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Author Topic: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)  (Read 5374 times)

CountryBumkin

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I may have just blown $50 in an attempt to be able to get my 3D movie rips to play via MC20 Theater View. I can't get this to work on my own.

I recently got a 3D capable TV so I am interested now in setting up MC to handle 3D movies within JRiver using an external player, and then return to MC when movie is over.

I ripped one of my 3D movies to mkv and changed the extension to mk3d. I then setup MC20 to start an external player (PowerDVD14) only for the mk3d format, when I click "Watch" in MC . This part works fine. PDVD starts but it opens to the PowerDVD "start screen" and shows my PC's BD drive as the only choice. How do I get PDVD to start playing the movie selected in MC?
Is the problem because I don't have argument setup for the external player in the MC settings. If so, what do I use for the "argument" in the MC setup ?

I searched this forum and found some scripts jmone created for TMT but those threads are old now (and I don't know what they are doing or how to convert for PDVD program) and perhaps not needed since the mk3d format was added. If I need a script can someone can guide me along?

BTW - It would be great if JRiver could build a generic script (or provide instructions in a Sticky) or maybe just build in PDVD as an external player already configured to use the MC library for 3D movies with mk3d format. 
Thanks ;)
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jmone

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2014, 03:02:48 pm »

Hi CB - I've only really played with TMT (now defunct) but under "Arguments" try
"Filename" (it is even under the Preset Sub Menu option for this).
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2014, 03:14:34 pm »

Thanks for the suggestion - but it doesn't work. The default argument is already set to "filename" but the movie/file being served by MC is not passed along to PDVD. To add complexity, the movie/file is coming from my Server computer and PDVD is running on a Client (which is the one connected to the 3D capable TV). However the "launch external program" is working on the Client, so I think it is possible to get this to work.

I'll continue researching this and hopefully find an answer and post back, or maybe someone that has done this with PowerDVD will post.
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jmone

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2014, 03:19:33 pm »

Do both the Client and Server see the file in the same path?, eg say \\Media\MyFile.MKV or D:\Media\MyFile.MKV else it will not work as MC will just be giving that path across.  Also can you browse in PDVD to the file and play it successfully?
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2014, 04:01:20 pm »

I have not gotten that far along yet. I started by trying to setting up PowerDVD's media library (pointing to) the MC movie folder on the Server computer, but PDVD started to import all my files to create its own library so I stopped it. I just want it to play the movie as it if it's a disk inserted. I don't want to setup the entire PowerDVD program and make my movie selections there (although that might be an option - if I just import 3D movies only. I could setup a separate folder on the Server for just the 3D rips and let PDVD import those.

I'm at step two in (probably) a five or six step process.
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gvanbrunt

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Re:
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2014, 04:32:00 pm »

I wonder if you have to associate mk3d with power DVD?
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2014, 04:45:39 pm »

There is a file association process in PDVD (it just lists Vob and Ifo as choices). It uses the Windows file association process (Control Panel>Default Programs>File Associations) however the mk3d is not listed as choice and there is not a "button" to add a new file type. I just checked on the Server computer and mk3d is not listed there either. If in need to setup the association, I need to figure out how to add a new file extension type first.
I'll work on this on more tomorrow. Thanks for your suggestion.
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fitbrit

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2014, 06:20:27 pm »

Just a silly question: Can PDVD play mk3d files?
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2014, 07:42:27 am »

Just a silly question: Can PDVD play mk3d files?

Good question - I don't know.  I can/will keep the file "extension" as mkv and have the "file type" in MC as mk3d for separating the type. I can also create a new Theater View for 3D movies based on the mk3d file type. MC is very flexible in this regard.
Right now I'm trying to figure out how to pass the movie (filename) from MC to PDVD.

I may have jumped the gun a little bit buying this software. It was one of those cyber-Monday before the second cup of coffee decisions.
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fitbrit

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2014, 12:10:00 pm »

What I meant was:
Have you played any of the files you want to directly in PDVD, in 3D, successfully? If not, perhaps it's not the "argument" that is the problem.
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2014, 10:39:52 am »

What I meant was:
Have you played any of the files you want to directly in PDVD, in 3D, successfully? If not, perhaps it's not the "argument" that is the problem.

I can manually start the PDVD program and play a 2D movie (in mkv or m2ts, my primary formats). But I can't get the movie to start playing in PDVD automatically when I click on "watch" in MC. And when PDVD is closed, it doesn't switch back to MC Theater View.

I'm going to les this thread rest for a while, and get back into it during the Xmas holidays when I have some free time available to think about it.
Thanks
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gvanbrunt

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2014, 09:48:47 pm »

I think fitbrit was saying can you get one to play with the renamed extension? It's along the same lines as what I suggested in associating the extension with that software.
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gvanbrunt

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2014, 09:56:10 pm »

For what it's worth I was hoping to do this with MVC 3D about a year ago but never got around to it. Was hoping you wouldn't be as lazy as me... ;)

Now get on it, I've been wasting that license for a year now. "Wait till Christmas", sheesh the nerve. I paid good money for that you know.

Seriously, I may get around to it at Christmas this year myself and if I do I'll keep you in the loop.
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fitbrit

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2014, 02:00:18 am »

Even with the mkv extension retained, I found that TMT6 playback of an MVC file was choppy and unsatisfactory. And the sound was out of sync. Therefore, I just wanted to know whether PDVD could even play back a 3D MVC mkv at all. Nothing that has been posted states outright that it can, and that was what I wanted to know.
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #14 on: December 16, 2014, 05:20:06 am »

@gvanbrunt  LOL, okay I do some more work on this.

I did not try the mk3d format yet. I doubt it will work since Win8 doesn't recognize the format. However there is no reason to change the file extension to mk3d since I can trigger the PDVD program by setting the movie's "file type" as mk3d without having to actually change the file extension itself (makeMKV rips the 3D disc to mkv). I'm assuming that the if the 3D movie is ripped properly in mkv (and I don't know the rip is good either) than I should be able to play it in 3D correctly with PDVD without making it an mk3d. However, I'll test this and report back.
 
I did play a 2D movie in PDVD and it was clean. Audio in sync and no choppiness.

I couldn't get the 3D movie rip to work. It was showing a red outline on everything. it looked like an anaglyph 3D. Either the TV didn't recognize the format sent or it was sent incorrectly. I know the TV works in 3D when the physical/disk movie is sent from my BD player. I don't know what the HTPC is sending (maybe I need to setup something with the NVidia card too).  I suppose I should also try to play the physical disk in the HTPC to see how that handles it.

I still have a lot of testing to do.
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Hilton

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2014, 04:27:32 pm »

Yes the Nvidia card also needs to be in 3D mode too.
You need to enable stereoscopic 3D in the NVidia control panel and run the setup wizard.

Turning on Nvidia 3D enables the 3D framepacked video output mode that's need for MVC 3D MKV files.

You will need to turn off 3D mode when not watching 3D or all normal 2D 1080p/24 video will try to output in 3D.
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Need help setting up MC to play 3D movies to external player (PowerDVD)
« Reply #16 on: December 16, 2014, 05:26:31 pm »

Yes the Nvidia card also needs to be in 3D mode too.
You need to enable stereoscopic 3D in the NVidia control panel and run the setup wizard.

Turning on Nvidia 3D enables the 3D framepacked video output mode that's need for MVC 3D MKV files.

You will need to turn off 3D mode when not watching 3D or all normal 2D 1080p/24 video will try to output in 3D.


Well, that stinks.
I hope I can figure out how to turn On and OFF NVidia 3D automatically through the MC's "run external program" feature, or my plans for a seamless 3D experience from MC are out the window.
I'll test this out and report back. I suppose using PDVD as a stand-alone program just for 3D is still better than inserting a physical disc each time I want to put on the glasses.
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