Black backdrops

[kruykaze]

Hi everybody,
I just started using mediastream (xbox) and set up backdrop folders for different media and noticed a problem: When I cycle the blade in the home screen I get black screens instead of the fanart and sometimes it only shows half of the fanart.It only happens with sections that have custom backgrounds and I know I don't have any black images in them :laugh:
(It happens most often with Movies and Music I don't know if that matters)
Is there a fix?

[Hitcher]

Get the latest version (v0.87) and/or resize all backdrops and fanart to 960x540.

[kruykaze]

I have .87

[pantherman007]

kruykaze -

I had a similar problem with random backdrops not coming up and showing black screens instead. On my setup, I isolated the problem to files that are 32-bit images - 24-bit images displayed fine. If you have a Vista machine, you can right click in the folder and add a column for bit-depth to see if this is the issue. Other OS's might be more convoluted to check the images.

I posted this in the Fanart subforum but no one has confirmed they're seeing the same problem. If you removing the 32-bit images solves the problem for you, please confirm the platform you're using and I'll log a possible bug for the developers to look into.

[kruykaze]

I am using the xbox.

[joebrady]

kruykaze -

I had a similar problem with random backdrops not coming up and showing black screens instead. On my setup, I isolated the problem to files that are 32-bit images - 24-bit images displayed fine. If you have a Vista machine, you can right click in the folder and add a column for bit-depth to see if this is the issue. Other OS's might be more convoluted to check the images.

I posted this in the Fanart subforum but no one has confirmed they're seeing the same problem. If you removing the 32-bit images solves the problem for you, please confirm the platform you're using and I'll log a possible bug for the developers to look into.

I am going to try this with some of my images tonight (time allowed) and see if I can duplicate what you are referring to...if i can see that info in XP. Are your backdrops still 1280x720?

[kruykaze]

720p yes

[pantherman007]

I am going to try this with some of my images tonight (time allowed) and see if I can duplicate what you are referring to...if i can see that info in XP. Are your backdrops still 1280x720?

In XP you can see the bit depth on a file-by-file basis. Right click on the image, Properties, Summary, and its listed in the dialog box. Vista makes it easier as you can add it as a column in the folder and see it for all files in that folder. I've not had any black/missing backdrop problems since removing the 32-bit files. All of the problem files were 1280x720, and I saw the same behavior on an XP32 and Vista64 builds.

[joebrady]

Well, I went through my images used for backdrops and fanart last night, I did not check everysingle file, but everyone that I looked at was at 24 bit depth, so I used irfanview to batch resize all my images to 960x540 .jpg images. After updating to the new t3ch last night, i setup my new background folders for mediastream, and i still get the occasional black screen, although not as much as before.

Was there any type of cached thumbs for backdrops and fanart I should have removed from my userdata?

[Hitcher]

Yes there is, delete everything in the fanart folder (UserData>Thumbnails>Video>Fanart) - sorry should have remembered that.

[joebrady]

I thought so, but it was late when I got all that done so I figured I'd do more with it tonight. I remember reading that different formats performed better on xbox. I had all of my backdrops as .bmp before, but converted them to .jpg, like my fanart is. Has there been a definate answer as to the best format to use for xbox? I looked in the xbmc wiki but could find nothing about it. If we get some final answers on this issue, I'll update the wiki to include some fanart/backdrop info specific for xbox.

[kruykaze]

So does deleting the cache fix it?

[kruykaze]

So does deleting the cache fix it?

I will answer my own question : no it doesn't.

[tjost]

i have the same problems and it makes me sad. i hope a new version of the t3ch build will fix it

[kruykaze]

I'm gonna try today's t3ch and see.

[rwparris2]

I was having this problem on the xbox, then I used irfanview to convert everything to .bmp and 480 on the short side (my TV is SD, so I can't see the difference)

No more problems.
No need to delete the cache.