2014-02-03, 19:39
Hello,
I'm using XBMC 12.3, Windows 8.1.
In XBMC, some MKV files are SUPER pixellated.
The pixels blocks are perhaps 1/16 of an inch wide.
Many of them are pure black or white.
The pixels constantly "flash".
It's painful to look at. I can sometimes tell what part of the image is.
These files play absolutely fine with VLC.
However, I much prefer the XBMC interface.
Especially on my 2-in-1.
In XBMC, I can get around without the magnifier. I can put the device into tablet mode (which I much prefer when watching video), and do everything with my finger.
Without XBMC, I have to "flip" into laptop mode every time I want to do anything, such as pause a video. I often have to also start the magnifier. Perform the operation. Close the magnifier. Then "flip" back into tablet mode.
In XBMC, I would press a button on the screen, and be done with it.
XBMC is awesome when it can render the videos I want to watch.
Of course, it's useless for those videos it won't render correctly.
By the way, these videos also display fine on my Windows 7 machine in every video player that uses external codecs (I have K-Lite installed on the Windows 7 computer).
So, XBMC is the only video player I have that I can't use to watch these video players.
However, XBMC also has the best interface*.
Any suggestions regarding XBMC?
Or an alternative?
Another video player, or a File Explorer replacement that supports large font sizes?
*Windows Media Center is decent, except that it OFTEN hangs when selecting a folder. And I do mean, OFTEN. If I "enter" a folder that has not recently been "entered" from within WMC, WMC usually hangs. If I then close and restart it, I can usually "drill down" to, and enter that folder. However, if I don't use the folder from within WMC for while, WMC will probably again hang when I attempt to enter it. So, I find myself constantly closing and reopening WMC. The video folders are on external drives, but the problem occurs even if I've used the drive 10 seconds prior, outside of WMC. So, it doesn't appear to be a drive "power up" issue.
[Microsoft did an atrocious job on certain aspects of Windows 8.
I have to use the magnifier for everything I do, outside of an application.
It's annoying to constantly depend on it, and having to open and close it (some applications don't work correctly if it is running, and it is unneeded and annoying with others).
I may start and close the magnifier several times in the span of a minute.
I have to constantly get it out of my way.
Yet, I could do nothing without it. Windows would be totally unusable.
I have Windows settings set to the greatest possible size (e.g., in control panel->settings and personalization->Display).
The most basic, trivial action in Windows 8 often requires 6 or 7 times the effort and work that it should.
In addition constantly having to fiddle with the magnifier, the touchscreen is often useless (just when it would be the most logical choice if Windows 8 wasn't a joke).
I have to constantly "flip" out of tablet mode so I can use the mouse, because whatever I want to click on is too small in the windows interface. All I want to do is ONE CLICK, and I have to go through this nonsense, because what I want to click is A) too small to see, and B), too small to "touch".
In File Explorer, one can set the "folder type" to video, and consequently have folder and video file icons large enough to touch. However, they still can't be read.
Well, I've spent a more space ranting about Windows than discussing the XBMC issue.]
I'm using XBMC 12.3, Windows 8.1.
In XBMC, some MKV files are SUPER pixellated.
The pixels blocks are perhaps 1/16 of an inch wide.
Many of them are pure black or white.
The pixels constantly "flash".
It's painful to look at. I can sometimes tell what part of the image is.
These files play absolutely fine with VLC.
However, I much prefer the XBMC interface.
Especially on my 2-in-1.
In XBMC, I can get around without the magnifier. I can put the device into tablet mode (which I much prefer when watching video), and do everything with my finger.
Without XBMC, I have to "flip" into laptop mode every time I want to do anything, such as pause a video. I often have to also start the magnifier. Perform the operation. Close the magnifier. Then "flip" back into tablet mode.
In XBMC, I would press a button on the screen, and be done with it.
XBMC is awesome when it can render the videos I want to watch.
Of course, it's useless for those videos it won't render correctly.
By the way, these videos also display fine on my Windows 7 machine in every video player that uses external codecs (I have K-Lite installed on the Windows 7 computer).
So, XBMC is the only video player I have that I can't use to watch these video players.
However, XBMC also has the best interface*.
Any suggestions regarding XBMC?
Or an alternative?
Another video player, or a File Explorer replacement that supports large font sizes?
*Windows Media Center is decent, except that it OFTEN hangs when selecting a folder. And I do mean, OFTEN. If I "enter" a folder that has not recently been "entered" from within WMC, WMC usually hangs. If I then close and restart it, I can usually "drill down" to, and enter that folder. However, if I don't use the folder from within WMC for while, WMC will probably again hang when I attempt to enter it. So, I find myself constantly closing and reopening WMC. The video folders are on external drives, but the problem occurs even if I've used the drive 10 seconds prior, outside of WMC. So, it doesn't appear to be a drive "power up" issue.
[Microsoft did an atrocious job on certain aspects of Windows 8.
I have to use the magnifier for everything I do, outside of an application.
It's annoying to constantly depend on it, and having to open and close it (some applications don't work correctly if it is running, and it is unneeded and annoying with others).
I may start and close the magnifier several times in the span of a minute.
I have to constantly get it out of my way.
Yet, I could do nothing without it. Windows would be totally unusable.
I have Windows settings set to the greatest possible size (e.g., in control panel->settings and personalization->Display).
The most basic, trivial action in Windows 8 often requires 6 or 7 times the effort and work that it should.
In addition constantly having to fiddle with the magnifier, the touchscreen is often useless (just when it would be the most logical choice if Windows 8 wasn't a joke).
I have to constantly "flip" out of tablet mode so I can use the mouse, because whatever I want to click on is too small in the windows interface. All I want to do is ONE CLICK, and I have to go through this nonsense, because what I want to click is A) too small to see, and B), too small to "touch".
In File Explorer, one can set the "folder type" to video, and consequently have folder and video file icons large enough to touch. However, they still can't be read.
Well, I've spent a more space ranting about Windows than discussing the XBMC issue.]
