VLC 2.2.1 64 bit continuous picture corruption on DVR-MS files

[martinu]

VLC 2.2.1 seems to have problems playing .dvr_ms files (but .wtv files are OK) which played fine with VLC 2.1.5. Typically the top part of the picture is rendered perfectly but the picture becomes progressively more blocky towards the bottom. There is often an after-image of previous frames. It seems to affect all .dvr_ms files (recorded with Windows Media Centre for Vista) but .wtv files (recorded with Windows Media Centre for Window 7) play fine.

The problem also existed in 2.2.0 which I tried before seeing that an even more recently version, 2.2.1, was now available.

Examples are:

In VLC 2.2.1


In VLC 2.1.5


I originally upgraded from 2.1.5 to 2.2.0, so I wondered if it was the upgrade that had corrupted things, so I totally uninstalled VLC and installed 2.2.1 again, but it made no difference. Totally uninstalling and installing 2.1.5 instead (thanks for making old versions downloadable!) cured the problem, allowing the comparison screenshot to be made.

FIles are affected all the way through; the problem does right itself after a few seconds of playback.

The computer is Windows 7 Home Premium.

Is there any further diagnostic info that I can gather to help you identify the problem?

[martinu]

Here's a Tools | Messages log (verbosity 2)

main debug: adding item `The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms' ( file:///T:/Library/Films/The%20Full%20Monty%20%281997%29.dvr-ms )
qt4 debug: Adding a new MRL to recent ones: file:///T:/Library/Films/The%20Full%20Monty%20%281997%29.dvr-ms
main debug: processing request item: The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms, node: null, skip: 0
main debug: rebuilding array of current - root Playlist
main debug: rebuild done - 1 items, index 0
main debug: starting playback of the new playlist item
main debug: resyncing on The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms
main debug: The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms is at 0
main debug: creating new input thread
main debug: Creating an input for 'The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms'
main debug: Creating an input for 'The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms'
main debug: using timeshift granularity of 50 MiB, in path 'C:\Users\Martin\AppData\Local\Temp'
main debug: `file:///T:/Library/Films/The%20Full%20Monty%20%281997%29.dvr-ms' gives access `file' demux `' path `/T:/Library/Films/The%20Full%20Monty%20%281997%29.dvr-ms'
main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='' location='/T:/Library/Films/The%20Full%20Monty%20%281997%29.dvr-ms' file='T:\Library\Films\The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms'
main debug: looking for access_demux module matching "file": 12 candidates
main debug: no access_demux modules matched
main debug: creating access 'file' location='/T:/Library/Films/The%20Full%20Monty%20%281997%29.dvr-ms', path='T:\Library\Films\The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms'
main debug: looking for access module matching "file": 20 candidates
filesystem debug: opening file `T:\Library\Films\The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms'
main debug: using access module "filesystem"
main debug: Using stream method for AStream*
main debug: starting pre-buffering
main debug: received first data after 0 ms
main debug: pre-buffering done 1024 bytes in 0s - 1000000 KiB/s
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "any": 6 candidates
main debug: no stream_filter modules matched
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "record": 6 candidates
main debug: using stream_filter module "record"
main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='' location='/T:/Library/Films/The%20Full%20Monty%20%281997%29.dvr-ms' file='T:\Library\Films\The Full Monty (1997).dvr-ms'
main debug: looking for demux module matching "any": 63 candidates
asf warning: unknown asf object (not loaded): 0x44231c94-0x9498-0x49d1-0xa1411d134e457054
asf debug: + 'Unknown'
asf debug: | + 'Header'
asf debug: | | + 'Extended content description'
asf debug: | | + 'File Properties'
asf debug: | | + 'Header Extension'
asf debug: | | | + 'Unknown'
asf debug: | | | + 'Unknown'
asf debug: | | | + 'Metadata'
asf debug: | | | + 'Padding'
asf debug: | | | + 'Extended Stream Properties'
asf debug: | | | + 'Extended Stream Properties'
asf debug: | | + 'Stream Properties'
asf debug: | | + 'Stream Bitrate Properties'
asf debug: | | + 'Content Description'
asf debug: | | + 'Stream Properties'
asf debug: | + 'Data'
asf debug: found 2 streams
asf debug: added new video stream(ID:1)
main debug: selecting program id=0
asf debug: Ext stream header detected. datasize = 136
asf debug: added new audio stream (codec:0x50,ID:2)
main debug: using demux module "asf"
main debug: looking for a subtitle file in T:\Library\Films\
main debug: looking for decoder module matching "any": 39 candidates
main debug: no fetch required for The Full Monty (art currently (null))
qt4 debug: IM: Setting an input
avcodec debug: trying to use direct rendering
avcodec debug: allowing 4 thread(s) for decoding
avcodec debug: avcodec codec (MPEG-1/2 Video) started
avcodec debug: using slice thread mode with 4 threads
main debug: using decoder module "avcodec"
main debug: looking for packetizer module matching "any": 21 candidates
main debug: using packetizer module "packetizer_mpegvideo"
main debug: looking for decoder module matching "any": 39 candidates
main debug: using decoder module "mpeg_audio"
main debug: looking for meta reader module matching "any": 2 candidates
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in C:\Users\Martin\AppData\Roaming\vlc\lua\meta\reader
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\meta\reader
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\meta\reader\filename.luac
main debug: no meta reader modules matched
main debug: `file:///T:/Library/Films/The%20Full%20Monty%20%281997%29.dvr-ms' successfully opened
main debug: Buffering 0%
main debug: Buffering 0%
main debug: Buffering 13%
main debug: Buffering 13%
main debug: Buffering 26%
main debug: Buffering 39%
packetizer_mpegvideo debug: size 720x576 fps=25.000
main debug: Buffering 26%
main debug: Buffering 40%
main debug: Buffering 40%
mpeg_audio debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:48000 bitrate:128
main debug: Buffering 53%
main debug: reusing audio output
main debug: Buffering 53%
main debug: Buffering 40%
main debug: Buffering 54%
main debug: Buffering 53%
directsound debug: Opening DirectSound Audio Output
main debug: Buffering 66%
main debug: Buffering 54%
main debug: Buffering 66%
main debug: Buffering 79%
main debug: Buffering 67%
main debug: Buffering 80%
main debug: Buffering 80%
main debug: Buffering 80%
main debug: Buffering 93%
main debug: Buffering 93%
main debug: Buffering 93%
main debug: Stream buffering done (319 ms in 0 ms)
main debug: looking for text renderer module matching "any": 2 candidates
freetype debug: Using Arial as font from file C:\Windows\Fonts\arial.ttf
freetype debug: using fontsize: 2
main debug: using text renderer module "freetype"
main debug: looking for video filter2 module matching "any": 55 candidates
swscale debug: 32x32 chroma: YUVA -> 16x16 chroma: RGBA with scaling using Bicubic (good quality)
main debug: using video filter2 module "swscale"
main debug: looking for video filter2 module matching "any": 55 candidates
yuvp debug: YUVP to YUVA converter
main debug: using video filter2 module "yuvp"
main debug: Deinterlacing available
main debug: deinterlace -1, mode blend, is_needed 0
main debug: Opening vout display wrapper
main debug: looking for vout display module matching "any": 10 candidates
directsound debug: Windows speaker config: Stereo and stream has 2 channels, using 2 channels
direct3d debug: creating Vout EventThread
direct3d debug: DirectXCreateWindow
main debug: looking for vout window hwnd module matching "qt4,any": 3 candidates
qt4 debug: requesting video window...
main debug: output 'f32l' 48000 Hz Stereo frame=1 samples/8 bytes
main debug: looking for audio volume module matching "any": 2 candidates
main debug: using audio volume module "float_mixer"
main debug: input 'mpga' 48000 Hz Stereo frame=1152 samples/1161 bytes
main debug: looking for audio filter module matching "scaletempo": 14 candidates
scaletempo debug: format: 48000 rate, 2 nch, 4 bps, fl32
scaletempo debug: params: 30 stride, 0.200 overlap, 14 search
scaletempo debug: 1.000 scale, 1440.000 stride_in, 1440 stride_out, 1152 standing, 288 overlap, 672 search, 2400 queue, fl32 mode
main debug: using audio filter module "scaletempo"
main debug: conversion: 'mpga'->'f32l' 48000 Hz->48000 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: looking for audio converter module matching "any": 12 candidates
main debug: no audio converter modules matched
main debug: looking for audio converter module matching "any": 12 candidates
mpgatofixed32 debug: mpga->f32l, bits per sample: 32
main debug: using audio converter module "mpgatofixed32"
main debug: conversion pipeline complete
main debug: conversion: 'f32l'->'f32l' 48000 Hz->48000 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: conversion pipeline complete
main debug: looking for audio resampler module matching "any": 3 candidates
main debug: using audio resampler module "samplerate"
main debug: End of audio preroll
qt4 debug: Video was requested 0, 0
main debug: using vout window hwnd module "qt4"
direct3d debug: created video sub-window
direct3d debug: Vout EventThread running
direct3d debug: disabling screen saver
direct3d debug: Direct3d Device: NVIDIA GeForce 310 4318 2662 162
main debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 1032x603 window
direct3d warning: trying surface pixel format: YV12
direct3d debug: selected surface pixel format is YV12
direct3d debug: Using D3DTEXF_LINEAR for minification
direct3d debug: Using D3DTEXF_LINEAR for magnification
direct3d debug: Direct3D scene created successfully
direct3d debug: Direct3D device adapter successfully initialized
main debug: using vout display module "direct3d"
main debug: original format sz 720x576, of (0,0), vsz 720x576, 4cc I420, sar 64:45, msk r0x0 g0x0 b0x0
main debug: removing module "freetype"
main debug: looking for text renderer module matching "any": 2 candidates
freetype debug: Using Arial as font from file C:\Windows\Fonts\arial.ttf
freetype debug: using fontsize: 2
main debug: using text renderer module "freetype"
main debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 1024x576 window
avcodec debug: using direct rendering
main debug: End of video preroll
main error: Failed to resize display
main debug: Received first picture
direct3d debug: Created 235x38 texture for OSD
main debug: Detected interlaced video
main debug: deinterlace -1, mode blend, is_needed 1
main debug: Adding 'deinterlace' as static
main debug: looking for video filter2 module matching "deinterlace": 55 candidates
deinterlace debug: using blend deinterlace method
deinterlace debug: deinterlacing
main debug: using video filter2 module "deinterlace"
main debug: Filter 'deinterlace' (00000000028b3920) appended to chain
main debug: Decoder buffering done in 249 ms
main debug: inserting 3983 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (73563): up-sampling
main debug: auto hiding mouse cursor
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 15 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 2 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 19 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 2 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 19 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 2 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 19 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 1 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 17 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 2 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 19 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 1 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 17 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 2 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 19 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 2 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 19 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 2 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 19 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 1 ms)
main debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 18 ms)

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Bug reported.

[cjhusky]

+1. Was using an older version earlier in the day and went ahead an upgraded. Had been playing multiple dvr-ms files and now everything but the top 1/2-1" of the file is completely distorted. I can play other AVI and WMV files, but not dvr-ms files. I have verified the older version works correctly on the same files, so this appears to be a regression on 2.2.1.

[martinu]

As a matter of interest, cjhusky, are your dvr-ms files exactly as you recorded them in Windows Media Centre or have you edited them (eg to take out continuity announcements and commercials)? All of mine have been edited in VideoRedo, so I wasn't sure whether it was a problem that had been introduced by editing the files. In the bug that I raised on TRAC there was a response that the sample file that I submitted didn't conform to Microsoft's own published standards, and I wonder whether it had always been that way, right from when it was recorded, or whether the non-conformance had been introduced during editing.

Mind you, older versions used to be able to handle this non-conformance, so recent versions have undoubtedly regressed in 2.2.0 and 2.2.1.

My bug on TRAC has now been closed, though with no indication as to whether a fix has been put into a future version or whether it's because it "only" happens with non-conformant source files. When I worked on software development we had different closure codes in our bug database for "fixed in version N", "can't reproduce", "user error" and "only happens with non-standard input - very unlikely to be a problem in real life".

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

dvr-ms is fixed for 2.2.2. You can take a nightly build for that.