[How-to] Watch 3D movies (e.g. mkv half-SBS) in 2D

[iolsmit]

Good news is SoC_2011/Stereoscopic_Video support is likely to come soon:

looking to soon merge it into the main tree

How to watch a 3D side-by-side SBS (half-SBS or full-SBS) in 2D using the wall filter:

I have a movie in a mkv container that is 3D half-SBS (1280x544) and want to watch in on my laptop screen (2D only).
If I just open the file with VLC I get to see both pictures for the left and the right eye side-by-side and with the wrong aspect-ration (squeezed)


Now the trick to only get one half is actually pretty easy: use the wall filter (Documentation:Modules/wall) and call VLC from the command-line (you can fix the aspect-ratio both from command-line or from the menu) - On Mac OS X :

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/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC --vout-filter=wall --wall-cols=2 --wall-rows=1 --wall-active=1 mymovie-3d-720p.mkv --aspect-ratio 16:9

You could also set the wall filter in the preferences, but this would apply to all movies opened, explained here:
http://grok.lsu.edu/article.aspx?articleid=14623

On Mac OS X there's no wall filter in the video effects (why ?) - so if you're not on OS X you can try loading the movie the normal way and use the wall filter in the
Tools → Effects and Filters → Select Video Effects → Vout/Overlay settings


Hope this is helpful to someone - not many seem to have had this problem judging from my google/forum searches...

[NtEditor]

Hi, first of all thanks for posting this help topic. But iam stuck with a situation. The image that you posted of video settings shows four group boxes - wall, add text, panoramix and clone.

But in VLC player when i open overlay adjustments and effects, i see only wall and add text. I did ask my brother to rebuild the VLC as i had to see how can i mod the assembly with my dot net project of nteditor but now the settings are gone. I searched but did not find how to undo a build (iam not good with scripting.)

My question is if i reinstall the vlc (exe file for windows 32 bit) will it be overwritten and the settings come back, or is it some registry edit which will remain forever?

I wanted to see kung-fu panda but the stupid DVD just won't display decent effects and it makes kind of funny noise. I thought the label (now in 3d" might have to do something with your original problem.

Thanks anyways

[BRotondi]

Thanks for your command line parameters. Is there a way to get correct aspect ratio instead of the simply 16:9?

The solution I found works only with VLC 1.0.5:
--monitor-par=1000:1414 --vout-filter crop --crop-geometry 960x9999+0+0

Use 960 for FullHD and change it for other Solutions.

Regards,
Bruno

[BRotondi]

The best solution I found: Use left/right-Encodes! They are much better than half-SBS, since the downsize-algorithm loses much more than the half!

[efraims]

Where are left/right encodes?

Regards

[BRotondi]

The best I found: 3D LR Wunschlisten-thread JMencodes - BoerseBZ

The Thread is German, but almost all encodes are German/English. JMencodes collects almost everything and uploads it as SBS and L/R. You need a netload account for the older uploads, the never ones are also on share-online. (Never tested the other alternatives).

Edit: JMencodes stopped his work in Feb 2012...

[jorat134613]

I found something that could help few of you.
Go in Tools -> Preference, select "show all setting" on the left bottom side and go in the video category. Now add to "custom aspect ratio": "32:9". Now restart vlc and open your video. Go in Tools->Effects and filters->Video Effects->Crop and enter 960ox for the right value. Now go in the menu Video->Aspect radio, select 32:9. Now your video should be perfect.
Now you can adjust the value to fit your video. My video was a left/right image 1920x816.

[musicbug08]

Can someone share a screenshot from the Mac interface?

[m4f1050]

Ok, I need an older VLC, mine says

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Warning: option --vout-filter no longer exists.

Also, there are movies that are not Left/Right but Top/Bottom, is there such decoder? Thanks!


EDIT: Downlaoded version 1.1.12 and got this.

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[0x95fea4] video_filter_wrapper video output error: Opening video splitter wrapper for wall

EDIT 2: Downloaded version 1.0.5 and it worked, but --aspect-ratio 16:9 did not work any other way of changing it?

[Idontknow84]

EDIT 2: Downloaded version 1.0.5 and it worked, but --aspect-ratio 16:9 did not work any other way of changing it?

The correct command is:

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--aspect-ratio=16:9

(note the = sign.)

Source

[aitte]

In version 2.0.2 the --aspect-ratio=16:9 no longer seems to work, it just doesn't change anything. I'm not sure whether wall-element-aspect is doing anything either. Using --monitor-par=1:2 does work however. Here is the full command line I used for v2.0.2:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --video-splitter=wall --wall-cols=2 --wall-rows=1 --wall-element-aspect=16:10 --wall-active=1 --monitor-par=1:2 halfsbsfile.mkv

[powertase]

In version 2.0.2 the --aspect-ratio=16:9 no longer seems to work, it just doesn't change anything. I'm not sure whether wall-element-aspect is doing anything either. Using --monitor-par=1:2 does work however. Here is the full command line I used for v2.0.2:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --video-splitter=wall --wall-cols=2 --wall-rows=1 --wall-element-aspect=16:10 --wall-active=1 --monitor-par=1:2 halfsbsfile.mkv

Hi aitte,
I tried this, and what i get is 3 windows, one says "direct 3D" and it plays only one channel. the other 2 windows stays empty. SO, i guess there must be something else in the command line. What i need is both windows to be full screen, left eye image to play on the left monitor, and right on right.
Any suggestion will help.

Best regards
PT

[aitte]

The command line I posted is to get the image for only one eye so you can watch in 2D. To get both images use --wall-active=0,1 instead of --wall-active=1 .

[powertase]

The command line I posted is to get the image for only one eye so you can watch in 2D. To get both images use --wall-active=0,1 instead of --wall-active=1 .

Thanks Aitte, this should work great.
One more question, because i am using 2 mirrors to watch 3D on 2 monitors, i need the video to be flipped horizontal, do you have any idea hot to do this in VLC?
Best regards
PT

[OniFactor]

flipping the video is easy. in the video effects / geometry menu, there is an option for "transform" if you select this, in the drop down, there are choices for rotating and flipping.

the problem i'm having right now, is the file i'm trying to play is 720x304 SBS (sooo, 360x304 x2). i've successfully split it, but the video is... squished. i've tried setting aspect ratios from 3:4 to 2.4:1, and no changes, it doesn't stretch. any ideas on how to get it to stretch to widescreen?

[mederi]

Example: input.avi 720x576 => to crop-off half of width, i.e. 360

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vlc.exe input.avi --monitor-par=0.5 --video-filter=croppadd{cropright=360}