24 replies to this topic

[CyberTootie]

I have searched far and wide and I cannot find a video player that can properly handle replaygained files.

I have been using Zoom Player for quite some time and it would be awesome if ZP would lead the way for this functionality. Not necessarily be able to edit replaygain metadata, but to use it and process the audio accordingly.

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Replaygain

Thanks for your consideration. If you have any questions about ReplayGain, let me know!

[ehathgepiurhe]

Hi CyberTootie,

If you can provide a link to a sample file that has some of this metadata attached, I'll put the idea into the tracker and see what the dev's think of it. A sample file will enable them to check what data there is, what the format of it is, and also provide a way to test that it works if they implement it into Zoom.

Regards,

ehat

[CyberTootie]

I can do better!

Here are two short example clips of two different music videos without ReplayGain data embedded in any way. Notice the greatly different volumes of each video.

http://cybertootie.n...ds/RainNORG.mkv
http://cybertootie.n.../GroundNORG.mkv

If these videos were played one after the other, you'd have to adjust the volume manually between them to attain consistent volume playback. Not exactly optimal and not always practical! That's where ReplayGain comes in! Utilizing ReplayGain values can provide consistent volume playback between videos without having to destructively re-encode audio streams of videos!

There are two ways ReplayGain values can be embedded that I can think of, and I've provided example files for each method.

Option 1: Direct tagging of the video, in other words adding a tag to the whole file

http://cybertootie.n...DirectTagRG.mkv
http://cybertootie.n...DirectTagRG.mkv

Option 2: Tagging of the audio stream file

http://cybertootie.n...nAudioTagRG.mkv
http://cybertootie.n...dAudioTagRG.mkv

To hear how the end result of ReplayGain should be in this example, you can play these ReplayGained files in foobar2000 with track-sourced ReplayGain enabled!

[ehathgepiurhe]

Thanks CyberTootie. I've entered this into the tracker for the dev's to look at (#179 refers), and have pointed them to your linked test files.

Regards,

ehat

[bLight]

How do you expect the replay gain to work? To affect the player volume? The Equalizer Pre-Amp?
I read the Wikipedia entry, but it refers more toward ID3/FLAC tags. Matroska parsing is more complex, I'm not sure if there's an easy way to do it.

[CyberTootie]

Well if I were directing ReplayGain implementation in the case of Zoom Player, I would keep it simple.

• I wouldn't include any way to manipulate the data.
• I would leave it disabled by default.
• I would simplify the settings (see screenshot and note)
• I would only make use of "Track Gain" ReplayGain values.
• I would prioritize direct video tagging over audio tagging

ReplayGain should work in the background and the playback volume changes it causes should be transparent to the user, independent of EQ and volume settings. It should be the last step in the audio processing chain.

Here's all that would be needed in terms of settings:

 RGinZoom.png   66.03KB   35 downloads

It is important to note that, generally speaking, programs that utilize ReplayGain will offer you the option to affect the playback volume of media without ReplayGain data by a set value, but for the sake of Zoom Player I wouldn't include this for simplicity sake and would play all such files like normal.

Let's use my example files in a scenario:
We enable ReplayGain and set the RG Preamp to +7 dB like in the screenshot. We set the player's volume to 100%. We play the "Threw It on the Ground" clip. This clip has a RG value of -11.5 dB. We would then alter the playback volume of the video by -4.5 dB.
We then play the "November Rain" clip. This clip has a RG value of -3.75 dB. We would then alter the playback volume of the video by 3.25 dB. (ReplayGain can induce clipping. This would be expected behavior.)

As far as the technical tagging aspects, that's not something I know very much about, but I'd recommend the freeware "foobar2000" as a guide to see how it tags various container formats with RG data. As far as I'm aware, the developers of foobar2000 are pretty strict about sticking to standards.

[boogafreak]

I updated the bug, so the devs will see your post shortly.

[CyberTootie]

I've found something that should be a great reference for tagging along with some additional information:
http://wiki.hydrogen...cation#Metadata

[bLight]

Booga, invite CyberTootie to the closed forum.

CyberTootie:
Please create a dedicated Replaygain thread in the closed beta forum and fill it with pertinent information from this thread.
It will make it easier for me to track.

Then, a week or two after v8 goes final, bug me to look at it again and I'll see if I can implement it.
In the mean while, please supply me with links (multiupload.com perferred as file host) to a few sample files I should test ReplayGain with.

Other than file parsing code, I don't think there are big technical difficulties applying this scheme.

[CyberTootie]

Hello,

I did this.

MAJOR BUMP FOR GREAT JUSTICE!

[boogafreak]

The closed beta is out of my realm, but great

[ehathgepiurhe]

Yep, I inserted a link into the tracker report for your wishlist thread (which I missed when you originally posted it) back in April:
http://forum.inmatri...519

I am hoping that with the upcoming preview of 8.50, the dev's will get a chance to look at this in the near future (fingers crossed).

ehat

[CyberTootie]

I added some more ReplayGain example files to the wishlist entry, two MP4 files:

http://cybertootie.n...SweetshopRG.mp4
http://cybertootie.n.../FireworkRG.mp4


Also here's info about the Matroska RG implementation specification: http://matroska.org/...ging/index.html

[ehathgepiurhe]

Thanks, added those to the report

ehat

[zoom_player_fan]

Do you implement replay gain in Zoom Player?
Is Zoom Player will support replay gain in mkv?

[ehathgepiurhe]

Hi zoom_player_fan,

 

The ticket is still open in the tracker at the moment, so it hasn't been implemented as yet sadly.

 

Regards,

 

ehat

[CyberTootie]

I've done the procedure as outlined here:

http://forum.inmatri...showtopic=14050

 

The result is pretty much the same thing as ReplayGain, give or take fractions of a decibel. I must say I'm quite pleased with the resulting functionality I get. Not having to adjust the volume knob at all, even when switching playback between Zoom and my music player, is very nice.

[ehathgepiurhe]

Thanks CyberTootie - it's nice to have alternatives. I'm still hopeful for ReplayGain support in Zoom - as I've mentioned before in another thread, I think that if he had not wanted to do it, he would have closed the report by now. The fact that it is still open is a good sign I think.

 

ehat

[CyberTootie]

I think an issue that conflicts with this functionality is the fact that ZP works with volume percentages rather than decibels. A switch is something I believe I've suggested before.

[ehathgepiurhe]

A switch is something I believe I've suggested before.

Hm, I had a quick look in the tracker, but I couldn't find anything relating to this. It's possible I've missed it - don't suppose you can find that post again?

ehat