Please help me to add date/time marquee

[clemenzina]

I will soon be using VLC to record a wildlife cam via mms stream. I need the current date/time to be embedded in the video all the time, in order to validate it and to facilitate editing, by which I mean chopping out relevant passages from hours of footage.

I've spent hours and hours but cannot get it right. The following pic is an example of what I need, but it was done with Debut screen capture - I realise that with VLC I will have to have the text inside the frame, whereas with a screen capture program I could make the frame deeper to accommodate the date/time without encroaching on the video itself. I would like GMT to be included if poss.



I wonder if someone would be so kind as to tell me exactly what to tick and exactly what to type and where.

BTW, the new project will be colour video but am currently recording B/W, so I need to be able to change the text colour to ensure that it is clear. I only know very basic HTML (like quotes, bold, colours, like one used to use for an eBay listing a few years ago) and no other PC language.

EDIT:

OMG!!! Just played an existing recording with VLC and there, plonk in the middle of it, is the current date and time - the first sign I've seen of it. But it's not what I want! I need the date/time to be current when the recording was made, not when it is played

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

VLC cannot know when the stream was recorded. The encoder (the camera??) need to insert the timestamp then.

[clemenzina]

VLC cannot know when the stream was recorded.

I am not expecting VLC to know when any video it plays was recorded. But when
VLC itself is the recorder, I want it to include real-time date/time in the OSD. It already adds the recording end-time to titles, so it definitely knows the time when it is recording. For example:



I am sure it must be able to do it because a less versatile program like Debut can do it, this is the setup panel:



And this is the actual date and time embedded into the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOCI5YE8oRM

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

The marquee filter does that. You obviously need to apply it BEFORE the encoding.

[mederi]

I have just made my own marquee VLC extension: Time Perhaps you could alter the script a bit to get also a date value (search for os.date("%H:%M:%S") in the script and try it without any format - os.date(), or use own format). You can also add some black padd above or below the picture where the text will be displayed. Use cropadd video filter in VLC2. I would like to have at least some hotkeys for padding on-the-fly in VLC for that purpose as it is useful to get subtitles out of the picture (scene).
Ticket #6172: Custom Aspect Ratio and Padding "on the fly"

Is the VLC's marquee video filter able to display a running time? Is it possible to use it in extension script? I would like to use it instead of vlc.osd.message() if possible so I could also set custom color and font size of OSD marquee text straight in extension's dialog box.

[mederi]

Is the VLC's marquee video filter able to display a running time?

I have just found out how to use VLC's marquee filter. There are some formats available and it also displays actual date and running time.
Set up the filter:
Tools > Preferences > (Show settings - All) > +Video > +Subtitles / OSD > -Marquee:
Text: [%d.%m.%Y %H%M%S] << place mouse cursor over it to display help for various formats
...
Timeout [0]
Refresh period in ms [1000]

Turn it on:
Tools > Preferences > (Show settings - All) > +Video > +Subtitles / OSD:
Overlays -
- Subpictures source module: [v] Marquee display
- Subpictures filter module: [v] Marquee display

Save and restart VLC!

Is it possible to use it in extension script?

?

[clemenzina]

Hi there, Mederi, thanks so much for the guidance. I had already done all that but thought it wasn't working for reasons I won't boggle your mind with

I have achieved this:



(I would really like the font to be Bookman Old Style; failing that, a more squat font than the default - but you can't have everything )


HOWEVER, I can see the OSD whilst VLC is playing and recording, but there's no sign of it when the recording is played back.

And another thing - VLC records the stream in asf format, but it cannot PLAY that format, I have to use KM Player. It doesn't seem right, am I missing something?

But the most important thing is to get the OSD date/time to show up on recordings. Have I omitted a setting somewhere.?

[mederi]

You are right. VLC does not embed OSD text in video records and I really do not know whether it is a bug or it is not meant to record also OSD text at all. Perhaps it could be possible to achieve this using command line interface. Perhaps some experienced user or some developer could help you with that.

There is following option available in VLC: Menu > Stream... You could try to stream from "Network" or "Capture Device" to a file. There is a command line generated at the end or setting process that you could alter a bit to add "Marquee" filter. I do not know how to. I could not even find there Xvid (avi+xvid+mp3) video format I would like to use.

--- EDIT ---
As for the font "Bookman old style", it is possible to set a custom font for subtitles and related OSD text:
Tools > Preferences > (Show settings - All) > +Video > +Subtitles / OSD > -Text renderer: Font []
I think it is a good feature request to put the missing stuff from Text renderer to Marquee and vice versa (Font, Free custom position XY/alignment, ...). They could contain the same settings but should stay independent from each other.

[clemenzina]

I can't imagine the purpose of OSD if it can't be recorded - but my use of VLC is limited to Play the files it associates with, and this specific recording job.

Last osprey season VLC performed heroically but there was a dispute (there were lots actually ) about what one bird did, and when. That's why I am so keen to get the Date/Time OSD working, I've got about a week to get it right before EJ (adult female) is back on her Scottish nest all the way from Africa.

Talking of heroics, I really appreciate you spending your time on my behalf, Mederi. As a reward, here is a little VLC clip of "my" 2 osprey chicks from last August, just before they flew off to west Africa on their first migration (where, it appears from the satellite signals, one of them has perished in a storm A lot of them perish.). If VLC had been displaying the Date/Time, one could see the time-lapse between these landings, viewers would know that I hadn't taken videos from different days and joined them up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAs522AL_nk

That's just an example found quickly from 700+ of my osprey vids from last season, there are more important "events" that it would be useful to "validate".

Here's a recording from last night, a barn owl couple in Cornwall, the male of whom seemed to be having trouble knowing his role in life. This sequence is supposed to show that he's "got it together" now, but I could have extracted video from anywhere and reassembled it to give an entirely false impression. I have 2 copies of VLC recording simultaneously the two cams in the barn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDhRhpWqyWQ

So can you (VLC writers) see how important it is to have the date/time OSD visible on recordings?

[nkoriyama]

soverlay doesn't help?
https://forum.videolan.org/search.php?s ... s=soverlay

[clemenzina]

As for the font "Bookman old style", it is possible to set a custom font for subtitles and related OSD text:
Tools > Preferences > (Show settings - All) > +Video > +Subtitles / OSD > -Text renderer: Font []
I think it is a good feature request to put the missing stuff from Text renderer to Marquee and vice versa (Font, Free custom position XY/alignment, ...). They could contain the same settings but should stay independent from each other.

I thought "eureka!" when I found a drop-down in there offering me a choice of text renderer fonts including Bookman OS, but it doesn't change the OSD font.

I was thinking about a feature request, Mederi, but am not sure I'm technically capable of phrasing it correctly. I wish my learning curve was as steep as yours, mine's nearly horizontal

[clemenzina]

soverlay doesn't help?
https://forum.videolan.org/search.php?s ... s=soverlay

Thank you, Nkoriyama. Firefox didn't want me to view that link*, but when I overrode the warning I still didn't understand what I found. I wonder if my personal assistant will have a go for me If not, that's perfectly understandable.

In the meantime, I'll have a look at the Wiki.

*One of the posts in that link is by VLC_help (in reply to nobody, it's just an isolated post made in January 2012 in the Windows Troubleshooting section), he said:

If you want to "burn" the subtitles to video stream, you have to use soverlay in transcode command.

Is he referring to outgoing stream as opposed to incoming stream? In which case the instruction would be no good to me even if I could find anything about it.

[mederi]

This activity is called voyering, isn't it

All right, I am not bringing a straight solution yet. At least I am coming with some theory that could lead to desired result.
Here is a documentation for marquee module:
http://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation:Modules/marq
And following recommended links going through
http://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation:Modules
to recommended start:
http://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation:Documentation

It is possible to dump all commands from VLC into "vlc-help.txt":

Code: Select all

vlc.exe --longhelp --advanced --help-verbose

Simply put the command line in "vlc.bat" text file (create one for example in Notepad), put the file near "vlc.exe", start the "vlc.bat" and wait for "vlc-help.txt" that will be created in the same directory.

http://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation: ... Use_of_VLC

Use the command line
TODO: completely outdated

All standard operations of VLC should be available from the GUI. However, some complex operations can only be done from the command line and there are situations in which you don't need or want a GUI. Here is the complete description of VLC's command line and how to use it.

You need to be quite comfortable with command line usage to use this.

Note: Windows users have to use the --option-name="value" syntax instead of the --option-name value syntax.

In my previous post I have meant from VLC menu: "Media > Stream..." instead of "Menu > Stream...". I tried to stream local video file with transcoding and embeding subtitles into video. It works but my old computer is already too slow for this. This is a command line shown in the last step of streaming configuration process there:

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:sout=#transcode{vcodec=mp4v,vb=500,scale=1,scodec=dvbs,soverlay}:duplicate{dst=file{dst=C:\\\\films\\\\test.avi},dst=display} :no-sout-rtp-sap :no-sout-standard-sap :ttl=1 :sout-keep

There is "scodec=dvbs,soverlay" used for subtitles. I have found usage of "soverlay, sfilter=marq" here:

Code: Select all

http://veetle.com/index.php/article/view/marquee

Your message contains too many URLs. The maximum number of URLs allowed is 4.

I think that embeding subtitles or possible marquee always needs trascoding of the source video. Is there a Master that will teach us how to put it all together?

Task: Using Windows' command line (*.cmd or *.bat file) to save a network video stream with overlayed marquee filter displaying actual date and running time, as the "WYSIWIG" recording in GUI does not work.

[clemenzina]

You are a star, Mederi, but I am not one

QUOTE: You need to be quite comfortable with command line usage to use this.

I am not "quite comfortable with", in fact I am totally unfamiliar with command line usage

Do you think I would be shot for putting this in the feature request section? Let's see

[clemenzina]

Mederi, for your information and edification I've had a response in the feature request thread:

Per Jean-Baptiste: You need to transcode then and use soverlay to add the marquee.

So Nkoriyama was right, but I shall have to go to VLC college

[mederi]

I think I have a working solution for you. Now you need to decide about transcoding video/audio codecs (and their parameters) and related muxer (container): http://wiki.videolan.org/Codec
But first of all you should have a look at the information about the stream from your network camera, when you watch its streamed video in VLC: in menu go to Tools > Codec Information. Then put it here. You can also check average bitrates in "Statistics" tab there.
You could also use MediaInfo tool on your existing recordings you have already made. You have mentioned ASF format.

[clemenzina]

I'm just installing MediaInfo "as we speak". I shan't be able to stay up much longer, will be back tomorrow (I mean, later today).

Thank you, Mederi

[clemenzina]

AND - as presently configured, VLC is no good for playing videos because it displays the current date/time on top of whatever's there. So if the video was a recording that I made with Debut including Debut's own date/time which was concurrent with the video, VLC will stamp the current date/time over the top of it. Off I go to inform the feature request people

[mederi]

The downstreamed video is in WMV3 format, little picture of 320x240 pixels, the bitrate is around 300 kb/s and there is no audio track at all. I have tried to keep the same format for transcoding.
Here is the batch script file's content I have prepared for you:

Code: Select all

set SOURCE="mms://wms.carnyxlive.co.uk/abernethy" set DESTINATION='C:\videos\video.wmv' "C:\Program Files\VLC\vlc.exe" %SOURCE% --sout="#transcode{vcodec=WMV3,vb=300,scale=1,acodec=none,soverlay,sfilter=marq}:duplicate{dst=file{dst=%DESTINATION%},dst=display}"

Copy the code and put it in simple text file. For example you can use Notepad where you paste the copied code, then menu File > Save As... to save the script as a *.cmd or *.bat file (Save as type: All files). Or simply create some ordinary *.txt file, put the code in, save and rename the filename extension to cmd or bat.

You should edit paths in the script - DESTIONATION and a path to your vlc.exe
It is possible to transcode in some different format. You can also try to increase output video bitrate, but I think that vb=300, maybe 350, is just fine.
I recommend you to set up the marquee filter straight in VLC's preferences, but do not turn it on there.
Or you can edit the command line and replace sfilter=marq with
sfilter=marq{marquee='HELLO, %%H:%%M:%%S',size=24}
You can add a croppadd video filter to add some black padd at the bottom of video where the marquee's text will be displayed:
,vfilter=croppadd{paddbottom=24}

VLC 2.0.1
I cannot see the video, but despite of error warnings (unsupported wmv3 format) recording works. Additional video filter can be used to get the text from inside of the picture to underneath.
VLC 1.1.10
Despite of error warnings recording works and I can see also a video on the screen. Croppadd video filter does not work there.

Start the batch file.

[clemenzina]

... VLC does not embed OSD text in video records and I really do not know whether it is a bug or it is not meant to record also OSD text at all.

An answer to that from the developers would have let us know where we start from (or it would have let you know, and I'd have had my curiosity/frustration allayed).

The downstreamed video... there is no audio track at all.

But there will be. I've been practising on those owls in preparation for the return of our Scottish osprey couple from Africa - and the female arrived on the nest Wednesday 5pm - unexpectedly early. So the "management team" haven't got the cam and mike sorted out, the PQ was never very good but it's awful now, and there's no sound yet. I'm using Debut to screen-capture http://www.carnyx.tv/CarnyxWild/Wildlif ... tland.aspx until VLC is sorted.

High quality video is not crucial (and I can't imagine it being possible from the elderly cam), it's recording the events and behaviour that is important. For example, I captured a pine marten (egg/chick predator) on the nest last night - it is not supposed to be able to reach the nest, there should be protection around the tree but it has failed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkHVXGg_RUI

This is a VLC snapshot of the parents and 2 chicks last July, it will give you some idea of the PQ at its best!

==============

You should edit paths in the script - DESTINATION and a path to your vlc.exe

Am confused to see .wmv after ... because VLC records in .asf, but I know there will be an explanation.

To be continued, I have a Windows Explorer problem, not accessing drives/folders, need to reboot and investigate.

[mederi]

asf vs wmv >> Mr. Google >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Me ... ner_format

Microsoft recommends that ASF files containing non-Windows Media codecs use the generic .ASF file extension.

ASF is a container. Then just rename *.wmv file extension to *.asf if you like it, but *.wmv name is really more common for wmv/wma stuff these days.

Can't you find location of your vlc.exe where it has been installed? VLC does not have to be installed at all if you just download *.zip or *.7z package of it and simply unpack it somewhere. Or you can find the path in properties of VLC shortcut icon (mouse right-click on it > properties).
Tip: download an use Total Commander instead of f*ing Windows Explorer.
Are you the only user with administration rights in your Windows 7 64-bit or are there more users with own account for each of them?
Depending on the way of installation of VLC you can use somethig like this:

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* Windows (all users): "%ProgramFiles%\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" * Windows (current user): "%APPDATA%\VLC\vlc.exe"

As I have suggested earlier, you should check and work with VLC: Media > Stream... (Ctrl+S) > ... where you choose Network tab and add some url there, press Stream button, press Next button, tick display locally, choose File, press Add button, press Browse button to find some destination for your output, write some file name there, tick Activate Transcoding, choose Profile and Edit selected profile or Create a new profile, finally press Next button to see Generated stream output string. You can play with different settings by pressing Previous button to go back to change them. You can use this generated informations in the batch script.
If you add

Code: Select all

,soverlay,sfilter=marq

or also with additional video filter

Code: Select all

,soverlay,sfilter=marq,vfilter=croppadd{paddbottom=24}

(adjust the number according to size of used marquee text) in the command line chain and press final Stream button, you should see playing video with marquee on the screen and it should be also recording in the file you have specified.
Somehow WMV3 codec works for me despite it is not available there. Simply rewrite vcodec=WMV2 to vcodec=WMV3. Despite of errors that pop up, it really records in WMV3 format that is much better than WMV2. Simply WMV3 gives you better quality at lower bitrates, for example 400 instead of 800.

Unfortunately VLC2 does not show video of WMV/ASF stream, but it plays the stream because I can see the time is running in the player and it is also recording it beacause it creates output files. I can watch the video of the same stream in VLC1, so definitely there is a WMV/ASF bug in VLC2. I am on Windows XP and use Win32 version of VLC.
And what about you? Can you see video (from VLC2 menu: Media > Open Network Stream...) on your Windows 7 64-bit?

--- EDIT (24.3.2012) ---
O.K. I deleted the whole VLC folder with "vlcrc" configuration file. After restarting VLC suddenly the WMV/ASF stream works and also shows a video on the screen. I have been fiddling with several different versions of VLC that probably caused the problem. Now everything works normally again.

[clemenzina]

Unfortunately VLC2 does not show video of WMV/ASF stream, but it plays the stream because I can see the time is running in the player and it is also recording it because it creates output files. I can watch the video of the same stream in VLC1, so definitely there is a WMV/ASF bug in VLC2. I am on Windows XP and use Win32 version of VLC.
And what about you? Can you see video (from VLC2 menu: Media > Open Network Stream...) on your Windows 7 64-bit?

Just connected to osprey nest via Media>OpenNetworkStream:




See? I got the marquee off One small achievement

Off topic - The problem with Windows Explorer is that it's not seeing my drives/folders. Sometimes when I open it I only see Libraries (which I never use, all my data is on D partition), no other drives or folders WHATSOEVER. Yet I can access folders from the shortcuts on my desktop. I will install Total Commander (which I have vaguely heard of) and see what happens. Have just bought a new 750gb HDD but am worried about cloning on the existing because any faults will be transferred

Sorry about that digression. I haven't got time to study all the wonderful info you've given me, Mederi, but I will do so. I can't believe how much time you are spending to help me.

[clemenzina]

The marquee filter does that. You obviously need to apply it BEFORE the encoding.

I am still unable to use VLC for my project - on re-reading this thread I wondered if there was any mileage in the above statement, could it be clarified? I "obviously need to apply the marquee filter" before WHAT encoding? VLC is recording an mms stream and plays back as asf. I don't encode anything. I just need it to pick up the date/time from my PC at the time of the recording and embed it so that it displays when played back.

The marquee that I did manage to add simply imposed the current date/time of playback on everything it played

[mederi]

Settings for the record button?