DXR3/H+ video/audio output plugins manual by David Holm ======================================================= 2001-11-29: thanks to Felix Buenemann I managed to optimize the odivx playback as well as add support for the rest of the codecs! 2001-11-28: ffmpeg replaced with mp1e, divx playback won't get much faster than this, huge thanks goes out to Ivan Kalvachev for helping me fix the final mp1e bugs (and contributing to the libvo2 development) 2001-11-27: -ao dxr3 now works, still a few bugs though you might have to reload the em8300 modules after a playback or you might get static the next time you use the dxr3 audio interface. 1. Introduction The DXR3 and Hollywood+ are two not too different mpeg-(1/2) and ac3 hardware playback cards that came at about the same time as the first dvd-rom drives hit the market. At that time most computers weren't powerful enough for synced software dvd playback. And even the faster (intel-based) computers had troubles with artifacts. Sigma Designs came up with the great idea to create a hardware mpeg-(1/2), ac3 decoder. Sigma Designs are known for their realmagic hardware (or they bought the company who came up with the first realmagic boards, I don't know which). Later Creative Labs thought, hey, we also wan't this product, and to distribute it with our dvd-drives (the DVD Encore packages if I recall correctly). So they bought the designs for the Hollywood plus and replaced the circuit used to produce a proper video feed for tv's called adv7170 or adv7175a depending on which h+ board you own with a bt865. The reason for this is beyond my understanding as this seems complete illogical to me, but I have had great experiences with bt(brooktree) circuits in the past, so I don't mind. Well, nowadays most people have no use for a mpeg-(1/2) or ac3 hardware decoder since most computers these days have no problem doing this in software and have cycles left for posprocessing (removing of artefacts and other garbage produced by compression). These days, you have two uses for this card: 1. You have a slow computer which you use for vcd/dvd playback 2. You discover what I have done with the implementation of this as an audio/video output device for mplayer (read on and you'll find out). 2. Requirements * First of all you will need the DXR3/H+ drivers properly installed, including the dev-api. These can be downloaded from dxr3.sourceforge.net (I suggest using the CVS version since most of the time I use the latest features which are only available through cvs) * Second, if you want to be able to play back anything other than mpeg12 (vcd/dvd) through your dxr3 you need to install RTE from zapping.sourceforge.net compile and install it BEFORE running configure in the mplayer dir. With RTE you should be able to play any movie supported by MPlayer. * Run /configure and make sure that DXR3/H+ support =yes and optionally that mp1e rte = yes, if it's = no, please mail me your configure.log and I'll fix it. From here on compilation (of at least my code ;) should go without any problems. 3. Usage After installation you will have two new outdevices in mplayer: -vo dxr3 For video output -ao dxr3 For audio output MPEG-1, MPEG-2, VCD and DVD Notes There are some notes to take into account here for optimum playback. When playing any mpeg-(1/2) file, this including usage of the "-dvd" and "-vcd" options you must either add the "-vc mpegpes" or edit codecs.conf and make sure videocodec mpegpes is listed above mpeg12. If you fail to do this you will only get software playback which kinda spoils most of the useful features of this card except for tv-out ;). Remember that if you edit the codecs.conf file and move the mpegpes section will have to specify "-vc mpeg12" if you want to playback any of these video types _without_ "-vo dxr3"! DIVX Notes When playing divx's add "-vc odivx" for maximum performance. I've switched to mp1e from ffmpeg so it should be lightning fast now. Other codecs: No "-vc " switches should be required as mplayer will autodetect. If you find an unsupported codec please contact me! 4. Contacting me You can contact me either by e-mailing me, or by using icq: 798427 Feedback, bugreports and general suggestions are appreciated (preferably by e-mail). My name is David Holm for those of you who are incapable of reading a heading. ;)