High-Definition video flagging (library filtering/sorting & skin thumbnails overlay)?

[midgetspy]

Hey all,

I have a NAS (Networked Attatched Storage file-server device) with a few hundred movies on it as I store all my media digitally in this one location, and I use XBMC to play them and catalog all in the video library. Recently I have started adding quite a lot of HD (High-Definition) to my movie collection as well, ...high-definition movies which the Xbox obviously cam not play, however I want these movies in the XBMC video library. You see, instead of using XBMC for Xbox to play these high-definition movies I will just play them on my computer, but since the XBMC video library is such an excellent tool to catalog my movie collection I still want to be able to browse them there even if the old Xbox ca not play them.

I would love an option in XBMC that would allow me to 'flag' certain movies as "HD" (and anything not flagged HD would be assumed to be "SD", for Standard-Definition). This way for me HD movies would basically only be listed in the XBMC video library, and if I decided to watch one I wouldn't even bother playing it on the Xbox and instead just watch it through my computer.

Sorting and filtering HD verses SD movies would be helpful too when deciding what to watch. I imagine this will become more and more of a requested feature as HD downloads become more common, at least now that XBMC for Linux/Mac/Windows is maturing, or we can play these HD movies on a PS3, or Xbox360, or whatever other HD playback device one might have that can playback all high-definition video files.

Also, I don't know if it's possible but hopefully this flagging could maybe be automated by the database scanning process in XBMC, perhaps by checking frame width, and mark anything over 719 pixels in frame width as 720p, and anything over 1079 pixels in frame width as 1080p?


Here are a few example screenshots from a MeediOS skin (a skin called "meedioVintage") with such HD flags in action:
(as you can see it also have flags for surround sound audio such as Dolby Digital and DTS, with the number of channels)



For more screenshots of this Meedio Vintage skin see the MeediOS forum here:
http://www.meedios.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1477

Another Meedio Vintage skin see the MeediOS screenshot:



Aeon skin mockup examples with overlays on thumbnails that could be optional if the skinner choose to add them to their skins:






PS! There are several nice ideas for icons sets to suit this that could be found in the MediaPortal forum, see:
http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/tv...os-t21816.html

[ultrabrutal]

With a pixer aspect ratio of 1:1 I guess:

X >= 1280 = HD
Y >=720 = HD

XBMC on Xbox1 plays HD pretty good in MPEG4 format if movie is in OAR (eg 1280x540)

I've wanted this feature for a long time too

[Gamester17]

Originally Posted by ultrabrutal

X >= 1280 = HD
Y >=720 = HD

An automated resolution scan and "HD" flag sounds like a good idea.

Though I think it could be even better if the flag used a "HD" and "FullHD" logo, and scan:
X > = 1280 = FullHD
Y > =720 = HD

or a "720p" and "1080p" logo but then that would not always be 100% correct if:
X > = 1280 = use the "1080p" logo flag.
Y > =720 = use the "720p" logo flag.

With a visual indication next to the video tumbnail similar to watched and unwatched (or the "HD" logo in the latest Apple Movie Trailers python plugin for XBMC). The horisontal resolution scan would be done at the same time as the automated thumbnail creator in the XBMC Linux port branch, ...of course a new SQL database entry would be needed so users can sort by "720p", "1080p", "All HD Videos", or "All Non-HD Videos" (could also be called "All SD Videos", SD for Standard Definition).

Originally Posted by ultrabrutal

XBMC on Xbox1 plays HD pretty good in MPEG4 format if movie is in OAR (eg 1280x540)

MPEG-4 ASP (H.263) that is (like DivX and Xvid), not MPEG-4 AVC (H.264).

HRHD (High-Resolution High-Definition) (a.k.a. HR, HRHDTV, or HR.HDTV) is much better suited for the first-generation Xbox CPU, that is video ripped directly from a HDTV broadcast then downsampled to approximately 960x540 and encoded in Xvidr or DivX (EI. a H.263 derivitive, not a H.264 format):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Re...igh-Definition

[ultrabrutal]

An idea... Low, NearSD, SD, HD, HRHD, FullHD:

Low: Anything less than NearSD.
NearSD: A lot of dvd rips have a X resolution of 640 and a pixel aspect of 1:1 plus cropped black bars.
SD: X between 704 and 720 _and_ Y between 480 and 576.
HD: 1280 X and 720 Y. 720 can be less when cropped. OAR is around 540 Y -+ some %.
HRHD: X of 960. Y varies alittle.
FullHD: Anything with 1080 lines (Y). Actually can be less than 1080 when black bars are cropped again. X

More info on HD resolutions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_television

Should be possible to derive some logic from the wiki and the releases/encodes present to make the flaging.
I guess the scraber can easily take the resolution from simple containers; avi, mkv. DVD might be a little more tricky. The right VOB files should be checked.

Some people might just want (Low,) SD and HD, while others want the detailed flags. I don't know.

Yes I'm talking about DivX and Xvid - not AVC or x264 which is a newer and much more demanding codec.

Another idea... Don't know how usefull.. Frame drops per media center could also be logged in the library and thereby display some sort of indication of the playability of the video.

[Gamester17]

IMHO that is way too many options which may confuse most users when sorting/filtering.

IMO only the two HDTV flags I suggested should be more than enough; so "HD" (for anything between 721 and 1280 pixels in horisontal resolution) and "FullHD" (for over 720p and close to 1080p) so any video with more than 1281 pixels in horisontal resolution, ...then anything else (with 720 or less pixels in horisontal resolution) should be classified as "Non-HD"

That way the filter would only contain three options:

• Non-HD (IE. Standard Definition or less; y < 720)
• HD (Any video that is up to 720p and higher horisontal pixel resolution than Standard Definition )
• FullHD (Any video that has a higher horisontal pixel resolution than 720p; y > 1281)

My 2 cents

PS! There are some nice icon ideas for this that could be found in the MediaPortal forum, see:
http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/tv...os-t21816.html

[blittan]

To expand this idea:

We could add a custom flag aswell (since i have all my dvd-r offline, but still want them in my movies listing) I have manually created thumbs with a DVD mark on them..

If we added custom overlays, this and more stuff could be adressed with it..

[Nick8888]

Old Discussions on Offline DVD Libraries

Personally all I would want is an option to add "video thumbnail overlays" to distinguish between "sd" "hd" and "dvd" and be able to filter between them like the "watched" "unwatched"

but to be honest I wouldnt use the dvd one anymore as I have ripped all mine to hdd as I wanted them all together. (so just really just one overlay for "hd" and a filter)

[SandmanCL]

If allowing more flags to be added, I'd love to see one for surround (ac3, dts). Sometimes I'm in the mood for a good movie with surround sound

[lixxbox]

Great idea!
In my opinion the icons should show up beside the movie description (in library mode) like in a tv guide, not as an overlay for moviecovers.

Somthing like:

• LDTV (low definition)
• SDTV (standard definiton)
• EDTV (enhanced defintion/ =HRTV?)
• HDTV (high definition)

• Mono (yes, i have movies in mono )
• Stereo
• AC3
• DTS

• Subtitles YES
• Subtitles NO

would it also be possibe to set a language flag?

greetings from germany

lixxbox

[midgetspy]

Originally Posted by Gamester17

IMHO that is too many options which may confuse most users when sorting/filtering.

IMO the two HDTV flags I suggested should be enough; so "HD" (for anything between 721 and 1280 pixels in horisontal resolution) and "FullHD" (for over 720p and close to 1080p), ...then anything else (with 720 or less pixels in horisontal resolution) should be classified as "Non-HD"

That way the filter would only contain three options:

• Non-HD
• HD
• FullHD

My 2 cents

Yay I'm not the only person who would like this feature!! I'm currently using Watched/Unwatched to keep track of my HD movies but this is extremely annoying :-(

Your HD flags need a little tweak I think. It should be:

• SD - y < 720
• HD 720 <= y < 1080
• FullHD y >= 1080

The way you had it, full 720p movies would be classified as Non-HD.

This feature would, for me, be the ultimate way to deal with mixed SD/HD libraries using XBMC (until it can play them back natively on a new platform, hehe).

Thanks,

Nic