The VideoLAN Forums

Hello,

I have received a video file from someone that I was trying to play using widows media player (using directshow or VfW). The problem is that I didn't manage to get it to play. The most I achieved was to get a black screen and to get the correct length of the video, but unfortunately no picture. I tried playing it with VLC and it works. I've done a little bit of research and I know that VLC uses it's own library and not a DirecSHow filter.

I have installed various codec packs (vlc codec pack included, ffdshow, lavfilters, matroska splitter, windows essential codec pack and others) but still no luck.

Here is the Media Info for the file:

General
Complete name : C:\Users\NewAdministrator\Desktop\Test videos\H.264\test.avi
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom
File size : 4.74 MiB
Duration : 39s 700ms
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 1 002 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2010-05-27 02:54:46
Tagged date : UTC 2010-05-27 02:54:46

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.0
Format settings, ReFrames : 1 frame
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 39s 700ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 001 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 576 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 5:4
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 10.000 fps
Standard : PAL
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.241
Stream size : 4.74 MiB (100%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2010-05-27 02:54:46
Tagged date : UTC 2010-05-27 02:54:46

If you want to give it a try, the file can be downloaded here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wv53is7zi5qn5ro

If someone could get it to work in WMP and tell me how he/she did it, that would be awesome .

Thanks,
Alin

It should play with LAV Filters.
However AVI is a bad container for H.264, MP4 or MKV should be used instead.

Hi,

I have already tried it without success. The initial extension of the file was .h264 and it behaved the same. Did you manage to get it to work with the LAV Filters?

The initial extension of the file was .h264 and it behaved the same.

As I said, it's a bad idea to use AVI for an H.264 video stream. Then for best compatibility mux your original .h264 stream into an MP4 container, for instance with YAMB+MP4Box. Recent binaries of MP4Box can be found in GPAC nightly builds, if needed.

Hi,

Thanks for the help. I've also enabled raw video in the LAV Splitter but I still get a black screen when I play it. The initial file had the extension .h264 and I have just renamed it. I didn't actually changed anything in the video stream. It was just for testing purposes.

It is from a recording camera and I would like to play it without to have to convert it (wold be tedious work to do this for every video in the long run).

Thank you.

The initial file had the extension .h264 and I have just renamed it.

Your .h264 file is a raw video file. You need to embed it into a container, not an AVI but an MP4 one for best compatibility with most machines including portable devices.
This is not a conversion but a lossless process, your original file will not be altered in any way.