Con style playback software - Netstream compatible

[kholaras]

The Netstream2000 (and other cards from Sigma Designs) are used by a lot of conventions to playback AMVs due to dedicated hardware decoding, TV output of only the video (no UI ever makes it to the screen), and many more features that are desirable in a public viewing situation that is very different from the features you want in a home viewing experience.

Unfortunately these cards (and the software we were using with them) are starting to show their age. To alleviate some of the issues that have come up I wrote a new program that is sort of a spiritual successor to MCIPlay that allows for the use of the Netstream and other DirectShow capable Sigma Designs cards to be used under all current versions of Windows (yes, that includes Vista) as well as support software decoding (like avi, wmv, etc) to the main desktop or TV out on the system video card.

Are there programs out there that can achieve the same thing? To an extent, yes, but they all have some limitations and issues or else I wouldn't have taken the effort to put this together. This is not a player that most people are going to use on a daily basis like MPC or VLC, but it is a very useful tool for anyone trying to achieve an immersive and seamless viewing experience on a main display while keeping the man behind the curtain completely hidden as some of us try to do while operating an AMV room at your local con.

For anyone interested in the software, you can find details at http://www.awa-vat.org/AMVPlay/

[trythil]

This is not a player that most people are going to use on a daily basis like MPC or VLC, but it is a very useful tool for anyone running Windows trying to achieve an immersive and seamless viewing experience on a main display while keeping the man behind the curtain completely hidden as some of us try to do while operating an AMV room at your local con.

fixed

(The differentiation is actually important, as there are e.g. Linux kernel drivers for some Sigma hardware, but this software won't run on a GNU/Linux setup.)

[madmallard]

I'm going to go out on a limb that you've never actually tried to use the last known clunky drivers out there for the EM8300 for any length of time, or the 'hopeless' EM8400 drivers for Linux...