Can't edit MP4 files in Virtual Dub

[brevardo]

I'm having a heck of a time to try and open a MP4 file in Virtual Dub. I followed someone's advice on the forum as he told me to remove the MP4 plugin as Virtual Dub wants to use Quicktime to open the MP4 file and that the MP4 plugin was causing a conflict with Quicktime. I tried that and it still doesn't work. I now get a message that reads, "Unable to initialize Quicktime : Initiate QTML" What does this mean? Should I put the MP4 plugin back? I've tried everything including changing the quicktime.ini file to "mode=2" as someone else suggested and that didn't work either. The only other thing that appears strange is that when look in VFW configuration at H264\AVC codec it reads "decoder libavcodec" and then the supported fourcc's and remarks reads "H264,AVC1, X264,VSSH (incomplete) " WHat does that Incomplete word mean? Is that causing the problem? Please advise? Thanks, Brevardo

[jagabo]

Get rid of quicktime. It's full of bugs and other problems. I find the MP4 plugin for VirtualDub is pretty useless too. Use Haali Media Splitter and the DirectShow plugin (for VirtualDub) to open MP4 files.

[brevardo]

This all sounds great and sounds like it would work but it still doesn't. I removed Quicktime and MP4 plugin and installed Direct Show again as well as this Haali Media Splitter. I now get a red error window that says "unknown or unsupported file type" Here's a few things though that are now happening: When I go to file the file in Virtual Dub it isn't in the normal view as all of the other files and it was before I removed the MP4 plugin. I guess the normal view doesn't recognize Mp4 files? So I had to use the Virtual Dub drop down menu for Files of Type and select "All Types" as that was the only way that would be able to find the Mp4 file. Here's the other thing that seems strange. Shouldn't I be able to see the Direct Show plugin in "files of type" as well? I've done ths several times now and I do remember at one time I saw that in there as a selection. I installed both of these Haali and reinstalled Direct show and put them in the Virtual Dub directory . plugins32. Is this where they are supposed to be? I'm not really sure how Haali comes in to play? Is it supposed to work in Virtual Dub or is it a separate program that has to do some work on the Mp4 file beforehand? And I still have know idea what the purpose of Direct Show is or if that too is supposed to be working inside of Virtual Dub? I think I'm getting close I think I'm just not following you on exactly how I was supposed to install these and exactly where? Thanks again, Brevardo

[lordsmurf]

Use the MP4 plugin by fcchandler, and not the others

On some systems, there are conflicts. On others, there's not.
It all comes back to YOUR computer, not the software or even the OS.

I've been here, too.

[jagabo]

"DirectShow input driver" should show up in the "Files of type" pulldown. Select it. If you don't see MP4 files in the file list type *.mp4 in the filename field and press Enter. That will force MP4 files to show up. Select the file and press Open.

In my experience, DShowInputDriver.vdplugin can be placed in the plugins or plugins32 folder.

[brevardo]

[QUOTE=lordsmurf;2048885]Use the MP4 plugin by fcchandler, and not the others

Which one would it be?

fccHandler's stuff
MPEG-2 Upgrade for VirtualDub 1.6.19 by fccHandler

This software is obsolete and will no longer be updated.
For MPEG-2 and WMV support in the latest VirtualDub, try my plugins.
Note that this version cannot decompress AC-3 audio.
If you need AC-3 support, try my AC-3 ACM Codec.
Latest build 24586 (September 27, 2007): VirtualDub-MPEG2.zip (954 KB) Change Log
Source code: VirtualDub-MPEG2-source.7z (1.15 MB)
Based on VirtualDub 1.6.19 by Avery Lee
Visit me at the Unofficial VirtualDub Support Forums
--------------------
May the FOURCC be with you...

[brevardo]

Get rid of quicktime. It's full of bugs and other problems. I find the MP4 plugin for VirtualDub is pretty useless too. Use Haali Media Splitter and the DirectShow plugin (for VirtualDub) to open MP4 files.

Okay I've tried about six or 7 different options again today and still no success juat the same old black screen. I was thinking of trying this option though. I know how to get the Direct Show working and installed into Virtual Dub. I have no idea though how to use this Haali Media Splitter. I installed it but I don't know at what point it should be used with the MP4 file. Is it a separate program that needs to be run on the Mp4 file beforehand or is it something that works with Virtual Dub? Should I just install it in the Plugins 32 directory like everything else? I wish everyone would be a little bit more detailed and specific. Thanks, Rich H

[jagabo]

Just install Haali Media Splitter like any other applications -- run the setup program. Haali runs in the background and tells Windows MP4 (and MKV, MOV, TS, etc.) files are A/V files. It also handles the audio and video so that any DirectShow based player or editor can access them.

[brevardo]

Well I installed it and I even reinstalled it in the Virtual Dub directory this time and you would really have no idea thatt it's doing anything. I then opened up Virtual Dub again and before selecting the MP4 file I went to Files of Type and selected the Direct Show Input Driver and then selected the MP4 file to play in Virtual Dub and once again for about the 44th time in the past few days it doesn't work! Now the error message reads "unable to set filename on media detector hr= 80004002 Why is verybody giving me several ways to do this and all of them seem to contradict each other? Is this just an impossible thing to do?

[jagabo]

Now the error message reads "unable to set filename on media detector hr= 80004002

I've never seen that before. I think it has something to do with your AAC decoder:

http://www.dvbviewer.tv/forum/topic/37600-cannot-render-mediafileoutput-pin-error-0x80...uch-interface/

You can try using ffdshow as your AAC decoder.

[DarrellS]

Are you using ubuntu? I don't think it supports Virtualdub.

If using 32bit Windows...

1. Install Quicktime Alternative (or Quicktime) http://download3.videohelp.com/quicktimealt322.exe
2. Install the newest version of Virtualdub http://sourceforge.net/projects/virtualdub/files/virtualdub-win/1.9.11.32842/VirtualDu...1.zip/download
3. Place the quicktime plugin in the plugins folder http://www.tateu.net/software/
4. Place the quicktime.ini in the Virtualdub root folder
5. Install ffdshow and set VFW support for H264 to ffmpeg-mt or libavcodec. Set audio config to support AAC. (with the quicktime plugin, I'm not sure you have to do this since you have quicktime alternative but just in case)
6. In the open file dialog box, choose "ask for extended options" and choose "3: ICM Decomp" and Audio Decoder Mode "1: Enabled"


This should be enough to open mp4 in Virtualdub. Not sure what is causing your error messages. I haven't seen them before.

Option two...

DirectShow input driver http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=15093 (put in plugins folder)
Haali Media Splitter http://haali.su/mkv/
ffdshow-tryouts http://ffdshow-tryout.sourceforge.net/ (set VFW support for H264 to ffmpeg-mt or libavcodec. Set audio config to support AAC)

Here, a brief explanation is given of how to use the input plugin system to open some file formats that VirtualDub doesn't handle natively.

WMV, M2TS/MTS, MP4 and Matroska (and potentially many other types) via DirectShow

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=18798&

Input Plugins

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=12664&

[Ai Haibara]

I believe you can run VirtualDub in WINE, though I'm not sure to what extent - I've done it on my Linux setup, but since I had no need to use it, there and then, I didn't do much beyond opening it and closing it.

[M Bruner]

I run Windows 7 and the only solution that worked for me was installing AviSynth, writing the script for opening up the MP4 file with the DirectShowSource command, and using that script to open the MP4 file.

[brevardo]

I'm at the point where I really don't see this working for me. I think I'm just not meant to open Mp4 files with Virtual Dub. It really shouldn't be this difficult though. I'm just annoyed because I'm getting bad instructions from most of the people on here. For instance the last guy is telling me to load this alternative Quicktime in the "plugins" directory when in fact I've been loading everything else in the "Plugins32" directory. Everybody is just saying to do this and do that but they're not being specific. I just went ahead and put back the MP4 Virtual Dub plugin as well as the Quicktime plugin and removed the useless Haali splitter that did absolutely nothinng and at least when I open an Mp4 file I am back to where I get the blank black screen. At least this is better then getting those annoying red error windows. It still doesn't work but I would think if I have it to this point where it's at least loading the video that I must be pretty close. I'm sure from here it's just a matter of tweaking a setting.

[M Bruner]

Did you try it, or do you just feel it won't work?

[poisondeathray]

If you're on linux , a more logical choice would be avidemux

[jagabo]

Quicktime Alternative installs the same defective codecs and reader/splitters that Quicktime installs, just less of the additional baggage. Everything you've been told works. But depending on what's in your system and what files you are reading different methods will work. VirtualDub will load plugins from a folder named Plugins or Plugins32. You can use either. In my experience, MP4 is the most annoying container to work with in Windows.

[poisondeathray]

What kind of video compression ?

use mediainfo (view=>text) , copy & paste the information back here

[brevardo]

Yeah. I'm starting to think that's the problem. I'm on Wine Linux Ubuntu Lucid. I can get just about everything to work with Wine and the reason that I'm feeling this won't is because that Haali Media Splitter. Someone earlier told me that it's supposed to be running in the background. I think because I'm on Wine nothing runs in the background like on a regular wiindows machine. That's why I was trying to figure out how the Haail Media splitter played a role in all of this. You wouldn't know it's in Virtual Dub because you never see it and there is nothing that ask to set configaration with Haali. So because I can't run that is probably why none of this is working for me. You would still think though since I'm getting the video to load and it's just coming up black that it's only a step or two a way with the MP4 plugin and the QT settings? Hopefully someone will have a better MP4 plugin for Virtual Dub that's user-friendly. Someone earlier told me to use FCChandler's but I have a feeling that guy wasn't paying attention as I could only find a MP2 plugin from FCCHandler. I would imagine that's not it. Thanks for trying to help though.

[brevardo]

I run Windows 7 and the only solution that worked for me was installing AviSynth, writing the script for opening up the MP4 file with the DirectShowSource command, and using that script to open the MP4 file.

I tried that too and that's not nearly as easy as everyone is trying to make it sound. It probably would be for a regular windows machine but since I'm on Wine/Ubuntu/Linux/Lucid it's too difficult to map the path in the script for the video. I tried it and it was looking like another time consuming headache.

[jagabo]

I have VirtualDub running under Wine on Ubuntu. I was able to open an MP4 file (h.264, AAC) with the following AviSynth Script:

ffmpegSource2("filename.mp4")

The AVS script was in the same folder as the MP4 file (full path not necessary). You'll need to get the ffmpeg2source plugin for AviSynth and put it in AviSynth's plugins folder.

By the way, that script only give the video. If you want audio you have to use something like:

ffmpegSource2("filename.mp4", atrack=1)

Or:

aud=ffaudiosource("filename.mp4")
vid=ffvideosource("filename.mp4")
audiodub(vid,aud)

I was able to open and scrub through the file but when I went to save (xvid, PCM, AVI) I got an error message saying "frame accurate seeking is not possible with this file" and it aborted. I'll play with it more later today to see if I can get it working. Don't have time now.

[lordsmurf]

I'm not yet convinced the file isn't corrupted.

[jagabo]

I found a workaround for ffmpeg source aborting while encoding. There's a problem with displaying the output pane while encoding. After disabling the output pane (View -> Output Video Pane) I was able to filter and compress an MP4 video.

I think Wine's implementation of DirectShow isn't complete enough to for the DirectShow plugin for VirtualDub, or AviSynth's DirectShowSource(), to work.

[DarrellS]

I think he's putting everything in the plugins folder instead of installing it and expecting it to work. Nobody told him to put quicktime alterative, ffdshow or haaili media splitter in the plugins folder but it sounds like that is what he is doing. Of coarse Virtualdub is not going to open the files if he doesn't install the programs needed to open the files.

This is the third thread that he has started with the same problem. I've written the instructions out as simple as I can but he doesn't seem able to follow those instructions but instead, bashes us for trying to help.

To the OP, why don't you go to the Virtualdub forum and ask for help? The guy that created the program or the people that created the plugins could help a lot better than we can. Just follow the links that I pasted in the instructions above.

I'm just annoyed because I'm getting bad instructions from most of the people on here. For instance the last guy is telling me to load this alternative Quicktime in the "plugins" directory when in fact I've been loading everything else in the "Plugins32" directory.

Again, nobody told you to put this stuff in the plugins folder. You were already putting everything in the plugins folder on your own. If you go back and read the instructions again, you will see what I told you to put in the plugins folder and what I told you to install. The only thing that goes in the plugins folder are Virtualdub plugins, nothing else.

DShowInputDriver.vdplugin is a plugin
Quicktime.vdplugin is a plugin

Place in the plugins folder means place in the plugins folder.
Install, means install in Windows. You can't just place these files in a folder, you have to run the .exe file to install the files in Windows. They won't do anything if they're not installed into the system.

I would suggest uninstalling everything mentioned above and starting all over with fresh copies of

Virtualdub
ffdshow
haaili media splitter

then follow the instructions in the earlier post.

[jagabo]

Another thing you might try is remuxing the MP4 into an AVI container with AviDemux (although, in general, I find VirtualDub gives all black frames when you do this). Or just use AviDemux to do whatever editing and filtering you need, and skip VirtualDub altogether.

[brevardo]

I had given up on this but after seeing your update I'll give it another try