Universal Media Server | Forum

Hi,

what about install?

Can I use the old config files or is it better to have a clean one?

Can I have at the same time both 3.6.2 and 4.0.0 installed and running only one at time to do comparison?

Thanks!

Sergio

SharkHunter wrote:I made the switch to ffmpeg some time ago and the reason was that there were a lot of files that didn't play in mencoder. FFmpeg had subs issues (no support basically) but now it supports subs (at least the once I use). Anyway it is just the default encoder that is switched. If mencoder is better for you can switch to it real easy. FFmpeg is better for most types of videos (I think).

Madoka - sorry the /FI should be removed it requires an arg which UMS has. Start a new thread in the windows support forum (I think you can upload logs there)

If FFmpeg is going to be the new default encoder is there going to be a fix see that files play with the correct aspect ratio on certain Sony and Panasonic devices?

With Mencoder you can apply the well documented CustomMencoderOptions =-vf softskip,expand=::::1:16/9:2 fix which ensures ALL Videos no matter their resolution play back correctly.

Has a custom command been implemented for FFmpeg to do this? From what i last checked all 16:9 content on my Sony EX model TV with FFmpeg would result in an aspect of around 2.35:1 (IE everyone looks fat).

I suspect a custom command is needed ive asked in here and nothing has developed. AFAIK FFmpeg does not have a custom command like Mencoder you can only scale or resize everything to a certain Aspect Ratio rather than make it detect properly like the Mencoder command.

If future builds are eventually going to scrap Mencoder and/or use FFmpeg as the default you may as well remove certain renderers from the program as there is no current way to get content of varying resolutions and codecs to play back on Sony TVs with FFmpeg the way the renderer.conf files for those devices sit.

SergioBigRed wrote:Can I have at the same time both 3.6.2 and 4.0.0 installed and running only one at time to do comparison?

The configurations haven't changed between 4.x and 3.x. Some things have been added in 4.x but it should be backwards compatible, so yes you can have them both installed at the same time.

Paradox wrote:If FFmpeg is going to be the new default encoder is there going to be a fix see that files play with the correct aspect ratio on certain Sony and Panasonic devices?

The renderer option "KeepAspectRatio" works with MEncoder and FFmpeg, so hopefully there's no need to use CustomMencoderOptions.
Please let us know if KeepAspectRatio=true works for Sony EX and then we can commit the change in the next release

SubJunk wrote:

Paradox wrote:If FFmpeg is going to be the new default encoder is there going to be a fix see that files play with the correct aspect ratio on certain Sony and Panasonic devices?

The renderer option "KeepAspectRatio" works with MEncoder and FFmpeg, so hopefully there's no need to use CustomMencoderOptions.
Please let us know if KeepAspectRatio=true works for Sony EX and then we can commit the change in the next release

Nope does not work on my Sony Bravia 40EX403 TV and never has in any build. The only time it has any affect is with SOME .mp4 files and even then it is hit and miss. It has no effect at all on and xvid/avi files. To get them to play properly the only way is with Mencoder and the CustomMencoderOptions i mentioned.

Likewise using other possible settings to mitigate the problem such as...
RescaleByRenderer set to true or flase has no effect either.

Setting
MaxVideoWidth=1920
MaxVideoHeight=1080
Or to similar values, does not help either

Another ongoing issue is Web videos (IE what you set up in a web.conf) file also have issues. When using Mencoder to play them the command CustomMencoderOptions =-vf softskip,expand=::::1:16/9:2 gets totally ignored. So they can not be played at all on My sony using Mencoder at the correct aspect ratio.

That issue has been like that since around version 3.3/3.4 from memory (ill go back and test if really needed). Earlier 2.6x versions it works fine. CustomMencoderOptions No matter what you set seem to be ignored for web video/the web.conf file. Dunno if thats just for Sonys or every device.

The only way to fix that issue is set web content to use FFmpeg and to manually open up the ffmpeg.webfilters file and go through it line by line and manually set the aspect each website should be using. For example, setting....

revision3\.com | -aspect 1:1

For all the revision3 web feeds. Without manually setting that all the videos which are 16:9 as default will display in 2.35:1 or similar on a Sony EX TV. Setting that manually for every site when you have a massive amount like i do gets old quick, and remembering to backup the ffmpeg.webfilters file you make alterations to before you upgrade to a new version of UMS gets old even quicker.

Something changed in the code seriously between around 2.65 and 3.0+ versions, i do not know what but without being rude its broken more than it fixed for some devices.


PS.........
Tto be fair it is not just UMS and PS3MS that have had these issues with Sonys, it is a known issue with DLNA and FFmpeg on them. If you search around programs like Serviio which uses FFmpeg and even Plex previously had the same aspect ratio problems, though they fixed them long ago and Sony TVs now work fine in those apps.


PPS....
I do not know if it will help solve the issue in UMS but this serviio thread documents very well exactly what happens currently in UMS with FFmpeg.
http://forum.serviio.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2956

The second picture in the second post by illico shows exactly what happens with UMS. It adds black bars and crushes things that are supposed to be round to ovals (IE ruins the Aspect ratio) Look at the globes on the fireplace in the first image (what things should look like) and then the second (What FFmpeg and UMS does).

Using zoom on the TV is a partial work around but as also mentioned that then crops the image. As seen in picture three. It also does NOT work if the video is a 4:3 rather than 16:9 as it then stretches 4:3 content to 16:9 and again everything looks fat/oval

The third post and the image with the blue bars is basically or very similar to the fix UMS needs implemented.

Later in the thread here...
http://forum.serviio.org/viewtopic.php? ... 956#p19201
A reference is made to the Mencoder options which i currently use in UMS, which in UMS is the only way to fix things currently.

There is no FFmpeg fix for UMS it needs some type of CustomFFmpegOptions= added to the SonyEX profile, though what i have no idea, im not familiar enough with FFmpeg commands.

SubJunk wrote:

SergioBigRed wrote:Can I have at the same time both 3.6.2 and 4.0.0 installed and running only one at time to do comparison?

The configurations haven't changed between 4.x and 3.x. Some things have been added in 4.x but it should be backwards compatible, so yes you can have them both installed at the same time.

Thanks it works! Anyway, with this config it seems I still have as default Mencoder and not Mpeg, should I install from scratch to appreciate the new approach?

Sergio

For Mencoder the -vf softskip,expand=::::1:16 is implemented for KeepAspectRatio=true. So I see that /9:2 is missing. Also for FFmpeg the scale and pad is set like in Serviio but setdar=4:3 is missing. I will test it with that settings on my Panasonic TV to recognize if it could be set commonly. Also you can try for FFmpeg to use This OverrideVideoFilter option was implemented long time ago but not documented in the PS3.conf. In this version is there. I hope

EDIT: this -vf option is working

Only done limited testing on about 5 files but looks good.

I can confirm adding... To the BraviaEX.conf renderer file fixes the issue and videos of both 16:9 and 2.35:1 from my limited testing now play back with the corect aspect ratio when using FFmpeg engine.

That along with the well known CustomMencoderOptions now allows Sony Bravia EX ranges to play using either FFmpeg or Mencoder engine LOCAL files correctly.

If people with an Sony Bravia EX 3,4,5,7 series TV add the following to the BraviaEX.conf it solves all aspect ratio issues for all local content with both video engines, subs may be an issue but thats the least of my personal problems... PS.. I have no idea why for Mencoder it works better with scale=1283:720 rather than scale=1283:720 but for bravias it does.
Ill do some more testing if you wish with other files and web content, and upload some log files when i have done some more serious testing but for now i recommend those commands are either built into the code itself (obviously if it does not hinder other devices playback) or at the least is added to the Sony and Panasonic conf renderer files that require it. Especially if UMS is going the FFmpeg route in the future.

Very nice job valib. I wish the OverrideVideoFilter function was documented sooner id had probably been able to figure things out in conjunction with the serviio thread i mentioned.

Issue solved for now it seems.... Not before time though lol Hopefully it solves it for web.conf content also. Will test that do logs etc and more local file tests if needed in more detail later in the week.

THANK YOU AGAIN Valib you are a genius

Paradox wrote:

SubJunk wrote:

Paradox wrote:If FFmpeg is going to be the new default encoder is there going to be a fix see that files play with the correct aspect ratio on certain Sony and Panasonic devices?

The renderer option "KeepAspectRatio" works with MEncoder and FFmpeg, so hopefully there's no need to use CustomMencoderOptions.
Please let us know if KeepAspectRatio=true works for Sony EX and then we can commit the change in the next release

Nope does not work on my Sony Bravia 40EX403 TV

How about using this build? I know you have it working now but it would be cool to get it working better by default so that other users can benefit

Ive downloaded that build subjunk and will test during the week alongside the new beta version with the OverrideVideoFilter command and provide my findings for both and what performs better.

It would be nice if this could be solved once and for all it has been a niggly issue for sometime in UMS and PMS. So i am happy to help out where i can. I suspect/hope the fix is pretty easy to implement.

Right have very quickly tested that UMS-1e6affc.exe 3.6.3 build you put together subjunk with a couple of the same video files i tried with the OverrideVideoFilter command in the 4.0.0a1 build and nope your 3.6.3 build does not work. Sony TV still squashes the picture and screws up the aspect ratio. Selecting zoom on the TV menus on some content stretches it correctly (mainly 2.35:1 content) but on others such as 16:9 it just crops the edges off.

It basically behaves the same as every 3.x.x build in what it displays on screen.

PS how do i attach the log file? Tab to include attachments seems to not be available on this thread.
(though having a look i do not think it will tell you anything)