DirectShow support - DTXMania Wiki - DTXMania

DirectShow compatibility (PC settings to enable playback movies in DTXMania)

In DTXMania Release 104 or later, DirectShow feature is used to implement video playback feature.
(old DTXMania (-103) used VfW (Video for Windows).)

In order to play back movies using DirectShow or Video for Windows, we need to install codec to enhance movie playback feature.

However, some codec does not support both DirectShow and VfW. (some codec supports DirectShow only, and another codec supports VfW only, etc)

As a result, some movie may not be able to playback in new DTXMania, and some movie may not be able to playback in new DTXMania.

In our team, we confirmed the DTXMania movie playback feature with two codecs ... ffdshow tryout and K-Lite Codec Pack. The pros / cons of these two codecs are as follows.

Pros / Cons of K-Lite Mega Codec Pack

• Pros: Compared to ffdshow tryout, it is lighter in operation. And also, it can play to the end even though ffdshow tryout stopepd playing on the way.
• Cons: The video may be choked.

Pros / Cons of ffdshow tryout

• Pros: Is not the video crisp?
• Cons: There was a movie whose playback stopped halfway.

Installing codec

Here, we will show you how to introduce the two types of codecs.
Note that multiple codecs can not be introduced at the same time. Please choose one of them, and install it.

Installing K-Lite Mega Codec Pack

1. Download K-Lite Mega Codec Pack.
Please click Server 1, Server 2, or Server 3 at Location of Download section. Download will be started automatically.

2. Run the downloaded file and install it.
If another codec has already been installed, such as ffdshow, you will be asked if you want to uninstall at this time. (If you proceed as it is uninstalled, please uninstall it)

3. After finished installation, Configure the codec to playback movies.

1. Click "Start" - "K-Lite Codec Pack" - "Codec Tweak Tool”. (Possibly User Account Control dialog will be appeared. Click Yes to proceed.)
2. In "Codec Tweak Tool" windows, click "VFW Codecs" at Configuration. Then click "ffdshow VFW interface (x86)".
3. Select "Decoder" tab, then right-click anywhere in right pane, click "Set all stable formats to libavcodec", click OK.
   

   Video for Windows Settings to use libavccdec
4. In "VFW Codec Configuration", click Close.
5. In "Codec Tweak Tool", click "Preferred decoders" at "Win7DSFilterTweaker".
6. In "Preferred DirectShow decoding filters in Windows 7/8/10", Check "H.264", and choose "LAV Video" instead of "Microsoft". (for both 32-bit decoders and 64-bit decoders). Then click "Apply & Close".
   

   use LAV Video codec instead of Microsoft codec for H.264 playback.
7. In "Codec Tweak Tool", click Exit to finish settings.

Installing ffdshow tryout

(Reffered thc codec installation steps from StrrokeStyle<T>)

1. Download the latest clsid series from ffdshow tryout site. As of December 11th, 2015, ffdshow_rev 4533 _ 20140929 _ clsid.exe was the latest.
In addition, please download 32bit version, even if you use 64bit OS. (There are several compatible issue in the codec of 64bit version) 32bit version does not contain "_x64" in the filename. 64bit version cotains "_x64" in the filename.

2. Run the downloaded file and install ffdshow tryout. Check "DXVA video decoder" on the "Component selection" screen during installation. You can leave other settings as the default.

3. The setting on the "Select additional task" screen during installation can be used as it is. (I have not verified eache of them at all ...)

4. Next, configure Video for Windows.
4-1. Click "Start button" -> "All Programs" -> "ffdshow" -> "VFW setting". (Although the notation such as "start button" differs slightly depending on OS, please read well)
4-2. Select the "Decoder" tab.
4-3. Click "Codec" at the top of the list on the left side of the window.
4-4. Right-click somewhere in the list area on the right and select "Set all stable formats to libavcodec".
4-5. Click the "OK" button and close the window.

5. Configure video decoder
5-1. Click "Start button" -> "All Programs" -> "ffdshow" -> "Set video decoder".
5-2. Click "Codec" at the top of the list on the left side of the window.
5-3. Right-click somewhere in the list area on the right and select "Set all stable format to libavcodec".
5-4. Click "Output" at the bottom of the list on the left side of the window.
5-5. Confirm that "RGB32" in the "Supported output color space" group is checked, and change the "color space used preferentially" to "RGB32".
5-6. Click the "OK" button and close the window.

6. Configure DXVA video decoder
6-1. Click "Start button" -> "All Programs" -> "ffdshow" -> "Setting of DXVA video decoder".
6-2. Click "Hardware Acceleration" in the middle of the list on the left side of the window.
6-3. For the "Enable DXVA" group, check the type you want to enable DXVA. Basically I recommended you to check everything.
6-4. Close the window with "OK" button.

7. Configure Audio decoder setting
7-1. Click "Start button" -> "All Programs" -> "ffdshow" -> "Audio decoder setting".
7-2. Click "Codec" at the top of the list on the left side of the window.
7-3. Right-click somewhere in the list area on the right and select "Set all stable format to libavcodec".
7-4. Close the window with "OK" button.

8. Installing MPC-Standalone Filters
"MPC - Standalone Filters" is a package that extracts only filters for DirectShow from MPC Home Chinema. Here, I install only "FLVSplitter" from this. (Splitter filter that makes .flv file available in DirectShow.)
8-1. From the Standalone Filters page of the MPC Home Chinema project, download the latest version of "Filters_vM.N.R_x86.zip". (MNR is the version number. Even if your Windows OS is 64 bit version, please download the 32 bit version, MNRB is the version number.)
8-2. Unzip zip and copy or move the "FLVSplitter.ax" file inside, to the following folder.

• For Windows 7, 8.1, 10 (32 bit) ... C: \ Windows \ System32 \
• For Windows 7, 8.1, 10 (64 bit) ... C: \ Windows \ SysWOW64 \
  

8-4. Open the command prompt with administrator privileges.
Right-click "Start button" -> "All Programs" -> "Accessories" → "Command prompt" and select "Run as administrator".
Depending on the OS, the path to open command prompt is different, so please change properlly. Also, please note that 'Run as Administrator' is in the 'Other' menu on the Anniversary Update of Windows 10.
8-5. Execute the command "regsvr32 <folder you copied earlier>\FLVSplitter.ax". It will be OK if something "succeeded" dialog is displayed.
8-6. Click the "OK" button to close the window, and exit the command prompt.

9. Install Haali Media Splitter
Haali Media Splitter is a splitter filter that makes .mp4 / .mkv / .ogg / .ogm / .ts / .m2t / .m2ts files available in DirectShow. Currently it is called "Matroska Splitter".
9-1. From the page of Haali Media Splitter, download MatroskaSplitter. (There is a "Download" column on the upper right side of the page.)
9-2. Install Matroska Splitter. It is unnecessary to change the option screen that appears in the middle.

• Note 1: Because the standard AVI splitter is installed in Windows, checking "Enable AVI Support" is unnecessary.
• Note 2: "Enable MPEG-PS support" is unnecessary, I think. Because it is useful for playing old analog TV capture movies etc. with DirectShow, and I think no one uses it for the DTXMania movie.
• Note 3: Uncheck "Associate .mkv and .mka files with Windows Media Player" if you are unwilling to assign files with extension .mkv and .mka to Windows Media Player.

10. Selecting a preferred codec
On Windows 7 or later OS, even if you install ffdshow, DirectShow may not use ffdshow. For example, there is a situation that two H.264 codecs installed ... one is ffdshow version and another is Microsoft version. And, at least in the initial state of Windows 7, it is "configured" to use the Microsoft version always. In this way, DirectShow will not use ffdshow codec even though you installed it.
In order to do "priority setting" of this conflicting codec, we use the tool called "Win7 DSFilterTweaker".
10-1. Download Win7DSFilterTweaker. Be sure to use the latest version.
10-2. Open Win7 DSFilterTweaker. The menu screen is displayed.
10-3. When you press the "Preferred decoders" button, a screen appears in which format you can assign which codec to prioritize.
Even if you are using a 64-bit version of OS, please set the 32 bit side. (Setting on the 64 bit side is unnecessary)
10-4. Please select all "ffdshow", for the format which ffdshow can use. However, please do not change "MP2" and "MP3" to "ffdshow". (A warning will be issued if you try to change to something other than "Microsoft.") Also, if you can select "ffdshow (DXVA)", please use it.
10-5. Click "Apply" or "Apply & Close" button to return to the menu screen.
Please note that if you press the Enter key normally, it will be closed without Apply.
10-6. Finally, press the "EXIT" button on the menu screen and exit Win7DSFilterTweaker.

Note: Even if you Applied, the setting may reseted when you open Win7DSFilterTweaker again. I do not know the reason why, but in this case it seems to fix after uninstalling ffdshow and reinstalling it.

Other notices

• If the DivX movie becomes black screen, please uninstall official DivX codec. By using ffdshow tryout or the DivX playback function of K - Lite Mega Codec Pack, you can play DivX videos with DTXMania.
• Compared to music or audio, video playback may be delayed more and more. It seems to occur particularly noticeably when using Surface Pro series. If you turn on CONFIGURATION / System / VSyncWait, it seems that this phenomenon does not easily occur.
• If you are using the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack, the screen may scroll smoothly, but the playback of the movie may be blurred (Under investigation of cause). However, as described below, by enabling HW acceleration feature, it may be reduced.

1. Open the Codec Tweak Tool as "All Programs" -> "K-Lite Codec Mega Pack" -> "Codec Tweak Tool".
2. Click DirectShow Filters, in Configuration, .
3. Click Video Decoders, LAV Video decoder.
4. Set "Hardware Decoder to use:" of "Hardware Acceleration" in the upper right to anything other than None. (It depends on the PC depending on the PC.
5. Press OK to close the "Properties" window.
6. Close to close the DirectShow Filter Configuration window.
7. Press Exit to exit the Codec Tweak Tool.

• If you use ffdshow tryout, video playback may stop halfway. (Under investigation)