Updating GameEx to work with latest FFDSHOW?

[IllSeeYouInHell]

Hi Tom (and fellow gameex fans!)

I am curious as to how much work would be involved in getting GameEx up to date with the latest ffdshow release?

I am aware you have a case open with the ffdshow dev team but it seems it hasn't even been picked up yet... bummer.

Here's my situation, I run GameEx on my HTPC, as I'm sure many people do. I'm running Vista Media Centre with the MediaControl add-on, this adds the ability to change audiostreams/subtitles from your remote on any format of video (if the streams are there of course). The downside to this is it'll only run on newer ffdshow releases

http://damienbt.free.fr/ states "FFDShow revision 2083 or greater required"

Searching the forum I have noticed a lot of people do have issues regarding the vid-snaps, and 90% of the time it turns out using a newer ffdshow was the problem. How are others getting these two programs to play nice? I know if I disable sound on the snaps I can use a newer ffdshow, but it'd be cool to have everything playing nice together without compromising sound...

Anyway, keen to hear others opinions and thoughts

Thanks for the great frontend Tom!

Cheers,

Lee

[Tom Speirs]

There's basically nothing else to say other than what you just did. That covers everything.

Of course Id rather it not be an issue but unfortunatly it is.

I do plan to update from directdraw to direct3d at a later date, and that should solve the issue. However, although I have started the ball rolling on it, its not going to be completed soon. All I can say with certainity is it will be before the next release of windows.

[IllSeeYouInHell]

Ok cool Thanks Tom for the quick reply

I kinda knew what the answer was gonna be, just thought I'd ask in case you were thinking of finding a workaround for their (ffdshow devs) stuff up.

Thanks again for GameEx, It's a great piece of software

[Tempest]

I'm just throwing this out there...

Isn't the issue with FFDShow the tray icon?

In AHK, the Run command:

  Quote

Run, Target [, WorkingDir, Max|Min|Hide|UseErrorLevel, OutputVarPID]

Has this option:

  Quote

If omitted, Target will be launched normally. Alternatively, it can contain one or more of these words:

Max: launch maximized

Min: launch minimized

Hide: launch hidden (cannot be used in combination with either of the above)

I'm wondering if FFDShow could be run hidden. If it were that easy, it probably would have been done...

[greatflash]

  TSpeirs said:

I do plan to update from directdraw to direct3d at a later date

Hurrah!

  Quote

its not going to be completed soon.

Boo!

[Palmore]

Have you tried just using CCCP? It has the FFDShow extensions built in and options to Hide tray icons for FFDshow Video/Audio as well as Hide the tray icon for the Halaa Media Splitter.

[lalandev]

  Palmore said:

Have you tried just using CCCP? It has the FFDShow extensions built in and options to Hide tray icons for FFDshow Video/Audio as well as Hide the tray icon for the Halaa Media Splitter.

If you build an HTPC, stay away from codecs packs like CCCP. Anyway, in FFDshow configuration menus, there's a section to hide the tray icon, no need for a 3rd party. Haali Media Splitter offers also an option to hide the tray icon.

[Tom Speirs]

I dont think the fix is as easy as hiding the tray ICON. Although cant remember if I tried that. If that is the fix please let me know, and Ill spam the internet with it

[Palmore]

  lalandev said:

If you build an HTPC, stay away from codecs packs like CCCP. Anyway, in FFDshow configuration menus, there's a section to hide the tray icon, no need for a 3rd party. Haali Media Splitter offers also an option to hide the tray icon.

Really? Why is that? I happen to be running Vista MCEwith CCCP and not a single problem.

Actually out of all the setups I've tested, I get the fastest play back, smoothest video, least amount of over head.

CCCP Has been the only end all be all solution I've found, plays all my MKVs with out a hitch, this can't be said about any other codec setup I've come across.

Please keep in mind, CCCP is leaps and bounds beyond anything such as the KLite pack etc.

Do you have a good backing as to why you should not use CCCP on an HTPC? or is that just a bias?

If you were to say, "Don't use Klite codec pack as its nothig but bloatware, has overlapping decoders" etc, that would be one thing. But I beg to differ with CCCP.

[lalandev]

  Palmore said:

Really? Why is that? I happen to be running Vista MCEwith CCCP and not a single problem.

Actually out of all the setups I've tested, I get the fastest play back, smoothest video, least amount of over head.

CCCP Has been the only end all be all solution I've found, plays all my MKVs with out a hitch, this can't be said about any other codec setup I've come across.

Please keep in mind, CCCP is leaps and bounds beyond anything such as the KLite pack etc.

Do you have a good backing as to why you should not use CCCP on an HTPC? or is that just a bias?

If you were to say, "Don't use Klite codec pack as its nothig but bloatware, has overlapping decoders" etc, that would be one thing. But I beg to differ with CCCP.

Simple good IT behavior: Don't install something you don't need. Technically, all you need in an HTPC that'll play downloaded movies (H264, VC1, MP4, matroska containers, mp4 containers), DVD, BluRay discs, is FFDShow, Haali Media Splitter and maybe QuickTime Alternative.

CCCP, is a great "combo", but you're never sure how these components interact together... especially if you use a AV receiver to decode your AC3 and DTS via S/PDIF.

More: IllSeeYouInHell was talking earlier about one of the greatest plugin for VMC: MediaControl. This fantastic tool is known to be broken when you combine it with CCCP or any other codec pack.

I'm not a programmer neither an expert. Just a guy who wants to keep is HTPC as light as possible and understand what is installed.

I'm honestly happy that CCCP works well with your (and probably most) setup. But with my experience, it was problematic (go see the MediaControl forum for examples).

Also, if you go x64 like I did, you'll realize that CCCP can't help you there, you must find all the filters individually and register the DLLs manually and creat your MIME associations (except for FFDshow, that got his own x64 build).

When CCCP goes x64, I promise I'll give it a try!

Regards.

[Palmore]

  lalandev said:

Simple good IT behavior: Don't install something you don't need. Technically, all you need in an HTPC that'll play downloaded movies (H264, VC1, MP4, matroska containers, mp4 containers), DVD, BluRay discs, is FFDShow, Haali Media Splitter and maybe QuickTime Alternative.

CCCP, is a great "combo", but you're never sure how these components interact together... especially if you use a AV receiver to decode your AC3 and DTS via S/PDIF.

More: IllSeeYouInHell was talking earlier about one of the greatest plugin for VMC: MediaControl. This fantastic tool is known to be broken when you combine it with CCCP or any other codec pack.

I'm not a programmer neither an expert. Just a guy who wants to keep is HTPC as light as possible and understand what is installed.

I'm honestly happy that CCCP works well with your (and probably most) setup. But with my experience, it was problematic (go see the MediaControl forum for examples).

Also, if you go x64 like I did, you'll realize that CCCP can't help you there, you must find all the filters individually and register the DLLs manually and creat your MIME associations (except for FFDshow, that got his own x64 build).

When CCCP goes x64, I promise I'll give it a try!

Regards.

Good post, I'm in a perpetual state of learning, so the more information I can come across the better.

I do of crouse understand the only install what you need aspect. But my movie library consists of 1,115 DVDs (well... Divx rips and other "collected" works) Thus rather than hoping I had the correct codec installed when I have company and we want to watch a movie, I pulled the trigger on the best option for a "full service" pack per-say.

I've never used MediaControl, I'll have to look into it, might be interesting. I love addons for my MCE =) (Such as Webguide... it's great sitting at work listening to my mp3 collection or streaming live TV!)

And to be honest, I can't wait for the x64 version of CCCP, my MCE box is on 64bit hardware yet Vista x32.. I had the same issues with getting my videos running correctly.. and being somewhat lazy (When your a systems engineer and a systems security specialist for a large company, last thing you wanna do is touch a PC when you get home), I ended up tossing on the Vista Codec Pack x64.

Needless to say that didn't last at all, and I downgraded to x32 Vista

In the end, CCCP only includes what...

- FFDShow 2008-04-09 r1739 CCCP

- FLV Splitter 2006-08-09

- Haali Media Splitter 2008-03-29

- MPV (Mpeg2) Decoder 2007-05-17 CCCP

- VSFilter 2007.05.31

- CoreWavPack 1.1.1

- Media Player Classic HomeCinema 1.1.611

- ZoomPlayer 5.50 beta 1 Standard

Strip away Zoom, MPlayer classic and there's not much on top of your original required list.

But back to the task at hand =)

(Sorry for thread jacking there Illseeyouinhell)

[lalandev]

  Palmore said:

I've never used MediaControl, I'll have to look into it, might be interesting. I love addons for my MCE =) (Such as Webguide... it's great sitting at work listening to my mp3 collection or streaming live TV!)

Indeed, Webguide is a fantastic piece of software... If I may suggest something to try (with MediaControl) is MyMovies. Maybe you already know about it, if not, It is worth a look especially with your gigantic movies collection!!!