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HOW TO - Kodi 2D - 3D - UHD (4k) HDR Guide Internal & External Players ISO Menus - Printable Version

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RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - tmargalit - 2015-12-07

Thank you for the quick response. I will go with W10 and PDVD for 3D ISO playback.
I will post my experience once everything is setup.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - Concestly - 2015-12-14

To watch 3D movies will i need a 3D tV or a 5KPlayer media player installed on pcHuh


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - brazen1 - 2015-12-14

"To watch 3D movies will i need a 3D tV or a 5KPlayer media player installed on pc?"

This guide assumes you have a 3D capable panel using an external player capable of 3D MVC rendering.

A quick google for the 5K Player looks like it converts 2D to 3D anaglyph for non 3D panels which is not the quality most want to achieve.
It may be capable of rendering SBS or TAB but the internal Kodi dvdplayer already does this as well as anaglyph making 5K Player redundant.

Understand this guide leans towards a How To for full quality 1:1 Blu-ray 3D rip playback integrated and automated using Kodi.
At this time, PDVD fills all the requirements. I know of no other player with continued support and features that does, let alone freeware.

Should you prefer a different player for your own specific needs, simply change all lines in the code from PDVD to match yours and try it.
You may find the code here over done and not exactly compatible for what you might want to achieve and a basic code to call an external player from Kodi would be more appropriate found by searching another thread.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - SABERWOLF - 2015-12-27

Generally I would use MPC-HC for my 3D playback vids or it would be interesting to know how to use Kodi with 3D playback vids and compare the two players in terms of quailty Smile

Thanc for the guide.... will thumb through it later and see how Kodi adds up as a 3D player?

Side question: I am new to the forum.... does anyone know what happened to the 4KUHD add-on which included 3D vids or does anyone know of a add-on to add to kodi that's similar to that one?


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - brazen1 - 2015-12-27

"Generally I would use MPC-HC for my 3D playback vids or it would be interesting to know how to use Kodi with 3D playback vids and compare the two players in terms of quality"

This guide explains exactly how to use Kodi for 3D playback. However, Kodi and MPCHC in Windows cannot decode full 3D digital backups. Each requires the original disc be re-encoded to modes the software and players are compatible with such as SBS or TAB. Usually, this also cuts resolution to each eye in half. Re-encoding always degrades quality and strips the original Blu-ray of content and menus although some will argue it doesn't or don't care. I prefer playing my media untouched with all content and menus contained in an iso rendering full resolution and the highest possible quality. This is why an external player is necessary and a guide puts it all together for a pleasant automated easy experience.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - untscrub - 2016-01-01

brazen1, I could really use your expertise. Right now, I copy and pasted your .xml and.bat files. The only changes I've made was adding my username in place and taking out the anydvd line since i currently have it uninstalled. I'm also using powerdvd 12 and changed those program calls to ...PowerDVD12\PowerDVD12.exe. When I select the movie in Kodi it VCD mounts the file, the screen flashes, and then it unmounts. PowerDVD never launches. Any thoughts? As soon as I remember my password I'll log in from the HTPC and post my exact files.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - untscrub - 2016-01-01

<playercorefactory>
<players>
<player name="3D" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Users\MediaCenter\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\userdata\PlayISO3D.bat</filename>
<args>"{1}"</args>
<hidekodi>true</hidekodi>
<hideconsole>true</hideconsole>
<forceontop>false</forceontop>
</player>
<player name="2D" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Users\MediaCenter\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\userdata\PlayISO2D.bat</filename>
<args>"{1}"</args>
<hidekodi>true</hidekodi>
<hideconsole>true</hideconsole>
<forceontop>false</forceontop>
</player>
</players>
<rules action="prepend">
<rule filetypes="mkv|avi" player="dvdplayer"/>
<rule filename=".*.3D.*|.*.3D.iso|3D.*" player="3D"/>
<rule filetypes="iso|bdmv|mpls|m2ts" player="2D"/>
</rules>
</playercorefactory>

PlayISO3D.bat

Set file=%1
Set dummy=%file:iso=%
IF NOT %dummy% == %file% (GOTO playiso) ELSE (goto next)

:next
Set file=%1
Set dummy=%file:mpls=%
IF NOT %dummy% == %file% (GOTO plaympls) ELSE (goto playbdmv)

:playiso
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Elaborate Bytes\VirtualCloneDrive\VCDMount.exe" /d=0 %1
timeout /t 3
"C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\3D Vision\nvstlink.exe" /enable
timeout /t 3
"C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD12\PowerDVD12.exe" A:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\3D Vision\nvstlink.exe" /disable
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Elaborate Bytes\VirtualCloneDrive\VCDMount.exe" /d=0 /u
GOTO end

:plaympls
set pth=%1
set pth=%pth:~1,-25%

"C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD12\Movie\PowerDVD Cinema\PowerDVDCinema.exe" "%pth%" exit
GOTO end

:playbdmv
set pth=%1
set pth=%pth:BDMV\MovieObject.bdmv=%
set pth=%pth:BDMV\index.bdmv=%

"C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD12\Movie\PowerDVD Cinema\PowerDVDCinema.exe" %pth% exit
GOTO end

:end
exit


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - brazen1 - 2016-01-01

Not sure I can help here but let's give it a try:
Change this 1st: <hidekodi>true</hidekodi> to <hidekodi>false</hidekodi> (both instances).

PDVD is not getting called for some reason? I'm using 15 and you're using 12. Not familiar with 12.
Check your path: Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD12\PowerDVD12.exe and open the .exe.
Does PDVD open? If not, you are selecting the wrong .exe for 12.
Check the same for this path: C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD12\Movie\PowerDVD Cinema\PowerDVDCinema.exe
1st path is for .iso the other is for bdmv folder structure rip and will need to be added to PDVD shares and navigated to in order to play. Which are you attempting?

If iso,
Right click your (local) .iso file and select open with / mount files with virtual clone drive.
Navigate to A: , right click / open with / PDVD.
Play file.
What happens?

I'm assuming you are trying to play 3D and you also have a 2D bat since you only posted the xml and 3D bat?


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - untscrub - 2016-01-02

Ok, So something is working now. I changed "true" to "false". I tried all you suggestions and yes powerDVD opens at those locations and that's the correct path and filenames, except the cinema one. I changed it to PowerDVDCinema12.exe, I wasn't too concerned with it. All I'm interested in is getting my .iso's to play in powerdvd, only my 3D movies are in .iso file format. All the rest of my blurry and dvd rips are .mkv and play perfectly fine in Kodi.

So here's what happens now. I launch the movie from Kodi, select play main movie. Console window comes up, shows mount call, show's nvidia call, screen goes black and comes back after the refresh rate switch, screen flashes again, when it comes back powerDVD is up. Then xvmc comes back to the front. I have a button on my remote for alt+tab, so I switch to powerDVD and when I push play it says there is no disk in the drive. When I right click the VCD icon and look at history, it now has the movie I just clicked on.

I don't know all the syntax for .bat files, and after I post this i'll be googling this, but, is there a way to comment out a line of code? I'd like to just eliminate some lines to see what happens, but be able to put them back without re typing them all or copy/paste.

Also, how my card has been working prior to this. I would double click on my movie file from the explorer window and VCD would mount the disc, then PDVD would autoplay and start playing the movie, once it got to a 3D part, my projector would flash while it automatically enabled the 3D settings and refresh rate.I turned off autoplay for PDVD just in case that was causing an issue with the .bat.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - untscrub - 2016-01-02

I also had to change to PDVDLaunchPolicy.exe....not sure exactly what the difference is, but it seems to be the only one to work.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - brazen1 - 2016-01-02

I assume you have read this whole thread?
Every detail that has been provided is for a very specific reason and if you skip one the whole thing is kaput.
In your case, pay particular attention to post #54:

"You do not want to open an iso in cinema mode.
Code is designed to recognize iso and open in classic mode.
Option to open in cinema mode is ONLY for file structure that is not in a container such as an iso."

Ok, you write you are using iso for 3D.
You MUST use PDVD classic mode ONLY.
It is the only mode that is compatible with iso.
I have no idea what PDVD 12 classic mode .exe is named?
I don't think this is proper PDVDLaunchPolicy.exe
I use 15. It is named PowerDVD.exe
I assume 12 uses the exact same?
Set path to this again and start over.

You did not answer my question?
If iso,
Right click your (local) .iso file and select open with / mount files with virtual clone drive.
Navigate to A: , right click / open with / PDVD.
Play file.
What happens?

What O/S are you using?


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - untscrub - 2016-01-02

sorry, to answer your question. The .iso mounts to the drive, when I click on the drive and play with PDVD it opens and the movie starts playing immediately. Yes, I have read this entire thread as well as another one that had 153 pages. I've started from scratch multiple times from your thread. Your set-up covers a lot of other file types playing to external player that I don't care to do, so i'm sure I've got extra code in my files I don't really need.

I've actually got it working about 95% there. My last issue is the annoyance powerdvd launching but not autoplaying the movie. And for some reason pushing the spacebar key on my remote doesn't work unless I alt+tab to kodi and back to PDVD, then push the space bar.

I've commented out both nvidia lines since pdvd12 automatically changes the resolution/refresh rate to 3D, and I commented out the unmount command. I may put that one back, and see what happens.

I just left that cinema mode in there for those other file types knowing that I'd never invoke that call with the files I have on my system. Here are the .exe files in the PowerDVD12 folder: Activate.exe, AutoLaunchPDVDServByTaskScheduler.exe, ExecCmd.exe, PDVD12Serv.exe, PDVDLaunchPolicy.exe, PowerDvd12.exe, PowerDVD12ML.exe, vthum.exe

I remember in the past a thread that called for using PDVDLaunchPolicy to enable the external player and that's what I used then to get my 3D movies to play automatically. Since I've updated and moved and re-installed everything and updated again, it seems like those files i used to use are broken, which brought me to your thread. I appreciate all your help, I'm not a complete noob, once upon a time I did know how to code in c++, so I understand some syntax in the files.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - untscrub - 2016-01-02

http://www.advanceduninstaller.com/CyberLink-PowerDVD-12-61d78ec17b54843201394f13e5c7dbd0-application.htm

This site claims the main executable is the PDVDLaunchPolicy.exe for PDVD12. Might be why it's working for me. I'm hoping to just upgrade to 15 soon so I might be redoing all this again soon.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - brazen1 - 2016-01-02

"Your set-up covers a lot of other file types playing to external player that I don't care to do, so i'm sure I've got extra code in my files I don't really need."

The only file types that call the external player are full BD rips that KODI player cannot decode 100%, if at all.
This is the reason an external player is needed.
The file types are for file structure (bdmv and certificate inside a folder) and/or same file structure inside an iso container for 2D and 3D.
All other file types and containers remain default to KODI dvdplayer as they should.

I understand you are only interested in 3D iso and you are trying to eliminate extra code that amounts to a few bytes and is probably why you are having problems. Also PDVD 12 is a bit outdated and may be the problem vs. PDVD 15 but I doubt it. You still haven't revealed what O/S you are using? This guide is for Windows 10 which requires exact procedure supplied or it will never work properly. Older Windows O/S is slightly different regarding Nvidia nvstlink.exe but should still work 100% with supplied codes.

FYI in altering setup for yourself: (I understand you're trying anything to get this to work)

" My last issue is the annoyance powerdvd launching but not autoplaying the movie".
This is because if PDVD is not in CLASSIC mode, it has no idea what to do with an iso when it opens so, it deems the mounted iso invisible. (Yes, it will be mounted and you can see it but PDVD cannot and complains no disc so there is nothing for it to autoplay). This is exactly what happens when in PDVD Cinema mode or one of it's exe variants. Cinema mode is for file structure playback only and titles MUST be shared to PDVD and navigated to within PDVD to start playback which is why I reco iso only. ISO in cinema mode is never going to work. If you don't see a 'Switch to Cinema mode' button in PDVD you are in Cinema mode. If you do, you are probably in Classic mode. Switch and see if view changes. If it does, switch back to Classic. Try to confirm you are calling the proper exe. I think PowerDvd12.exe is correct and not PDVDLaunchPolicy.exe. Even though the latter works, use PowerDvd12.exe. Something else in your setup is preventing it from working 100%.

"And for some reason pushing the spacebar key on my remote doesn't work unless I alt+tab to kodi and back to PDVD, then push the space bar."
I suspect your remote is mapped wrong. Took me many combos of individual keys until I found ones that worked with KODI and PDVD.
There should be absolutely no reason to resort to using spacebars, alt+tabs, or any manual input to focus windows. These are player control options. Here, I simply select the title in KODI, select anything in the resulting menu, the iso mounts, PDVD comes into focus on top of KODI, and the title begins. When finished, I close PDVD, the iso dismounts, and KODI returns to focus ready for action. It really makes no difference if <hidekodi>true</hidekodi> is changed. This is a focus option for if a tray manager is integrated and thought it may help you which it hasn't. Btw, you did follow the instructions and checked 'Use full screen window' in KODI? This could be your focus problem if unchecked.

"I've commented out both nvidia lines since pdvd12 automatically changes the resolution/refresh rate to 3D, and I commented out the unmount command."
I don't even know where to begin telling you how many problems these changes create. This cannot be done.
I will tell you..... how things used to work don't work that way anymore. Once you advance with current O/S, current hardware/drivers, software and it's switches, and current player, many things have changed and do not work like they used to. I too encountered them and figured out how to overcome all of them, thus this guide. Follow it exactly. If it doesn't work, you have omitted/changed/integrated something not compatible. If you have setup everything exactly as provided and it does not work, I too want to know why. Please provide all pertinent details for your system so we can narrow down the culprit. I won't be quick to blame outdated PDVD but if you can upgrade to 15 it would eliminate the possibility although I think your problems lay elsewhere.


RE: HOW TO - Kodi 2D & 3D Guide Internal & External Players - untscrub - 2016-01-04

Hey Brazen1,

I am on Windows 10, I just purchased PowerDVD15. I'll be re starting this guide from scratch again and I'll let you know my results. I probably won't be able to do it for a few days because of work, but I appreciate all of your help. Thank you


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