Database Info

[Feature Request] .ts file is not HW-accelerated but repacked to MKV is

Hello,
When I try to play .ts file (e.g. HBO HD movie) recorded using DVB-C set-top box, MXPlayer uses SW mode and playback looks like a slideshow.
So I have repacked the same movie to MKV container using mkvmerge and followed the advice from this forum to configure MXPlayer to use HW acceleration for video and SW mode using custom codec for audio (for AC3 decoding). Playback is perfectly smooth in this case, because MXPlayer uses HW acceleration.
The original TS file contains:
- H264 1080i PAL 50fps track
- 1st AC3 audio track
- 2nd AC3 audio track
- 1st DVB subtitle track
- 2nd DVB subtitle track
The repacked MKV file contains:
- the same H264 track (w/o recoding)
- the same 1st AC3 audio track (w/o recoding)
(mkvmerge cannot convert DVB subtitles, so in MKV file the subtitle track is missing)
I have the Acer Iconia A1 810 tablet.
Repacking to MKV is an option to play my recordings smoothly, but I'd like to play the original TS files from SMB share, because my archive is full of such TS files. Repacking is hard and slow and additionally it'd throwed the subtitles away.
Please, is it possible to modify MXPlayer so it can play also the TS files in HW accelerated mode?
Thank you in advance!

I doubt it, because the ts container can contain so much more incompatible formats and as you probably know, AC3 for instance is not hardware supported on most devices. You cant go and force hardware decoding for something that might-half-work, but you always have the option to select your decoder and try. I'm afraid you'll just have to accept that there's some things your hardware can't decode.

Note that the smooth playback is not a problem in my case. Repacked in MKV container, my hardware plays both the mentioned tracks (H264+AC3) smoothly.
What I ask the MXPlayer team for, is to enable the same MXPlayer behavior for the original TS container file containing the same tracks (H264/AC3).
In my opinion, the MKV container is the same case as the TS container. MKV file can also contain almost anything.
I've thought that the decision to use (or not to use) HW acceleration for a video track should come after a splitter, on the basis of the video format and should not be derived from a container file format.

Hmm, that is odd. Sorry I assumed the AC3 track would've been incompatible, as it is with many androids. I always thought MX Player did decide on HW acceleration independent of containers. I can only guess some track contained in the .ts is incompatible.
But have your tried forcing HW playback (or HW+) on the .ts file yet? You can select this in the top right while a video is playing.

I thought that HW support of different containers depended on the device. Not sure.
I would think that when you select HW, it not only passes the decoding, but also the container splitting, to the hardware, which is my guess at why HW won't support different containers since the hardware doesn't know how to split the container.
@bleu8888 could you provide some insight into this?

CDB-Man said:
I thought that HW support of different containers depended on the device. Not sure.
I would think that when you select HW, it not only passes the decoding, but also the container splitting, to the hardware, which is my guess at why HW won't support different containers since the hardware doesn't know how to split the container.
@bleu8888 could you provide some insight into this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you CDB-Man and Logic_ for your thoughts.
In MX Player, it is possible to use HW decoder for a video track in parallel (and in sync) with SW decoder for an audio track. That is why I hope, that a container-splitting can be done independently on choice which decoder will be used for the given track.

My understnading is that splitting is done by whatever is set as the video decoder in MX. Audio decoder just receives the audio stream from whatever splitter is used. It's not that SW audio runs "in parallel" with HW video per se; SW or HW audio just receives an audio stream from whatever is used as the container splitter.

Sorry, my previous post was probably somewhat misleading.
It was reaction to your post:
CDB-Man said:
I thought that HW support of different containers depended on the device. Not sure.
I would think that when you select HW, it not only passes the decoding, but also the container splitting, to the hardware, which is my guess at why HW won't support different containers since the hardware doesn't know how to split the container.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wanted to say, that from the fact, that video can be independently decoded by HW and audio by SW, I presume, that splitting can also be done independently - by SW - while maintaining the players ability to pass video track decoding to HW.

Hi KodloN,
Did you try hw+ decoder? hw decoder is just stock decoder which has no chance to be improved at all.
If you it still does not work with hw+ decoder, please send me (to [email protected]) a sample .ts file that cannot be played with hw+ decoder.
Thanks

bleu8888 said:
Hi KodloN,
Did you try hw+ decoder? hw decoder is just stock decoder which has no chance to be improved at all.
If you it still does not work with hw+ decoder, please send me (to [email protected]) a sample .ts file that cannot be played with hw+ decoder.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi bleu8888,
Yes, I've tried hw+ decoder, below are results:
1) The original TS file (HBO_HD recording)
SW decoder only. Trying to switch to HW or HW+ decoder falls back to SW with error message "Cannot play this video with H/W(+) decoder".
2) TS file in which the DVB subtitle track and the Czech audio track were removed (repacked by DVBViewer-TSPlayer)
HW+ decoder is functional, but playback is sluggish on my Acer Iconia Tab A1-810 (similar performance as SW decoder playback)
HW decoder cannot play this video.
3) MKV file created from the original TS file using mkvmerge
HW decoder is functional, perfect smooth playback
HW+ decoder cannot play this video
I will send you a link to all three files to the specified email.
Thank you in advance!

Hi,
Would you try latest test build from following link?
.ts hw+ playback is improved in this test build but I'm not sure your issue is fixed because this issue looks like happening only on MediaTek platforms and I do not have device having MediaTek playform.
(Please note that hw playback is not changed though)
https://sites.google.com/site/mxvpen/translation/test-build
BTW, DVB subtitle positioning issue is also fixed.
Feedback will be appreacited !
Thanks
KodloN said:
Hi bleu8888,
Yes, I've tried hw+ decoder, below are results:
1) The original TS file (HBO_HD recording)
SW decoder only. Trying to switch to HW or HW+ decoder falls back to SW with error message "Cannot play this video with H/W(+) decoder".
2) TS file in which the DVB subtitle track and the Czech audio track were removed (repacked by DVBViewer-TSPlayer)
HW+ decoder is functional, but playback is sluggish on my Acer Iconia Tab A1-810 (similar performance as SW decoder playback)
HW decoder cannot play this video.
3) MKV file created from the original TS file using mkvmerge
HW decoder is functional, perfect smooth playback
HW+ decoder cannot play this video
I will send you a link to all three files to the specified email.
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[Bug Report][Resolved] AAC H/W decoder not working since version 1.7.33

I noticed that AAC audio with H/W audio decoder is not working since version 1.7.33 came out (no sound). Previous versions of the player worked with AAC audio. Using the previous codec (1.7.32) with the new player (1.7.33) does not solve the problem, so it's probably a problem with the new player, not with the new codec. Interestingly, with the new player (version 1.7.33) the S/W decoder still works with AAC audio.
I suppose that the AAC audio H/W decoder shouldn't have been affected by the licensing problems with AC3, so it's probably a bug. Am I wrong?

Really strange, most of my videos have aac audio and they are all working fine with lastest version.
Which device are you using?

HTC One X, Android 4.2.2, HTC Sense 5.0.
Audio tracks, according to MX Player properties tab, in all videos with problems, are reported as AAC 32000Hz, Stereo, 96kbps. Again, they work with the S/W decoder but not with the H/W decoder, but before 1.7.33 there was no problem with the H/W decoder.

palbuq said:
HTC One X, Android 4.2.2, HTC Sense 5.0.
Audio tracks, according to MX Player properties tab, in all videos with problems, are reported as AAC 32000Hz, Stereo, 96kbps. Again, they work with the S/W decoder but not with the H/W decoder, but before 1.7.33 there was no problem with the H/W decoder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@palbuq Would you try latest test build?
Also try after checking off Settings > Decoder > HW+ audio on SW video.

Hi, I downloaded and installed the latest test build but I cannot pass through the pop-up screen that asks for the 1.7.34 version of the Tegra 3 codec.

palbuq said:
Hi, I downloaded and installed the latest test build but I cannot pass through the pop-up screen that asks for the 1.7.34 version of the Tegra 3 codec.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then download tegra 3 codec!

josuearisty said:
Then download tegra 3 codec!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did it but it doesn't work. I downloaded the latest codec when redirected to Play and yet the player remains stuck on the pop-up screen because it says that the codec isn't version 1.7.34. Putting the "unofficial" codec (1.7.32) in the "Download" directory also doesn't help: MX Player stays stuck in the pop-up screen and never reaches and "manually" loads older codecs in the SD card. It needs to have first a current codec (1.7.34) in order to load an older one.
But maybe you know where I can find a "1.7.34" codec, I couldn't find it on the developer's site: xxxxx://sites.google.com/site/mxvpen/translation/test-build (replace xxxxx with https).

By the way, I tested both local files and networked files to see if this make a difference (as reported in http://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/mx-player/bug-stream-audio-s-decoder-forced-1-7-34-t2956211) but AAC audio is missing with the audio H/W decoder in both cases.

palbuq said:
By the way, I tested both local files and networked files to see if this make a difference (as reported in http://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/mx-player/bug-stream-audio-s-decoder-forced-1-7-34-t2956211) but AAC audio is missing with the audio H/W decoder in both cases.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are right. I Checked again and noticed my local file audio codec is AC-3 and not AAC. So the problem is AAC audio codec. My device is nexus 10 running android lollipop.

Problem has been solved with version 1.7.34 without the need of any special setting, thanks for fixing it!

[Q] [REQUEST] Alternative codecs combinations

Is it possible to create a wider codecs combinations for decoding posibilitie of MX?
For example: HW video with HW+ audio
Or create separate codecs settings.
On my Amlogic S812 there is problem with decoding MKV video file with HW+ decoder, video is twitching (or somewhat, I can't more correctly describe this effect) with 3 to 5 secs. Interval. With HW it's OK , but no sound.
Thank you for your help.

assaid said:
Is it possible to create a wider codecs combinations for decoding posibilitie of MX?
For example: HW video with HW+ audio
Or create separate codecs settings.
On my Amlogic S812 there is problem with decoding MKV video file with HW+ decoder, video is twitching (or somewhat, I can't more correctly describe this effect) with 3 to 5 secs. Interval. With HW it's OK , but no sound.
Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just enable SW audio from audio track selection. You will get HW video & SW audio.
Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

ktsamy said:
Just enable SW audio from audio track selection. You will get HW video & SW audio.
Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I allready tried it. But sometimes I got double sounding on AAC codecs while SW audio was set permanently.
Sets SW audio separetly for each MKV is not so comfortable for my opinion.
Is there some way exists to use only SW audio for all files, I think MX does not block HW audio if track was supported by HW in this mode, or it's a bug?

assaid said:
I allready tried it. But sometimes I got double sounding on AAC codecs while SW audio was set permanently.
Sets SW audio separetly for each MKV is not so comfortable for my opinion.
Is there some way exists to use only SW audio for all files, I think MX does not block HW audio if track was supported by HW in this mode, or it's a bug?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't reproduce the double audio issue.
Can you collect the logs immediately after playing the file which leads to the double audio issue?
If it's possible kindly share a sample video.
Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

ktsamy said:
Just enable SW audio from audio track selection. You will get HW video & SW audio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a way to do the opposite of that? I need SW video & HW audio.
When I play test files directly from the device, I can use HW decoder and they play flawlessly. But when I play files from my NAS with the HW decoder, MX Player buffers. If I use the SW decoder playback is smooth, but the audio is always downmixed to stereo. I have tried both the default and custom software codecs with the same results.
Also MX Player informs me that HW+ is not available on my device, if that make a difference in the decoder options I have selected? I have tried "HW+ audio on SW video" with "SW decoder (network)" but MX Player still shows playback to be HW with the results mentioned above.

[Q] How to set HW+ decoder ad default?

Dears,
in the settings I enabled HW+ for all formats, but anytime I play a video I need to manually switch from HW to HW+.
How can I fix this?
Thanks and best regards

Clear data of mx player and enable hw+ decoder from setting of app. Play any hw+ supported video.

Audio and Video out of sync

I have a number of videos with the following properties. Their video frame rate is 30 at 720p with codec of H.264 part 10, using Lavf57.27.100 to encode. The audio is AAC at 48kHz..
I played these videos on different number of android devices using MX Player with HW decoding. The video is delayed by a second or two. But with HW+. things seem ok.
I played these same videos on the same android devices using BS Player. The video and the audio are perfectly in sync.
How come? Please help.

BS uses a implementation similar to HW+ as default. So, you will get the result like HW+.
In HW decoder, MX Player uses the mediaplayer implementation from android itself. MX Player's control on it is very limited.
If HW+ works fine, you may just use it. From 1.9.0 HW+ will be enabled by default for all users with android 5.0+. But, HW will be the default one as usual.