No streaming sound after 8.4a

[terrypye]

In 8.4a I have been able to stream successfully with http(acodec=mp4a,mpga or mp3), udp(acodec=mp4a, mpga or mp3), multicast(acodec=mp4a, mpga or mp3) and mmsh(acodec=mp3).
I am streaming live video over my Lan using a Compro Videomate DVB-T300 (analog TV and Svideo/composite - no DVB-T as yet, is not detected)

The nightlies I have tried for the past few days from around 10 feb to 15 feb 2006 will only work with mp4a sound (no mp3 or mpga). So while I can stream with http, udp or multicast I can get no sound with mmsh. Messages on source VLC indicate that mp3 is not supported or not found and on the receive side there is no audio (also no audio for http, upd, multicast using mp3 or mpga).

A bit frustrating, and ideas, I have reset preferences each time.

[DJ]

While I believe that any format should be compatible with any container and all containers should be capable of streaming, that's not how it is in the real world. This is why the Wizard was created.

The key issue is:

1. know your compatible formats and containers.

2. Separate transcoding from streaming when you have problems.

3. Know your source file types and the containers so you can make intelligent decisions for quality with relatively low overhead when transcoding files for streaming.

I can not in this space tell you what is ideal in every situation, that is why there are options. At the same time I can not tell you which ones don't work together as some of these were never finished (they do work but perhaps not as expected), so that all the accepted variations for all the various formats and containers would work together.

Hint: mp3 audio is not accepted with any video format in any container, however mpga is accepted for most mpeg formats including mp4v and DivX. MP4a (AAC) audio is accepted with MP4v in a MP4 or MOV container as this is a standard QuickTime format. But for streaming MOV is the container of choice.

The module that handles capture devices has been updated again for 0.8.5 and is available in the Nightly Builds. For some people this is working better and for some worse. There have been many other improvements as well, so it might be worth a try.

[Guest]

Thanks DJ for your input.

After a bit of playing around I managed to get video streaming on mmsh working, but only to VLV player at the other end, windows media player (10) was very stuttery and I could not improve it despite several attempts.

To stream real time Video from my capture card on mmsh, I used mux=mov, access=mmsh, vcodec=WMV2 (WMV1, DIV2, DIV3 worked ok for windows media player, but stuttery but was fine replayed on VLC), acodec=s16l (yes, no other worked mp3 was not found, mpga gave sampling rate 96000 is not allowed in mp2 (mp204EF1CC0) and mp4a gave cannot add this stream, cannot create packetiser output (s16l ). This gave the audio codec clue.

However when streaming a file (mpg) acodec=mpga was ok to VLC. Media player 10 required vcodec=WMV2, DIV2, DIV3 and acodec=mp3 using mux=mov.

All in all a very complex situation needing a lot of testing. 8.4a does however stream successfully via access=mmsh, mux=ts, vcodec=WMV2, acodec=mp3 to Windows Media Player 10 and also VLC. I have still not been able to use Windows media player to receive the stream successfully post 8.4a (currently on 16th Feb 2006 version), the best as above is either good video and no sound or very stuttery video and sound using vcodec=WMV2, access=mmsh, mux=mov, acodec=s16l. This combination worked fine on VLC when receiving so it looks like some timing issue for Windows Media Player. I will keep trying

[terrypye]

Sorry I forgot to log in when sending reply, it is the GUEST response to DJ's response to the initial entry

[DJ]

What is the source (Video ? & Audio ? in ? Container)?

The options working or not working seem to have a bearing on what the source is. Personally I don't believe this is correct.

Also mp3 is not a valid file type for a video format in a container where as MPEGa is. VLC makes a distinction between MPEGa and MP2a and I'm not quite sure why that is. I have always used mp1v with mpga, mp4v with mp4a, mp2v with mp2a or a52 (ac3) and DivX with mp2a (I think! I don't do many Divx files) in there respective containers depending on what I wanted the file for. s16l (araw) and fl32 are meant for a wav container. mp3 doesn't require a container so the choice would be raw. You also must stay within accepted bit rates for audio files, as all Digital video is follow audio for sync and it is possible to get files that don't play because the frame size is to large or the interleaving is not correct and will crash when you try to seek within the file.

While VLC may play your video file with mp3 sound it is unlikely that another player will.

Thus ends my Video 101 lesson for the day!

[terrypye]

Thanks again for response, here is the detail of what I have got working and what not. As you can see I have been able to stream ok with 8.4a and mp3 sound ok (both files and video) and have them received by VLC or Windows Media Player 10. Also current dailies (16/2/2005) will stream mp3 sound ok to both VLC and Windows Media Player 10 when streaming and MPEG2 file, but not with Video input. Only way I have got to stream using mmsh on current dailies is using sound s16l which plays ok on VLC, but stutters badly on Windows Media Player 10. Whole purpose for me of mmsh is to be able to use Windows Media Player 10 at the receiving end and not to have to install VLC (Family over internet do not have my IT expertise to set up PC's). OK it is a hobby and not critical, but what does a retired IT specialist do with his time anyway (admit to not much audio/video and current programming techniques expertise, but improving). I assume DIV1/2/3 video codecs are DIVX, I am not familiar which codecs tally to names used in VLC, ie AC3 - what does this match to in VLC audi codec list ?

I will keep plodding on using various combinations, but I would like to get Windows Media Player receiving both Files and Video (just for the hell of it).

The following playlist works with VLC 8.4a and is played readily by Windows Media Player 10 and VLC on the receiving end. I used Svideo input from the crossbar, using Composite or even any analog TV Channel worked in the same manner.


#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,22 - SETUP - 22
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-vdev=VideoMate BDA Analog Capture
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-adev=SoundMAX Digital Audio
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-size=640x480
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-caching=2000
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-chroma=
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-fps=25.000000
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-config
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-channel=22
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-country=61
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-input=2
#EXTVLCOPT:sout=#transcode{vcodec=WMV2,vb=1280,scale=1,acodec=mp3,ab=96,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=ts,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}
dshow://



The following playlist works with current dailies as at 16/2/2006, the video is an MPEG2 video details as follows and is playable on the receiving end by VLC or Windows Media Player 10.

#EXTM3U
#EXTVLCOPT:sout=#transcode{vcodec=WMV2,vb=1024,scale=1,acodec=mp3,ab=192,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=mov,dst=192.168.1.146:1234}}
D:\Video\As it Happened.mpg

Parameters used to capture video on Compro DTV and save to file "As it Happened.mpg"

Format : PAL MPEG - II
Dimension : 720 * 576
Video Bitrate : 3500 kbps
Audio Bitrate : 224 kbps
Audio Frequency : 48 KHz


The following playlist works ok on streaming to another instance of VLC, however is very stuttery when using Windows media player 10 to play back.


#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,22 - SETUP - 22
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-vdev=VideoMate BDA Analog Capture
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-adev=SoundMAX Digital Audio
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-size=640x480
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-caching=200
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-chroma=
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-fps=25.000000
#EXTVLCOPT:no-dshow-config
#EXTVLCOPT:no-dshow-tuner
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-channel=22
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-country=61
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-input=2
#EXTVLCOPT:sout=#transcode{vcodec=WMV2,vb=2048,scale=1,acodec=s16l,ab=96,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=mov,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}
dshow://

[terrypye]

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,22 - SETUP - 22
Voila/Eureka or whatever your explanation of joy may be.

I have finally got dailies (currently 17th Feb 2006) working on receiving live Video streaming from VLC using Windows Media Player 10. The trick was in fact that the sound was already encoded in s16l when coming out of the capture card module, so there was no need to encode the sound as well as the video, in the example below which produced jumpy output on Windows Media Player (WMP10) simply deleting the acodec paramaters worked fine and sound/video is now synchronised properly.

Example of jumpy WMP10 output

#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-vdev=VideoMate BDA Analog Capture
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-adev=SoundMAX Digital Audio
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-size=640x480
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-caching=200
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-chroma=
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-fps=25.000000
#EXTVLCOPT:no-dshow-config
#EXTVLCOPT:no-dshow-tuner
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-channel=22
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-country=61
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-input=2
#EXTVLCOPT:sout=#transcode{vcodec=WMV2,vb=2048,scale=1,acodec=s16l,ab=96,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=mov,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}
dshow://

Just replace final #EXTVLCOPT: line with

#EXTVLCOPT:sout=#transcode{vcodec=WMV2,vb=2048,scale=1}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=mov,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}

and all is well in the world.

Thanks DJ for your input, it made me think a bit.

[DJ]

What happens if you try this one?

#EXTVLCOPT:sout=#transcode{vcodec=WMV2,vb=2048,scale=1}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=asf,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}

[terrypye]

Works fine on both Windows Media Player 10 and VLC receiving the stream. Whilst I have not tried all the mux combinations, most appear to work ok.

[DJ]

Works fine on both Windows Media Player 10 and VLC receiving the stream. Whilst I have not tried all the mux combinations, most appear to work ok.

The only reason I suggested that change is that makes it WMP 9 or 10 compatible with no added support. Meaning no software to add on the receiving end.

With a little playing, the samething can be done for QuickTime.

[terrypye]

Regarding my original problem of 8.5 not working the same as 8.4a when streaming from a capture card by adding samplerate=4800 to the sout stream and 8.5 and 8.4a now work the same, playlist as follows. Looks like some defaults where changed in the upgrade, I only just noticed the samplerate parameter by chance and could not find it in preferences.

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,22 - SETUP - 22
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-vdev=VideoMate BDA Analog Capture
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-adev=SoundMAX Digital Audio
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-size=720x576
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-caching=200
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-chroma=
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-fps=25.000000
#EXTVLCOPT:no-dshow-config
#EXTVLCOPT:no-dshow-tuner
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-channel=22
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-country=61
#EXTVLCOPT:dshow-tuner-input=2
#EXTVLCOPT:sout=#transcode{vcodec=DIV3,vb=2048,scale=1,acodec=mp3,samplerate=48000,ab=48,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=asf,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}
dshow://

I can succesfully now use the following acodecs mp3, a52, mpga, s16l or leave it out altogether. However whilst VLC receives and plays all the above streams WMP 10 will only play with either mp3 or no acodec specified. Sound is very garbled if I use mp2a.

Now all I need to get going is to produce an output stream that can put audio in an mpeg format that graphedit and Tversity can recognise and thus stream live audio/video to my DSM-320.

[DJ]

I have always felt this was missing. No there is not a way to set it in Preferences. But it really should be in the options menu.

These should also stream:

{vcodec=DIV3,vb=1024,scale=1,acodec=mpga,samplerate=44100,ab=256,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=asf,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}

or

{vcodec=WMV2,vb=1024,scale=1,acodec=mp2a,samplerate=48000,ab=256,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=asf,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}

or
{vcodec=DIV3,vb=1024,scale=1,acodec=mp3,samplerate=22050,ab=128,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=mmsh,mux=asf,url=192.168.1.146:1234}}

I still really hate this one even though it may work.

My point of these is that is sampling spec has been truly been implemented you are going to have to watch more closely what the format specification is in order to get it to work.