Problem with YouTube H.264 FLV files

[kovezett]

The newly encoded H.264 FLV videos (that is the &fmt=35 version) are shaky when playing in VLC. I have problems only with videos from the last 3-4 weeks e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU1wNudI5iU&fmt=35, the earlier ones are fine e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQDtZIz_gc8&fmt=35. Any help appreciated.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Ask youtube to know what they changed ?

[kovezett]

Thanks

This is what Mediainfo says about the abovementioned videos:
(MPlayer can play them without any difficulty.)

General
Complete name
Format : Flash Video
File size : 19.7 MiB
Duration : 3mn 36s
Overall bit rate : 764 Kbps
starttime : 0.000
totalduration : 216.760
totaldatarate : 762.722
bytelength : 20707856.000
canseekontime : Yes
sourcedata : B4A7D6C01

Video
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L2.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 3 frames
Duration : 3mn 36s
Bit rate : 655 Kbps
Width : 480 pixels
Height : 360 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4/3
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.152

Audio
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 4
Format profile : LC
Format settings, SBR : No
Duration : 3mn 36s
Bit rate : 101 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General
Complete name
Format : Flash Video
File size : 69.6 MiB
Duration : 10mn 36s
Overall bit rate : 918 Kbps
starttime : 0.000
totalduration : 636.045
totaldatarate : 917.296
bytelength : 72975072.000
canseekontime : Yes
sourcedata : B4A7D6C02

Video
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L3.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 3 frames
Duration : 10mn 35s
Bit rate : 802 Kbps
Width : 624 pixels
Height : 360 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.119

Audio
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 4
Format profile : LC
Format settings, SBR : No
Duration : 10mn 36s
Bit rate : 107 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits

[VLC_help]

How do you download the file? I can only get the HQ MP4 ones. Not FLV ones.

[kovezett]

Firefox with DownloadHelper extension. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006
But there are other methods too.

[Lotesdelere]

How do you download the file?

How to download the .MP4 versions of Youtube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1YvhN-XpSU&fmt=18
1) For instance the following URL:

Code: Select all

http://www.youtube.com/get_video?video_id=AAA&t=BBB&fmt=18

2) replace AAA with the v=ID of the video, in this case it's v=a1YvhN-XpSU
3) replace the BBB with the t=value to be found for the video when checking the html sourcecode of the video's page
in this case it's t=OEgsToPDskKEL4t23D9u95TFaaZeTZPB
4) download the result:

Code: Select all

http://www.youtube.com/get_video?video_id=a1YvhN-XpSU&t=OEgsToPDskKEL4t23D9u95TFaaZeTZPB&fmt=18

I can only get the HQ MP4 ones. Not FLV ones.

These files actually are in a MP4 container, so you can safely change the extension to MP4 instead of FLV.

But anyway both files are playing fine for me, whether as FLV or as MP4, in both VLC v0.9.8a and v1.0.0-git.
Reset (read delete) your preferences and cache in %appdata%\VLC folder.

[kovezett]

How do you download the file?

These files actually are in a MP4 container, so you can safely change the extension to MP4 instead of FLV.

But anyway both files are playing fine for me, whether as FLV or as MP4, in both VLC v0.9.8a and v1.0.0-git.
Reset (read delete) your preferences and cache in %appdata%\VLC folder.

I'm talking about the &fmt=35 version not the &fmt=18. The &fmt=35 was introduced in last december and gives a better quality videos than the &fmt=18.

[kovezett]

You can create a bokmarklet to download the &fmt=35 flv files:

javascript:if%20(document.getElementById('download-youtube-video')==null%20&&%20!!(document.location.href.match(/http:\/\/[a-zA-Z\.]*youtube\.com\/watch/)))%20{var%20yt_flv_path='http://www.youtube.com/get_video?fmt=35 ... ='+swfArgs['video_id']+'&t='+swfArgs['t'];%20var%20div_embed=document.getElementById('watch-embed-div');if(div_embed){var%20div_download=document.createElement('div');div_download.innerHTML='<br%20/>%20<span%20id=\'download-youtube-video\'><a%20href=\''+yt_flv_path+'\'>Download%20as%20FLV</a>%20'+%20%20((navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Safari')!=-1)?'(control-click%20and%20select%20<i>Download%20linked%20file%20as</i>)':('(right-click%20and%20select%20<i>Save%20'+%20(navigator.appName=='Microsoft%20Internet%20Explorer'?'target':'link')%20+'%20as)</i>'))+'</span>';div_embed.appendChild(div_download);}}void(0);

[Lotesdelere]

I'm talking about the &fmt=35 version not the &fmt=18.

You're right, I got the wrong version by using a stupid download tool, that'll teach me to apply to myself the tips I'm giving rather than using the easy way

And yes, the Bunte Schlangen video stutters a lot even in VLC v1.0.0-git.
I feel there is something wrong with the VLC FLV splitter because:
- It's playing fine in MPlayer rev. 28311 Sherpya's build and using the built-in Ffmpeg/Libavcodec decoder
- It's playing fine in MPC-HC v1.2.908 using the internal splitter and the internal H264 decoder which is also Ffmpeg/Libavcodec based on
- It's playing fine in any DirectShow player using FLVSplitter.ax v1.2.908 and any H264 decoder (e.g. Ffdshow, CoreAVC, DivX7).

[kovezett]

Thank you for your help.
I hope they'll fix this bug because I watch YouTube with the VLC plugin. Of course, I can choose the &fmt=18 mp4 versions but these H.264 FLVs look better.

[VLC_help]

Thanks, I can replicate this. Trac opened.
http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/2590

[kovezett]

Thanks!

[kovezett]

If I copy the video to mp4 container with ffmpeg, it works fine.
ffmpeg -i video.flv -vcodec copy -acodec copy video.mp4

Any hope to fix the bug?

I can't watch the HQ fmt=35 videos with the VLC plugin on YouTube.

(And yes, controls are missing from the plugin...)

[kovezett]

Problem solved by switching back to version 0.9.4.

[IdontAgree]

Has anyone fixed this yet?
Im using 1.0.0rcwhatever and it still stutters with these new FLV from youtube.
Any answers from the ticket that was opened 3 months ago?
I need to use 1 because of other issues.
https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/2590

[VLC_help]

Any answers from the ticket that was opened 3 months ago?

I am guessing that the possible fix won't made to first 1.0.0 stable release, unless it is libavcodec issue and contrib update fixes it.

[IdontAgree]

Its this crap.
Video: MPEG4 Video (H264) 640x480
wtf is this?
Cant I just get a codec for this?

[IdontAgree]

So I download this.
http://www.afreecodec.com/26/h264-codec/download/
And now Media player Classic will play the GHEY h264 downloaded youtube videos.
It was so easy, perhaps if retarded people didn't decide to change things because they are ghey psychopaths.
It wont work in VLC though and I changed it to prefer system plugins over vlc.
Why wont vlc use the ffdshow h264 codec?
Tell me how to configure please because MPLAYER Classic is ghey.

[Lotesdelere]

Problem solved by switching back to version 0.9.4.

Confirmed.

I've just tried v0.9.4 and no problem so far with these files.

[Lotesdelere]

I have updated ticket #2590 since it's now proven that it's a regression.

Fingers crossed...

[VLC_help]

Why wont vlc use the ffdshow h264 codec?

Because VLC doesn't support DirectShow.

MPLAYER Classic is ghey

You should avoid using terms that might be interpreted as sexual slurs.

[IdontAgree]

Oh so I should avoid doing what you say then should I?
Perhaps you should reply with some decent useful information instead of spending your time telling other people what to do and say?
Rc1 still pops up asking for updates when you double click it from explorer windows.
This has a bug obviously although I expect to be told what to say and do about that.
Thanks.

[VLC_help]

Rc1 still pops up asking for updates when you double click it from explorer windows.

You have tried RC-2 or RC-3? And it pops up VLC update dialog? Or the privacy dialog?

[kovezett]

The new VLC 1.0 plays fine the &fmt=35 FLV videos, but the &fmt=18 and &fmt=22 mp4 (AVC/AAC) versions simply stop after a few seconds. E.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvVeZRTALTM&fmt=22, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U9gIr5aIyU&fmt=18. Almost any YouTube video has a &fmt=18 version, so you can try them.

There is no such problem if you download the videos and play them from your hard drive.

[Lotesdelere]

but the &fmt=18 and &fmt=22 mp4 (AVC/AAC) versions simply stop after a few seconds.

There is no such problem if you download the videos and play them from your hard drive.

Confirmed, same here.