[PatK]

This Cyberlink thread from 2016 https://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/49442.page suggests they have it working, I understand that PowerDVD had some difficulties as expressed on their web site page if you're still having issues with PowerDVD that would be a potential source for a solution.  I've read enough messages of pain that it works for some but not all, and support for PowerDVD is not what this forum is all about. I presume you have found https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=228866 and External players (wiki)

You might want to try this, untested (I don't own any PowerDVD version) it seems to include MPC-HC along with PowerDVD and change the path to reflect your set-up.

Code:

playercorefactory>
  <players>
    <player name="MPC-HC" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
      <filename>C:\Program Files (x86)\MPC-HC64\mpc-hc64.exe</filename>
      <args>"{1}" /fullscreen /close</args>
      <hidexbmc>false</hidexbmc>
      <hideconsole>false</hideconsole>
      <warpcursor>none</warpcursor>
    </player>
    <player name="PowerDVD" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
      <filename>C:\Program Files (x86)\Cyberlink\Powerdvd18\Powerdvd.exe</filename>
      <args>"{1}" /fullscreen /close</args>
      <hidexbmc>false</hidexbmc>
      <hideconsole>false</hideconsole>
      <warpcursor>none</warpcursor>
    </player>
  </players>
  <rules action="prepend">
    <rule filetypes="mkv" filename=".*1080p.*" player="MPC-HC"/>
    <rule filetypes="bd|ifo" player="PowerDVD"/>
  </rules>
 </playercorefactory>

[ashlar]

Still trying to figure-out how to mesh in the player into kodi window and not on a separated one. like the default player within kodi, so i can press I for instance and see info about the video.

There is no way to do what you are asking. An external player simply launches an external program (in this case a player) feeding it with the arguments needed to initiate playback.

All functionalities that depend on Kodi are unaccessible. If mpv offers a keyboard shortcut to display tech info about the video being played you can have that if you use something like EventGhost and program it to send commands to mpv while an mpv window is in the foreground. But you cannot have mpv display info coming from Kodi's database (plot, actors, etc.).

[Mount81]

Hello!

The modification intention is to start all .iso-s and BD's with PowerDVD and ALL THE OTHER kind of videos with MPC-HC.

This is the mod we have tried so far, but without success, as it now won't even start any of the external players:

<playercorefactory>
<players>
<player name="MPC-HC" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Program Files\MPC-HC\mpc-hc64.exe</filename>
<args>"{1}" /fullscreen /close</args>
<hidexbmc>false</hidexbmc>
<hideconsole>false</hideconsole>
<warpcursor>none</warpcursor>
</player>
<player name="PowerDVD" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Program Files\Cyberlink\PowerDVD19\PowerDVD.exe</filename>
<args>"{1}" /fullscreen /close</args>
<hidexbmc>false</hidexbmc>
<hideconsole>false</hideconsole>
<warpcursor>none</warpcursor>
</player>
</players>
<rules action="prepend">
<rule video="true" player="MPC-HC">
<rule filename="*.iso" player="PowerDVD"/>
<rule filetypes="iso|bdmv|mpls" player="PowerDVD"/>
<rule filetypes="mkv|m2ts|ts|avi|divx|mp4|flv|m2v|mpeg|mpg|mts|vob|mov|m4v" player="MPC-HC"/>
</rules>
</playercorefactory>

Can someone help and correct the modification to get this working properly please? We have tried several variations, but couldn't figure out what we're doing wrong or what is that we're missing. 

Thank you!

[PatK]

We have tried several variations

Did you try the code in https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2891982 modding the paths to suit?

[Mount81]

We have tried several variations

Did you try the code in https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2891982 modding the paths to suit? 

You mean simply addig (x86) after "Program files" in the path name? No, but this one seems to be working now:

<playercorefactory>
<players>
<player name="MPC-HC" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Program Files\MPC-HC\mpc-hc64.exe</filename>
<args>"{1}"</args>
<hidekodi>true</hidekodi>
<hideconsole>true</hideconsole>
<forceontop>false</forceontop>
</player>
<player name="PowerDVD" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Program Files\Cyberlink\PowerDVD19\PowerDVD.exe</filename>
<args>"{1}"</args>
<hidekodi>true</hidekodi>
<hideconsole>true</hideconsole>
<forceontop>false</forceontop>
</player>
</players>
<rules action="prepend">
<rule filetypes="mkv|ts|avi|divx|mp4|flv|m2v|mpeg|mpg|mts|vob|mov|m4v" player="MPC-HC"/>
<rule filename=".*.3D.*|.*.3D.iso|3D.*" player="PowerDVD"/>
<rule filetypes="iso|bdmv|mpls|m2ts" player="PowerDVD"/>
</rules>
</playercorefactory>

Still don't know for sure what was wrong with the previous one tho'.

[Infinitee619]

Hi,

I‘ve added VLC which is working great using this XML


<playercorefactory>
<players>
<player name="VLC" type="ExternalPlayer" audio="false" video="true">
<filename>C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\VLC.exe</filename>
<args>"{1}" /fullscreen /close</args>
<hidexbmc>true</hidexbmc>
<hideconsole>true</hideconsole>
<warpcursor>none</warpcursor>
</player>
</players>
</playercorefactory>

Only snag is if i play an mp4 file now with the Kodi player there is no audio!

Can anyone help please?

I am trying to use this on my Windows 10 system.
I have the Play using context menu, but when I choose VLC, Kodi minimizes for a blink of an eye and then nothing happens. The path to vlc.exe is correct. Anyone ?

(I want exlusively to use VLC as an external player, not any other. )

Thanks.

[PatK]

VLC, Kodi minimizes for a blink of an eye and then nothing happens

External players (wiki) cut & paste section 2.2.1 VLC of the wiki, should work.

If not submit a proper debug log to a public paste-bin and link that URL back to this thread.

[Infinitee619]

Thanks a lot. This does not work, but I already found a solution... https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2729867


Now I manage to play some streams via VLC, but with this particular one (via Video Add-on), for a TV channel which has an official free stream from their website ( http://tv999.bg/live.html ) I can't succeed.


/ Don't wanna go into off-topic, so please let me know if that's what I'm doing. /


As far as I know, the link itself contains something like TOTP ( time-based /one-time password) which prevents it from, let's say "easy" playback... ?

Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'http://130.185.210.3/n/999/index.m3u8?st=GKCprXvaU_7CLp-DPjrW6Q&e=1577277691'. Check the log for details.

My goal is to record the channel. I can do this with screen recording software, but it's not the same.

[PatK]

/ Don't wanna go into off-topic, so please let me know if that's what I'm doing. /

It is a bit off topic, then a lot of messages in the forums are like that. The error VLC is unable to open the MRL 'http: really points at VLC for support. I do understand what you are trying to accomplish. If you want to use VLC or any external program to record from Kodi, the programs usually expect a normal URL. But a lot of streams have a string that the external program VLC can't handle. Work-round seems to copy the URL without 'extras' and use a download program. https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=248062

I don't like to link off-site, but to save some finger work I deem this as a challenge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwSRKiVuqZg

This link is recent and offers an alternative https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=339466

Can you tell us what the issue was with your playercorefactory script and the fix? which is more on topic for this thread.

[robyn68]

Forgive me I know that this section is about Windows but I would like to ask you anyway if you can help me. I should create the player player for Android system, that is to start MX player Pro on Kodi, I have already tried all the ways but it doesn't start can you help me? Thanks

[PatK]

Forgive me I know that this section is about Windows

HOW-TO:Use external players on Android (wiki) The first thing on the wiki page is "NOTICE: Normally, you only need to use an external player if something is wrong with your Android device or you are doing something special/custom. Most users will not want to do this." Then goes on with steps 1 thru 6 and a working example. How does your set-up differ, please post your palyercorefactory.xml

Please best handled in the Android section.

[ddmm]

As I experience some freezing for up to 5s every few minutes or so when watching live TV using the e2 plugin from my SAT enigma2 box, I would like to try VLC as an external player with Kodi, as this issue does not occur when using VLC directly.
I am using a Windows10-based system with an Asrock J3455 ITX mobo. This issue also occured when using OpenELEC on the same box. I suspect something funny/hardware incompatibility in the Kodi MPEG2 decode or TS demultiplexing.
Any other Video files play fine without stuttering, only watching TV is affected.

What do I have to use in the rules section to achieve this for TV only?
Or is there anything else I can try? (with regards to MPEG2 decode or TS demultiplexing)

[PatK]

VLC as an external player with Kodi

The wki has an example for VLC as an external player External players (wiki) section 2.2.1 you'll need to clip it with your favourite editor (make sure your paths are correct), paste it as playercorefactory.xml in your userdata folder. This will bring up VLC as the default player, test it and ensure it works on videos and is your solve, then we'll look for rules that selectively engage.

[Cinephile]

I've got my external player set up nicely but cannot figure out what rule name to put into playercorefactory.xml if I wanted to play a specific mkv file with Kodi's internal player. The file name is Bone Tomahawk (2015)-trailer.mkv

Could someone kindly point me into the right direction?

[PatK]

@Cinephile 

External players (wiki) attributes can be used to build rules, (the builtin ones being dvdplayer and paplayer, you can also use the aliases audiodefaultplayer, videodefaultplayer, videodefaultdvdplayer). You could, for instance, define a player with video="true" and then not tie it to any specific rule, thus creating some sort of "safety net", always available in the context menu, should you ever need it.

This link shows a number of players available as 'play using' in the context menu, but the default is paplayer. Change the paths for your situation.