VLC and Video Parameters

[Ricky78]

Hi,
i would like to know how to save the personal level for contrast, brightness etc. in VLC.
Because every time i watch a DVD-Video or a DivX i have to set these manually...

Thank You

[Ricky78]

up

[Arite]

Go to:
Settings >> Preferences... >> Video >> Filters

And tick "Image properties filter". Then go (still in Preferences):
Video >> Filters >> Image adjust

And enter you desired values for brightness, contrast etc. Press "Save" and restart VLC. Then try a video and it should automatically start with the specified adjustments.

Cheers, Arite.

[Ricky78]

Go to:
Settings >> Preferences... >> Video >> Filters

And tick "Image properties filter". Then go (still in Preferences):
Video >> Filters >> Image adjust

And enter you desired values for brightness, contrast etc. Press "Save" and restart VLC. Then try a video and it should automatically start with the specified adjustments.

Cheers, Arite.

Hi, thanks for your answer

Following your answer:
How can i set the values there?!
I don't know which values (between 0-2, 0-3 and so on...) i have to use...



Isn't it possibile to set here the values?



In this way i can see live the effects...

Thank you

[Arite]

The sliders in the Entended GUI provide the same range as in the preferences. The default positions are the same as the default values. For example the default brightness and contrast are both "1" in a "0-2" range. The slider is in the middle (50%). The default Gamma is "1" in a "0-10" range. The slider is at 10%.

Just adjust the levels to where you want them in the Entended GUI (currently only way to alter in realy time), make a note of the positions and then enter the appropriate value for those position in the preferences.

Arite.

[Ricky78]

Same range but different regulation!!
Why isn't it possible to save the values in extended GUI??!!

I can't save right values in Preferences... there isn't a bar... just values to change and in "Extended Gui" i don't have written values while i change them!!
Just the bar!!

How can i solve the problem?

Thank you.

[Arite]

As I said rather than using the bar estimate how far along the bar it is, and then enter the appropriate value in the Preferences. The range for e.g. Contrast is 0-2, so for 25% along the bar enter "0.5".

The Qt4 interface in the nightly builds of 0.9.0 might have improved functionality (can't remember at the moment though). Try them out here:
http://nightlies.videolan.org/

Cheers, Arite.

[Ricky78]

I understood your way of putting it but... it's not possible to give a definite percentage to the bar movement... and the result changes...
The link doesn't work.

[Ricky78]

The link now works.
I downloaded and i installed the nightly build version but there is no possibility of saving the settings as well...

[star.aether]

The sliders in the Entended GUI provide the same range as in the preferences. The default positions are the same as the default values. . . . Just adjust the levels to where you want them in the Entended GUI, . . . make a note of the positions and then enter the appropriate value for those position in the preferences. Arite.

I was sooooooooo pleased to read Arite's instructions on how to save the video adjustments. This will save me hours and hours of time fiddling with those Extended GUI sliders for the video output! (No kidding. This made my day!)

I also agree with some of the other postings here that setting the Image Filters is not the easiest way of doing things. But I've not been able to save video adjustments to any of the other mainstream video players at all, so the hassle of using the VLC Image Filter settings is small potatoes compared to the benefit of being able to save the settings!

The ironic thing about my finally finding Arite's instructions is that I just happened across them while looking for info on keeping the Extended GUI *permanently* open. Having to open the GUI every single time I opened the VLC Player was getting old, but it never occurred to me that I might not need the darn thing open permanently!

So THANK YOU for the info!

[star.aether]

I'm already stuck!

In all of the above discussion of using a Video Filter to change the video output, I had the mistaken idea that the Filter settings would be saved for the one, particular video that had been used to set the Filter!

I just now discovered that the VLC player is applying the new Filter to everything--to all of the videos.

This is quite a deflating development!

Is there any way that I can prepare a Filter for each video that needs one?

Ideally, the VLC player would permanently associate a unique Filter with each video (for which a Filter was prepared). But, OK, maybe that's pie-in-the-sky!

I'd still be very pleased if there were some way that *I* could manually select the proper filter for a video each time it was needed. I'd need a bunch of filters and some way of turning them on and off. This seems like something the VLC player might be able to do.

THANK YOU very much for helping me with this!

Andy

[Arite]

The image properties you set in the Preferences will be applied to every video you watch. This is because the "Image properties filter" is enables meaning that the adjustments set in the preferences are used for every video. If you just want those specific image adjustements to be used for certain videos go to:
Settings >> Preferences... >> Video >> Filters

And untick "Image properties filter". Press "Save" and try a video.

Then when you play a video the filter will not be applied. The adjustments in the "Image adjust" tab in the preferences are still the same, however, so if you have got the adjustments just right you only need to re-enable the Image properties filter. This can be done the same way as described above, or in the Extended GUI. The adjustments set via the preferences will be the default settings.

If you want varied adjustemnts etc. for different videos then they best thing for that would be to save a commandline string with all the appropriate properties etc. and use that for the respective video.

Arite.

[star.aether]

Arite, hi.

You wrote, "If you want varied adjustments etc. for different videos then they best thing for that would be to save a command line string with all the appropriate properties etc. and use that for the respective video."

And I thought, "Perfect!"

And now, hours later, well, . . . wasn't I a dummy? I am seriously stuck with these Command Lines.

I've spent several hours reviewing the info I have on Command Lines, and I certainly looked over the VLC Manual (VLC Play Howto"). I suspect that there's some little flub in what I'm doing that's keeping me from getting this done. The problem is that I hardly ever use the Commands, as there's so little there that's useful for me. (But I'll confess that I *did* find some really clever little surprises tonight!)

So, . . . can you get me going by telling me exactly how to start my line of text (starting from the C:\)? I understand about stringing the parameters together separated by commas, and I know that I need to use: option-name="value" with WindowsXP. So I *think* I can do this, once I get started!

[I'm running on here, I know, but I'm hoping that you'll recognize that (1) I'm trying not to just dump my problem in your lap, and (2) I don't need you to start with, "First thing to remember, don't call it DOS."]

Hope you can help me with this. I'd be happy with a link to a good page for this, too, if that works better.

And, if you just don't have the time to fool with a question like this, well, I'd totally get that, too! And I'll keep on 'til I figure it out.

Thank you,

Andy

[Arite]

First open Command Prompt/cmd.exe. A quick way of doing this is to go to:
Start >> Run...

Then enter "cmd" and press Enter/OK.

Assuming you have VLC installed, to do it in one line, you can do something like:

Code: Select all

C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe [options] FILE

Where [options] are the commandline parameters and FILE is the location of the file you wish to play.

For a two-line method, which is potentially faster for doing multiple instances etc.:

Code: Select all

cd C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC vlc [options] FILE

The commandline parameters for image properties are as follows:

Code: Select all

Image properties filter --contrast <float> Image contrast (0-2) --brightness <float> Image brightness (0-2) --hue <integer> Image hue (0-360) --saturation <float> Image saturation (0-3) --gamma <float> Image gamma (0-10) --brightness-threshold, --no-brightness-threshold Brightness threshold (default disabled)

The image adjust filter needs to be enabled so use:

Code: Select all

--vout-filter adjust

To enable it.

Here is an example:

Code: Select all

vlc --vout-filter adjust --brightness 1.8 --contrast 1.5 FILE

Where FILE is the location of the file you want to play.

Cheers, Arite

[star.aether]

Arite, this is great stuff you've posted here. Thank you very much for taking the time.

I've only had a few minutes to play around with what you've posted, and I've not gotten the last bugs out yet. (I still keep getting the precious line about how my command is "not recognized!") But I'm sure I'll get it soon.

I'll be back for sure--hopefully, to report success, but maybe to show you what I've done and ask if you can see the error in my line. I'm going to find some review materials on using the Command Prompt to make sure I'm not missing some obvious syntax error.

Thank you very much,

Andy

[star.aether]

Arite, hi.

It took me a few days to completely digest what you told me about using a Command Line to apply a unique Video Options Filter to individual videos. I've done exactly what you suggested, and it has worked out beautifully. And I am extremely pleased. Using the command lines saves me pots of time--time formerly spent fiddling with the GUI sliders each time a video was played.

The command line additionally allows me a fantastically improved control over the particular variables. (This is possible because I'm adjusting the variables now using the numbers rather than the sliders. There was no possibility, for example, that I could manually position the Contrast slider to 1.048, which is, in fact, an example I just took from one of my saved Command Lines.)

So, again, this has worked out better than anything I imagined. And I very sincerely appreciate your help here.

Now that I know how to use a Command Line to apply a Filter, I can look back at your postings and see that you were quite clear in specifying what was needed. But I was not up on all of the syntax rules for using the Command Lines, and I had to learn a fair bit out that before I was able to use what you'd given me. And I wanted to let you know I'd succeeded; I didn't want you wondering if, perhaps, you'd typed out your careful, lengthy instructions, only to have them left unused because they were too much trouble or too advanced for the other guy (me) to apply.

You've really managed to give me an excellent introduction to the C:\ Prompt.

The only item that I couldn't figure out was your note that a 2-line method might work better if one had many files needing VLC Filters. I could not get that to work. Nor could I find a quick reference to 2-line coding using Google. If you've got anymore time to spend on this question, I'd be very interested in knowing exactly how to type out the 2 lines of code needed. I actually couldn't figure out how to even enter 2 lines of coding into the prompt box, as the 2nd line seemed to require using the Enter key, which, of course, didn't work at all. I then considered that maybe your 2-line method was 2-entry method (i.e., 2 separate lines of code entered that would, when both entered, do what was wanted). But I've not found a way to make that work.

So, that's it for now. I am enormously pleased with what you've helped me learn here. And if you feel like a bit more, that'd be great, but, if not, no worries, and I remain a happy camper.

Thank you,

Andy

[star.aether]

Hello, again, Arite.

I wanted to get back to you on your instructions on using the Command Line. I needed a few days to get myself up to speed on some of the basic syntax, as I'd forgotten a lot of that stuff. But, once I was ready, your notes were perfect--a tremendous help, really.

The big surprise (for me) has been how well the Command Line coding works with the VLC Filters. I halfway expected that using the Command Prompt to adjust the video parameters in the VLC Player was going to be a bit--can I say?--nerdy? You know; nerdy here being that which is interesting in the abstract, possibly a bit recondite, certainly tedious, and not, perhaps, what the Average Joe might want to fool with when sitting down to watch a movie.

But the Command Lines used with the VCL Player turned out to be very easy. I actually kind of enjoy putting together the specs for each Filter command. Even starting the videos with the appropriate filters has been about as easy as point-and-click.

So, thank you, Arite, for your help. You've been great.

There was, though, one point in your instructions that I've not yet figured out, and that was you comment about using a "2-line method." Since I don't think there's any way to actually type a single command in 2 lines (i.e., one can't use the Enter/Return key to start a 2nd line of code), I'm guessing that you're talking about doing the Command Line as 2 separate Commands.

I can see how that could speed things up.

Anyway, if you've not already had enough of this posting, I'd be very interested in hearing more about the 2-line method. And if you've had quite enough? No worries.

Best regards,

Andy

[star.aether]

Quick note.

Arite, I figured out what you were talking about with the "2-line method." And I'm glad I got back here to post this note before you thought about explaining it to me. (And I'd think that explaining this particular bit might be a pill if one didn't have lots of time for it.)

So thanks again,

Andy

[Arite]

Glad it helped .

Just for authenticity by "two-line method" I was just refering to changing the directory initially (using the "cd" - change directory - command) to the one where vlc.exe is located. If default directory is used then the full path name generally (relative could also be used still however) needs to be used - for example "C:\Folder1\Folder2\vlc.exe" etc. If the directory is the one containing vlc.exe then the relative pathname can be used - for example "vlc.exe" or even just "vlc".

Finally, if something is in the partent directory - i.e. if one was in "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\plugins", then relative path names might be useful too as something like "..\vlc.exe" could be used (".." means go up one level).

Arite.