Vista just installed, best video is with overlay but this disables aero?

[Wills]

Hi there,

Just installed Vista for the first time. Like the Aero theme, it's perhaps the best reason to upgrade from XP.
I've found problems with video playback though:

I use Media Player Classic (lastest version 6.4.9.1) and sometimes BSPlayer (BS Pro 2.24).
The only codecs I've installed are ffdshow and AC3 Control Panel.

If I allow MPC and BSPlayer to use the overlay function for their output, content looks fantastic.
Especially MKV files, which look amazing.

The problem is, when the overlay function is used, the Aero theme turns itself off, which is getting irritating!
Is there any way of keeping Aero on while getting decent quality?

If I turn off the overlay and use System Default or VMR7 or 9 it looks okay-ish but washed out and lacks the colours and contrast of the same media file played with overlay enabled.

In Windows Media Player (Vista version) it also looks crap. It won't play MKVs at all (pathetic). (and is it just me or is this the single least intuitive piece of software MS have ever written?)

Why would they create a windows aero theme that won't allow for media playing in a window? It's ridiculous, isn't it?

Any help of tips would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,

W

[Krispy Kritter]

I don't know the fix, but video overlay video driver controlled. So the real issue in this case is likely to do with the video drivers and/or how DirectX can interface with the video drivers.

Video quality differences between players is also apparent using XP and is usually the result of different players using different codecs for playback.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Any applications that use DirectDraw (specifically lock the DirectDraw surface) will cause Aero to be disabled until the app finishes.

DirectDraw is basically the hardware accelerated 2D graphics system. Aero uses the graphics card's 3D "pipeline". Hence, any app wanting to use DirectDraw prevents the OS from using the prefered and faster 3D processing.

This is one example of legacy applications showing their incompatibilities with Vista, though not a serious one.

There's nothing you can do about it, unfortunately, except wait and hope that the authors of those apps make them Vista-friendly.

A similar issue occurs with audio, too, leading to playback problems.

[Wills]

Thanks for your responses.
Maybe this is connected to the fact that I'm using the Microsoft Drivers for my 2 graphics cards.
I have an ATI X1950XTX and an X1300 - I installed the latest ATI drivers and discovered that my primary card (the X1950) on which I have 2 desktops) looked a bit dull. It was using Aero (see through borders, 3D effects) but the 'gloss' was missing - but this wasn't apparent on my 3rd desktop which runs off my 2nd card.

Weird, huh? The only way to get all three desktops to look 'shiny' and good was to completely uninstall al ATI drivers and software (something I would never normally do) and use the Vista default ones.

Cheers.

[JohnnyMalaria]

In Windows Media Player (Vista version) it also looks crap. It won't play MKVs at all (pathetic). (and is it just me or is this the single least intuitive piece of software MS have ever written?)

If you mean WMP11, yes, I agree. I spent ages trying to work out how to get a menu in order to open a file! (Ctrl-M, by the way, to show "classic" menus). Once done, I changed the mode to skin mode to get a more familiar UI.

Re the Aero thing, it's a fundamental difference in how Vista manages multimedia video, in particular for games. It's not just the semitransparent, glossy stuff but a means of preventing a lot of problems with high frame rate applications (games) that MS received a lot of complaints about with XP.

When one of our apps was being developed, it started out only on XP. When development was moved to Vista, we hit the Aero turning off issue as well as audio issues. It wasn't difficult to modify the program once the cause was known(!)

[Midzuki]

Just installed Vista for the first time. Like the Aero theme,
it's perhaps the best reason to upgrade from XP.

*shakes head*

++++++++++

[JohnnyMalaria]

As it happens, I definitely prefer the visual appearance of Vista over XP. To me, it's a lot softer and easier to spend lots of necessary hours working with.

I'm using Vista right now and have another PC next to it running XP. Switching from one to the other really makes XP look stark and harsh.

[Wills]

Just installed Vista for the first time. Like the Aero theme,
it's perhaps the best reason to upgrade from XP.

*shakes head*

++++++++++

?? Just a personal opinion.
I really don't find much difference between XP and Vista although Vista looks better.
And moving to Vista gives us WinTel users a chance to look at some fairly basic 3d effects that Apple users have been enjoying for some years.
While there's a load of stuff that's changed in Vista, it's my primary reason for upgrading. Does that really deserve a slightly sniffy patronsing head shake?

[Rudyard]

What actually is aero? Ive seen vista but have no idea what the aero part is.

[Midzuki]

Wills wrote:

While there's a load of stuff that's changed in Vista,
{Aero}'s my primary reason for upgrading. Does that really deserve a slightly sniffy patronsing head shake?

Well, I'm just the kind of people to whom fancy "desktop themes"
like Luna and Aero are really distracting/annoying
(or should I say "gayish"? LOL!).

Rudyard wrote:

What actually is aero? Ive seen vista but have no idea what the aero part is.

Assuming your post was not trollish:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Aero

+++++++++++++++

[JohnnyMalaria]

(or should I say "gayish"? LOL!).

What's up with the recent (offensive) "gay" comments? Afraid of or insecure about something????

[redwudz]

Maybe he meant 'garish'. Aero and most any user interface can be tailored to your preferences.

I still like Vista well enough. It seems very stable. I've managed to tone down UAC a bit so it doesn't get on my nerves. I do like the screen graphics. They seem smoother in appearance than XP, though you can change XP and tone down the graphics appearance on it also.

I haven't noticed the Aero interface disappearing for video playback, but I use most players full screen anyway. I use Zoom WMV, The KM Player and VLC most of the time with Vista.

I don't use WMP for anything, never did.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Maybe he meant 'garish'. Aero and most any user interface can be tailored to your preferences.

Hmmm...not convinced. Only yesterday in the highly amusing Vista Death Watch thread: "I know that many people calculate "Apple"+"cool"+"superior" = "gay". "

And with the XXXrated tagline....

I still like Vista well enough. It seems very stable. I've managed to tone down UAC a bit so it doesn't get on my nerves. I do like the screen graphics. They seem smoother in appearance than XP, though you can change XP and tone down the graphics appearance on it also.

That's been my experience, too. After using it for 12 months mainly for development I may finally migrate everything from XP and use XP just for verifying software compatibility of the stuff I've developed. So far, no backwards compatibility issues - just some odd forwards ones (the DirectDraw issue that this thread is about and the deprecation of DirectSound).

[Midzuki]

What's up with the recent (offensive) "gay" comments?
Afraid of or insecure about something????

It was intended to be humor only.
No intention to sound offensive, jamais.
I was not the first one to write the word "gaypod" here @ VH.
AFAIK, the gays themselves are the best ones at creating
gay-related humor.

P.S.: No, I am not gay. AFAIK at least ^_^

+++++

[JohnnyMalaria]

Thanks for coming out and sharing

[Midzuki]