Windows 98 as high quality video player

[loblo]

Zoom Player + LAV +VSFilter: The best!
 

[FantasyAcquiesce]

10 minutes ago, loblo said:

Zoom Player + LAV +VSFilter: The best!
 

Which version of LAV and VSFilter?

[loblo]

LAV 0.66.0.10

VSFilter 3.0.0.284

Zoom Player 12.5 Max (Fusion skin)

KernelEx 4.5.2 (+ KexStub, not sure if this is needed and if so which definitions are)

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by loblo

[Goodmaneuver]

Ace Mega Codecs is a bit old and you will have to fiddle with filter merits on some filters. Each install of a new codec pack may want to install with highest merit. I will have to revisit 1.5.02827 and see but it would only take one incompatibility in the output/input chain to stop it. There usually has no real advantage upping the version number if using LAV 70.2-16 as main codec source and decoder.

>>I've seen older posts mentioning Media Player Classic-HC working. Version 1.5.0.2827 launches beautifully, but the MP4 doesn't work at all

It will not load output device API until video is loaded also will try and load its internal codecs unless told not to.

>>For me, installing the ACE Mega CoDecS Pack fixed my problem with MP4 and AAC3 audio on Gom Player and enabled just the sound on Zoom player. 

Gom player uses VLC plugins from my memory. VLC will still search and use some system filters like WMA but for the ones it has internally it will choose them. Zoom is not free and I am not familiar with it but it may be using VLC plugins as well? I will check it out.

LAV 66 will not work with KernelEx 4.5.2 alone.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Goodmaneuver

[FantasyAcquiesce]

5 hours ago, loblo said:

LAV 0.66.0.10

VSFilter 3.0.0.284

Zoom Player 12.5 Max (Fusion skin)

KernelEx 4.5.2 (+ KexStub, not sure if this is needed and if so which definitions are)

 

I tried downgrading to Zoom Player 12.5 from 14.5, but installing the last version of VSFilter for Windows 98/ME and LAV does nothing...

I get a runtime error if I attempt to play videos without enabling KernelEx as well.

EDIT: Installing LAV 0.66.0.10 on Windows XP SP3 mode fixed it! I had to set Zoom Player 12.5 to "Base enhancements," too.

I'm not completely sure whether changing the compatibility mode to Base Enhancements was the issue in the first place or not. MPC-HC 1.5 also works amazing now thanks to setting compatibility mode to Base Enhancements. VLC 2.0.5 also experienced a similar thing; setting the compatibility mode to Base Enhancements instead of XP fixes a lot of issues.

Edited March 25, 2020 by FantasyAcquiesce

[jumper]

> missing export UXTHEME.DLL:61

Solved long, long ago....

 

[FantasyAcquiesce]

2 hours ago, jumper said:

> missing export UXTHEME.DLL:61

Solved long, long ago....

 

How do I solve the issue then? Am I supposed to use a .dll from Whistler or ReactOS then? When I checked kernelex, it includes the uxtheme.dll file, but is it the same one as mentioned on the KernelEx Auxiliary topic?

Once this is fixed, maybe even the last version of MP-HC will work.

Edited March 25, 2020 by FantasyAcquiesce

[Goodmaneuver]

Also forgot I had changed some NT40 settings to BASE, I was posting from different OS. *\*.AX= BASE

>>I'm not completely sure whether changing the compatibility mode to Base Enhancements was the issue

Any 98 or ME setting will be OK as well but I even run WMPlayer now with BASE.

>>MPC-HC 1.7.9 installs on Windows 9x, but will not launch due to missing export UXTHEME.DLL:61

https://msfn.org/board/topic/173233-kernelex-45-core-updates-45201617/?do=findComment&comment=1157700 This will solve your C+ 61 missing error. If you need more info on how to do it let me know. It is not the full solution though. VerSetConditionMask needs a 2K setting and SHParseDisplayName needs a XP setting so MPC-HC 1.7.13 & 9 will need a KEX XP mode to startup. 1.7.13 does startup but because MPC now needs XP mode; there is a script error when linking to PCM API and I tried earlier version and it does not work with XP mode : = same result. Video will display but no sound perhaps I need the PCM file explicitly KEX set but it is a 16 bit module so it can not be set. It may not be worth pursuing any further; it is up to Jumper to allow SHParseDisplayName & the 2 Version Mask functions to be included in NT6a or lower settings. I have tested MPC-HC up to vs 1.5.1.2903 and works well but it will not work on a KEX setting above NT6a. Greater than NT6a and PCM error occurs.

Even though I tested up to 1.5.1.2903, it will not unload from memory :- stays in RAM. This may be due to a particular filter. I think 1.4.2499 is the better one to choose. There was no option to disable Haali on install so I was wrong there. It may have been Haali itself asking a certain setting on install or perhaps because I have not got Haali installed fully now. If WMP 6.4 is used to check properties of Haali Splitter the options should be available.

Dxva2.dll vs 5.01.1 does load with KEX NOHEAP if choosing EVR sync in MPC-HC. It may on play video for a short time before freezing. If this is the case it is good all I did then was reboot and swap resizer modes. I am using Bicubic 0.6 at the moment and all is OK. Remember that pixel shader 2.0 is required. Link Dxva2 to Radmin32 instead of Ntdll for missing function. Dxva2.dll 5.01.01 is from LH5552.

Edited March 26, 2020 by Goodmaneuver
Found correct version of Dxva2

[jumper]

Use Uxtheme from KexAux, not elsewhere.

Add experimental mode to Core.ini that inherits from NT or XP and specifies anything you want from the other.

 

[Goodmaneuver]

I have had no trouble with the UXtheme idea for several years, 107 functions listed, what reasons have you against using my idea. My idea may not be any advantage though in that the functions are still not all there compared to a modern UXtheme and as you say that there is no theming done and is not always an essentially required module. Fooling a program too much with KEX has consequences in that it looks further a field for other programs that should be in the OS. IMO enhancing more compatible modes like NT6a and below is a good idea, for example adding those mentioned in previous post and not restricting Win95 with IsProcessorFeaturePresent = none even if it always returns False because it is already taken care of, no need to do this is there? The KEX Win95 IsProcessorFeaturePresent = none was tested with Dungeon Siege 2 with KEX setting Win95 mode leaving Winhttp.dll in follower mode instead of disabled. Result was IsProcessorFeaturePresent in Winhttp.dll was not found. Really means not found in Kernel32, there are no import errors in Winhttp.

MPC-HC 1.4.2499 will still not transform to a different aspect ratio ( It does, It should, I fixed it. ) also subtitles are working good but are not able to be turned off. ( Can be switched off in Filters | DirectVobSub ) 3D Fullscreen does what it says it would except CTL+C does not exit, have to use Windows key then right click on MPC-HC in the task bar. KMP now works well with more modes not requiring XP which I chose originally for one filter arrangement that gave blue instead of red if not using XP and is no longer the case. PowerDVD7 will load avi, mp4, wmv, asf, mpg, mov, 3g2 packages but CPU usage is about the same as WMP.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Goodmaneuver
Strikethrough

[jumper]

Core Updates is still a project and variables must be kept to a minimum.  Only the 4.5.2 and kexaux versions of Uxtheme are supported at this time.

 

[Goodmaneuver]

KMP using EVR uses EVR.dll & Dxva2.dll when selecting Enhanced Video Render +3D Texture + Bicubic and does transform to different aspect ratios. EVR.dll needs BASE. I said I can use more KEX modes with KMP but not entirely true, only 2K minimum, the options preferences crash with lower settings in my case. Quartz from LH5231 is linked to Dxva2, D3d9 as well as Ddraw so if ideas of above post are employed and DelayLoadFailureHook import is directed to SetLastError then it will work must not be set KEX disabled but use BASE, do not forget to register. This version might be the better one to choose for 98/ME as later versions did not include Dxva2 or D3d9.

Using Quartz 5231 results in the bit rate across the video having less affect on CPU usage. x265 tested at 1120 x 630 with plenty in reserve 720p OK @ 2.9GHz.

Edited April 10, 2020 by Goodmaneuver

[ruthan]

On 9/14/2018 at 1:40 AM, jumper said:

SMPlayer 0.8.3.0
  UMPlayer 0.95

 I tried both, but they both need not working without KernelEx, so im still looking for some other solution, if there is something better than - mplayerc_20081005_win9x.exe 

[Goodmaneuver]

That player installation needs a newer of version windows to install, sticking with 6.4.9 will be OK, Get the codecs correct, register DivXDecH264.ax and read up on page 4. Provide more detail of what will not play and/or what you want. If you have the 6.4.9.1r82 working then that is OK too. Zoom player 12.5 has nice skinning but you still have to get the codecs correct.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Goodmaneuver

[FantasyAcquiesce]

Has anyone figured out how to get WMP10 working on Windows 9x? I just upgraded to Media Player 9 from version 7, and Windows Media Player 10 by MGX causes the system to be stuck at the screen of configuring files (I let it go for at least 8 hours...).