Optimal video settings
Posted in xn--kfs74mzzid01b.com edit by smith on January 7th, 2009
My "box" component cable is all set up, the xbox is enigmahed and I'm on 480p.
Sadly, a lot of videos are very blurry.
But Spiff, could you be any more verbose? :grin:
This much I could gather from your post:
A: Your Xbox is wired to your display with a component cable.
B: You used the Enigmah Video Switcher to set your XBOX to NTSC.
C: You injected some 480p into your arm and then posted your message.
>Sadly, a lot of videos are very blurry.
That would be a known side effect of 480p. Drink lots of water and get some rest. The symptoms will subside. :;):
But seriously, there is no way anyone could give you advice unless you provide some data.
What is your display device?
What resolution is it capable of?
What is the resolution of your source material (Videos)?
What is the bitrate of your source material?
What encoder was used for your source material?
If your display is capable of handling a 720p signal, that's what I would recommend for you to set your Xbox to. It provides a good compromise between quality, speed and memory usage.
Access the User Interface resolution in Settings/Appearance/Screen and tweak to your liking. Access Video resolution in Settings/Videos/Player. Be aware of the fact that the settings for UI and Video rendering are unique.
Don't expect miracles from XBMC. Although it does a great job at playing content in the highest quality the hardware can handle, it can't improve low quality source material.
HTH, uwer.
I think you are on crack! :laugh:
My TV is a Toshiba 36zp38b. I set the Microsoft dashboard to 480p because I think that's the best the TV can handle.
What would happen if I set the dashboard to 720p?
W.
What would happen if I set the dashboard to 720p?
From what I could gather online, the Tosh 36zp38 can't handle more than 480p.
Worst case scenario for sending any higher definition signal to the TV would be burning out the flyback transformer, converting your television into what experts call "an expensive paperweight". :grin:
Most likely though, there are built in protection circuits to avoid just that, blocking any signal that the display can not handle. On your Tosh, you would probably get a blue screen, the kind you also get, when there is no signal at all.
In the MS Dashboard you can only enable or disable the various display modes and resolutions. For your Toshiba, I recommend: Wide Screen, 480p=Yes 720p=No 1080i=No.
To improve picture quality, you might want to try and use the settings provided here: http://www.stevelarkins.freeuk.com/tvtools.htm
If you still experience blurryness, take some screenshots and look at them on your computer. If they look acceptable there, your problem should be with the TV or signal path. If not, please post one or two of them, preferrably including audio and video information ('Info' on the remote, I think).
HTH, uwer
What is recommended for watching standard xvid and divx files?
To think, it only took us six posts to arrive at these questions. That was easy! :grin:
Please take note that there is no such beast as a standard DivX or XviD file.
There are many variations to the theme, why don't you take some time out to look it up here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divx
The "DivX Profiles" subsection is what you want to look at.
For the most part though, you shouldn't have to worry about such petty technicalities. XBMC plays most everything "out of the box", that's why we all love it so much.
Love it, worship the very harddisk sectors it is stored upon, but I digress...
For about four years, I used XBMC on a standard definition tube. I now use a 720p capable LCD, and some of settings don't translate over. Settingswise I'll try to give you the best I can, from memory.
BTW, here's what the manual says...
http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/wiki/index.php?title=Video_Settings
Interlaced Handling: None - I only change this for the rare instances when I come across interlaced video. Being the dumb fuck I am, I will click through the various settings until arriving at an acceptable picture. Know that the "Auto Select" setting is not perfect, it may sometimes fail to detect interlaced content, and has been known to spawn evil spirits from the netherworld.
Flicker Filter: ? - Hard to say what the optimal setting for your 100Hz Toshiba would be. Bottom line: The lower the setting, the sharper your picture will be. For my 50Hz interlaced tube I always kept it at 1. With your superior TV you might be able to turn it off altogether. You'll notice too low a setting when horizontal lines, especially in menus, start to flicker. Then again, on a 100Hz TV w/ progressive scan that probably doesn't apply at all.
Soften: Off - I always kept this one switched off. On my current setup it doesn't do anything anyway. I suspect it will be the same on your side. Reduces image crispness if enabled. Only women use this setting.
Non-Interleaved: Off - This does not affect the picture quality. It can be used to get rid of A/V sync issues with badly encoded files.
No Cache: Off - Like the name implies, this will disable the memory buffer XBMC uses to preload video data in order to keep the player engine well fed an happy. If the cache is turned off, any video datastream source will have to be sufficiently fast, to sustain a constant throughput for the magic in the player and renderer to do their thing. I have played 5.000 films with XBMC and have used this setting maybe 5 times in five years. It didn't do me any good four out of five times. Surprisingly though, according to forum posts, it might help to improve playback in some setups. Here's some advice... Ignore the last sentence, it does not clarify anything. Suffice it to say, that with a properly encoded file, you don't need it.
Rebuild Index... Not quite sure what this one does. Here's an educated guess, though...
In MPEG4 ASP files (commonly referred to as *.AVI, DivX or XviD) there are certain segments of data for unique purposes. Most of the file is made up of actual video and audio data. At the start of the file there is a pinch of information called the header. In this smidgeon of data, a player application will find stuff like video resolution, appropriate video format, audio resolution, format and the availabilty of a happy ending.
Then there's the index, which is not a pich, but more of a heaped teaspoon of data, residing at the end of the file. It is a table pointing to certain intervals of the datastream, occuring every couple of seconds. In case the user decides to rewind, skip forward, etc, the player will jump to any one of these time intervals. There's a reason for that, but boy, I'm rambling...
Suffice it to say, that with a properly encoded file, you don't need it.
Renderer: High Quality Pixel Shader V2
Pretty new renderer. Also the best, yet.
HTH, uwer
Whatever anyone else says, you're a good kid. :nod:
I've also tried a few DVDs on the XBMC.
Some of them did not play at all (e.g. Shaft), some played fine and one of them played with constant "pausing" (at least once every 30 seconds). Do you think the "pausing" is a caching issue?
Worst case scenario for sending any higher definition signal to the TV would be burning out the flyback transformer, converting your television into what experts call "an expensive paperweight". :grin:
Most likely though, there are built in protection circuits to avoid just that, blocking any signal that the display can not handle. On your Tosh, you would probably get a blue screen, the kind you also get, when there is no signal at all.
Correct. Blue screen. I did that yesterday.
In the MS Dashboard you can only enable or disable the various display modes and resolutions. For your Toshiba, I recommend: Wide Screen, 480p=Yes 720p=No 1080i=No.
I already did this. These have been my settings from the word "go".
To improve picture quality, you might want to try and use the settings provided here: http://www.stevelarkins.freeuk.com/tvtools.htm
Thanks. I did this months ago, when I first got the TV.
If you still experience blurryness, take some screenshots and look at them on your computer. If they look acceptable there, your problem should be with the TV or signal path. If not, please post one or two of them, preferrably including audio and video information ('Info' on the remote, I think).
HTH, uwer
The "optimal settings" I'm asking about are for the video player. Bob/Weave, Non-interleaved, filter settings etc.
What is recommended for watching standard xvid and divx files?
No, there is no such setting.
>My "box" component cable is all set up, the xbox is enigmahed and I'm on 480p.
This much I could gather from your post:
A: Your Xbox is wired to your display with a component cable.
B: You used the Enigmah Video Switcher to set your XBOX to NTSC.
C: You injected some 480p into your arm and then posted your message.
>Sadly, a lot of videos are very blurry.
That would be a known side effect of 480p. Drink lots of water and get some rest. The symptoms will subside. :;):
But seriously, there is no way anyone could give you advice unless you provide some data.
What is your display device?
What resolution is it capable of?
What is the resolution of your source material (Videos)?
What is the bitrate of your source material?
What encoder was used for your source material?
If your display is capable of handling a 720p signal, that's what I would recommend for you to set your Xbox to. It provides a good compromise between quality, speed and memory usage.
Access the User Interface resolution in Settings/Appearance/Screen and tweak to your liking. Access Video resolution in Settings/Videos/Player. Be aware of the fact that the settings for UI and Video rendering are unique.
Don't expect miracles from XBMC. Although it does a great job at playing content in the highest quality the hardware can handle, it can't improve low quality source material.
HTH, uwer.
Some of them did not play at all (e.g. Shaft), some played fine and one of them played with constant "pausing" (at least once every 30 seconds). Do you think the "pausing" is a caching issue?
Sorry for the delay, the weekday me was too busy w/ work related stuff :;):
Also, I procrastinated answering.
Plus, I have a hard time giving you sound advice with the amount of data, you currently provide. :grin:
I know, sometimes it's hard to know where to look, or what people might want to know.
In real life, as opposed to an online forum, different modes of communications are used.
I guess, people use what is best suited to the medium. Let me elaborate...
As you talk to folks in real life, you get instant feedback.
Lets call it synchronous communication.
That instant feedback will also be rich. Along with the verbal part of it, you'll receive (and process) a host of other inputs. Tone of voice, facial expressions, body language...
So, all the while processing audo, syntax, semantics, your mind will consider all these other inputs, then evaluate the package, based on your personal flavor of attenuations and amplifications.
Additionally, you may be experienced in communicating with a specific person and factor in certain aspects of them.
All this will eventually weigh in to what your mind will elect to be the meme that will give you the greatest feeling of satifaction.
Complicated process, nevertheless, we master it fairly elegantly, in fractions of a second, to boot.
What makes other methods of communications different?
You guessed it, online forum conversations are asynchronous.
This rarely is the case with verbal comms, although it does occur...
People are ignoring you.
People are ignoring you, until you leave the room... :grin:
In async, some rules of sync don't apply anymore.
*.What you say, may not immediately be picked up by listeners.
*.What you say, may never be picked up.
*.What you say, may be heard by anyone that cares to listen.
*.What you say, does not expire in a matter of milliseconds.
*.The information of what was said, will last for days to decades. Its shelf-life will depend on popularity. Message content, presentation and distribution are large contributors. On the plus side, a written transcript, and accessible knowledge base is created without further effort.
*.Any receiving party is likely to feel less obligated to respond as in a face to face.
To achieve fruitful dialogue in async mode, the rules for sync comms need to be changed or adapted. For sake of simplicity, lets only deal with questions, here.
*.Be aware of long response times...
Take a minute, conjure up someone asking you that question. Did you provide as much background knowledge, as you could? Read through your text, before you click 'Submit'.
Insufficient info will start an avoidable, time consuming question-answer cycle.
Slipshod info will probably be interpreted as lazyness. Responses get less likely.
*.You have all the time in the world to word your question, take advantage of that. Figure out your options to narrow down the scope of your request.
*.Do not frivolously ask questions, that have been answered before. Read the Wiki, search in forum posts, use GOO^H^H^H a search engine.
*.Save for emoticons and witticisms, text based conversation lacks the rich feedback that is present in its verbal, immediate, counterpart .
Sorry for rambling. I had the time and I needed the cash ;)
Getting to your question, now...
>Some of them did not play at all (e.g. Shaft),
Does the disc play anywhere else, on a stand alone DVD player, your Computer, MS Dashboard, DVDX?
Are we talking original or backup?
If a backup, on what kind of (re)writable DVD substandard has it been written? What software was used to create it? What software was used to write it?
>some played fine
Good, but 'some' is not informative enough. It would be interesting to know rough percentages.
>and one of them played with constant "pausing" (at least once every 30 seconds). Do you think the "pausing" is a caching issue?
Above questions apply. You can display cache info in fullscreen mode by pressing 'Info' on the remote.
What version, build is your XBMC?
Can you provide a debug log, captured after the problem occurs? (See Wiki)
Be aware of the fact, that dvdplayer is still a work in progress. It has rarely let me down with my collection of 500+ original DVDs. It keeps being improved, so stuff that wouldnt work weeks or months ago, now does.
Maybe we can get to the bottom of this.
HTH. uwer
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