Problems in viewing of trimmed MPEG2 files in Windows 7

[Ollie6431]

I recently bought a new PC with Windows 7 (64 bit). After I used MPG2CUT2 to trim an MPEG2 video file (standard def video, originally captured from an old Hi8 tape a few years back), the trimmed file only played audio but not video in MS Media Player and also VLC.

A bit puzzled by this, I tried to use MPG2CUT2 to trim the same MPEG2 file on another PC with Windows XP. The trimmed file played well (audio and video) with both MS Media Player and VLC on this PC with Windows XP. I then took this trimmed file (from the PC with Windows XP) to the new PC with Windows 7 and found that MS Media Player could not play the video, only audio, but VLC can play both audio and video (!).

It seems that the Windows 7-64 bit is the culprit here (?). I do not have Windows 7-32 bit to do similar testing. Anyway, I need help to trim and play MPEG2 file (standard def) on my PC with Windows 7 and would appreciate any suggestions. It would be great to stick to Windows XP but we do not have a choice with a new PC(!). I did not find any existing discussions on this topic in the forum. If there are any, please refer me to previuos discussions. Thanks

[Baldrick]

You need a mpeg2 decoder. I don't think any windows version includes any such.

[Ollie6431]

Baldrick: do I need an mpeg2 decoder for playing or editing MPG2 files? Since my original mpg2 video clip plays with Media player and VLC on the new PC, I take it that an mpeg2 decoder is needed for editing a file? Where do I get such decoder?

[Baldrick]

Okey, if it works before I don't know whats wrong. Maybe the windows 7 mpeg2 decoder isn't that good. I use ffdshow to decode all video.

[Ollie6431]

... Maybe the windows 7 mpeg2 decoder isn't that good. I use ffdshow to decode all video.

Thanks for your info. I have downloaded the K-Lite Codec for 64 bit and plan to install it on Win 7 and see if this helps. The K-Lite Codec pack does include ffshow and this may solve the problem.

[Jim44]

Why not just install ffdshow, if that's all you need?

[Ollie6431]

Why not just install ffdshow, if that's all you need?

That's a good idea. I should just install ffdshow (64 bit version) and see if this works first

[Ollie6431]

Just a follow-up: I installed the 64 bit version of ffdshow and the same problems persisted (repeating the trimming process with MPEG2CUT2 yielded files that did not play video with any players; audio works fine) . MPEG_Streamclip did not work either.

Maybe I made a move to Windows 7 too early! Existing tools may not have caught up yet. I also found out that a few other softwares that used to work fine in my Windows XP system now do not work in Windows 7 64 bit.

[netmask56]

Maybe MPEG2CUT2 is not 64 bit compatible - MPEGStreamclip certainly works as does Womble and WMP on my 64 bit box.
Try Win7DSFilterTweaker and change the default microsoft codec for mpeg2 to ffdshow's codec.

[Ollie6431]

netmask56: thanks for your idea. I would try Win7DSFilterTweaker since the description for this seems to address the problem in Windows 7. Note: I did try MPEG_Streamclip to trim the MPEG2 file but this did not work either (same problem with no video)

[Jim44]

Maybe I made a move to Windows 7 too early! Existing tools may not have caught up yet. I also found out that a few other softwares that used to work fine in my Windows XP system now do not work in Windows 7 64 bit.

I'm using Win 7 64-bit, but all of my video tools are 32-bit, and work just fine, FWIW.

[thymej]

Try Installing both the 32bit and 64bit versions of ffdshow. A 32bit program does not use 64bit codecs.

[Ollie6431]

Jim44: if your Win 7 64 bit works well with existing 32 bit tools, maybe there are some other problems with my Windows 7 setup

thymej : I am not sure how both versions of the same ffdshow can work in the same Windows OS?

netmask56: I have not used Win7DSFilterTweaker yet since I looked up the ffdshow configuration and saw that it specifies MS Media Player as one of the programs to use ffdshow

Thanks for all of your input. It looks like there is something more perculiar to my PC setup rather than 32 bit vs. 64 bit problem. I will sit on this for a while. My new PC has no problem playing video files (MPEG2, mts, etc.). It just gets this strange problem with the edited MPEG2 file.

[Jim44]

Jim44: if your Win 7 64 bit works well with existing 32 bit tools, maybe there are some other problems with my Windows 7 setup

Could be. Mine's a pretty fresh install.

thymej : I am not sure how both versions of the same ffdshow can work in the same Windows OS?

I'm not thymej, but the 32 and 64 bit versions of the program get installed in different directories ("Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)"), and should be accessed by the appropriate 32 or 64 bit application. I had started down that path, but realized it could possibly be too much of a maintenance headache, having 2 versions of some programs.

[thymej]

I have 32bit players and 64bit players; I test with both. The ffdshow64 will only work with 64bit players. The 32bit ffdshow only works with the 32bit players. If I did not have the 32bit ffdshow installed I could never use ffdshow with my 32bit player. The player's wont get confused what ffdshow to use, 32bit is for 32bit and 64 for 64.

If you don't try you will never know if it would fix the issue. If it does not fix your problem you can always uninstall the version you will never use.

If you have the 64bit ffdshow installed and are using a 32bit program, then you are not using ffdshow with that 32bit program.

[Ollie6431]

I have 32bit players and 64bit players; I test with both. The ffdshow64 will only work with 64bit players. The 32bit ffdshow only works with the 32bit players. If I did not have the 32bit ffdshow installed I could never use ffdshow with my 32bit player. The player's wont get confused what ffdshow to use, 32bit is for 32bit and 64 for 64...

I just installed the 32 bit version of ffdshow in addition to the 64 bit one that was already in the PC. It did not help. One additional thing that I just noticed: the trimmed file plays fine if I clipped the end of the original file off. If I trimmed the leading part of the original file, that I got only sound in the trimmed file. It is strange! Any idea what causes this? Thanks

[Ai Haibara]

Did you go into the 'Video decoder configuration' and 'VFW configuration' settings from the Start Menu for both (or either) ffdshow and enable the MPEG2 codec support under "Codecs"?

I'm not sure if they're set to 'disabled' by default; mine certainly (or apparently) were. I haven't used them, yet, so I haven't changed them.

[thymej]

I just installed the 32 bit version of ffdshow in addition to the 64 bit one that was already in the PC. It did not help. One additional thing that I just noticed: the trimmed file plays fine if I clipped the end of the original file off. If I trimmed the leading part of the original file, that I got only sound in the trimmed file. It is strange! Any idea what causes this? Thanks

If you did what Ai Haibara said and still had the issue then the trimming perhaps fixed the problem with the file. Try VideoRedo quickstream fix and see if it will play after the quickstream fix feature found under Tools menu. If you don't own it use the trial.

[netmask56]

Install and run the file through ProjectX in DEMUX mode. This will fix any errors in the file. You will be left with a separate video and audio file that you will then need to mux back together. Womble will do this and at the same time you can edit off bits you don't want. Then export tp MPEG2 but using one of the DVD templates (NTSC or PAL according to your local standard) this will give you a conforming MPEG2 file.

[Ollie6431]

-Ai Haibara : I opened the VFW config for both ffdshow versions and enabled the MPEG2 under Codecs. The video still does not play
-thymej and netmask56: it looks like the option I have now is trying to fix the trimmed file with either VideoRedo or ProjectX. I will try this and update you on what I find. I am still a bit puzzled about why the trimmed file may get corrupted in Windows 7 but not Windows XP?

Thanks for all of your useful input

[Ollie6431]

thymej: I downloaded the trailware VideoRedo and attemped to fix the trimmed file. The trimmed file did not even open (message: video stream not found). Anyway, I used VideoRedo to trim the original video file itself and it works! The trimmed file plays in Media Player. So far, it looks like both MPEG2CUT2 and MPEGStreamclip somehow are not compatible with my Windows 7 box.

netmask56: your method likely would fix the trimmed file but I have not tried it since VideoRedo offers conforming file with editing

Thanks for all of your input. This is really a helpful forum!!

[thymej]

VideoRedo is really worth the $50 if you record and save alot of TV. v4 now does h264 video.

[Jim44]

VideoRedo is really worth the $50

Agreed. It handled some .ts files I had in the past that other programs couldn't handle, and it's not my default .ts/.mpg editor.

v4 now does h264 video.

I thought only TVSuite added h264 ($75); Plus ($50) wasn't going to get that functionality(?). I'll have to go back and look.

[thymej]

I thought only TVSuite added h264 ($75); Plus ($50) wasn't going to get that functionality(?). I'll have to go back and look.

You might be correct, I own TVSuite so I did not even think if the other version does not have h264.