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Theater/Win app/Web Playback - Which is best quality?


speedingcheetah

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speedingcheetah

I am wondering what is best for raw quality of the video streams, local files and live tv playback, among the available options to use Emby on PC.

 

Theater (standalone software) uses MPV

Theater (Win 10 Store app) uses WMP

Web browser (Edge, FireFox, Chrome, Opera) uses http streaming?

 

A long time ago, i was using the stand alone Theater software as it had Madvr, but that was discontinued  :(

 

I would think that a dedicated software app would be "better" than web streaming in browser.

 

In my basic quick "tests", I have noticed that the Win 10 app UI seems to be a tad faster and smoother, but it sometimes has issues playing some file formats at times.

It also will obey my Nvidia GPU settings, such as the Edge Enhancement (sharpening) and other color settings i can toggle in the Nvidia Control panel.

 

The standalone MPV based Theater software, has some settings for Hardware Acceleration, and it playback seems smoother than W10 Store app, but, it doe snot obey Nvidia GPU settings, no matter what settings I set for HWacc etc. (i think i need to use DXVA for it to do that?) 

 

Web browser streams....i do not know much about how that works, just that it sees to vary with each browser. Some will force transcode, others will do direct. Edge seems to be the "best" for overall media playback compatibility, but that browser I find to be unstable in general.  Playback in the other browser....all look the same to me.

 

(For Live TV, i tend to use the stock HDHomeRun app, as the video seems to have a tad better clarity as it is a direct stream from the hardware tuner. 

I am not sure what player that app uses though...don't think it is MPV.  If i had to guess, WMP.

It is also much easier/faster to browse and switch channels via its guide sidebar during live playback to view what is on other channels, something Emby does not have.)

 

Anyone want to comment on their experiences or preferences on how they use Emby on PC.

Edited by speedingcheetah
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Guest asrequested

I am wondering what is best for raw quality of the video streams, local files and live tv playback, among the available options to use Emby on PC.

 

Theater (standalone software) uses MPV

Theater (Win 10 Store app) uses WMP

Web browser (Edge, FireFox, Chrome, Opera) uses http streaming?

 

Theater with mpv, every time.

 

 

 

The standalone MPV based Theater software, has some settings for Hardware Acceleration, and it playback seems smoother than W10 Store app, but, it doe snot obey Nvidia GPU settings, no matter what settings I set for HWacc etc. (i think i need to use DXVA for it to do that?) 

 

What exactly are you trying to do? If it's image enhancing you want, then you should use scaling options. They just got removed from the UI, but you can still easily use them with an mpv.conf. I can help with that, if you need it? What Nvidia GPU do you have? 

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speedingcheetah

Theater with mpv, every time.

 

 

 

What exactly are you trying to do? If it's image enhancing you want, then you should use scaling options. They just got removed from the UI, but you can still easily use them with an mpv.conf. I can help with that, if you need it? What Nvidia GPU do you have? 

 

I just want basic easy to adjust settings and good looking picture.

I like to sharpen video a bit as they always look to dull and blurry to me at default.

The Nvidia settings does a good job at that.

I have a GTX1080. 

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Generally speaking, the video players in the native apps will be superior to the browser video players.

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Guest asrequested

I just want basic easy to adjust settings and good looking picture.

I like to sharpen video a bit as they always look to dull and blurry to me at default.

The Nvidia settings does a good job at that.

I have a GTX1080. 

 

With that GPU, you can just add one line to the mpv.conf

scale=ewa_lanczossharp
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speedingcheetah

 

With that GPU, you can just add one line to the mpv.conf

scale=ewa_lanczossharp

Where in the Emby software folder is that? I dont see one.

ALso, i recall setting those options in the older versions of theater...and they looked no different than the defaults.

I think lanczossharp does some sharpening..but barely any from what i have seen in the past.

 

What renderer/scaler  is Theater using on default?

Edited by speedingcheetah
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Guest asrequested

 

What renderer/scaler  is Theater using on default?

 

Bilinear

 

 

 

Where in the Emby software folder is that? I dont see one.

 

You can follow this, and just add the line to the mpv.conf

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speedingcheetah

Bilinear

 

 

 

 

You can follow this, and just add the line to the mpv.conf

I just tried this. Does not seem to work.

I had an empty mpv folder in that location.

I put the .conf file there with just "scale=ewa_lanczossharp" in it.

Do not see any difference. How do I know it is infact changed the scaler?

 

I also tried adding the line for make a log file and the location, per that treads instructions, nothing. No file created.

I also tried putting the .conf into the mpv folder in the Emby Theater folder, but that again, does not seem to do anything.

 

What next?

 

Why was the scaler settings even removed from the Emby GUI anyway?

Edited by speedingcheetah
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Guest asrequested

I just tried this. Does not seem to work.

I had an empty mpv folder in that location.

I put the .conf file there with just "scale=ewa_lanczossharp" in it.

Do not see any difference. How do I know it is infact changed the scaler?

 

I also tried adding the line for make a log file and the location, per that treads instructions, nothing. No file created.

I also tried putting the .conf into the mpv folder in the Emby Theater folder, but that again, does not seem to do anything.

 

What next?

 

Why was the scaler settings even removed from the Emby GUI anyway?

 

Can you post a screenshot of the files and folders? Also, can show me the entire contents of the mpv.conf file?

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speedingcheetah

Can you post a screenshot of the files and folders? Also, can show me the entire contents of the mpv.conf file?

See attached.

 

Testing with Live TV playing and local mp4 and mkv files.

h264 encoded files

post-72185-0-55412300-1559008311_thumb.png

post-72185-0-13837000-1559008316_thumb.png

post-72185-0-04098200-1559008473_thumb.png

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Guest asrequested

So you've got two mpv.conf files? You should only have one. And what hardware acceleration are you using? Try the nvidia NVDEC copyback, option

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speedingcheetah

So you've got two mpv.conf files? You should only have one. And what hardware acceleration are you using? Try the nvidia NVDEC copyback, option

NO just the one.

I just attached the 2 versions i have tried. one with log file one with out.

I just tried again to get log and i created a blank .txt with the name mpvlog.txt and after I played a video, it did infact fill the text doc with things.

However, I ran a search and nowhere in there is "lanczossharp" show up.

Is that normal?

 

On both my computers, laptop and desktop, HW Accel is set to auto and Stat for Nerds says D3D11VA.

 

Edit attach mpv log file

 

Edit 2: When i change to NVDEC,  the stats during playback for Hwaccel, says: No.

mpvlog.txt

Edited by speedingcheetah
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Guest asrequested

Try nvdec copyback, and are all your other settings at default, and nothing in the Nvidia control panel is getting in the way? You're allowing the applications to take control?

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speedingcheetah

Try nvdec copyback, and are all your other settings at default, and nothing in the Nvidia control panel is getting in the way? You're allowing the applications to take control?

I have tried that. but on my laptop, it just says No for HW accel. so i dot that that machine works with that.

My desktop, with the 1080. It works, but I cn only play one video then after that i just get sninning circle. and live tv is broke. Have to restart server.

The mpv log mentions can connect to stream etc.

Aside from the Nvida Edge enhancement, there are no other overide settings set. Even when i toggle that off,.makes no difference.

Not really sure where to go from here. The more I mess with it, the more unstable the software becomes it seems.

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Guest asrequested

Have you changed the mpv player? And I wasn't aware that you were using a laptop. I was thinking about the GTX 1080.

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speedingcheetah

Have you changed the mpv player? And I wasn't aware that you were using a laptop. I was thinking about the GTX 1080.

No. using the exe that is with Emby.

I am trying the settings on both my laptop and desktop...just to see if I notice any difference in quality by enabling the lanzarossharp.

(Laptop a Dell Precision 5510 with a 4K display and Quadro M100M) 

 

Anyway, i do not know the differences between the default D3D11VA and using NVDEC copyback...is one better than the other?

I can not tell any difference in video playback. The only thing i can measure is that my GPU reports 3% usage with nvdec and 2% with d3d11va.

 

As far as the mpv.conf. 

I can get it to make a log file, so I know that mpv is detecting the file.

However, I can not tell if it is setting the scaller. Nowhere in the stats for nerds, nor the mpv log file it is spitting out does it mention include "ewa_lanczossharp" or any thing like it.

I also have compared conf file and no conf file....cant tell any difference in the video quality. Doenst matter what HWaccel setting i choose. Even when i chose Unset (for mpv.conf) it then just goes to software decoding.  This experience is same on both computers I am trying this on. I would have been nice to have the settings right in the Emby GUI so that it would just pass it to mpv and I would know they are wokring. (but even back when they were, I saw no real difference.)

Anyway, i do not know the difference between the default D3D11VA and using NVDEC copyback...is one better than the other?

I can not tell any differance. The only thing i can measure is that my GPU reports 3% usage with nvdec and 2% with d3d11va.

 

As far as the mpv.conf. 

I can get it to make a log file, so I know that mpv is detecting the file.

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Guest asrequested

Unfortunately, it doesn't show in the logs. What exactly are you expecting? This is upscaling. You'll probably only notice a difference on a large screen. If you just want to make things sharper, then probably use ewa_lanczos and adjust the scale-radius.

 

https://mpv.io/manual/master/#options-ewa-lanczos

 

https://mpv.io/manual/master/#options-scale-radius

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speedingcheetah

Unfortunately, it doesn't show in the logs. What exactly are you expecting? This is upscaling. You'll probably only notice a difference on a large screen. If you just want to make things sharper, then probably use ewa_lanczos and adjust the scale-radius.

 

https://mpv.io/manual/master/#options-ewa-lanczos

 

https://mpv.io/manual/master/#options-scale-radius

 

so this?

 

"scale=ewa_lanczos --scale-radius=2.0"

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speedingcheetah

 

But on separate lines

scale=ewa_lanczos
scale-radius=2.0

 

Yea I figured that out.

 

To narrow things down, I now have just been working with mpv itself the standalone player to see if the conf file is actually doing anything and direct playing the media file via mpv.exe just to mess wiht things and learn how to tweak it.

 

I see no sharpening happening at all even set to the max value 16.0.

However, it is processing or doing something, as, when i set a high value, when i go full screen with the vid, it freezes for a bit then is very laggy when it plays.

Setting lower value, no freezing when go full screen.

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Guest asrequested

You'll want to use the copyback modes, for this. It's why I asked what GPU you had. It takes a bit of horse power. You can also experiment with the other scalers. Lower upscaling will take less processing.

Edited by Doofus
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speedingcheetah

You'll want to use the copyback modes, for this. It's why I asked what GPU you had. It takes a bit of horse power. You can also experiment with the other scalers. Lower upscaling will take less processing.

I have set Copy back in Emby and still, there is no noticeable change in quality or sharpness, or anything.

The only results I have gotten from all this meddling is that the raw standalone mpv player will lag the crap out of my laptops gpu when i set the higher scale-radius value in the conf. (laptop gpu cant handle it i guess? will not lag my desktop at all ) I can not replicate that result on Emby Theater using the same conf, no matter what settings I have set in Emby.

 

This is pretty much the same experience I had a few years ago when i messed with MPV. Just could not get anything to work or make any improvement, even after multiple folks told me the correct commands for the conf, made no difference what so ever.

 

Was not my intention to go this deep into messing with MPV....and thus turn this thread into a "how to setup a MPV conf file" thread.

I just wanted some experiences and facts etc of users who use Emby over the various access venues.

The default video quality of Theater is acceptable and I can live with it, since it seems there is no way make it better. I have already spent too much time and effort into it this .conf thing.

Edited by speedingcheetah
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speedingcheetah

Have you simply tried --sharpen?

 

https://mpv.io/manual/master/#options-sharpen

No. I hadn't. 

 

And....Really!?   ... Really?

 

That simple.

 

I can just put

sharpen=1.0

brightness=-1

contrast=2

 

etc.

 

Discovery! that works!

 

wow. no one, now in both times I have spent hours trying to setup MPV have ever told me, nor have the "guides" I have found or official docs, ever just led me to try..."hey, u know u can adjust the picture settings super simply by putting them in the conf directly straight out." I have always been given code to mess with renderer or scalers or hardware accel, or some complicated variable that never did anything, far as I could tell.

 

Well, thank you. (Only wish someone had told me this sooner...would have saved many hours of testing.) 

 

The sharpen is a bit dirty, no as good as Nvidia's, nor Madvr's, but at low settings, it does do what I want, add a small amount of sharpness to the pic.

I also need to add a little brightness, as tv shows are a bit to dark on my main monitor.

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