It has come to our attention that a number of viewers are encountering problems with Aspect Ratio when viewing .mkv versions of our releases. After several hours of troubleshooting it was discovered that the MPC HC that came with (at least the most recent and likely several past versions) the CCCP was the culprit. This was done through extensive testing on five different operating systems (OSX, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Linux) where the file played correctly with other players, with and without ffdshow installed.

The solution is to go to http://mpc-hc.sourceforge.net/ and install the latest version of MPC HC. You do not have to uninstall CCCP or anything except update MPC HC.

Edit: After looking further into this issue, for those of you who are still having problems in regards to the Aspect Ratio for our recent releases, we have provided the following patches that you may apply to your files. Patches to use with either xdelta or xdelta3 are provided:

To Heart 2 ad Plus Ep 2
xdelta patch
xdelta3 patch

Negima - Another World Ep 1
xdelta patch
xdelta3 patch

23 Comments

by anonymous @ 12 Nov 2009 12:42 pm

1. I will try update to version 1.3.1249.0 from version 1.3.1333.0, oh, wait, that was downgrade! And... the problems still left. Lets pretend, MPC - is nothing more than a GUI for DirectShow preferences, for customize preferred videorenderers, decoders, splitters, etc.
In my configuration i use latest k-lite with ffdshow for decoding h.264(ffmpeg-mt(with libavcodec - same problem)), haali videorenderer as videorenderer(and in vmrevrold renderer aka overlay same problem), and haali media splitter as matroska-splitter(with gabest - nothing will change, i try).
One way to solve this problem for me - using alternate videodecoders, but for some reason i'm choice ffdshow for this.

by anonymous @ 12 Nov 2009 12:44 pm

2. I don't know how a new version of MPC solve this for yours, maybe will be automatically activated DXVA(or internal ffmpeg), and decoders were not be ffdshow. Maybe i'm use strange version of ffdshow, then i try install a fresh ffdshow from xvidvideo.ru, but for x86 my version were last, and because of that(and for abstract of x86 codecs) i download and install x64, and what changes? Nothing thanges - AR with ffdshow still wrong. I'm need to install CCCP for same result in testing or what?

by StormMage @ 12 Nov 2009 06:34 pm

Well as I have said before, this problem happened regardless if ffdshow was installed or not so that ruled it out as the culprit. Other players (Zoomplayer, VLC, MplayerOSX) played it fine without any problems. That leaves MPC as the culprit and a new install worked fine both with and without ffdshow (and CCCP) installed. Currently I don't have ffdshow or CCCP installed and everything plays just fine.

by anonymous @ 12 Nov 2009 07:20 pm

Of course, if u dont use ffdshow - this file plays fine. Because u use internal MPC decoder, ffmpeg or h.264 DXVA.
I try to install coreavc - and result were as with ffdshow - wrong AR -> thats the not ffdshow problem, thats incorrect matroska file. And when u say vlc, mplayer or other - u need to be know - its not DirectShow players - they use internal decoders(splitters and others) based on ffmpeg. In all others DS-players, MPC, or LightAlloy, WMP, WMP 6.0(yeah, old classic version), in OS where uses(not just installed, loaded automatically in any DS-players) this bug would be simulated. Thats not the players trouble! Players might to be use internal or external filters, or mix of this.

by anonymous @ 12 Nov 2009 07:20 pm

I have another incorrect mkv-release, [Coalgirls]_Maria_Holic_01-02_(704x480_DVD_AC3) - same problem.
btw, with madVR(it is videorenderer with many upscale options) this files just dont open, black screen and eternal pause.
I can make mkv without this trouble after disasemble this file, but crc will be not from original file, and it is lame decision, and i'm really think - u need to be know wheres hide this trouble. 4 4ture. Hint one - thats not the players. Maybe bug in mkvmerge, maybe incorrect encode. 2 lazy for find answer? Make a small file, and try to ask forum.doom9.org , maybe this guys know wheres hides the trouble and how to do things right.

by StormMage @ 12 Nov 2009 10:21 pm

For one, according to the encoder he has used the exact same method on all the mkv's for the past 100+ releases without problems. Two, we are not too lazy to find the answer, infact we did find a solution since, as I have said at least two or three times so far, the problem had nothing to do with ffdshow it was with the version of MPC. Three, we have tried muxing the files various ways and the problem was the same, until we updated MPC. At least one other person has posted and confirmed that the fix works.

by StormMage @ 12 Nov 2009 10:22 pm

Also keep in mind we do fansubbing for fun and while we try our best it is not our job in real life. Viewers found a problem and we found the best solution we could. If you do not want to take our advice that is fine but so far you are the only person who has continued to voice complaints without even trying our solution. If we get other people saying they have problems after trying our solution then we need to figure out something else. But for now we stand by our solution and as such this problem is solved unless we get people saying it doesn't work.

by Lake @ 13 Nov 2009 05:45 am

I’m so sorry that you have to listen to pompous, over-weaning, arrogant, blowhards! OH, I’m sorry, You don’t have to listen! As you said, You do this for fun! If the rest of you don’t have anything to contribute then STFU!

by anonymous @ 13 Nov 2009 06:37 am

U didnt read? I'm trying new version mpc - latest svn and version from sf, thats not work for me(except use internals decoders), and u continue say this mpc trouble, absolutely dont understand how to works codecs and players in random systems.
Btw, exact one differences in older release - version of mkvmerge. And for today version u use not latest, in same bug mariaholic release has some nubmer of version, 2.7.0. Try to update or downgrade version(and merge from scratch, not just insert file and click remux), may be this helps. Of course before of that u need right codec install(in windows) and stable problem simulation.

by anonymous @ 13 Nov 2009 06:38 am

From version 2.7.0 mkvmerge has some changes in ar:
---
2009-04-08 Moritz Bunkus <moritz@bunkus.org>
* mkvmerge: By default mkvmerge keeps the aspect ratio information in AVC/h.264 video bitstreams now (equivalent to specifying "--engage keep_bitstream_ar_info" in earlier versions). A new option "--engage remove_bitstream_ar_info" is available that restores the previous behaviour.
* mkvmerge: bug fix: Fixed the aspect ratio extraction for AVC/h.264 video by adding three more pre-defined sample aspect ratios. Mkvmerge also only assumes "free aspect ratio" if the aspect ratio type information indicates it and not if the type information is unknown.
---
If u say - u use same method - try old version mkvmerge, and if dont get this bug on v2 file - start think what happens afters v2.7.0.

I know u do it for fun, but there no reason to see as knight on white horse. Thank u for urs release, for negima urs release is best, thats just technical question, nothing more.