[MPlayer-users] [ASS subtitle rendering] confusing error message

[Reimar Döffinger]

On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 11:41:50AM -0500, Tobias Jakobi wrote:
> Notice that the "Exporting mp_image_t" line from ass is gone. Also
> notice these two new lines that seem to indicate a problem:
> Couldn't open video filter 'ass'.
> ASS: cannot add video filter
> 
> The funny thing is that even though these lines appear the subtitle
> rendering works fine and according to the looks of the subs the ASS
> engine is actually active.
> 
> Now, here is my question:
> Why do these messages appear in the first place? Are they simply wrong
> and the ass filter gets inserted into the playback chain anyway OR is
> there really a problem that can't just be seen from looking at the video
> output alone?

I guess the ass filter detects that the vo is capable of ASS rendering
and thus refuses to load. Though I don't know for sure, and I think that
the filter isn't supposed to be loaded at all.