Stereo Tool

I have around a dozen of different audio decoders on my system.

What decoder would you recommend for MP2 and AC3 (for DVB TV/Radio) ?

Hello michi,
Hope new year has turned out to be great so far for you! Pertaining to your query, I'd recommend 'nVidia Audio Decoder' that comes bundled inside the nVidia Pure Video Decoder Platinum. Been using this for almost 3 years now. The reason I recommend this is simple - it features the Dolby Reference Decoder with Prologic II Upmixing/Downmixing. More importantly it incorporates all the ProLogic modes, options for channel attenuation, adjusting surround channel delays, bass re-direction depending upon speaker size and full customization of Dolby Prologic II Music mode (Panorama, Width & Dimension). Decodes AC3, DTS, LPCM and MP2. During upmixing it routes full spectrum to surround channels(as per Dolby Labs Reference decoder specs), something that InterVideo, Cyberlink or Pinnacle decoders don't.
Only compelling reason not to use nVidia decoder, if you want to upmix to > 5 channels, ie it features ProLogic II and no IIx/IIz.

You would need a compatible mpeg splitter for directing the MP2/AC3 stream to the decoder.
Hope this helps.

_________________
visit website

Good news.
Already in use here since a few years.
It seems (have in mind the DSP versus VST version and J.River discussion) as if your and my ears are broadly similar !?

@ Phoenix (and others)

Are there (do you know) any detailed documents out there (somewhere the WWW) about the addtional (hidden) property pages that are there if you use DWORD
"EnablePropPage"=1
inside the Windows Registry ?

Oh my ! What have you done michi? You spoiled my weekend plans...got something new to play with. Not just audio, there are hidden options in the Video section as well!!! Settings using which I can fine tune DXVA playback (ofcourse with an nVidia card). But concerning audio, it looks like there's a setting for every single documented parameter of Dolby ProLogic II and Bass redirection.
Well I had no luck getting any documented reference for these hidden settings so far.
Nonetheless thanks a lot michi for this revelation...

_________________
visit website

Sorry (not really ), I thought that you had already known these hidden property pages.

What version do you use ?
I have 1.02.223.
And obvious
http://www.nvidia.com/object/dvd_decoder.html
this is the last version.
I have noticed that there is a difference:
With an older version I could change the (video decoding) "Quality" slider in realtime and see the changes.
The slider at left edge (lowest quality) results in extreme blocking.
But in version 1.02.223 it seems as if this function is broken (I can see no change anymore when I adjust this "Quality" slider).
Other things still work (like the option to display only I-frames).
Though I have to admit, that I do not use it with a nVidia card.
I use an ATI (AMD) HD 4850 instead (and in principle it works).

Here (for others - Phoenix obvious has already figured it out on his own) is the Windows Registry tweak for Windows XP:

Apologies for late reply. New job search was a pain! Will have some spare time meanwhile until I get the joining date from my employer. Intend to check out the new ST betas.
BTW, it's confirmed the Pure Video decoder works with other GPU solutions... . I'm using the same version as well - 1.02.223. All parameters work in my case- both with my desktop GPU(GTX 285) and my notebook (Acer Aspire 8943-has an ATI Mobility card).
The fact previous version worked for you and new one doesn't- was this prior installing HD 4850(I mean prev ver worked with a different GPU and new one doesn't with this one). Another thing, is it for all streams supported (VC-1, mpeg1/2 and h.264) or just mpeg? I could only stare at the possibility that you're using Windows XP(doesnot support EVR) and updated ATI Catalyst. nVidia pure video decoder feature for hardware acceleration is based on 2 things: the renderer used and the hardware acceleration support for a video codec.
So if in Windows Vista/Windows 7 you choose EVR, the video bitstream is passed as it is by the codec to the hardware and the GPU renders it in planar surface to the NVRAM. HOWEVER, if using Windows XP or Windows Vista/7 with VMR, rendering happens in 3D and so post processing and other pixel shader based effects donot work.

_________________
visit website

:O what is thiisss?!
I've been using the decoders in the K-lite codec pack for years now, ffmeg and such.
But this looks way cooler!!! and easier to use since all the options are on ONE WINDOW.

@michi - props on the registry "hack"

@everyone - I'm trying this shit on my HD4870, intel p35

_________________
<-- I like this guy!

It works in DirectX VA mode C (idct) with Overlay.
So I even can use the ATI CCC options "Edge Enhancement", "Denoising" and "Dynamic Contrast".
Though I prefer to use software mode (CPU based decoding), because I always use FFdshow as post processor (even for high definition H264, etc.).
So for HD I use CoreAVC plus FFdshow.
For MPEG2 I use Gabest MPEG Decoder (1.0.0.4), because this is the only decoder that works with FFdshow and BOB de-interlacing !
Every other MPEG2 decoder I have tried (and I have tried them all) works always in Weave mode when you add FFdshow ( forced software mode).

In the days of PowerDVD 3 and WinDVD 4, I already used ZoomPlayer with my own DVDgraphs (Sonic decoder plus FFdshow).

And still today WinDVD 10 and PowerDVD 10 built-in processing options are not a serious alternative for FFdshow (plus AVIsynth scripts) IMO.
Especially PowerDVD's True Theater Lighting (Eagle-Vision 3 ?) is not good, because most of the times it only adds contrast (extra white distortion).

Try this here instead:
http://www.neuviewed.com/neuview6/gener ... dex#REWARD
(only 12.99 $)
It is a good example what happens when you use the wrong marketing, e.g. the worst website design I have ever seen - and even the shown examples are sub-optimal (as if they were processed with PowerDVD's True Theater options).
http://www.pallab.net/2008/06/16/neuvie ... g-quality/
This Neuview player (its processing options - not the other limitations) is superior to PowerDVD and WinDVD.
Especially its IQ Lighting is much better than PowerDVD's TT Lighting.
But seemingly almost nobody knows it.

Or here:
http://www.bm-community.de/vhd-mit-ffds ... 10041.html
you find simple presets (vHD HW Resize S) for FFdshow (without additional AVISynth scripting like LimitedSharpen, etc., because the usage of AVISynth is too complicated for most unexperienced users IMO).

(Sorry, it is german, but the pictures talk for themselves)

OK guys but one of more we have nVIDIA Pure Video Decoder with the version 1.02-223, and i guaranteed to give you this is one of the best enable DVD viewing with windows media player or window media center edition.If you enable pure video technology on GeForce 6 Series GPUs you easily to watch it.