Strange file, doesn't play on PC, fine on USB player, wrong field order?

[Killer3737]

I have a file which comes from a DVR recording via an AverMedia Game Capture II HD which is giving me a bit of a head scratcher.

- If I play the file as is, in MPC-HC, it's a stuttering mess. Totally unwatchable, low framerate and artifacts.
- If I re-mux it to MKV, it's the same.
- If I re-mux it to M2TS or TS it plays ok in terms of framerate but there is flickering on the non-still shots which to me means wrong field order.

- However, if I play the original MP4 file as is via the USB player on my Samsung HDTV it's perfect. No stuttering framerate and no flickering on panning.

I'm guessing that the field order has been switched during the capture and it should be TFF but why would it play without a problem via USB, and why the differences in container on PC? Some people have also said they can play it in Windows Media Player, but not VLC or MPC-HC.

Obviously i'd like to try and fix this so it plays perfectly in all players but I'm not sure what I can do without re-encoding or asking them to do it again? Are these media players interpreting the field order flag differently?

Here is the mediainfo:

Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media
Codec ID                                 : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size                                : 9.31 GiB
Duration                                 : 1h 28mn
Overall bit rate                         : 15.1 Mbps
Writing application                      : Lavf54.63.104

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames                : 2 frames
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 1h 28mn
Bit rate                                 : 15.0 Mbps
Width                                    : 1 920 pixels
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 25.000 fps
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Interlaced
Scan type, store method                  : Separated fields
Scan order                               : Bottom Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.289
Stream size                              : 9.23 GiB (99%)

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile                           : LC
Codec ID                                 : 40
Duration                                 : 1h 28mn
Duration_LastFrame                       : -21ms
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 128 Kbps
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel positions                        : Front: L R
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 KHz
Frame rate                               : 46.875 fps (1024 spf)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 80.6 MiB (1%)
Default                                  : Yes
Alternate group                          : 1

Also here is a sample, still an MP4 exhibiting the same symptoms cut with VideoReDo -
https://mega.nz/#!Zwh3HSjC!_uy5jur9wuHblwdV1e8-0K-HAsyELzOkHQK4ovPi-jc

Thanks in advance

[DB83]

I think the stuttering is due to the high bitrate with the CPU being maxed.

Chances that the DVR created a mild format specific for playback in that without any regard for something else.

Re-doing it will not help. All you can do is re-encode with variable bitrate instead of constant.

[manono]

It plays fine for me in MPC-HC, but it is supposed to be TFF. If there's a way to change the field order of an MP4 with AVC video without reencoding, I don't know what it is. But then, I've never had to.

[DB83]

Actually that 'trim' plays fine for me in VLC (did not earlier) and WMP

[Killer3737]

Strange, I have no problem playing other 1080i H.264 videos with much higher bitrates (30+) so I'm not sure why this one would struggle. Looking at performance monitor it's not taxing my CPU at all, 5% load.

I just tried VLC as I didn't have it installed, no luck either.

[DB83]

It could be the DVR. It could be the capture. It may be the quirky ISOM codec.

It could even be your system. Have you by any chance got a codec pack installed ?

[Killer3737]

It could be the DVR. It could be the capture. It may be the quirky ISOM codec.

It could even be your system. Have you by any chance got a codec pack installed ?

Nope, nothing like that. Just W10 + MPC-HC. The fact it plays ok as an M2TS but has the flickering because of the incorrect field order is also strange to me. The demuxed, raw .264 also plays in a similar manner.

I suppose the best thing to do is see if he can try and capture it again but make sure it stays TFF, that way a remuxed M2TS should be fine. Although I've no idea if the AverMedia Game Capture II HD even has such an option, it may force all of it's captures to BFF for all I know.

[DB83]

But you have to ask yourself why two people play atleast the 'trim' fine in different players whereas you fail to.

I do not know my friend's PC specs but I am still on Win7-64. Possible that Win10 is the culprit.

By all means ask about a recapture but you could always try your own re-encode. I am still suspicious about the constant bitrate which is probably down to the capture device designed more with gaming in mind rather than for general recording.

[Killer3737]

But you have to ask yourself why two people play atleast the 'trim' fine in different players whereas you fail to.

I do not know my friend's PC specs but I am still on Win7-64. Possible that Win10 is the culprit.

By all means ask about a recapture but you could always try your own re-encode. I am still suspicious about the constant bitrate which is probably down to the capture device designed more with gaming in mind rather than for general recording.

Well indeed, that is strange in itself. Something about this file my PC doesn't like but others are ok with it, including the software in my HDTV via USB. I mean nothing about this is optimum, as you can no doubt tell this is an upscale anyway and bloated in bitrate but it's the only way he had to get it off his PVR, rather than a more ideal direct copy.

As you say that device probably doesn't give him many options, just a few pre-set profiles. He did say he might try and re-do it in 720p which might nullify the fields issue, who knows.

I was going to try a re-encode myself, just wanted to see if I could fix this first.

EDIT:

Out of interest if you guys remux this into a TS or M2TS container do you also see the flickering from the wrong field order, or not?

[DB83]

Yikes.

If the original is interlaced then capturing as progressive will certainly nullify the fields issue. It will also ruin the video.

I would have expected that there is a setting for field-order but not being familiar with that device I can not be sure. Seems that your friend is also tossing coins and hopes that heads come up

But would a simple field-order change work for you given your general issues with this. Better to try yourself. Even just with the trim to start with.