avcodec warning: cannot decode one frame (44 bytes)

[Mountazar]

Dear support I'm facing the following problem:
I'm using VLC latest version for Windows 1.0.3 (also tried 1.0.2, 0.8.6i, 0.8.5 and latest nightly buil 1.0.4 with the same problem).
I have a video streaming server device (RTP over UDP) that uses MPEG4 compression. It is an ACTi Server device (ACD-2100) with B2-Frame option enabled (B2-Frame is a private header defined by ACTi).
When connecting VLC via RTSP (rtsp://192.168.1.x:7070), the streaming starts and works fine for a couple of minutes (sometimes a bit longer but always in minutes not hours) and then VLC crashes.

Before it crashes I can see hundreds of the following errors displayed in the Messages log (verbosity = 2):

avcodec warning: cannot decode one frame (44 bytes)
avcodec warning: cannot decode one frame (44 bytes)
avcodec warning: cannot decode one frame (44 bytes)
avcodec warning: cannot decode one frame (44 bytes)
.
.
avcodec warning: cannot decode one frame (44 bytes)
avcodec warning: cannot decode one frame (44 bytes)
etc..

When I disable the B2 frame (private header) on the video server device, VLC streaming do not show anymore the above error and will not crash. However I need to keep the B2 Frame option on my device, because there is a need for it to be set for a video decoder device (from the same manufacturer) to be able to pull the stream correctly from that server device.
VLC and the decoder device should be able to stream from that same video server at the same time.

I saw that avcodec errors are related to the libavcodec_plugin.dll maintained by ffmpeg.org
Is this the correct place to open my case or should I have to go to ffmpeg website ?
Please help,

Mountazar

[VLC_help]

If you think this is a libavcodec issue, you should report this to them. (maybe try with VLC 1.1.0 nightlies)

[Mountazar]

Dear VLC_Help, thanks first for your reply
But what are VLC 1.1.0 nightlies ? If it is not a typo, please provide a link to there.
I already tested with 1.0.4 nightly build with similar result (however it takes somehow longer - but still in terms of minutes - before crashing).
Regards

[VLC_help]

http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/win32/?C=M;O=D and trunks are 1.1.0

[Mountazar]

Hi again,
Thanks for the link (I wasn't aware of trunk and branch differences).
I downloaded and tested with VLC 1.1.0 but now it crashes just after showing only 3 times the "cannot decode one frame (44 bytes) error".
Even when the B2 private header is disabled in the device, VLC 1.1.0 trunk crashes immediately (it works however fine in this case i.e. when B2 header is disabled with the branch versions).
Anyway, thanks for your suggestion. In fact my use of VLC was as embedded GUI controls in my application. But embedded or running stand alone, VLC was crashing with the same kind of errors.
I already switched to the manufacturer made ActiveX control that is adapted and tuned for their B2 option.
I preferred first using VLC to have my application open for other devices and RTSP media sources in the future, but the current project with ACTi encoders forced me to go for a restricted choice.
Thanks for your help and best regards,
Mountazar