Let the requests begin ...

I would like a keyboard shortcut to turn the flag for the screensaver on and off.

It would be very useful to me to be able to hit a key and have the screensaver activate after the specified time, or turn it off when it on.

The reason for this is that some DVD special features show up in zoomplayer as 'menu' on the bar. This means the screensaver can cut in. I don't know if this is a bug in zoomplayer, or a bug with the dvd's but it drives me nuts, as I keep my screensaver set to 60seconds (CRT projector which I carefully protect from static images).

- Rick

Krynos:
Yeah, some DVDs author content with zero duration, which ZP assumes to be a menu.

I'll see what I about adding a keyboard toggle for it.

Thanks Blight, that would be great!

Also, I agree that with some DVD's what you said makes sense. There are a few which if you play them direct in Sonic Cinemaster (nice filters, nasty interface ) the special features show a duration, but in Zoomplayer they don't. Off the top of my head the one I can think of as an example is Jaws.

However being as I generally only watch special features once or twice, the ability to toggle the screensaver active/inactive with a keyboard shortcut would a great fix for me.

- Rick

You're confusing Duration and Position. Some DVD tracks will show the actual position but specify the duration for the track as zero.

So you'll see:

00:00:51 / 00:00:00

ZP assumes these are menus as standard titles are not supposed to be authored this way. You see, animated menus have a position but not a duration... Which is acceptible. There doesn't seem to be a "definitive" way to detect a method. ZP uses two methods to estimate it, but badly authored track just fall through the cracks.

Gotcha! I understand now.

Thanks again.

- Rick

Blight,
While you were coding away last week I posted a request in the Support forum for help with the following possible feature:

The ATI DVD player has a ThruView window, which in essence is transluscent and allows you to see what's beneath (and even click through the player window).

Is it possible to do something like that with ZoomPlayer? I'd be happy with just a transluscent window option. The ability to clck-thru isn't as important.

Thanks.

Chris

splash:
The standard interface to do translucent windows actually causes windows XP to reboot if you use it with videos...

I'm guessing ATI is doing something special which is specific to their hardware.

It would be great if ZP shows missing codecs which are necessary to play current file (in standart Playback).

For example:

ZP can not play file <FileName> because following filters are not installed or not found:
Video: Xvid MPEG-4 VideoDecoder
Audio: Voxware_rt29 (0x0075) Voxware Inc

or

Audio may not play because following filters arent installed or not found:
Voxware_rt29 (0x0075) Voxware Inc
CODE:0x0075
Name: WAVE_FORMAT_VOXWARE_RT29
Vendor: Voxwave inc.

It would be more informatively for CURRENT file and codecs needed for it play. Codecs database can be taken, for example, from GSpot.

Why context menu is blinks and have a very small delay?
Whether there is a way to correct it?
What do you think about adding icons in context menu?

Why to not make sticky windows : ZP Main Window and Playlist, like Winamp?

P.S. I now my English is bad

The latest version of Zoom Player has a built-in database that lists missing components:
Options / Formats

This isn't done on a per-file basis as sometimes it's quite difficult to know which component is missing. The ZP solution is better as it points you to download links for the most popluar formats.

The context menu may blink i it's visible when a new file is loaded, this is a windows screwup as windows doesn't like you to update the context menu while it is visible.

You can make ZP windows snap to themselves and screen borders "Advanced Options / Values / Snap to Screen..."

I have some feature requests, that are mostly towards display on a TV:

1. The new navigators use one pixel hight white lines to surround the category groups. For an interlaced display like TVs this always results in flickering. I would suggest to make them two pixel high.

2. TVTool now supports setting of the widescreen signal through commandline. It would be famous if there is a chance to automatically set WSS for anamorphic content and turn it back for normal one. For example when a DVD goes from 4:3 menu to the 16:9 film. One way would be a LCD-message, that could be intercepted through the DVDSpy plugin for girder, I think. But a direct commandline-call would even be better.

3. What I badly miss is an option to set all interface related stuff relative to the actual display dimension and not relative to the video-area in fullscreen. If I adjust the navigators, OSD and control bar to a position and size that looks good for normal fullscreen, they move to undesired position as soon as I zoom into or out of the movie. And I zoom much, as I like to watch scope and super-scope with more zoom factor. I think most users would like to have these things nailed on their screen and not moving around if they zoom. To be honest I can't even imagine why someone might want to have the interface move automatically if he zooms in fullscreen mode. I know I can work arround this for the controlbar by using "detach from interface", but for OSD and navigators there is no such solution. And everything gets worse if I use ZP on both a PC-monitor and a second display like a TV.

I would like a command line parameter to change the settings of the soundcard. i.e. when i start zoom, i would like to set the soundcard to DIGITAL PASSTHRU mode and restore on exit.

araghava:
There's no global setting for something like that, it depends on which decoder you use and possibly your sound card hardware.

bitmonster:
1. You can modify the coloring, it uses 2 colors, one for in and one for out of the frame, if you set it to the same color, you'd get a 2-pixel outline.

2. Well, ZP's LCD interface should pass these messages around, so in theory, you can intercept them and do something. I may add an "execute" feature to DVD AutoAR interface, that may help.

3. You can detach the control bar and place it anywhere on a fixed position. The navigators are not that easy. I can't do it relative to the screen due to the overscan of most display devices...

1. Haven't got this I think. I mean these thin lines that surround the titel, drive-list, folder-icon and the main-list. Were can I set these options you mention? A configuration file?

2. Great you are considering the AutoAR execute feature. This would make integration a charm. I haven't received such LCD-messages till now with DVDSpy when I move from the menu to the film (and therefor from 4:3 to 16:9), as this was also my first idea that they must be there. Might be a problem of DVDSpy and not the message-server. I will try it again tomorrow.

3. I don't think overscan is a problem. Actually the current implementation makes overscan a problem, that it normally wouldn't be. If I say to the navigator it should have 80% screen coverage and this displays right on the TV without cutting anything, then it would be perfect. But this value is relative to the video-area and not to the display-dimension. So currently navigators and OSD move outside the visible area if you zoom. The detach feature for the control bar is also no real good solution, as this would only work for one display. Again a simple setting relative to the screen (like 50 pixels from the bottom and 80 pixel side margin for example) that is relative to the display-dimensions (and not the video-area) would do the trick perfectly and will also work on the PC-monitor without any adjustment.

For example I have a standalone DVD player that also has a zoom function. But he will never zoom or move any part of the onscreen-interface, because there is simply no need. Of course you need some margin for overscan-compensation, but the options for this are already there (like screen-coverage and side-margins). The problem is simply they are relative to this 'virtual video area' and not the 'screen' (= screen size=display size=physical dimension).

>There's no global setting for something like that, it depends on which decoder >you use and possibly your sound card hardware.

blight,

i meant that you can use the directsound api's getspeakerconfig() and setspeakerconfig(). this would allow a user to use digital passthru for zoom but use stereo output as default. the setspeakerconfig() allows one to configure the soundcard to one of (passthru, 5.1, 7.1, headphone ... etc.).

so a zoom option like /sound = <value> would set this option for the soundcard. when a user exits zoom, it would restore back to the original value.

Ok, I found it in the Skin-File. Works great and looks very good on a TV!
There is only one thing that flickers now and this is the small surrounding of the highlighted entries. Would it be possible to make this also configurable?
Not that easy I think, because there is no room to make them 2 pixel high. But for me it would be good, if I could leave these highlight-surroundings completly out.

Blight, may be make info window if unable to play sound?. And would be not bad to extend built-in codecs database (Intel Indeo, MJPEG Codec, Voxware Audio,Microsoft H.263, etc.). When i open file which encoded unknown audio codec Zoom Player simply plays file without audio and I not understand what's happen? why no sound? I go in Options->Formats but all audio codecs I already have . And I have to open this file in Light Alloy player which tell me that audio not played because filter <FilterName> not found. This player also shows missing video codecs for current file(its codecs database larger than ZP) and warn if file is corrupted. Would be really nice if Zoom Player can do it too.



I'm note sure, but i heard that each videofile contains codecs signature. Or not?

How about ASIO audio rendering support?, I know I use this for WinAmp as well as Foobar for Music, since Zoomplayer also supports almost the exact same set of Decoders, it would be nice to be able to select ASIO for audio output.

Thanks,
ERIC

bitmonster:
AutoAR execute code is already written, hopefully it'll do what you want.

Overscan is the problem, overscan isn't 100% centered so if ZP would be relative to the screen, the interfaces won't be screen-centered properly...

I think the color around the selections is actually one of the framing colors.

araghava:
The DirectSound API instructs developers not to use that function and to leave it to the driver-developers... But I wrote it done in the to-do list, so we'll see.

Slavik:
There are multiple video formats, such as AVI, QuickTime, Matroska, OGM, doing something global is very difficult to get right.

ZP database is composed of the popular formats, intel indeo, mjpeg and the likes are not formats that most users encounter and the decoders for them actually come with the latest version of windows.

egandt:
This is actually something that the filter developers are working on, I think the author of "reclock" was looking into it.

>araghava:
>The DirectSound API instructs developers not to use that function and to leave it >to the driver-developers... But I wrote it done in the to-do list, so we'll see.

thank you. i can see atleast 2 uses for this feature.
1. some of us use a dual monitor setup. when i'm using zoom to watch movies on my HDTV i would like digital passthru. however when i'm using my monitor for regular computer work, i would like stereo output to my computer speakers.
2. if i'm watching a DVD with DTS soundtrack i would want to pass the digital sound to my receiver. however if i'm watching a WMV movie, i would need to have the soundcard do the decoding and have 5.1 analog output from the soundcard. It would be so much easier if i could do this thru zoom rather that have to manually do this each time.

finally i don't see this as any different from changing the resolution/refresh rate of the video card. it simply extends this feature to the soundcard.

Fine! I will surely tell you, if it's working.


Hmm, I never have seen any TV-out that could not be centered even with the cheapest and oldest cards I have seen. For PC-monitors and projectors this is never an issue, because they can be perfectly centered. So actually I center through the card-driver and use ZP only to zoom. The best compromise if you keep centering an issue, would be to use the x/y-offset also to the interface but not the H/V-size. But what really matters is, that in the current implementation the interface will go offscreen by zooming, even with the most perfect centering in the world, or be to small if I don't use zoom.

So I can actually only repeat my plea, to add an option that the interface objects are relative to the screen and not the video-area. The funny thing is that the navigator screen coverage already limits the navigators maximum size, but also makes the navigators to small if a lower zoomfactor is used. So there is already a limit that is relative to the display and not the video-area.


So this would mean, I can only set one to the same color as one selection color and therefor the other will flicker. Any chance to add these object-colors also to the skin-file?

araghava:
well, the issue is that it effects other applications currently active using an audio device... but like I said, it's on the to-do list.

bitmonster:
I may add that color as well.

Great work on the new version blight!

I often watch a movie at night while in bed just before going to sleep and i think it would very convient is there was a feature that would allow my monitor to go into powersave mode when the movie ends or if that isnt possible, have the screen become all black. And if that could be done with an on/off type of system that overrides "repeat play" would be even better (which i use at the moment).

I really like the auto-resume feature for media and DVD but its not too 'wife' friendly

I know you can hit stop then play to start from the beginning but it would be great if you could popup an OSD and ask 'Do you wish to resume viewing from last position' (or sume user customisable text) and then answer yes or no.

Another great feature that i think already has been mentioned would be the ability to have a command line switch to either use SPDIF or analogue out for the sound as sometimes I want to watch with the fullon DD/DTS receiver running and sometimes I just want to watch using the TV's sound.

Thanks!

JDean:
You can use Alt+P to cycle through play modes. You can also just pause the video and after a few minutes, the ZP screen saver will kick-in (if enabled).

Starfire:
For DVD you can get a confirmation dialog (look under Advanced Options / DVD / DVD Settings), not for media files though.

Great, missed that.

Adding that feature for media files as well would be good

Edit: Also, if you could make the popup look like the rest of the OSD that would give a much neater and cleaner look, the DVD popup is a bit 'computerish'

Hi Blight

I love the reverse scean cut feature. I have been going through my DVDs, and trmming them just the way I like them.

What I would like to see is an ability to have these segments displayed in a different order rather than from first to last. I thought that a "jump after" feature could be added to a scean cut entry.

Also, I would like to see a Chapter Repeat feature added. (i'll admit I have not yet gone thru all the features yet. So if its there please excuse me)

criddle:
There's an A-B repeat feature you can use, press F1 to find it in the key listing.

Not quite sure what you mean by the rest of the scene-cut commentary.

in the wheel function, how about allowing us to specify how much time we can skip back and forward (Time Skip is fixed at 5 seconds)? or is there a way to customize this with the current zoom player 3.3??

Sorry Blight, I just read over my message and wondered how anyone could understand what I wrote.

I'll do it as an example:

Imagine I have set up a scean cut set-up like this:

A- Cut Start: 00:05:12:1230 - End: 00:10:34:6789
B- Cut Start: 00:35:53:0000 - End: 00:45:02:0001
C- Cut Start: 01:15:02:0088 - End: 01:28:44:0521

If I play it with the Inverse Cut it would play ABC

What I want to have happen is to play it in ACB sequence, So I am suggesting that there be a "jump after" value that can be set optionally. Thus, the example would appear like this:

A- Cut Start: 00:05:12:1230 - End: 00:10:34:6789 - Jump after: 01:15:02:0088
B- Cut Start: 00:35:53:0000 - End: 00:45:02:0001 - Jump after: 00:05:12:1230
C- Cut Start: 01:15:02:0088 - End: 01:28:44:0521 - Jump after: 00:35:53:0000

This way it would play in the ACB sequence.

Even better would be to add a "play times" value to repeat any particular segment.

A- Cut Start: 00:05:12:1230 - End: 00:10:34:6789 - Play: 2X - Jump after: 01:15:02:0088
B- Cut Start: 00:35:53:0000 - End: 00:45:02:0001 - Play: 1X - Jump after: 00:05:12:1230
C- Cut Start: 01:15:02:0088 - End: 01:28:44:0521 - Play: 3X - Jump after: 00:35:53:0000

This would produce AACCCB.

Up til' now I have ripped a DVD and cut/pasted my little creations together. But when I found your wonderful player, I thought that a lot less work could be done if there was a player that could play the clips in the sequence I choose.

chotto:
You can customize this (Advanced Options / Values / Playback) "Seconds to Skip", default 5.

criddle:
Why can't you just put a jump marker after the cut section?

1. Make the scrollwheel seek do less jump.
2. Make use of intellimouuse horizontal scrolling
3. Make use of multibutton mouses.

4. Let people set their own shortcut-keys
(Example: I have a XBOX Controller USB-adapter and wont to use the remote to XBOX, now I don't have it but I have a PS2 and a GameCube USB converter.)

DCoder,

Hope you read this message . Blight told me over the AVS Forum that this request should be for you and should be made here.

I understand that my request doesn't fit inside ZoomPlayer. What I would like to have is a Directshow filter with a 1/3 octave equalizer that allows independent settings for each output channel; i.e., if I pass a stereo soundtrack through a DPL IIx decoder, the filter should be capable of equalizing independently each of the 8 channels, and this would be done between the DPL IIx decoder and the audio renderer.

It would be like a super improved Pioneer's MCACC.

Hope you decide to write this code. But even if you don't, thanks for the time

Option: Stay on Top While Playing

Because the Word "Jump" comes alphabetically after all the "Cut"s, so it never actually gets to the jumps.

Stan64:
1. The distance is configurable, see a few posts up in this very thread.
2. I tried that, I actually bought the mouse, but it doesn't throw any standard event... perhaps the technology i just too new and microsoft didn't properly integrate it for use by other software.
3. You already can... You can modify the keyboard file for this (not very simple, but then again, different mice use different numbering systems for this).
4. This is also possible using the keyboard files.
5. There is a stay on top feature, but windows is a bit buggy with regards to that.

criddle:
Huh, didn't get that jump reference.

jfma:
You can also send dcoder a private message to make sure he sees this post.

I know there is a "Always On Top". But I would like a "Always On Top While Playing"

would it be possible to have version numbers of the filters in Formats/System Overview
would make updating easier

JDean:
Wrote it down, not sure... it may have a lot of hard disk thrashing involved.

I have a few mp3 related requests:

1. Would it be possible to add more fields to the ID3 dispaly besides the ID3 fields? ie: things like current directory, filename, etc. A lot of my files don't have tags, and it's no fun looking at a blank player window.

2. Maybe there is already an option for this, but is there a way to always show the control bar? Maybe a toggle for it with a keyboard shortcut? That's something I'd use a lot.

3. I love the new navigators on my desktop, but they wreak havok on my little 4" LCD screen. Could you include an old school nav skin in the next release?

4. Could you include a resume playback option to make ZP pick where it left off last time it was closed?

Thanks, and as always, Zoom Player rocks!!

- jason

1. Filename is automatically used as the name tag if no tags are found. No tags for other stuff currently, none planned really.

2. Just uncheck the auto-hide setting (options / control bar), then it remains on until toggled otherwise.

3. You can remove the background image, it's "defaultnav.bmp" in the skins dir and the next release will allow you to get rid of the left pane on the media/file navs.

4. It exists in the pro version.

1. I didn't even notice it defaults to the filename when no tags are there. When did you slip that little gem in?

2. The problem is that the bar still disappears when I use the navigator to pick a file. I'm trying to set up an in-car mp3 player with ZP, and I don't want to have to press a button to pop the control bar every time I switch tracks. It's no biggie, though... I think I'll just make my own skin with a nice big status bar and use it maximized.

3. That's perfect. Exactly what I was looking for.

4. Wow, the pro version just gets more and more tempting... even though I don't need any DVD features.

Anyway, keep up the good work Blight!

- jason

1. I can't even remember, maybe v3.30
4. The navigators are only supported by the Pro version these days, if you still see them, you're not using the standard version, with all that implies from that.

Will it be possible to play ".pva" files ??
these are mpeg2 ps files???
i got them when i record from my dvb card (Hauppage Nexus Satellitte) that willl be great !!
thanks!

try renaming the extension to .TS and maybe downloading the open-source mpeg2 splitter filter:
http://www.inmatrix.com/zplayer/formats/mpeg2.shtml

don’t know if this has be requested before but how about an option to pick a preferred language and subtitles on media files that have multiple tracks like .mkv or .ogg just like you can for DVD’s

I will find it nice to add support for viewing/extracting attachments from the Matroska container.
Sort of what the Matroska Shell Extensions do, but INSIDE ZP...

What do you think, Blight?!

It would be great if you could add in and out playing points like in Quicktime.

Was also thinking it would be helpful if you could right click on the control buttons and get some extra options like winamp. Id love to be able to right click on stop and pick stop and bookmark the spot I’m on or tell zp to stop after the current file is done.

phoenix:
This is being worked on as I type this.

There are some additional options on the control bar, try middle click as right-click is occupied in other functionality.

marcocesa:
I don't see it happening.

Warrior Dog:
You can do A-B repeat, which is pretty close I would think.