Powerdvd 16, 17 buffer overrun with dvd tv episodes

[Jamie]

Hi,

This is probably not a MMBrowser bug, but I am looking for feedback and possible fixes. Whenever I try to see a DVD TV episode I get a C++ buffer overrun in powerdvd 16, 17. I change over to MPC-BE and everything works fine. I was wondering whether anyone else noticed this or was able to fix it. It is happening on all of my PCs. Blu-ray epidodes work fine with PowerDVD 16 and 17.

Jamie

[Pauven]

Hey Jamie,

PowerDVD does NOT support DVD Episodes. This is purely a limitation of PowerDVD.

DVD Episodes are identified by a Title # or Chapter #. With players like MPC and VLC, you can pass the Title/Chapter # for beginning playback.

PowerDVD does not have this capability, at least not that I can find.

Blu-rays work, because Blu-rays are completely different. Instead of Title/Chapter #'s, they use MPLS playlist files. I programmed MM Browser to read these playlist files, decipher the referenced video stream file, and play that M2TS file directly. Playing files directly is pretty much supported by any player.

I have it on my to-do list to expand the MM Browser playback options to include options for DVD Episodes and Blu-ray Episodes, as the current options just are not flexible enough with the various limitations of individual players. For example, VLC has wonderful Episode playback capability, for both DVD's and Blu-rays, but so far I have been unable to get good ISO or DVD/BR Folder playback with VLC. Since I leave VLC off the list for DVD and BR playback, that also excludes it from Episodes too, which is not ideal.

All that said, I still wasn't aware the PowerDVD was experiencing buffer overruns with DVD episodes - I'll have to look into that. The last time I tested this, PowerDVD just played the whole disc, but I did refactor the code in this section in a recent update, and I don't think I re-tested PowerDVD DVD Episode playback because I didn't expect it to work anyway.

Paul

[Pauven]

I just submitted a support ticket to CyberLink to see if there is a command line parameter to start DVD playback at a specific Title/Chapter #.

Paul

Thanks Paul, I appreciate your response regarding this issue, unlike other forums which I'll leave nameless. I can use MPC-BE for DVD playback. I am finding MPC-BE, MPC-HC to be very capable products for playing DVD, Bluray and UHD disks. I have been playing with MADVR and LAV filters and the images I am getting are superb. MPC-HC, MPC-BE are free too. Too bad I can't get them to play the menu.

Jamie

[Jamie]

I don't know how I submitted a reply under your account?? A bug?

[Pauven]

I don't know how I submitted a reply under your account?? A bug?

Could be a bug, phpBB has a few. Or maybe you accidentally hit the wrong button - you do have superpowers here.

[Pauven]

Thanks Paul, I appreciate your response regarding this issue, unlike other forums which I'll leave nameless. I can use MPC-BE for DVD playback. I am finding MPC-BE, MPC-HC to be very capable products for playing DVD, Bluray and UHD disks. I have been playing with MADVR and LAV filters and the images I am getting are superb. MPC-HC, MPC-BE are free too. Too bad I can't get them to play the menu.

Jamie

I try to be responsive, as it helps me sleep at night. Can't speak for how the other guys sleep at night.

I've been really impressed with MPC too. I have it on my wishlist to play with the MADVR filters when I get some time. Which are better, MADVR or LAV, or would I use both?

Though I haven't looked into it yet, I think I read somewhere that MPC is open source. An idea running around in the back of my head is that I could integrate MPC into MM Browser. I'm sure MPC is coded in a different language (probably C++), but I could probably make it install like a plugin, to give the illusion of it being integrated. It might require me forking a new version of MPC to make it MMB friendly (MPC-MMB edition, haha).

Way too early to commit to anything like this, but I have been thinking about it.

Paul

[Jamie]

I've been really impressed with MPC too. I have it on my wishlist to play with the MADVR filters when I get some time. Which are better, MADVR or LAV, or would I use both?

You use both MADVR and LAV fllters together. You need to install both for MPC-BE, but for MPC-HC it already has the LAV filters. MPC-HC is deprecated and MPC-BE superseded MPC-BE. This means MPC-HC is no longer being developed and MPC-BE is still getting updates. I don't know why MPC-BE doesn't have the embedded LAV filters like MPC-HC.

Though I haven't looked into it yet, I think I read somewhere that MPC is open source. An idea running around in the back of my head is that I could integrate MPC into MM Browser. I'm sure MPC is coded in a different language (probably C++), but I could probably make it install like a plugin, to give the illusion of it being integrated. It might require me forking a new version of MPC to make it MMB friendly (MPC-MMB edition, haha).

Way too early to commit to anything like this, but I have been thinking about it.

Paul

Yes MPC is open source through sourceforge. Beware of sourceforge though there is some talk that it's software contains virius'. That is why I gave you the Videohelp url for downloads. They seem to be better protected.

If you could embed MPC into MMB, that might be pretty neat.

Jamie

[Pauven]

If you could embed MPC into MMB, that might be pretty neat.

The other idea is that I might create my own player from scratch. Based upon the challenges I've faced trying to integrate with MM, it might actually be less work to start from scratch...

From my pinball project I do have experience with file-based video playback, and it is surprisingly easy. I would just need to figure out how to work with DVD and Blu-ray structures and playlists and menus and all that joy. Oh, and audio formats too.

Paul

[Pauven]

I just got the response from CyberLink regarding direct Title/Chapter playback from a command line:

Dear Paul,

Thank you for contacting CyberLink.

We understand that you want PowerDVD to have a command line parameter to start DVD playback at a specific Title/Chapter number. We are more than glad to assist you.

With reference to your query, PowerDVD currently does NOT support the use of a command line to start movie playback on a specified chapter/episode directly when playing movie disc or media files.

It is the current program design. However, please be informed that we appreciate your feedback, and have escalated the feature support suggestion to product team as feature development reference.

Please feel free to contact us back for any further clarification or for any assistance related to CyberLink Products. Use the below mentioned link to get back to us for your further queries:

https://membership.cyberlink.com/suppor ... support.do

Thanks and Regards,

Mariebeth
CyberLink Technical Support

Looks like I need to go ahead and break out Episode player options so that I can remove PowerDVD as a way to playback DVD Episodes. Either that, or find a way to translate a Title/Chapter to a .VOB file, and play that file directly, much like I do for Blu-ray .mpls -> .m2ts files.

Paul

[Jamie]

I wonder how WMC did it?