gnome-mplayer does not correctly handle aspect ratio changes in mpeg streams

[Alistair Buxton]

Binary package hint: gnome-mplayer

MPEG streams recorded from broadcast television using mythtv often have a changing aspect ratio. For example, the adverts may be in 16:9 and the actual program may be in 4:3. Since mythtv over-records, it is likely that playback starts during the adverts - in the wrong aspect ratio for the actual program.

gnome-mplayer does not correctly handle aspect ratio changes when in fullscreen mode. The result depends on whether it is in fullscreen mode when the change occurs.

If gnome-mplayer is in windowed mode when the aspect ratio changes, then the window will resize to the correct aspect. But when you switch to fullscreen, the video is displayed in the original (wrong) aspect.

If gnome-mplayer is fullscreen when the aspect ratio changes, then the video continues to be displayed in the original (wrong) aspect in both fullscreen mode and also if you switch back to windowed mode.

Also, this behaviour is different to mplayer-nogui which always shows the correct aspect in fullscreen, but always exits fullscreen when a change occurs.

I can supply example recordings to debug this problem.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat Feb 13 22:42:50 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: gnome-mplayer 0.9.8-1ubuntu2
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gnome-mplayer
Uname: Linux 2.6.33-020633rc6-generic x86_64

[Kevin DeKorte (kdekorte-gmail)]

Please run gnome-mplayer with the -v option and highlight the portion where the media aspect changes. Or post a file that exhibits this behavior. It is probably just an event coming from mplayer that is not handled.

[Alistair Buxton (a-j-buxton)]

I have been doing some more testing. The results described in the original bug only apply when playing an asx playlist which links to a http stream. This is how mythtv serves up the programs. If I download the mpeg file instead and play it locally, aspect changes are completely ignored. If I download the mpeg file and the asx and then modify the asx to reference the local file, aspect changes are still ignored.

Example video files are at: http://al.robotfuzz.com/~al/aspect/

original.asx - the asx file served by mythtv
test.mpg - head -c 5000000 of the mpeg file downloaded from mythtv
test.asx - asx file modified to play test.mpg

I will attach logs next.

[Alistair Buxton (a-j-buxton)]

This is the log when playing the local file test.mpg. No aspect ratio changes are detected by gnome-mplayer, but the log does reveal this:

VDec: vo config request - 544 x 576 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [xv] 544x576 => 768x576 Planar YV12
Resizing to 768 x 576
current size = 1024 x 576

Nothing changes with the GUI though.

[Alistair Buxton (a-j-buxton)]

This is the log when streaming over http from myth backend with gnome mplayer in windowed mode. This time the log says this:

VDec: vo config request - 544 x 576 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
ID_VIDEO_ASPECT=1.3333
VO: [xv] 544x576 => 768x576 Planar YV12
Resizing to 768 x 576
current size = 1024 x 576
Changing window size to 768 x 576 visible = 1

And the window does resize, but only in windowed mode and not fullscreen, as described in original report.

[Kevin DeKorte (kdekorte-gmail)]

Ok, this should be fixed in SVN now.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package gnome-mplayer - 0.9.9.2-1

---------------
gnome-mplayer (0.9.9.2-1) unstable; urgency=low

  * Point fix release:
    - Handle aspect change during video playback (LP: #521526)
    - Fix problem with shoutcast playlists not autostarting
    - Fix warning about invalid list iter
    - Implement more accurate seeking using position tracker
    - Add album art lookup for some shoutcast stations
    - Many translation updates and additional languages
 -- Cesare Tirabassi <email address hidden> Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:18:42 +0000