FFMPEG and other decoders as plugins is it possible?

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HT1
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FFMPEG and other decoders as plugins is it possible?

Post by HT1 »

FFMPEG is pretty much the basis for ums to work. it is activated upon install and set at 1st priority for decoding videos.

it would be a good idea to have ffmpeg use the same update mechanism as the plugins to detect updates and have a simple fast sure way of updating it when things break.
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Supermanfan77
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Re: FFMPEG and other decoders as plugins is it possible?

Post by Supermanfan77 »

I second this, it it's possible anyway.
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valib
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Re: FFMPEG and other decoders as plugins is it possible?

Post by valib »

This is not a good idea. We test new versions of the FFmpeg before it is updated to the UMS to check if it is working properly. Anyway users can try to change the FFmpeg simply by downloading the most recent version and replacing it in the UMS.
HT1
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Re: FFMPEG and other decoders as plugins is it possible?

Post by HT1 »

valib wrote:This is not a good idea. We test new versions of the FFmpeg before it is updated to the UMS to check if it is working properly. Anyway users can try to change the FFmpeg simply by downloading the most recent version and replacing it in the UMS.
that said, ffmpeg gets updated regularly. it is not possible to test for every possible codec configuration in every video files.

i found one you didn't.

the version with ums 6.10 and 6.20 are dated back to january before the bug was discovered and fixed on the 31st. it was graciously handled for version 6.30 so its fixed. For now.

but it took 2 or 3 days to happen. that 2 or 3 days ums doesn't work. and 0 information for newbs on how to fix this.

So someone forgot to update the package once or twice in a few years i've been using ums, no biggie but that has repercussions down the line.

this feature will allow us the users, the people down the line, the chance to get things fixed quickly and safely and go on with our lives instead of looking for a needle in a hay stack that is your log file.
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valib
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Re: FFMPEG and other decoders as plugins is it possible?

Post by valib »

It may happen but users have always the choice to download the latest FFmpeg version and test it to simply click on the FFmpeg link at the About page. Maybe we should somewhere in the Wiki or Help mention that option. We are not professionals so to take care of the product is not our daily job and when users find out the problem we are grateful for any suggestion. When the FFmpeg version works in our environment it doesn't mean that it should work for all users.
HT1
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Re: FFMPEG and other decoders as plugins is it possible?

Post by HT1 »

valib wrote:It may happen but users have always the choice to download the latest FFmpeg version and test it to simply click on the FFmpeg link at the About page. Maybe we should somewhere in the Wiki or Help mention that option. We are not professionals so to take care of the product is not our daily job and when users find out the problem we are grateful for any suggestion. When the FFmpeg version works in our environment it doesn't mean that it should work for all users.
what if they don't know about ffmpeg issues like you do? or the wiki doesn't help , it certainly not something anyone thinks about, sometimes its hard to figure out the source of the problem.

theres nothing in the faq explaining possible problems. there are no error numbers that we can use to search the forum or the faq.

those BSOD that windows gets, at least there's an hex number to help us out.

the ums log only had the line ffmpeg returned an error of 1 check the log.

that's after even thinking there might be something wrong with :
1. the file itself?
2. the network?
3. the nas?
4. the tv?
5. the computer that is needed to run ums?
6. ums it self? sh*t i have to look in the log again??!!
7. something else?

so you see, a simple thing on screen with a message or error code reminding us that the forum is there in case of problems would be way more helpfull than wasting our time looking for a needle in a hay stack of problems.

simply put, catch possible errors from the programs ums needs and do something with them instead of just logging them. then come up with error numbers ums can display to HELP US , then write them down in the faq, the wiki, the forum, everywhere. give us solutions.

Simple things for the common mortal, not developpers who know the ins and outs of their program.

this is to help YOU GUYS out when YOU forget things. when you can't test everything. Or when one of your files doesn't work on the miriad of possible configurations out there.

that is more helpfull than arguin against me for something you should be doing anyway.

Good day sir, i'm done.
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valib
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Re: FFMPEG and other decoders as plugins is it possible?

Post by valib »

I think that in the FAQ and help are the most common problems which users can solve themselves. The rest is really unpredictable as you mentioned there are myriads of possible configurations out there. If users after reading the FAQ or help are not able to solve the problem then it means that either they are not skilled enough and they need our support or the problem could be in our code so users can't do anything to solve it. So that's why we rely on the users feedback and we need for it the log. Sometimes we can't reproduce the error or bug because in our environment the UMS is working well. So what we should suggest to users when we ourselves don't know what is going on? Our goal is to solve that problem immediately if possible and not to tell users like Microsoft does the error xxx is known to us and users need to take an action to solve it. If we solve the problem it is included in the next release. If not it means we are either working on it or it is something what needs deeper investigation. There is not something like an error code implemented in the UMS and all errors are only logged. To implement it and connect it with the Forum would need to massively rewrite the code but I am not sure if it is possible. I am not the one who will vote for it. This is my opinion about your suggestion but maybe other developers can feel it differently especially SubJunk who is the owner of this project.
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