VLC 2.1.0 and Windows 98 - not quite working (?)

[Drugwash]

Hopefully I didn't come across as rude, I was just too tired and frustrated due to all of the problems that seem to pile up day by day.

The file we're testing with is actually just the handle for a principle: "I don't need this now, but if I ever do I wanna be sure I already have the means to perform the operation". That's about the whole idea behind these tests.

Now, one thing I did was workaround the GetLanguage() error in GOM. It turned out it was an xml file dated back in 2006 which called that function (which apparently is not available on my system) and moreover a variable was misspelled (lnag instead of lang) - yes ever since 2006! I'm talking about GOMPlayer\CodecFindSkin.eng\skin.xml.

What I did was replace lang = GetLanguage(); with lang = "ROM"; (one can use any country code, such as "ENG" or "DEU" but careful if you choose KOR, JPN, CHT, CHS, RUS or ESP, because these require the respective set of images to be present in their own directories (the file is pretty easy to read and understand). If you only see an eng folder next to skin.xml, then just set lang = "ENG"; (note the trailing semicolon).

Anyway, that fixed the error messagebox and allowed the actual error message dialog to display correctly, not empty (the one that offers to find codec, show details or close). So if anyone comes across such issue, you now know how to fix it.

Now, I have not installed K-Lite. I'd rather do things knowingly, step by step, for better understanding of what's going on. The fact that it's password-protected doesn't help either. So I've installed different versions of ffdshow (clsid builds from official SourceForge repository) plus madFLAC 1.10 from the Doom9 forums linked above and played with settings.

In audio decoder config > Codecs I set FLAC to either disabled or libavcodec and Uncompressed to either disabled or all supported.

In Profiles / Preset settings > Processing I either enabled or disabled 32 bit floating point.

In Profiles / Preset settings > Output I disabled 32 bit integer and 32 bit floating point and also switched Connect to to either WaveOut, DirectSound or any filter.

None of the combinations made any difference. I even added manual selection of filters, adding madFLAC and/or ffdshow in GOM and MPC-HC settings and still no budge. So you can see where all this frustration comes from. There must be something else wrong with my system. The only way that specific 24bit/192kHz FLAC would play with major stuttering is in VLC with the settins matching those described by Nomen above. Since apparently everyone else here tested this file and players with much better hardware, I came to a partial conclusion that my CPU might just not be up to the task, as it only supports MMX and SSE, nothing more. Whether I'm right or wrong, I don't really know.

Now, you asked about the ffdshow control panels. I've has that issue too and downgraded a few installations before realizing where the issue was.

Apparently, the shortcuts created in Start > Programs > ffdshow are using full path enclosed in double quotes for the Target field. And everytime the darn thing wouldn't fire up. So I finally replaced the full path with standard 8.3 path, losing the double quotes.

So from this:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RUNDLL32.EXE "C:\Program Files\ffdshow\ffdshow.ax",configureAudio

I got to this:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RUNDLL32.EXE C:\PROGRA~1\ffdshow\ffdshow.ax,configureAudio

and the codec control panels showed up right away. There's no need to modify the Start in path. But please be aware that this control panel uses ffdshow.ax, which - depending on version - may require registering and may also require XP compatibility mode (and I'm not sure it will work even then - see missing dependencies).

I currently have build 3562 installed and control panels working correctly. This may be true for Haali and other control panels, but it's up to you to test, since I don't have those installed here.

Hopefully all this is not just wasted web space. That's about all I can do, at least for now. Good luck, guys!

Edited November 29, 2013 by Drugwash

[Nomen]

Ok, so I have VLC 2.0.8 installed, and it plays everything fine (including 192 khz / 24 bit audio) but I must have float32 turned off. VLC 2.1.0 and higher seem to turn float32 on by default, and this is known to produce distorted audio for some systems.

So now I am trying the portable version of 2.1.1, and yes -> I can play 192 khz / 24 bit audio (including the test file) but only because I change the default Audio Output Module from "automatic" to "Waveout". The Automatic setting seems to always use DirectX (which doesn't work for me with hi-rez files). Another output option (Windows multimedia device output) also does not work. The setting for "Waveout" is to use "Microsoft Soundmapper". The other option is "C-Media Wave Device ($1, $64)" and if I select that, I get no audio, and diagnostic message is "waveout error: Waveout couldn't find appropriate channel mapping".

When I had version 2.1.0 installed (it replaced older 2.0.x version) I could not play 192 khz/24-bit file no matter what options I tried.

Version 2.1.1 still stutters on some 16-bit/44 khz flac files, and 2.0.8 plays the same files just fine. Here is the log output when the stutter happens:

flac warning: an error in the stream caused the decoder to lose synchronization.flac warning: an error in the stream caused the decoder to lose synchronization.main warning: playback too early (-90136): down-samplingflac error: frame's data did not match the CRC in the footer.flac warning: an error in the stream caused the decoder to lose synchronization.flac warning: an error in the stream caused the decoder to lose synchronization.main warning: playback way too early (-179632): playing silencemain debug: inserting 7921 zeroesflac error: frame's data did not match the CRC in the footer.flac warning: an error in the stream caused the decoder to lose synchronization.main warning: playback too early (-91957): down-samplingflac warning: an error in the stream caused the decoder to lose synchronization.main warning: playback way too early (-184476): playing silencemain debug: inserting 8135 zeroes

Edit: I have ffdshow (K-lite codec pack) installed Feb. 2010. FFdshow.ax version 1.0.5.2427.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Nomen

[TmEE]

When I looked at DirectX during creation of a music tool, I read that it only works up to 100KHz. Anything beyond must be recent addition... WaveOut would do whatever the driver allows, and send a fail message if something is not supported.

[Nomen]

When I looked at DirectX during creation of a music tool, I read that it only works up to 100KHz. Anything beyond must be recent addition... WaveOut would do whatever the driver allows, and send a fail message if something is not supported.

According to this: http://www.activewin.com/directx/features.shtml

============

DirectX 9 New Features

There are many new and exciting features in all of the DirectX components.

(...)

DirectX Audio (DirectSound® & DirectMusic®)

DirectSound support of 192+ kHz: The maximum frequency of sound buffers has been increased from 100 kHz to 200 kHz, where supported by the operating system (i.e., starting with Windows XP SP1). Note that this new frequency limit is not currently supported by DirectShow.

=============

[schwups]

@Drugwash

Now, you asked about the ffdshow control panels. I've has that issue too and downgraded a few installations before realizing where the issue was.

Apparently, the shortcuts created in Start > Programs > ffdshow are using full path enclosed in double quotes for the Target field. And everytime the darn thing wouldn't fire up. So I finally replaced the full path with standard 8.3 path, losing the double quotes.

So from this:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RUNDLL32.EXE "C:\Program Files\ffdshow\ffdshow.ax",configureAudio

I got to this:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RUNDLL32.EXE C:\PROGRA~1\ffdshow\ffdshow.ax,configureAudio

and the codec control panels showed up right away. There's no need to modify the Start in path. But please be aware that this control panel uses ffdshow.ax, which - depending on version - may require registering and may also require XP compatibility mode (and I'm not sure it will work even then - see missing dependencies).

I currently have build 3562 installed and control panels working correctly. This may be true for Haali and other control panels, but it's up to you to test, since I don't have those installed here.



Hopefully all this is not just wasted web space. That's about all I can do, at least for now. Good luck, guys!

Thank you for the quick reply and the work out. My first attempts with version 7.70 failed. I'll try to find a method to open the panels and see what's possible.

[Drugwash]

Just look at the strings in shortcuts. if there's no RUNDLL32 call before the ffdshow.ax, it may not work due to many missing functions (Kext may help with that). Older versions run it through RUNDLL32, newer ones don't. Not sure at which version they made the switch.

[schwups]

Gomplayer and 24-bit/192 khz flac file:

"Process uncompressed audio (PCM)" ( DirectShow audio decoding filters ) was introduced with k-lite codec Pack version 5.05. GOM 2.43 plays the file, if the filter is activated (set to ffdshow - AC3filter not tested) during installation. GOM 2.43 doesn't require Kext. K lite codec Pack 5.05 full installed with comp mode Win 2000.

Another Test:

GOM plays the file with K-lite codec Pack 6.10 Full and Standard, but not with the 6.10 Basic version.

Edited December 2, 2013 by schwups

[schwups]

Just look at the strings in shortcuts. if there's no RUNDLL32 call before the ffdshow.ax, it may not work due to many missing functions (Kext may help with that). Older versions run it through RUNDLL32, newer ones don't. Not sure at which version they made the switch.

The ffdshow panels open with corrected shortcuts up to version 6.30.

[schwups]

Just look at the strings in shortcuts. if there's no RUNDLL32 call before the ffdshow.ax, it may not work due to many missing functions (Kext may help with that). Older versions run it through RUNDLL32, newer ones don't. Not sure at which version they made the switch.

I found a relative simlple workaround to open the panels of k-lite codec Pack versions 6.40 (ffdshow rev3574) and higher. KernelEX and Kext are requiured. This should also work for ffdshow only. I'll change the topic or open a new topic for "k-lite codec Pack and ffdshow with KernelEX and Kext", because it is off-topic.

[Drugwash]

What I don't get is why would you want so hard to use K-Lite in this situation, when standalone versions of ffdshow are available from its official repository or alternative old version repositories.

As I said, I don't like the fact that K-Lite is password-protected and cannot be analyzed or partially extracted. Personally I've had a lot of problems with certain codecs during the years and I'd rather not mess them all up with a package I cannot control the way I want. But well, that's only me.

As for the K-Lite setting regarding uncompressed format decoding, I guess it's the same thing with the one in ffdshow's control panel > Codecs > Uncompressed.

[MiKl]

Indeed no sound with VLC 2.1.1 (portable) !!

MediaPlayerClassic Home Cinema (1.5.1.2903) plays the file but sound is very bad - sounds almost like a mono recording from the 1930s !!

So it may indeed be something more 98se related than a player 'issue'.

I think I found a way with the above mpc-hc without installing/using external filters.

Please test:

- Audio renderer: Default DirectSound Device (Other renderers might work too)

- Load the flac file

- Right click -> filters -> ffdshow audio decoder -> click Properties

- There is an option called 're-sample'. Activate it and set it to 96kHz.

But, of course, recent versions of ffdshow may allow even higher re-samplings.

[schwups]

The flac file stuttering error is fixed with latest VLC version 2.1.2 - released today.

[schwups]

Indeed no sound with VLC 2.1.1 (portable) !!

MediaPlayerClassic Home Cinema (1.5.1.2903) plays the file but sound is very bad - sounds almost like a mono recording from the 1930s !!

So it may indeed be something more 98se related than a player 'issue'.

I think I found a way with the above mpc-hc without installing/using external filters.

Please test:

- Audio renderer: Default DirectSound Device (Other renderers might work too)

- Load the flac file

- Right click -> filters -> ffdshow audio decoder -> click Properties

- There is an option called 're-sample'. Activate it and set it to 96kHz.

But, of course, recent versions of ffdshow may allow even higher re-samplings.

Yes it works here, too. It sounds good and it isn't mono. Testet with MPC HC 1.5.1.2903, K-lite codec Pack 8.40 (ffdshow 4324) and then with ffdshow 4525. GOM Player doesn't play the file with that ffdshow setting. Soundcard: Creative SB 128 PCI

[xrayer]

The flac file stuttering error is fixed with latest VLC version 2.1.2 - released today.

I tried VLC 2.1.2 with kex (upgrade from 2.0.5) few days ago but when I click file menu it crashes while 2.0.5 didn't (but drag&drop a file seems to work) so I reverted back.

Edited January 6, 2014 by xrayer

[schwups]

The flac file stuttering error is fixed with latest VLC version 2.1.2 - released today.

I tried VLC 2.1.2 with kex (upgrade from 2.0.5) few days ago but when I click file menu it crashes while 2.0.5 didn't (but drag&drop a file seems to work) so I reverted back.

Hallo,

VLC 2.0.6+ should run. It runs on all my systems ME and 98SE. The MSVCRT.dll has to be updated. Running vlc with KernelEX comp. mode 2k or XP can lead to such problems. VLC must run with default compatibility options (KernelEx is enabled). 2.1.0 and higher must be installed with XP mode but must run with default compatibility options. Kext isn't required.