[mojave]

My Setup:
- HTPC: i5-750, Win7 64-Bit, HD 5770 outputting Video via DVI to 24" LCD and HDMI to Mitsubishi HC3000u (720p, ISF calibrated), Audio via Asus Essence ST with H6 daughtercard for 7.1 analog directly to amplifiers/subwoofers

Frontend:
MC 16 for Audio, Video, and Pictures with Chromium as the browser engine

My Filters:
- Source/Splitter:  LAV Splitter
- Audio Decoder: LAV Audio and madFLAC (I was using madFLAC before LAV Audio became available and haven't removed it yet. I don't know if there is any difference.*)
- Video Decoder: FFDSHOW (+ MS DMO decoder for VC-1)
- Audio Renderer: MC's Audio Renderer/VideoClock with Output Format, Room Correction, and Parametric EQ DSP's
- Video Renderer: madVR

*This was posted by Nevcairiel on 4/7/11 on the LAV Filter thread at Doom9

The avcodec flac codec does not seem to be really that good. I recommend a decoder using libflac, like madFlac, for example.

I will probably turn flac support off by default in the next version, until i can decide how to solve this.

[mojave]

I just tried out the new LAV CUVID Decoder and it has worked fine on the few movies I have tried. Here is the info on it:

Filter Name:  LAV CUVID Decoder

Filter Type:  Video Decoder
Link:  http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=160290
Description:  It is a decoder utilizing the NVIDIA hardware decoder engine through the CUDA Video Decoding API ("CUVID"). Its still in very early stages, but it already supports all major formats that the NVIDIA hardware can decode, which are right now H264, VC-1, MPEG2 and MPEG4-ASP (DivX/Xvid). Both progressive and interlaced types are supported. As a bonus, when decoding interlaced content, it can do full adaptive deinterlacing, the best your GPU has to offer.
Benefits:  Utilizes the NVIDIA hardware decoder engine through the CUDA Video Decoding API ("CUVID")
Limitations:  Only works with Nvidia Video Cards. Does not work with AMD/ATI Video Cards.
Other Similar Filters:  ffdshow, Std MS Video Decoders in Windows, Specialty Filters (CoreAVC etc)
Configuration:  You can select which codecs to decode and the deinterlacing method. If using LAV Splitter you must uncheck "Enable VC-1 Timestamp Correction." This will be fixed in a later version.

[mojave]

Today I added the ArcSoft audio decoder for DTS-HD decoding.

Filter Name:  ArcSoft Audio Decoder HD
Filter Type:  Audio Decoder for TrueHD, DD, DTS-HD, DTS
Description:  This decoder is part of ArcSoft TotalMedia Theater 3 Platinum 3.0.1.185 Trial. It is the only build that supports bit-perfect decode as a stand alone DirectShow Filter.
Benefits:  Allows Blu-ray playback with HD audio on an HTPC
Configuration:  

1.  Download ArcSoft Codec.zip and extract to a new folder such as C:\Program Files\ArcSoft Codec.

2.  Manually register ASAudioHD.ax.

3.  Add the codec in Tools > Options > Video by selecting ArcSoft Audio Decoder HD under "Other Filters" for the file type you are modifying. Click "Configure" and select the codec to configure the properties.

4.  Open the file win.ini located in C:\Windows with Notepad. Add the following lines at the end and save it

Code: [Select]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ArcSoft\MPEG Codec\Decoder Setting\]
AudioOutputMode=17
AudioDynamicRange=1This is for normal DynamicRange and 7.1 speakers. You can also use the following:

Code: [Select]

AudioDynamicRange:
0: Light
1: Normal
2: Threaded

AudioOutputMode:
0,1,2,5: Stereo
6,13: 5.1 Channels
17: 7.1 Channels
16: S/PDIF

[BryanC]

My Setup:
- HTPC with AMD Athlon X2 4400+, nVidia GT240 outputting audio and video through HDMI to a 46" 1080P LCD TV at 1080P

Frontend:
MC16

My Filters:
- Source/Splitter:  Haali Media Splitter
- Audio Decoder: AC3Filter for movies, ffdshow audio for music over HDMI
- Video Decoder: CoreAVC for MKV/AVI, ffdshow for DVD and everything else
- Audio Renderer: MC's Audio Renderer/VideoClock with Output Format
- Video Renderer: madVR

[SamuriHL]

My Setup:
-HTPC with C2Q 8200, AMD 5870 w/ HDMI out to a Pio VSX-21TXH receiver/Sony SXRD 50" HDTV

Frontend:
MC16

Filters:
-Source/Splitter: LAVF Splitter
-Audio Decoder: ffdshow for bitstreaming
-Video Decoder: Cyberlink Video Decoder (HAM mode)  (See notes below)
-Audio Renderer: ReClock
-Video Renderer: madVR

NOTES:

Cyberlink Video decoder can be found by installing a trial of PowerDVD.  Look for CLCvd.ax in the VideoFilter folder.  Open a command prompt (with administrator privs if UAC is on) to that folder and type:

Code: [Select]

regsvr32 CLCvd.ax

Now you can add this to the DirectShow filters in MC16.  When you configure it, select the HAM radio button.

This will give you GPU decoding on AMD hardware.  On slower machines, this can make the difference between being able to use madVR for rendering or not.

P.S. If you get a green bar at the bottom of the video, try checking the crop option.  This should get rid of it for you.

[JustinChase]

Today I added the ArcSoft audio decoder for DTS-HD decoding.

2.  Double Click register.bat in the folder to register the codec.

3.  Add the codec in Tools > Options > Video by selecting ArcSoft Audio Decoder HD under "Other Filters" for the file type you are modifying. Click "Configure" and select the codec to configure the properties. In the ArcSoft decoder properties you need to select the number of channels, change "Light" to "Normal" for dynamic range, and change "16-bit" to "24-bit."

the register.bat file didn't work for me.  I got a failure message when I just d-clicked it, so I r-clicked and ran as admin, and I saw a cmd box flash for a millisecond, but the filters weren't in MC.  So I just opened a cmd prompt as admin, and registered manually, both confirmed, and now I get sound!!

Thanks for this!!

(Unfortunately, I still can't get the video to play, I just see the *starting dialog over the cover art, but I hear the sound perfectly.  Oh well, one thing at a time)

[SteveGoff]

I'm having trouble playing MKV files with DTS, DTS MA, or TrueHD audio. I have an i-3 computer with HD5450 video card hooked up via HDMI to an Integra preamp/processor (which works fine with DTS MA and TrueHD bitstreaming) and JVC projector. I'm using LAV splitter, and either ffsdshow Audio Decoder or LAV Audio for audio. When I start an MKV video it plays so long as the AC3 audio track is selected, but if I switch to a DTS, DTS MA, or TrueHD track I get no audio. And thereafter I get not audio when I switch back to the AC3 track until I stop and restart the file.

These files play fine using MPC-HC, and all audio tracks work, including DTS MA and TrueHD bitstreaming.

[jmone]

Steve are you trying to Bitstream the Audio or decode it?  FYI - There is a new release of LAVAudio that is out including the option to select what tracks you want to Bitstream and which ones you want to Decode. http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=156191

[SteveGoff]

Steve are you trying to Bitstream the Audio or decode it?  FYI - There is a new release of LAVAudio that is out including the option to select what tracks you want to Bitstream and which ones you want to Decode. http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=156191

At this point I'd accept either to get it to work, but I'd prefer bitstreaming AC#. DTS, DTS MA, and TrueHD. I'm not sure how I should set up ffsdshow's audio decoder with regard to the output, since that may be where my troubles started, so I'll try LAV Audio next. I'm using version 0.25, but I'll look for the newest version. Can I just copy it, or do I have to uninstall the old one and register the new one?

[jmone]

At this point I'd accept either to get it to work, but I'd prefer bitstreaming AC#. DTS, DTS MA, and TrueHD. I'm not sure how I should set up ffsdshow's audio decoder with regard to the output, since that may be where my troubles started, so I'll try LAV Audio next. I'm using version 0.25, but I'll look for the newest version. Can I just copy it, or do I have to uninstall the old one and register the new one?

If you want to bit stream the you only need the V0.25 LAVSplitter and LAVAudio installed and selected for use in MC (no other audio filters in your chain).  While playing a video, right click --> direct show filters and click on LAVAudio.  Check all the checkboxs for Bitstreaming.  If you have futher issue pls start a new thread.

[SteveGoff]

Yes, I see that the feature is there in 0.25. But audio playback does not work when I select the DTS, DTS MA, or TrueHD streams. And it won't work on AC3 unless the video starts playing with AC3. Again, I'm using LAV splitter in MC16, and have tried both LAV Audio and ffsdshow audio. I also tried both MADVR and EVR as the video renderer, but that didn't make a difference (nor should it). HDMI out from an HD5450.

Audio playback works great in MPC-HC for every audio format, using either LAV Audio or ffsdshow audio, but it won't work in Media Center 16.

And on another computer using MC16 it works fine through analog audio outs, but when I have LAV Audio selected and then look at the filters in use when playing a video it says that ffsshow audio is in use.

[jmone]

What do you have set undr Options --> Video --> Audio for Video, DVD, & Television?

[SteveGoff]

What do you have set undr Options --> Video --> Audio for Video, DVD, & Television?

Ah, there was part of the problem. I had not noticed those settings, and had tried to find them in the configure device settings. It was set as same as audio, which I had set as WASAPI, for best audio playback. I changed it to Realtech HDMI (ATI HDMI Audi) and Surround Sound receiver.

Now when I select a DTS MA stream it changes to a multichannel PCM stream, even though I've selected bitstreaming for DTS HD and TrueHD. Ansd selecting a TrueHD stream freezes the video. Now my test movie for TrueHD, Zodiak, won't even play, saying that it is "opening."

Also, I can't seem to get the settings to stick. I select LAV Audio, but while playing a video it shows that ffsdshow audio is being used. I've tried both. I'll try some more stuff, and maybe update my Catalyst drivers, though that has cause problems in the past.

[SteveGoff]

I've switched to ffdshow audio decoder, and now all audio streams work, but for DTS MA and TrueHD streams my preamp/processor says the input is 7.1 channel PCM, which suggets that they are not bistreaming but being converted. And I'm not even sure that what is being converted is the lossless track, as opposed to the lossy AC3 or DTS stream. With MPC-HC both DTS MA and TrueHD bitstream fine.

[flac.rules]

Thanks for a nice guide, I am trying to use ffdshow, LAV-filters and MadVR know, but i am a bit confused about the connection bewtenn mad VR and ffdshow, with madVR i should turn off all resizing in ffdshow right? But still use deband, sharpen, deinterlace and so on? And how about subs? THey can be turned on in ffdshow, but apparantly also in LAV-filters?

[jmone]

For subs to work you need to turn them on the in "Splitter" so they can be passed up the filter chain to the Video "Decoder" / "Renderer" so they are displayed.  Eg turn it on the LAVSplitter and enable sub title processing in FFDSHOW and it should then all be good.  With FFDSHOW you can enable any of the other tweaks to suit your tasts (I use de-interlacing, and subs but that is about it).

[flac.rules]

Ok, thanks, I don't know if its outside the scope of the guide, but some tips for what tweaks to use in ffdshow audio/video would be nice, its not easy to find out what suits my tastes

A further question, do you set the spiltter, decoder and render manually for every file-type? Or  can you set it just one place and leave the settings to "automatic"?

[SteveGoff]

By the way, we have a fairly lively discussion going on about MKV playback in a thread in Media Center 16, mostly focusing on how to get bitstreaming of TrueHd and DTS MA to work.

[SteveGoff]

By the way, we have a fairly lively discussion going on about MKV playback in a thread in Media Center 16, mostly focusing on how to get bitstreaming of TrueHd and DTS MA to work.

And Matt says that a specific provision for bitstreaming TrueHD and DTS MA will come in build .89.

[BryanC]

My Setup (updated):
- HTPC with AMD Athlon X2 4400+, nVidia GT240 outputting audio and video through HDMI to a 46" 1080P LCD TV at 1080P

Frontend:
MC16

My Filters:
- Source/Splitter: LAV Splitter
- Audio Decoder: LAV Audio
- Video Decoders: LAV CUVID and ffdshow subtitles for VC-1/H.264, ffdshow for DVD and everything else,
- Audio Renderer: MC's Audio Renderer/VideoClock with Output Format
- Video Renderer: madVR for VC-1/H.264, VMR 9 for everything else (can't get DVD playback to work well with madVR or EVR)

[jmone]

Filter Name:  LAVAudio

Filter Type:  Audio Decoder
Link: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=156191
Description:  A full description is on the first post but it is a versatile Audio Decoder handles most audio formats decoding them to PCM.  It is under active development with the dev (nevcairiel) releasing regular updates and he is responsive to bug reports and feature requests.  Future development plans include adding bitstreaming support to the NAVSplitter (see post above) for those that do not want to decode.  The development of this has progress significantly and is now my preferred Audio Decoder.
Benefits:  Quick, stable, and straightforward.  Supports all the major Audio Formats at full bit rate/bit depth decoding
Limitations:  Only supports decoding the DTS-MA "Core" so I disable support for this and use the Arcsoft DTS-HD Decoder.  This filter is not for you if you want to do any post processing (but you can use JRiver Audio Renderer for this), or if you want to BitStream
Other Similar Filters:  FFDSHOW
Configuration:  Very straight forward.  You can install and forget or add some config tweaks if you want to deselect various formats.  

Filter Name:  Add-on to LAVAudio support for Arcsoft's DTS-HD Audio Decoder

Filter Type:  DTS-HD Audio Decoder
Link: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1500633#post1500633
Description:  The ability to use the ArcSoft dtsdecoder directly through LAV Audio, just drop "dtsdecoderdll.dll" in the LAV Audio directory, and lean back for full DTS-HD enjoyment. On the LAV Audio status page, the ffmpeg decoder is called "dca", and the ArcSoft decoder is called "dts" (or postfixed with the profile), so you can see if its active.
Benefits:  Allows full bit rate/bit depth decoding of DTS-MA instead of just the "Core"
 

[SamuriHL]

With no messy hacks!  No win.ini nonsense.  No registering ax files.  It just works (tm)! 

[jmone]

With no messy hacks!  No win.ini nonsense.  No registering ax files.  It just works (tm)! 

Thanks - that reminds me to remove my win.ini entries!

[SteveGoff]

I can now reliably bitstream audio from video while keeping WASAPI for audio files. Select default audio device as the playback device for audio for video.