The VideoLAN Forums

I apologize if this has been posted already (I searched "length") or if this is the wrong forum-- I don't know if it's specific to Windows or not.

When I run certain videos, it does display a start time of 0:00, but rather a different time. This also causes the length to appear long than it is. For example I have a video that starts at 0:16:43 and gives a length of 0:28:58. If I use Windows Media Player, I get 0:00 when I started with a length of 12:15.

Is this by design? Is there a way to get around this?

The way we use the software is to have remote engineers watch them and give editors the times of where to begin and start. If these aren't the actual times, then it's useless.

I thought the setting "Use sequential numbers instead of timestamps" might have helped, but it doesn't.

Your files are broken, probably.

The videos are made on a regular basis. I would doubt that they are consistently broken day after day.

If they are broken, why then does Windows Media Player display the correct times? Nero ShowTime also displays the correct time.

because VLC is a packet based player and deduce the duration from the file itself.

I still can't see the files all being broken. Day after day...

What kind of files are those ? WHat encoded them ? Where can we have samples?

I am waiting to hear back from the engineer who uses the camera. I believe the camera is a Sony DCR-DVD505, but I will verify when I can. The files created are MPG files. I believe they are created using Sony Picture Package. Again, I will verify this when I can.

Still waiting to hear back on the camera. He did get back to me on the software.

The videos are filmed on XXX camera.
The camera writes to mini-discs.
The disc is then placed in a computer and the videos are converted to MPG's using Sony Picture Package.
The software is version 1.8.60417.1

The camera used was either the Sony DCR-DVD505 or the Sony DCR-DVD508. ANother camera they use, the Sony DCR-SR85 (a Hard Drive camera) does not give them these issues.

Will get back with a video...

I will PM you the file. You can share it if you have to, but I don't wnat to make it public.