Virtuadub 1.99 with plugin pack, unable to locate avc1

[Mark669]

I am using Virtualdub 1.99 with the plugin pack, and directshow driver plugin, on Win7x64. Quicktime.ini moved into the folder with Virtualdub.exe. I am using the 32 bit Virtualdub because the plugin pack seems to be 32 bit and something else said not to mix...
When I try to open mp4 video, get the error: unable to locate a video codec to decompress the video format 'avc1' (unknown)
Older 2008 posts here talk about needing Haali or FFDshow for mp4 support. Is that still required? Other 2009 posts make it sound as if it is not...

[poisondeathray]

yes you need an avc/h.264 decoder. ffdshow is the most common free one

or you could use avisynth to import your video

[Mark669]

Thanks... got FFD, tried again... argghhhh!!!!
Since there was ffdshowX64 that seemed to support all the codecs I would need, I got that and replaced Vdub32 with Vdub64. Installed FFD64 with the defaults. Specified PLUGINS folder beneath VEEDUB64.EXE location for VVDUB.VDF.
Attempting to open MP4 video in Vdub now errors with: the file "filename" is of an unknown or unsupported file type
Closed Vdub, launched FFD config. Changed H264/AVC decoder from ffmpeg-mt to libavcodec.
Launched Vdub again, opened file again, same error.

[poisondeathray]

I think the mp4 plugin is 32-bit so it probably won't work with your setup . It should work with everything 32-bit incl. ffdshow

you also need win7dsfiltertweaker to set ffdshow to override ms decoder in win7

[Mark669]

Okay, feel like I'm getting closer, but not there yet. Have 32 bit versions of FFD and VDUB loaded. Ran tweaker and changed 32 bit decoders for H264, VC1, MP4V to FFDshow. FYI the only 64 bit decoders listed are all Microsoft. Can open MP4 video files in vdub without any error. But when I play or advance through the frames there is no video displayed. Making blind selections and saving them does produce a playable mp4 video file. Is there one last step to enable the preview so you can see what it is you are editing?

[poisondeathray]

Not sure . In my experience the vdub import plugins are unreliable. Avisynth works more consistently

[Koppel]

Same here... just black video.

Can anyone provide a avisynth script for importing mp4 files with AAC audio?

[jagabo]

DirectshowSource("filename.mp4")

Or:

FFmpegSource2("filename.mp4")

[Koppel]

When using "DirectshowSource" and saving as uncompressed avi, than the audio is unuseable.
Not even VLC media player can play it.

When using "FFmpegSource2" there isn't even audio listed under "Streams > Stream list" therefor no audio at all.

I'm strating to get gray hair over this. I just need to cut a piece out of the video and need the audio to be in sync.
Seems like there is not a program in the world that can do that. Please help me out.

[jagabo]

DirectshowSource() definitely works for me. Do you have a DirectShow AAC decoder installed (ffdshow will work)? What MP4 file reader/splitter are you using? I'm using Haali.

Try this with the ffmpeg source package:

A = FFAudioSource("filename.mp4")
V = FFVideoSource("filename.mp4")
AudioDub(V, A)

That works with the avc/aac mp4 files I have.

[Koppel]

ffdshow is installed, Haali splitter is installed.

A = FFAudioSource("filename.mp4")
V = FFVideoSource("filename.mp4")
AudioDub(V, A)

Seeking the video doesn't work and when cutting pieces just by frame numbers and try to save a uncompressed avi, there is an error: Avisynth read error "Access Violation at ..."
Sometimes I can seek for a few frames.

[Gavino]

When using "FFmpegSource2" there isn't even audio listed under "Streams > Stream list" therefor no audio at all.

By default, FFMpegSource2 does not deliver audio. You need to use
FFMpegSource2("filename.mp4", atrack=-1)

For your seeking problems, try using seekmode=0.

[jagabo]

By default, FFMpegSource2 does not deliver audio. You need to use
FFMpegSource2("filename.mp4", atrack=-1)

Thanks.

[Koppel]

Still no luck.
I used this: "FFMpegSource2("file_aac.mp4", atrack=-1, seekmode=0)"
Lets me seek a few frames and than an error occures: "Avisynth read error: Access Violation at 0x2ae2380, reading from 0x2c0

[jagabo]

Maybe your file is corrupt? Does it play normally in a media player? Have you tried using the DirectShow source plugin in VirtualDub?

[Koppel]

The file is OK. Plays fine with Media Player Classic.

DirectShowSource("file_aac.mp4")

Lets me seek normally but when I save the WAV file, it's just silence.

MediaInfo says this about the file:

Video
ID                               : 2
Format                           : AVC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                   : Main@L3.0
Format settings, CABAC           : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames        : 2 frames
Codec ID                         : avc1
Codec ID/Info                    : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                         : 1h 33mn
Bit rate mode                    : Variable
Bit rate                         : 2 401 Kbps
Width                            : 720 pixels
Height                           : 576 pixels
Display aspect ratio             : 16:9
Frame rate mode                  : Variable
Frame rate                       : 27.878 fps
Original frame rate              : 25.000 fps
Minimum frame rate               : 0.229 fps
Maximum frame rate               : 50.000 fps
Standard                         : PAL
Color space                      : YUV
Chroma subsampling               : 4:2:0
Bit depth                        : 8 bits
Scan type                        : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.208
Stream size                      : 1.56 GiB (95%)
Language                         : English
Encoded date                     : UTC 2010-12-07 21:03:47
Tagged date                      : UTC 2010-12-07 21:03:47
Color primaries                  : BT.470-6 System B, BT.470-6 System G, BT.601-6 625, BT.1358 625, BT.1700 625 PAL, BT.1700 625 SECAM
Transfer characteristics         : BT.470-6 System B, BT.470-6 System G
Matrix coefficients              : BT.470-6 System B, BT.470-6 System G, BT.601-6 625, BT.1358 625, BT.1700 625 PAL, BT.1700 625 SECAM, IEC 61966-2-4 601

Audio
ID                               : 1
Format                           : AAC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version                   : Version 4
Format profile                   : LC
Format settings, SBR             : No
Codec ID                         : 40
Duration                         : 1h 33mn
Bit rate mode                    : Constant
Bit rate                         : 128 Kbps
Channel(s)                       : 2 channels
Channel positions                : Front: L R
Sampling rate                    : 48.0 KHz
Stream size                      : 85.3 MiB (5%)
Language                         : English
Encoded date                     : UTC 2010-12-07 21:03:47
Tagged date                      : UTC 2010-12-07 21:03:47

[jagabo]

Not AviSynth's DirectShowSource(), the DirectShow source plugin for VirtualDub.
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=15093&st=0
Though i don't expect it will work any better.

[Koppel]

Avisynth mediawiki: How do I load MP4/MKV/M2TS/EVO into AviSynth?

Since I have a file with variable framerate I need to create a timecodes file

# loading the video and audio from a MP4 and returning a timecodes file:
FFmpegSource("D:\file_aac.mp4", vtrack = -1, atrack = -1, timecodes="timecodes_file.txt")

Creates error: no function named FFmpegSource.
Ok, I have the newer version. If I use FFmpegSource2 in the script (note the "2" in the end) the timecodes_file.txt is created.

Use the timecodes file again when muxing your encoded video and audio. If you don't do this your video and audio in your final encoding will be out of sync.

How do I use the timecodes file?

It's getting ridiculous cause I just want to cut out and save one interview from this video and all programs fail.

[jagabo]

The timecodes file is created by ffmpegSource2() and is used when seeking within the video. AVI files are constant frame rate. Your VFR source will be converted to CFR AVI and your will likely get A/V sync problems.

You indicated earlier that you could use DirectShowSource() but there was something wrong with the audio. What about using DirectShowSource() for the video and ffmpegsource2() for the audio?

vid = DirectShowSource("filename.mp4", fps=29.97, convertfps=true, audio=false)
aud = FFAudioSource("filename.mp4")
AudioDub(vid, aud)

Substitute the rate you want for fps. Use the nominal rate for the part you're interested in. You can view the renderer properties during playback to get that value.

Maybe you'll have better luck with AviDemux? It will let you edit MP4 losslessley (keyframe only cuts). I don't have any VFR MP4 files to test with it.

[Koppel]

OMG! Jagabo, I want to buy you flowers... It worked!


Did these "fps=29.97, convertfps=true" parameters on the "vid = DirectShowSource" line fixed the sync issues?

[Gavino]

Did these "fps=29.97, convertfps=true" parameters on the "vid = DirectShowSource" line fixed the sync issues?

FFMpegSource2 can also handle VFR using the fpsnum and fpsden parameters, so it would probably also work without DirectShowSource, getting both video and audio together with
FFmpegSource2("D:\file_aac.mp4", atrack = -1, fpsnum=30000, fpsden=1001)

[jagabo]

Did these "fps=29.97, convertfps=true" parameters on the "vid = DirectShowSource" line fixed the sync issues?

Yes.