[RESOLVED] How best to record dmd videos?

[Black Mage]

Hello All!  I've recorded a bunch of dmd videos for my pindmdv3, using freezy's code as well as the PBX recorder.   Both record just fine but when I am on the frontend the videos coming through the dmd look a bit blurry.  The dmd is very crisp when I actually play though.  Is there a particular setting recordings should be on, or format, or anything that will help address blurriness in preview videos seen on the dmd?

[Draco1962]

What format are your DMD videos and what codec are you using?

Recommended codecs are LAV Filters. 

[Mike_da_Spike]

Not sure how you record it exactly.

For fx3 I used freezy to extract png's, because the videos I created where not that perfect as I wanted. The pictures where 128x32 pixels and some pictures I removed some incorrect pixels.

Freezy can also create an avi from a rom as well. This looks also pretty good. But putting a virtual dmd on screen and grab that part with ffmpeg, makes it a bit blurry

[Black Mage]

Using freezy I set virtual to false and pindmdv3 to true, and the result is an .avi file.  I've confirmed that I have the latest codecs (all default setting).  It's like there's a glow around the letters/numbers (maybe because the video made doesn't completely line up with the 128x32 DMD?)

 

I have a mix of Avi, Mp4, and Flv files.  Each isn't showing a recording as clear as the dmd during gameplay, so it's just when showing recordings on the frontend.

[Mike_da_Spike]

5 hours ago, Black Mage said:

I have a mix of Avi, Mp4, and Flv files.  Each isn't showing a recording as clear as the dmd during gameplay, so it's just when showing recordings on the frontend.

Do you create the mp4 and flv yourself or are those downloaded ?

5 hours ago, Black Mage said:

Using freezy I set virtual to false and pindmdv3 to true, and the result is an .avi file.  I've confirmed that I have the latest codecs (all default setting).  It's like there's a glow around the letters/numbers (maybe because the video made doesn't completely line up with the 128x32 DMD?)

last time I used freezy to create an avi the avi was exactly 128x32. 

Check your source file if black is really black and the rest if the colour is ok. Resizing another format of 128x32 could give glows.

I thought you could also use vpinmame in the frontend.  But never used it. 

I show my own videos (and som from Hirez00)  that I generate from wheel company and year.

edit: try how these look (just for testing)

 

[Black Mage]

Hey MikeDaSpike, I tried No Good Gofers under the "Real DMD Color Videos" folder (59kb).  It has a similar glow around the edges that I see in my recordings.  So, it may not be the recording itself then? 

Are there any configurations needed in PBX to ensure that I'm using the correct codec and player?  Are there non-default LAV settings that should be set?

[Mike_da_Spike]

not that I am aware of. Pbx uses xdmd to display on your dmd.

I have a pindmdv3 myself and doesn't see the glow.

When my wife is awake, I will create a small video how mine looks like in pbx

[Mike_da_Spike]

Not sure if you can see it correctly.

1st video is my FX3 videos. Those are the png's I grabbed with freezy and compiled to an MP4.

2nd video is VPX. 2 Jurassic park tables. first is created by a tool that you can download from the download section.
the 2nd Jurassic park is from a video I received from @HiRez00 (thanks for that) that has animation in it.

Both videos shows exactly the same as in game

[Black Mage]

Thanks.   This is a head scratcher for sure.  Seems it's something to do with my playback of videos. I deleted Shark007 codecs and LAV then reinstalled LAV from the link DRACO provided, and made sure LAV was designated as the codec to use.  No change though.  

Is there anything needed to be done for XDMD in PBX to work well with pindmdv3?  Like copy in dll or ini files to places?

Is there any way to change settings for the XDMD player, like turn up contrast?  

 

 

[Mike_da_Spike]

37 minutes ago, Black Mage said:

Is there anything needed to be done for XDMD in PBX to work well with pindmdv3?  Like copy in dll or ini files to places?

Is there any way to change settings for the XDMD player, like turn up contrast?  

By default it worked for me.
When adding a teensy controller (almost the same controller as used in the PinDMDv3) I needed to change my pinDMD.ini to set the correct comport.
I don't know the code behind XDMD, but think there isn't any contrast tuner for it. Because this is not a screen, but a hardware device that just enable disable leds.

Now I think of it, there was a tool from pinDMD itself where you can tune your leds a bit. 
But thats a long time ago I played with it
 

[Black Mage]

So I downloaded the Theatre of Magic DMD you used MikeDaSpike, and it looks good on my DMD.  It seems that it is an AVI at 256x64.  So, I tried to record the color version w/Freezy but even though I change my pindmd.ini file resolution it creates a 128x32 resolution file, which still looks a little blurry on my DMD.  Do you know what I'd need to do to record an .avi at a chosen resolution?

Btw, I have two pindmd.ini files, one in my XDMD folder, and one in my VPinMAME folder, is that right?

[Mike_da_Spike]

14 minutes ago, Black Mage said:

So I downloaded the Theatre of Magic DMD you used MikeDaSpike, and it looks good on my DMD.  It seems that it is an AVI at 256x64. 

The file I created is an mp4 on 128x32. 

So must be another file.

But, if it looks good on your dmd, nothing wrong with the config of your dmd

17 minutes ago, Black Mage said:

So, I tried to record the color version w/Freezy but even though I change my pindmd.ini file resolution it creates a 128x32 resolution file, which still looks a little blurry on my DMD.  Do you know what I'd need to do to record an .avi at a chosen resolution?

128x32 is correct, because the display is also 128x32 leds.

And indeed,  freezy creates an avi. 

Try to display that avi and enlarge it to full screen. Make sure that black is black

I never recorded an rom with an coloured file. 

20 minutes ago, Black Mage said:

Btw, I have two pindmd.ini files, one in my XDMD folder, and one in my VPinMAME folder, is that right?

For PinballX you only need it from your pbx directory. Not sure, but thought ultradmd is using xdmd as well

[Black Mage]

When I enlarge the Avi the black isn't totally black.  I can see the artifacts that create the blur from the dmd.  Over this weekend I'll try to record an edited avi with higher contrast to remove the artifacts and see if that version looks better on the pindmdv3.  

[Black Mage]

Well I think the blur on the color videos is due to .avi being a lossy codec.  Unless there is a tool to record directly from freezy while not compressing I think it's too tough to get rid of any slight blurriness on color recordings.

MikeDaSpike, do you know how HiRez recorded the Jurassic Park video, or if there are any like that on the FTP?

[Mike_da_Spike]

32 minutes ago, Black Mage said:

Well I think the blur on the color videos is due to .avi being a lossy codec.  Unless there is a tool to record directly from freezy while not compressing I think it's too tough to get rid of any slight blurriness on color recordings.

I thought that freezy drops his avi uncompressed. But not sure. I didnt check it for a long time. 

I assume you used the output file that is directly created ? Maybe ask freezy about it.

36 minutes ago, Black Mage said:

MikeDaSpike, do you know how HiRez recorded the Jurassic Park video, or if there are any like that on the FTP?

We had some communication about it, but not sure what his magic is. Maybe he dumps the frames and clean them up.

Thats what  @scuttersand I also did for creating loading videos.

[insert58815]

I used PBX Recorder to record BG and PF without any problems, but an error message appeared in DMD. I don’t know what is wrong with my settings.

PBXrecorder.log

[scutters]

1 hour ago, insert58815 said:

I used PBX Recorder to record BG and PF without any problems, but an error message appeared in DMD. I don’t know what is wrong with my settings.

Your values in shown in pbx recorder log for screenres.txt look wrong, refer to this post for what each value means https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=19589&p=179173, as we don't know your exact screen setup and positions it's hard to say what your values should be. 

Screenres.txt
3840
2160
1920
1080
3
0
0
1280
1024
5763
0
1

The 5763 should maybe be 1920.  

 

[insert58815]

8 hours ago, scutters said:

Your values in shown in pbx recorder log for screenres.txt look wrong, refer to this post for what each value means https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=19589&p=179173, as we don't know your exact screen setup and positions it's hard to say what your values should be. 

Screenres.txt
3840
2160
1920
1080
3
0
0
1280
1024
5763
0
1

The 5763 should maybe be 1920.  

 

Ok, thank you, I'll go up and study again

[insert58815]

On 10/3/2020 at 2:23 AM, scutters said:

Your values in shown in pbx recorder log for screenres.txt look wrong, refer to this post for what each value means https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=19589&p=179173, as we don't know your exact screen setup and positions it's hard to say what your values should be. 

Screenres.txt
3840
2160
1920
1080
3
0
0
1280
1024
5763
0
1

The 5763 should maybe be 1920.  

 

Yes, I changed it to 1920 and it can record DMD normally. Thank you very much