INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 21 for Windows => Topic started by: dexterdom on November 11, 2015, 11:29:38 pm
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Hello,
A few Theater View questions I hope someone can help with. I am controlling MC using Girder and the MCC core commands. These questions are all related to video playback:
1) I am using MCC command MCC_PLAYBACK_ENGINE_SET_ASPECT_RATIO, -1 to cycle through the aspect ratios as a video is being played. Is there a way to have MC display the aspect ratio in the OSD? (e.g. 4:3, 16:9, etc). Right now, when I cycle through the aspect ratios, I have no clue what aspect ratio is being applied (obviously, other than visually observing the display).
1b) A more general question about aspect ratio - does MC automatically play each video using the source aspect ratio?
2) for movie descriptions, is it possible to have that field maximized by default so that I don't have to click on the field to expand the text box?
3) is there a way to call up the OSD (progress bar) while a video is playing? I see that the OSD appears when I pause or skip through a video but it would be nice to call it up on demand during playback
4) is there a way to modify the OSD to display more information? Right now I only see a progress bar for the current video.
Thanks in advance
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3) is there a way to call up the OSD (progress bar) while a video is playing? I see that the OSD appears when I pause or skip through a video but it would be nice to call it up on demand during playback
4) is there a way to modify the OSD to display more information? Right now I only see a progress bar for the current video.
I press the 'Info' button on my Media Center remote and it pops up the OSD.
I don't think there is a way to customize it and I also think it could be improved, like not be 'static' but actually show progress whilst it is being displayed.
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"Don't mention the war" :D
#3 I just press up or down on the remote while watching a video and the OSD appears.
#4 Quick answer here is "No", it cannot be customised, but again, pressing up or down whilst it is showing should cycle through a fair bit of stuff there.
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First, just to be clear, the OSD in MC is displayed at the bottom of the screen when a video is playing and you press the up or down arrows on the remote. When you move your mouse to the top of the screen with a video playing, the MC "Media Controls" drop down. The Media Controls include an active progress bar, which updates as the media plays, and can be dragged or clicked on to move to another part of the file.
1) I am using MCC command MCC_PLAYBACK_ENGINE_SET_ASPECT_RATIO, -1 to cycle through the aspect ratios as a video is being played. Is there a way to have MC display the aspect ratio in the OSD? (e.g. 4:3, 16:9, etc). Right now, when I cycle through the aspect ratios, I have no clue what aspect ratio is being applied (obviously, other than visually observing the display).
Why don't just use the OSD to change Aspect Ratio menu item to change Aspect Ratio? That way you will be able to see which Aspect Ratio is selected, and which you are changing it to. You will also be able to see the effect of the changes real time, as with the MMCommand. Once you have made changes this way, the setting is written back to the "Playback Info" tag and used in future whenever the file is played.
1b) A more general question about aspect ratio - does MC automatically play each video using the source aspect ratio?
If you have the setting under "Tool/Options/Video/Advanced/Aspect ratio correction:" set to "No correction", and you have made no specific Aspect Ratio changes for that file, then the file will be played back at the original source Aspect Ratio. Of course, your TV could also make changes to the Aspect Ratio, if set to do so.
2) for movie descriptions, is it possible to have that field maximized by default so that I don't have to click on the field to expand the text box?
Not with the default functions, but if you really wanted to do it, I'm sure it would be possible to modify the MC Skin to do so. That isn't particularly easy though. Search and research how.
3) is there a way to call up the OSD (progress bar) while a video is playing? I see that the OSD appears when I pause or skip through a video but it would be nice to call it up on demand during playback
As above and previous answers, press the up or down buttons on the remote. Keep pressing the button to scroll through menus and displays. The menus change based on the file attributes, whether Subtitles are available, etc. The remote Info button shows a slightly different display, but you can still scroll to the others from there. Not that this progress bar is a snapshot of the current position when you press the button, or scroll to it.
4) is there a way to modify the OSD to display more information? Right now I only see a progress bar for the current video.
By now you should have worked it out: Keep pressing the up or down buttons.
But also I have changed what the Info button does on my remote, so that it sends the MCCommand /22001,2, which jumps to the Theatre View Playing Now screen. From there I can use the menu to view the file's Info page, or navigate anywhere else to check information, and when finished if still on that menu, just select "Display View" to go back to the movie, or press the "Media Center" (MCE big green button, or a button with the Media Center command assigned to it) button to toggle through MC display back to the live movie. If you didn't pause the movie, it would continue playing and be visible on the Info display.
As you are using Girder you should be able to add the Playing Now command to a new button, if your remote has a custom button capability.
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I can't take credit for this, but I use Event Ghost, so I know it is difficult to get the Info Button to work correctly...I would assume that Girder is the same way. A while ago, I came across a VBS script that will show the Info OSD. In looking at it now, it looks like you could just run MC21.exe /MCC 10051 to show it, but just in case, the VBS code is:
Dim oShell, mcVer
Set oShell = WScript.CreateObject ("WScript.Shell")
mcVer = "21"
' Show On Screen Display: Time
oShell.run "MC" & mcVer & ".exe /MCC 10051"
Set oShell = Nothing
I mapped that command to my info button in EventGhost, and now, the first thing that comes up is the OSD progress bar.
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Thank you all for your replies, I have a few things to try out here... I've been using MC exclusively for audio for the last few years but just recently started dabbling with the video side of things.
Cheers... ;D