Viewing/Converting Advanced Video Codec (AVC) Security Files

[JonathanEngr]

Hi, all. I'm new to the forums even though I've used VideoLAN for years.

My reason for joining is to get some input/advice on a topic that rears its head for me every 3-6 months: BULK converting video security files (that have a "*.264" file extension) into something that can be viewed by most players (.avi, .mkv or whatever).

Essentially, I have a 16-camera home security system, and every so often I need to browse through the video stream for a particular camera or set of cameras. The software does come with a converter, but you have to do one video file at a time. For instance, if I notice something occurred on a particular day, I'll have to go to the camera involved, download all of the files for that day (so that they aren't overwritten), and then convert them one-by-one. There could be hundreds of files. VERY tedious. Every time I have to do this I spend a couple of hours looking for converters, etc., and eventually just do it file-by-file.

So... this time I did a little more research, downloaded the MediaInfo software, and have some information on these files. As mentioned above, the file have the extension ".264". They aren't h264, etc... they are the raw video stream saved form the cameras. Here is the MediaInfo from one of the files:

General
Complete name : C:\DVR\192.168.1.25\Test\ch00000000000002-141229-105209-105209-10p102000000.264
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
File size : 9.81 MiB

Video
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Baseline@L3.0
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, ReFrames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=30
Width : 704 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 3:2
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive

Hopefully this means something to someone as it means nothing to me...!!

Anyway, I found myself on this site since the MediaInfo program directed me to the x264 site of their program (http://developers.videolan.org/developers/x264.html). It appears I would have to do some modifications of VideoLAN to play these files, and perhaps VideoLAN can convert them, as well?

Any input and/or help would be appreciated!!!!

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Rename them to .h264 and VLC will always play them.

[JonathanEngr]

Nope.... it's a no-go. I even made sure that I changed the file extension to .h264 (and not simply append the filename itself). Any other thoughts?

[mederi]

You need to force h264 demuxer.
VLC CLI options:

Code: Select all

--demux=h264 --h264-fps=29.97

or in VLC preferences: Tools > Preferences > Show settings = All > Input/Codecs \ Demuxers: Demux module [h264 video demuxer]

[JonathanEngr]

Hmmmmm... Went through the menu as shown, but of all the demuxers (63 of them, not counting "automatic" and "disable") there isn't one saying "h264" at all. Did I need to place the h264 download I mentioned above in a certain directory or something to enable the h264 capability?

[mederi]

H264 is certainly one of the items in the dropdown menu there.

[JonathanEngr]

Found it!!! I clicked on "Demuxers" and then clicked the drop-down list to the right. I didn't look at the menu on the left.

Okay--so I click on H264 UNDER "Demuxers" (in the left window", and in the right window the only thing that comes up is FPS. It has an up/down set of arrows that increases/decreases the FPS by 1/10th of a second per click. Instead, I typed in 29.97, clicked on "save", and tried the file again. Nothing. I even went back in and set the FPS to the default 25, and nothing. You said I need to "force" h264 demuxer. It was already there, it already had a FPS value, so how did going to this section of the menu force anything? In your post above you said to enter code into the VLC CLI *OR* go through the menu system. Do I need to do both? I assume by CLI you mean command line interface. So I would add this to the file launch properties?

[mederi]

Tools > Preferences > Show settings = All > Input/Codecs \ Demuxers: Demux module [H264 video demuxer]
Tools > Preferences > Show settings = All > Input/Codecs \ Demuxers \ H264: Frames per Second [29.97]

You better create a desktop shortcut of VLC and edit its properties: "...\vlc.exe" --demux=h264 --h264-fps=29.97

[timscomputing]

Sorry to jump in on this. I have a similar issue, and have just followed what you mentioned RE the Demuxer. I got the files working now thankyou However the video is almost unviewable as it is extremely blocky and distorted. Any idea what other options i should change? The files are coming off a 4 way CCTV recorder.

Edit: Just notice the time stamp.... Mods please move or remove if appropriate.