vlc-0.8.4-test1 doesnt transcode properly

[Mike Moran]

Hello,
I recently tried to transcode a Divx file to TS mp2v file.
When using 0.8.4-test1 I get no errors, but it resulting file is audio only.
I tried playing it with windows media player and VLC player.
Audio only.

I back revd to 0.8.2 same result.

However when I tried 0.8.0test2 it works fine without any issues.

All comments welcome

Take care,
--Mike

[fkuehne]

Could you give the exact options your are using for transcoding? Are you using the wizard or the stream-output panel for transcoding or even the command-line? Which exact DivX codec is used? (see "Information" when you right-click on the currently playing item inside the playlist)

[Mike Moran]

Sure,
Here is the info:
.0.8.4-test1
main debug: adding playlist item `O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi' ( O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi )
main debug: creating new input thread
main debug: set input option: sout to #transcode{vcodec=mp2v,vb=3072,scale=1,acodec=mpga,ab=128,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=ts,url=O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1-m3}}
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: thread 4132 (input) created at priority 1 (src/input/input.c:230)
main debug: stream=`transcode'
main debug: looking for sout stream module: 1 candidate
main debug: stream=`duplicate'
main debug: looking for sout stream module: 1 candidate
stream_out_duplicate debug: creating 'duplicate'
stream_out_duplicate debug: * adding `std{access=file,mux=ts,url=O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1-m3}'
main debug: stream=`std'
main debug: looking for sout stream module: 1 candidate
main debug: set sout option: sout-standard-access to file
main debug: set sout option: sout-standard-mux to ts
main debug: set sout option: sout-standard-url to O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1-m3
stream_out_standard debug: creating `file/ts://O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1-m3'
stream_out_standard debug: using `file/ts://O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1-m3'
main debug: looking for sout access module: 1 candidate
access_output_file debug: file access output opened (`O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1-m3')
main debug: using sout access module "access_output_file"
stream_out_standard debug: access opened
main debug: looking for sout mux module: 1 candidate
mux_ts debug: shaping=200000 pcr=70000 dts_delay=400000
main debug: using sout mux module "mux_ts"
main debug: muxer support adding stream at any time
main debug: muxer prefers waiting for all ES before starting muxing
stream_out_standard debug: mux opened
main debug: using sout stream module "stream_out_standard"
main debug: using sout stream module "stream_out_duplicate"
main debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-vcodec to mp2v
main debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-vb to 3072
main debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-scale to 1
main debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-acodec to mpga
main debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-ab to 128
main debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-channels to 2
stream_out_transcode debug: codec audio=mpga 0Hz 2 channels 128Kb/s
stream_out_transcode debug: codec video=mp2v 0x0 scaling: 1.000000 3072kb/s
main debug: using sout stream module "stream_out_transcode"
main warning: drive letter O: found in source
main debug: `O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi' gives access `' demux `' path `O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi'
main debug: creating demux: access='' demux='' path='O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi'
main debug: looking for access_demux module: 1 candidate
main debug: creating access '' path='O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi'
main debug: looking for access2 module: 5 candidates
vcd debug: trying .cue file: O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.cue
access_file debug: opening file `O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi'
main debug: using access2 module "access_file"
main debug: pre buffering
main debug: received first data for our buffer
main debug: prebuffering done 1408981 bytes in 0s - 1375958007 kbytes/s
main debug: creating demux: access='' demux='' path='O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi'
main debug: looking for demux2 module: 39 candidates
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:46464952 (RIFF) size:731575086 pos:0
avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'AVI '
avi debug: <list 'AVI '>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:374 pos:12
avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'hdrl'
avi debug: <list 'hdrl'>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:68697661 (avih) size:56 pos:24
avi debug: avih: streams:2 flags: HAS_INDEX IS_INTERLEAVED 624x352
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:184 pos:88
avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'strl'
avi debug: <list 'strl'>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:68727473 (strh) size:56 pos:100
avi debug: strh: type:vids handler:0x64697678 samplesize:0 23.98fps
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:66727473 (strf) size:108 pos:164
avi debug: strf: video:XVID 624x352 planes:1 24bpp
avi debug: </list 'strl'>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:106 pos:280
avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'strl'
avi debug: <list 'strl'>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:68727473 (strh) size:56 pos:292
avi debug: strh: type:auds handler:0x00000000 samplesize:0 38.28fps
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:66727473 (strf) size:30 pos:356
avi debug: strf: audio:0x0055 channels:2 44100Hz 0bits/sample 125kb/s
avi debug: </list 'strl'>
avi debug: </list 'hdrl'>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:76 pos:394
avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'INFO'
avi debug: <list 'INFO'>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:54465349 (ISFT) size:5 pos:406
avi debug: ISFT: software : HUH?
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:4d414e49 (INAM) size:1 pos:420
avi debug: INAM: name :
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:4a425349 (ISBJ) size:1 pos:430
avi debug: ISBJ: subject :
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:54524149 (IART) size:9 pos:440
avi debug: IART: artist : 62087112
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:504f4349 (ICOP) size:2 pos:458
avi debug: ICOP: copyright :
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:544d4349 (ICMT) size:2 pos:468
avi debug:
avi debug: </list 'INFO'>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:4b4e554a (JUNK) size:1562 pos:478
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:725965926 pos:2048
avi debug: skipping movi chunk
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:31786469 (idx1) size:5607104 pos:725967982
avi debug: idx1: index entry:350444
avi debug: </list 'AVI '>
avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:4b4e554a (JUNK) size:1218 pos:731575094
avi debug: * LIST-root size:731576320 pos:0
avi debug: + RIFF-AVI size:731575086 pos:0
avi debug: | + LIST-hdrl size:374 pos:12
avi debug: | | + avih size:56 pos:24
avi debug: | | + LIST-strl size:184 pos:88
avi debug: | | | + strh size:56 pos:100
avi debug: | | | + strf size:108 pos:164
avi debug: | | + LIST-strl size:106 pos:280
avi debug: | | | + strh size:56 pos:292
avi debug: | | | + strf size:30 pos:356
avi debug: | + LIST-INFO size:76 pos:394
avi debug: | | + ISFT size:5 pos:406
avi debug: | | + INAM size:1 pos:420
avi debug: | | + ISBJ size:1 pos:430
avi debug: | | + IART size:9 pos:440
avi debug: | | + ICOP size:2 pos:458
avi debug: | | + ICMT size:2 pos:468
avi debug: | + JUNK size:1562 pos:478
avi debug: | + LIST-movi size:725965926 pos:2048
avi debug: | + idx1 size:5607104 pos:725967982
avi debug: + JUNK size:1218 pos:731575094
avi debug: AVIH: 2 stream, flags HAS_INDEX IS_INTERLEAVED
avi debug: stream[0] rate:24000 scale:1001 samplesize:0
avi debug: stream[0] video(XVID) 624x352 24bpp 23.976024fps
main debug: selecting program id=0
avi debug: stream[1] rate:44100 scale:1152 samplesize:0
avi debug: stream[1] audio(0x55) 2 channels 44100Hz 0bits
avi debug: stream[0] created 134961 index entries
avi debug: stream[1] created 215483 index entries
avi debug: stream[0] length:5628 (based on index)
avi debug: stream[1] length:5628 (based on index)
main debug: using demux2 module "avi"
main debug: looking for a subtitle file in O:\Media\TV\Tivo\
main debug: looking for packetizer module: 17 candidates
main debug: using packetizer module "packetizer_mpeg4video"
main debug: stream out mode -> no decoder thread
main debug: looking for packetizer module: 17 candidates
main debug: using packetizer module "mpeg_audio"
main debug: stream out mode -> no decoder thread
main debug: starting in asynch mode
main debug: meta information:
main debug: - 'Setting' = ' HAS_INDEX IS_INTERLEAVED'
main debug: `O:\Media\TV\Tivo\Battlestar Galactica - 2003 part 1.avi' successfully opened
avi debug: old:0 < new 0
avi debug: old:0 < new 0
main debug: adding a new input
stream_out_transcode debug: creating video transcoding from fcc=`mp4v' to fcc=`mp2v'
main debug: looking for decoder module: 27 candidates
ffmpeg debug: libavcodec already initialized
ffmpeg debug: postprocessing disabled
ffmpeg debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) started
main debug: using decoder module "ffmpeg"
main debug: looking for encoder module: 10 candidates
ffmpeg debug: libavcodec already initialized
ffmpeg debug: found encoder MPEG-2 Video
main debug: using encoder module "ffmpeg"
main debug: unlocking module "ffmpeg"
main debug: looking for encoder module: 10 candidates
ffmpeg debug: libavcodec already initialized
ffmpeg debug: removing common factors from framerate
(mpeg2video@05A578B0)
ffmpeg warning: MPEG1/2 does not support 21845/911 fps
(mpeg2video@05A578B0)
ffmpeg error: cannot open encoder
stream_out_transcode error: cannot find encoder
ffmpeg debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) stopped
main debug: unlocking module "ffmpeg"
mpeg_audio debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:44100 bitrate:128
main debug: adding a new input
stream_out_transcode debug: creating audio transcoding from fcc=`mpga' to fcc=`mpga'
main debug: looking for decoder module: 27 candidates
main debug: using decoder module "mpeg_audio"
main debug: looking for encoder module: 10 candidates
ffmpeg debug: libavcodec already initialized
ffmpeg debug: found encoder MPEG Audio layer 1/2
main debug: using encoder module "ffmpeg"
main debug: looking for audio filter2 module: 5 candidates
mpgatofixed32 debug: mpga->fl32, bits per sample: 0
main debug: using audio filter2 module "mpgatofixed32"
main debug: looking for audio filter2 module: 5 candidates
audio_format debug: fl32->s16l, bits per sample: 32
main debug: using audio filter2 module "audio_format"
stream_out_duplicate debug: duplicated a new stream codec=mpga (es=1 group=0)
main debug: adding a new input
mux_ts debug: adding input codec=mpga pid=68
mux_ts debug: new PCR PID is 68
stream_out_duplicate debug: - added for output 0
mpeg_audio debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:44100 bitrate:128
main debug: control type=0
main debug: control: stopping input
main debug: closing input
avi debug: free chunk avih
avi debug: free chunk strh
avi debug: free chunk strf
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk strh
avi debug: free chunk strf
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk ISFT
avi debug: free chunk INAM
avi debug: free chunk ISBJ
avi debug: free chunk IART
avi debug: free chunk ICOP
avi debug: free chunk ICMT
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk JUNK
avi debug: free chunk LIST
avi debug: free chunk idx1
avi debug: free chunk RIFF
avi debug: free chunk JUNK
avi debug: free chunk LIST
main debug: unlocking module "avi"
main debug: unlocking module "access_file"
main debug: unlocking module "packetizer_mpeg4video"
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `XVID', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing an input
main debug: unlocking module "mpeg_audio"
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mpga', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing an input
main debug: unlocking module "mpeg_audio"
main debug: unlocking module "ffmpeg"
main debug: unlocking module "mpgatofixed32"
main debug: unlocking module "audio_format"
mux_ts debug: removing input pid=68
mux_ts debug: new PCR PID is 8191
main warning: no more input stream for this mux
main debug: destroying sout
main debug: destroying chain... (name=transcode)
main debug: destroying chain... (name=duplicate)
stream_out_duplicate debug: closing a duplication
main debug: destroying chain... (name=std)
main debug: unlocking module "mux_ts"
access_output_file debug: file access output closed
main debug: unlocking module "access_output_file"
main debug: unlocking module "stream_out_standard"
main debug: destroying chain done
main debug: unlocking module "stream_out_duplicate"
main debug: destroying chain done
main debug: unlocking module "stream_out_transcode"
main debug: destroying chain done
main debug: thread times: real 0m6.748531s, kernel 0m0.359375s, user 0m6.328125s
main debug: thread 4132 joined (src/input/input.c:386)

[fkuehne]

These are the important lines:
ffmpeg error: cannot open encoder
stream_out_transcode error: cannot find encoder
ffmpeg debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) stopped

That's a known issue and is going to be fixed soon. I expect the fix to be included in 0.8.4-test2. Perhaps, we will release something earlier (see ticket #341 for details).

[Guest]

Hi there
I have the same problem: Tried transcoding with 0.8.4 from mpeg-4 to mpeg-2, and got the same error message and only obtained audio.

With versión 0.8.0 I get video, but very chunky. In the message window I get the following message (that keeps on repeating):

main warning: backward_pts != dts (40000)
main warning: backward_pts != current_pts (-40000)


Thanks

[fkuehne]

Could you update to 0.8.4, reset your preferences with the delivered script and try again?

[Gonzalo]

I already did that when trying version 0.8.4, with the metioned result

[sethg]

I have a similar error when transcoding a XviD input file in an .avi containter into a MPEG-2 output in a TS container file. The key point seems to be that the input frame rate is the NTSC film frame rate of ~24 fps and the desired output frame rate is the NTSC video rate of ~30 fps. VLC complains that it can't make MPEG-2 output at ~24 fps, which sounds reasonable. However, search though I have, I cannot find how one sets the output frame rate to something other than the input frame rate.

I first tried the wizard, and then tried the more detailed open file dialog. The reason to make an output file with MPEG-2 in a TS container at ~30 fps is to burn a DVD that will play on a North American DVD player into a North American TV. This has other issues, which may or may not be fatal, such as making the three files that are commonly included in that container format: .ifo, .buf and .vob. If the video has menu or chapter information, there are three additional files with the same extension in the VIDEO_TS folder on the DVD.

I know there is probably an incredibly simple parameter setting for the output frame rate, but for the life of me, I can't find it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[sethg]

If nobody has any suggestions as to how to set the output frame rate for MPEG-2 to the North American video rate of 29.97fps when the input XviD has the North American film frame rate of 23.97fps, then would somebody who has the appropriate permissions please report this as a bug? As far as I can tell, regular forum users such as myself cannot submit reports to the bug tracking system.

As explained in my previous post, the current result of transcoding a 50-minute video clip is a small output file (100MB) with audio only. VLC can play the input XviD file properly on the PC in its entirety, so it is only a problem when transcoding (to an MPEG-2 output file with TS container format, in this case). There may be other cases of transcoding to a file that fail, but I haven't tested for them.

edit:
I can provide a sample file, if needed. This is completely repeatable.

[sethg]

Here's another piece of the puzzle. Thanks to another user's post back in October, I tried adding the fps= parameter to the transcode string in the upper box in the GUI. I tried both fps=30 and fps=29.97. Both did put video in the output file but the aspect ratio was stretched from 16:9 to something like 22:9. This is not easy to watch and makes everyone look short and fat.

Even though the exact value of 29.97 fps was closer to adding exactly six frames per second from the 23.98 fps input file, this setting caused more master timing resets due to excessive drift than did the 30 fps setting, which is further from the ideal and will have to add slightly more than six frames per second. This is just a minor observation.

The problem of the horizontally stretched video is the big issue, as is the fact that there is no place in the GUI (that I could find) to specify the output frame rate. Another problem is that all the output information is in one file, which is great for streaming over a network. If you want to burn a DVD, however, you want the three separate files with .vob, .ifo and .bfo extensions. Anyone have any ideas how to make VLC create those files, and not horizontally stretch the image when transcoding from the North American film frame rate to the video frame rate?

[Guest]

Thanks to another user's post back in October, I tried adding the fps= parameter to the transcode string in the upper box in the GUI. I tried both fps=30 and fps=29.97. Both did put video in the output file but the aspect ratio was stretched from 16:9 to something like 22:9. This is not easy to watch and makes everyone look short and fat.

I had exact same audio-only output file problem you describe, when using anything newer than vlc-0.8.1. Based on other posts here, I set the default transcode frame rate in sout preferences to 23.976 and resulting output .ts files play fine and are approriate size (~1.1GB for a 42min. ts with vb=3072 and a/52 audio). The same can be accomplished without setting the default by using fps=23.976 in the MRL (I put it right after vb=3072,). These .ts files then play flawlessly on my Roku Photobridge, not sure what would happen using them as you describe.

Prof