HD Movies (mp4) playback to TV via HDMI

[xgol]

I have a Kodak Playsport and successfully played videos via USB, microHDMI to TV for camera-only captured videos.

I saved mp4 movies (of varying resolutions, sizes, and lengths) in the cam's SD card hoping to play it to TV. Playback via USB worked (just like any media storage) but won't play via HDMI.

This video camera came with Arcsoft software and copied movies I made from it hoping it will play those. No success.

Any ideas on how I can play movies from Playsport to TV via HDMI? THANK YOU.

[Baldrick]

Have you used same video and audio codecs as the kodak playsport videos? Use mediainfo to identify the video and audio codec, resolution,etc and then use those settings in the encoder.

But many(most?) cameras can't play videos you copy to it. Even if it has exact same video and audio codecs as the kodak video files.

[xgol]

Have you used same video and audio codecs as the kodak playsport videos? Use mediainfo to identify the video and audio codec, resolution,etc and then use those settings in the encoder.

But many(most?) cameras can't play videos you copy to it. Even if it has exact same video and audio codecs as the kodak video files.

THANKS a lot for the MediaInfo. Didn't know this existed -- was using file properties to compare.

Looks like a lot for me to check and correct (see REF below). But I guess this is my best shot. Last shot.

How will I add codec in my playsport cam? Firmware or simple filecopy?

BTW, I tried renaming the NOT working file according to Kodak's filenaming convention. Cam now "found" the vid but has format error message.

REF:

A. Working Video
General
Complete name : \100_1210.MP4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : JVT
Codec ID : avc1
File size : 35.7 MiB
Duration : 37s 938ms
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 7 884 Kbps
Movie name/More : KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera, Zx5
Encoded date : UTC 2014-05-15 19:17:07
Tagged date : UTC 2014-05-15 19:17:07
Origin : Digital Camera
AMBA :

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.2
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 37s 938ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 7 671 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 49.9 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.123
Stream size : 34.7 MiB (97%)
Title : Ambarella AVC / Ambarella AVC
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2014-05-15 19:17:07
Tagged date : UTC 2014-05-15 19:17:07

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 37s 909ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 64.0 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Channel positions : Front: C
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 296 KiB (1%)
Title : Ambarella AAC / Ambarella AAC
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2014-05-15 19:17:07
Tagged date : UTC 2014-05-15 19:17:07



B. NOT Working Video
General
Complete name : \100_1218.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom
File size : 84.4 MiB
Duration : 16mn 55s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 698 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 1970-01-01 00:00:00
Tagged date : UTC 1970-01-01 00:00:00
Writing application : Lavf52.71.0

Video
ID : 1
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=12
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 16mn 55s
Bit rate : 597 Kbps
Width : 640 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Minimum frame rate : 14.985 fps
Maximum frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.081
Stream size : 72.2 MiB (86%)
Writing library : x264 core 98
Encoding settings : cabac=0 / ref=1 / deblock=0:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0 / me=dia / subme=8 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=4 / chroma_me=0 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=1 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=0 / weightp=0 / keyint=12 / keyint_min=7 / scenecut=0 / intra_refresh=0 / rc=cqp / mbtree=0 / qp=30 / ip_ratio=1.25 / aq=0
Encoded date : UTC 1970-01-01 00:00:00
Tagged date : UTC 1970-01-01 00:00:00

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 16mn 55s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 96.0 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 11.6 MiB (14%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 1970-01-01 00:00:00
Tagged date : UTC 1970-01-01 00:00:00

[Cornucopia]

Couple things:

Your container is showing "Base Media/isom" flavor, instead of "JVT/avc1" flavor. Minor variation, but could mean alot to the player. You MIGHT be able to cheat and rewrite the codec ID to fool the player, but it could be an actual (slight) structural difference, which WON'T fool the player.

This could be looked at with an Atom/Box Viewer to see the exact structure differences.

Your video is Baseline@L3.0 profile, instead of Main@L4.2 profile. Usually, players would accept lower level profiles than their requisite (though NOT higher), but it could be the player only expects Main profile, and won't accept Baseline. You'd have to re-encode, but that should be fairly easy to fix.

Same with audio. Your audio is 44.1kHz instead of 48kHz and stereo instead of mono (also 96kbps instead of 64kbps). It could be your player is VERY PICKY and only wants one kind of format. Again, this requires a re-encode, but is an easy fix.

The part that I think the player is having the most difficult time with is in the Video framerate. Not only is yours 23.976 (film rate) instead of 29.97 (NTSC video rate), but your 23.976 is VARIABLE FRAME RATE (or at least recognized as such). VFR video causes all kinds of problems and should ALWAYS be avoided, IMO.

Did this video originally come from a phone? They're notorious for creating VFR video. And re-encoding with x264 might just carry that along. The only good thing you can do with VFR is convert it to CFR, ASAP.

Scott

[xgol]

Thanks Cornucopia for the detailed inspection.

The working video came from the camera itself. The Not working video is from a movie that I tried loading as-is and then later edited/cut (was then suspecting that the file-size, length as possible cause of problem). I used MediaImpression (bundled with Kodak), Format Factory, and DoremiSoft Kodak Video Converter.

[Cornucopia]

Always best to test with a similar length to the known-good.

IIWY, I would NOT use MediaImpression, nor DoremiSoft KVC, unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. There are plenty of better FREE alternatives for conversion, if not so much (FREE) for editing. Format Factory I don't love and think there are better alternatives, but it doesn't suck.

What is the spec/origin for your original "movie" (assuming you have legit usage for it)?

Scott

[xgol]

Movie: Only HD/Blueray rip I have is Scarface (Video specs: 1920Wx816H, 1921kbps data rate, 2017kbps total bitrate, 23frames/sec; Audio specs: 95kpbs bitrate, 48khz sample rate).

My choice for software is influenced by what I have/stumbled upon. Suggestions that can do this job better?

[xgol]

here's one video I edited/compiled using MediaImpression with raw footages from the camera itself. This too didn't play from the videocam.

General
Complete name : PG L.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Sony PSP
Codec ID : MSNV
File size : 538 MiB
Duration : 4mn 46s
Overall bit rate : 15.7 Mbps
Movie name/More : Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera
Encoded date : UTC 2012-06-12 17:50:38
Tagged date : UTC 2012-06-12 17:50:38
Origin : Digital Camera
AMBA :
 d

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.2
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 4mn 46s
Source duration : 4mn 46s
Bit rate : 15.6 Mbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.566
Stream size : 535 MiB (99%)
Source stream size : 535 MiB (99%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2012-06-12 17:50:38
Tagged date : UTC 2012-06-12 17:50:38
mdhd_Duration : 286787

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 4mn 46s
Source duration : 4mn 46s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 91.6 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 3.13 MiB (1%)
Source stream size : 3.13 MiB (1%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2012-06-12 17:50:38
Tagged date : UTC 2012-06-12 17:50:38
mdhd_Duration : 286784

[Baldrick]

It's probably some container header data doesn't match. It wont be easy to fix that without knowing exactly what to change.

I would look for another/real portable player.

[xgol]

Thanks Baldrick.

Will give it a shot and will keep update this thread. Just too curious to pass up on this .