Luckily for us there is a small light at the end of the tunnel in the form of Divx Lab’s MKV project. The Divx Lab’s project aims to utilize the Windows Media Foundation to enable playback of the popular MKV format on both the main Media Center machine as well as extenders. Not only does this mean support for extenders but it could also very well mean the end to playing with various codec package settings to tweak the audio/video settings to match the output of the default Media Center playback.

Beyond enabling playback through your Windows Media Center Extenders, the picture quality of the Windows Media Foundation solution is incredible and contains complete DVXA hardware acceleration support. So not only is the quality fantastic but hardware acceleration will keep frame rates right where they should be without the drops that can sometimes occur with CPU intensive codecs such as FFDShow.

Using Divx Lab’s MKV preview video quality is amazing in full 1080p without so much as a hint of latency in the playback. There are still a few downsides to using the preview though. For instance, you’ll still be required to install a third party codec for audio playback depending on the audio encoding used for your movies. The newest version of AC3Filter is all you’ll need though and provides ACM wrapper allowing the playback to be passed through Windows Media Foundation as well.

To give this great new product a try just head on over to the Divx Labs MKV Tech Preview page and create an account. Then hit up the Project Rémoulade Apps group page for a list of downloads and grab the latest version of the tech preview. To get your MKV files to show up in the native movie library you’ll still need to install the registry fix for either x86 systems or x64 systems depending on the OS being used. Don’t forget to grab the latest version of AC3Filter Full as well if you need extra support for AC3 audio and install that as well.

That’s all you need to give this tech preview from Dixv Labs a try and get MKV videos playing through the new Windows Media Foundation system. Be sure to subscribe to Hack7MC to get the latest info and updates on this ongoing Divx Labs project and Windows Media Foundation.

Before getting started with Antipack it’s recommended that you uninstall your other codec packs. Antipack provides a complete solution utilizing the MPC Codecs and AC3Filter for playing back all your videos so you wont need them any longer. Afterward, download and install Antipack from Andy VT’s site. The package doesn’t provide a splitter so you’ll also need to download and install one separately, Haali’s splitter is recommended.

Once you’ve installed a splitter and Antipack that’s really all that’s necessary but there is also a convenient configuration application provided with the pack. Inside you’ll find options to enable certain content to be played through the MPC Video and Audio decoder as well as a link to the AC3Filter configuration.

Also provided is a set of recommendations based on your current hardware for decoding video. Press the Recommended Settings button and AntiPack will select the optimal settings for your video hardware. Hovering over each option will give you a description and recommendation for that option as well.

Each tab also provides a convenient option to select the merits for the decoder. This makes it easy to assure the correct codec is being loaded without having to utilize a third party program such as Graphstudio or Filter Manager.

Once you’ve gone through the recommended video settings and checked your audio preferences you should be ready to go. That’s really all there is to setting up this minimalistic DXVA solution to video playback. Check out the post on Andy VT’s blog for more details as well as the download to give it a try for yourself.

Luckily, there’s a way to enable subtitle support without interfering with the default Microsoft decoders. There is a downside however, this will interfere with DXVA playback and is unlikely to work with extenders. If that’s an acceptable compromise to get subtitles working on your HTPC continue on to install VSFilter and get subtitles working for your video content in Media Center.

By default, using the native Microsoft Windows Media Foundation codecs for playback will result in a graph similar to the one above. These decoders are ingrained quite deeply in the infrastructure of Windows Media Center and can be quite hard to disable or replace with third party solutions.

This is what brings us to using DirectVobSub (VSFilter). DirectVobSub will load along side the default decoders without having to make any drastic modifications to the file system or registry.

To get start we’ve got VSFilter, along with an installer, available for download in a 32-bit version as well as a 64-bit version. To install, extract the files from the archive (zip) and place them in your root C:\ drive. Then run the enable .bat file as administrator. If you need to install the filters to a different location edit the .bat file in notepad and change the directory to suite your needs.

Once you’ve extracted the files and run the .bat file to enable the filter that should be just about all there is to it. If your subtitles are properly encoded for your setup you should begin seeing subtitles immediately. To change the options for VSFilter you’ll need to use a program such as Filter Manager or Graphstudio to access the properties dialog.

For example, you’ll likely want to enable VSFilter to only playback forced subtitles under most circumstances. This, along with a number of other options, can be set through these property pages.

You should now be all set to start displaying subtitles in Windows 7 Media Center without the hassle of disabling the default Windows Media Foundation decoders! Perhaps in the future we’ll see a method to switch subtitle streams and even display subtitles properly inside Windows 7 Media Center built-in or through a plugin without the need for FFDShow or other third-party hacks.

While playing back MKVs in Media Center only requires that you have the correct splitters and decoders installed these more advanced features require a deeper level of support. That’s where a handy Media Center plug-in called Media Control comes in.

Media Control adds support for switching audio and subtitles streams, chapter markers, fast forward and rewind for all FFDShow decoded formats, refresh rate changing and more. In fact Media Control has so many features packed in it’s hard to get a handle on them all.

When starting a movie with multiple subtitle or audio streams Media Control will pop-up a small dialog allowing you to quickly enter the menu for switching streams. The dialog only appears for a few moments but once the video is playing you can enter the full options of Media Control through the start menu as well.

From the main Media Control menu you’ll have access to almost any feature available through FFDShow’s configuration dialogs. Change video settings, audio and subtitle delays, post processing and more right from inside Media Center with easy to use controls.

After installing the plug-in you’ll need to run the configuration program included. Provided inside you’ll find a tab marked FFDShow Configuration. You’ll need to run this to get FFDShow setup properly for use with the plug-in, apply the recommended configuration and you should be all set.

By default Media Control will place a new start menu strip in your Media Center menu. If you’d prefer to have the icon appear in our custom Media Browser strip just download and apply this registry file after installing Media Control. (Grab the new theme from Theme7MC, Midnight Magic, while you’re at it too!)

Of course, this is only scratching the surface of what Media Control is capable of doing so you’ll be sure to see more of this handy tool on Hack7MC soon!

Today we’ve got a new application from CLSid, Doom9 member and FFDShow Tryout developer, that takes much of the leg work and guess work out of setting up your preferred codecs. To get started you can download v1.9 from Hack7MC servers here or check the thread on Doom9 for the latest version.

There’s no installation needed, just run the downloaded exe file and the program will automatically detect the installed codecs available as well as whether or not they are properly setup for playing back that particular format. For instance, if FFDShow has VC-1 enabled properly it will appear under the options, otherwise it will not.

This can actually serve a dual purpose of double checking whether or not you’ve got your configuration right. The tools currently supports the following output formats:

• H.264
• Xvid
• DivX
• MP4V
• MPEG-2
• VC-1
• MP3

In version 1.0 the following 32-bit filters are able to be detected by the program (Later versions include additional support for both 64-bit and 32-bit filters):

• ffdshow
• CoreAVC H.264 decoder
• Xvid MPEG-4 decoder
• DivX H.264 decoder
• DivX MPEG-4 decoder
• DScaler5 MPEG-2 decoder
• Cyberlink H.264 decoder (PDVD 7)
• Cyberlink MPEG-2 decoder (PDVD 7/8/9)
• Cyberlink VC-1 decoder (patched with VC1Tweak)
• ArcSoft H.264 decoder
• ArcSoft MPEG-4 decoder
• ArcSoft MPEG-2 decoder
• ArcSoft VC-1 decoder (patched with VC1Tweak)

The program also includes support for Microsoft and FFDShow filters under 64-bit operating systems.

The biggest advantage of this wonderful app is the ability to set separate decoders for each of the formats. This way you get a very customized setup allowing you to select the best suited decoder and tweak playback for specific formats.

With all these manual hacks being transformed into easy to use programs lately it seems like we may even see a comprehensive tweaking application at some point. We can all hope (and beg and plead) in any case that sometime soon getting your Media Center “just right” will be that simple.

Subscribe to Hack7MC and we’ll be sure to let you know when that glorious day comes!

With the latest release of AC3Filter, 1.60b, support for the 64-bit platform. That’s not the only thing new in this version either. Past users will immediately notice that there are separate packages available from ac3filter.net for download. The main difference in packages is the version of Windows supported with the Full version containing x64 support, the lite version with only x32 support and a special package for earlier version of Windows (Win9x).

Also, included in the full version is an ACM wrapper for both x64 and x86 operating systems. What so special about that is that this means AC3Filter 1.60b will allow AC3/DTS decoding as a companion to Windows Media Foundation and the native decoding of Windows 7. This includes sending AC3/DTS directly encoded content to your Media Center extender.

This new version of AC3Filter includes a number of improvements to the equalizer as well. Most noticeable is the addition of a full spectrum analysis of audio playback on the equalizer window. Also included, the ability to create your own equalizer setup down to the single hertz and separate equalizers for each channel. Certainly an impressive new feature set!

AC3Filter is already the decoder of choice for most SPDIF users and these new additions are sure to add a few new happy users to that pool as well. To give AC3Filter a try for yourself just go over to ac3filter.net and grab the download for your operating system. I have a feeling this new AC3Filter release may just have some users unticking that audio decoder checkbox on their next FFDShow install.

#1 – It’s Open Source

Quite frankly being open source is one of the best steps a media format can take towards acceptance. This means that anyone who wishes can add the format to their product without paying outrageous licensing fees. The end result is that the format is widely useable in most media player software and the tools for creating MKVs are extremely well polished to boot.

#2 – Awesome Free Tools

Number two goes hand in hand with number one. The free source community has some of the best programmers there are. It attracts these people as a sense of community and philanthropic duty. They also aren’t afraid to ask for help from the community and they often get it. That’s just the nature of open-source. The end result is some of the most usable, highly developed tools for utilizing a format ever created.

#3 – What It Can Hold

Matroska is a container format, which means that it only holds the content. What makes MKV special as a container is what it can hold. Matroska has the flexibility to contain almost any audio/video format, including most lossless types, making it perfect for high definition content. What sets it even farther above other formats such as MP4 though is it’s ability to also pack in multiple subtitle languages, track information, multiple audio streams and more. Everything in one file! 

Reason to not use Matroska

Even with all these great reasons for using the MKV format there are still a few caveats which need to be considered. For Media Center users these include extender compatibility. Media Center Extenders tend to not play very nicely with MKV files depending on the combination of codecs and the version of Media Center used. Reports of support for the format coming and going with each patch are common.

Also, Microsoft seems to be only a fair-weather fan of the format. Support for MKV in Windows 7 is sketchy and requires some effort to accomplish. The Windows Media Foundation’s support of the format seems to be as picky as general extender support. Though there are some options in the works from the likes of DivxLabs there’s still no comprehensive publicly available solution for Windows Media Foundation.

This means that out of the box Media Center enthusiasts need to make some adjustments to the way the system handles media playback. Far from a fault of the format this points more to a failing on Microsoft’s part in implementing it’s new “fail safe” media handler.

Conclusion

Though Microsoft’s support of the format is borderline neglectful, Matroska’s ability to utilize so many features is inescapable. The portability of the media is only bound to increase with time as the open-source format lends itself to inclusion in any future media players and devices. For those creating MKV files the tools available are some of the best, not to mention free.

If you’re just starting to convert your collection for digital storage MKV is the clear winner. Don’t hesitate to convert all your movies to MKV and keep an eye on Hack7MC, we’ll help you set up your Media Center to utilize this superior format.

Hopefully, this collection of tools will help you sort out any issues you come across while using your Media Center. The collection will be kept as up-to-date as possible and can be found on the linked page so you can check back for updates as they become available.

Currently the toolbox contains copies of Radlight’s Filter Manager, Graphstudio x86 and x64, Matroska Diag, MediaInfo, and the registry fix for Take Ownership. Together these tools provide a fairly comprehensive solution to most any trouble you encounter, specifically codecs and filter setups.

Also, included in the package is a quick set of directions for using each tool in the package. Open the included Help.html file in the package to get directions and assistance using each of the tools. Of course you can always come over to hack7mc.com and get help here as well!

If you have any other programs you’d like to see included in the toolbox drop a line in the comments section below or through the contact page. Of course, only free programs will be accepted to the toolbox and open-source software is a bonus as well.

Hopefully together we can build a comprehensive downloadable package to help beginners and advanced users alike troubleshoot problems with their Media Center setups. Download the package today and save it somewhere for that rainy day.

Getting started with Matroska Diag is easy, just download the program from the Matroska.org website and run. There’s no need to install anything. Opening the program you’ll see that using the program is just as simple. Just drag and drop your MKV file onto the window and Matroska Diag will do the rest.

Once Matroska Diag has completed processing your file you’ll be able to browse through the process that your current setup goes through in displaying that MKV file. You will be presented with a list of codecs used for audio, video and subtitles (if applicable) with your current codec setup in an easy to read format.

Should you happen to be missing a codec, say for subtitle playback, Matroska Diag will let you know that as well. You will even be presented with a link to an available codec to solve the issue. In this case there’s no codec installed to deal with the subtitle track and MPC’s standalone VSFilter is the suggested cure.

For those more interested in the deep down technical details of how the file is being rendered and the process by which these particular codecs where chosen for playback those details are provided as well. Matroska Diag will present you will a full rundown of the process with a step by step readout which can help nail down any unexpected problems.

All these features packed into a simple to use program make Matroska Diag a handy tool to keep around. Be sure to head over and download a copy to keep handy in your Media Center toolbox.

Be sure to stick around for more handy applications to keep in your Media Center toolbox! Subscribe to the Hack7MC RSS Feed to get the latest delivered straight to your feed reader or sign-up for email updates.

Little secret though, there’s a beta Haali splitter available for x64 systems and it works great on Windows 7 systems. For a while the only readily available resource for getting Haali’s x64 splitter was to install the Shark007 codec pack and while Shark007 provides an excellent package maybe your into doing things yourself.

But, enough with the lead-up let’s get to the meat: where can you find this elusive piece of software? Well, there’s no actual download page to visit, just a link directly to the Haali x64 beta installer (and a mirror here). Of course, this also means there’s no support for this software either so novice users may want to steer clear for now.

On the other hand using Haali’s splitter is basically just install and go. Take it for what it is, an unannounced, unsupported beta and you should get by just fine. If you do need some help, however, feel free to drop a line in the comments section here at Hack7MC and we’ll see what we can do.