FFmpeg and VC-1?!

[meimeiriver]

In Windows 10, consider the following line in VapourSynth:

vid = core.lsmas.LWLibavSource ("f:/jobs/wm.mkv")

The stream is VC-1, though. Suddenly getting dozens of these (see below). Make me wonder, does LWLibavSource even support VC-1?! Looks like the underlying FFMpeg code is real flaky.

I was hoping to avoid having to install ffdshow tools under Win 10, but I may have to. Not even sure LWLibavSource's libav dependency can be overriden, though.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

x264 [info]: OpenCL acceleration enabled with NVIDIA Corporation GeForce GTX 980
x264 [info]: Compiling OpenCL kernels...
x264 [info]: profile High, level 4.1
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe
[vc1 @ 00000236bd0cbe80] warning: first frame is no keyframe

[LigH.de]

Warnings are no reasons to panic.

If libavcodec did not support VC-1 decoding, you would not get your video decoded at all, because LwLibavVideoSource would not use any other decoder than the ones it has compiled in. If it would not contain a VC-1 decoder, it would definitely not try to use a system installed DirectShow or Media Foundation codec, but fail instead.

Does the video decode at all? Does the result look fine? ... Then ignore the warnings. They are possibly just on a nerdy level (like, can VC-1 have "open GOPs" and have a GOP start with a B frame?).

[meimeiriver]

Warnings are no reasons to panic.

If libavcodec did not support VC-1 decoding, you would not get your video decoded at all, because LwLibavVideoSource would not use any other decoder than the ones it has compiled in. If it would not contain a VC-1 decoder, it would definitely not try to use a system installed DirectShow or Media Foundation codec, but fail instead.

Does the video decode at all? Does the result look fine? ... Then ignore the warnings. They are possibly just on a nerdy level (like, can VC-1 have "open GOPs" and have a GOP start with a B frame?).

Thanks. But yeah, the output is utter garbage (just white flickering).

I was just going to set up VapourSynth, in a Vmware box, to experiment with ffdshow. But if libav is statically built-in, then I guess that's a no-no too.

[LigH.de]

I never saw such warnings from libavcodec printed on a console. They should not be displayed, usually. I wonder if enabling ffmpeg error output was a mistake by the person who built this specific version.

[meimeiriver]

I never saw such warnings from libavcodec printed on a console. They should not be displayed, usually. I wonder if enabling ffmpeg error output was a mistake by the person who built this specific version.

Regardless, the output is garbage, so something is definitely very wrong.

[LigH.de]

Can you offer a brief sample? And most important, a verbose MediaInfo analysis (extended mode). If it is "interlaced VC-1", I believe libavcodec did not support it completely, this may require a hardware decoder or Microsoft decoder filters.

[meimeiriver]

Can you offer a brief sample? And most important, a verbose MediaInfo analysis (extended mode). If it is "interlaced VC-1", I believe libavcodec did not support it completely, this may require a hardware decoder or Microsoft decoder filters.

It's not interlaced. See for yourself:

General
ID                                       : 1 (0x1)
Complete name                            : F:\jobs\wm-sample.m2ts
Format                                   : BDAV
Format/Info                              : Blu-ray Video
File size                                : 309 MiB
Duration                                 : 1mn 59s
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 21.6 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate                 : 35.5 Mbps

Video
ID                                       : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : VC-1
Format profile                           : Advanced@L3
Codec ID                                 : 234
Duration                                 : 2mn 0s
Bit rate                                 : 20.8 Mbps
Width                                    : 1 920 pixels
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate                               : 23.976 (24000/1001) fps
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.417
Stream size                              : 297 MiB (96%)

And here is a sample on my OneDrive:

wm-sample

The sample I muxed to .m2ts, btw, and it then gives me a far clearer hint:

[mpegts @ 00000222de386cc0] Failed to open codec in av_find_stream_info

[LigH.de]

This is only the simple analysis output, not the extended analysis output.

If you have the CLI version, use: MediaInfo -f F:\jobs\wm-sample.m2ts

If you have the GUI version, enable the "Extended mode" in the "Debug" menu.

[meimeiriver]

This is only the simple analysis output, not the extended analysis output.

If you have the CLI version, use: MediaInfo -f F:\jobs\wm-sample.m2ts

If you have the GUI version, enable the "Extended mode" in the "Debug" menu.

Why, here it is:

General
Count                                    : 322
Count of stream of this kind             : 1
Kind of stream                           : General
Kind of stream                           : General
Stream identifier                        : 0
ID                                       : 1
ID                                       : 1 (0x1)
Count of video streams                   : 1
Video_Format_List                        : VC-1
Video_Format_WithHint_List               : VC-1
Codecs Video                             : VC-1
Complete name                            : F:\jobs\wm-sample.m2ts
Folder name                              : F:\jobs
File name                                : wm-sample
File extension                           : m2ts
Format                                   : BDAV
Format                                   : BDAV
Format/Info                              : Blu-ray Video
Format/Extensions usually used           : m2ts
Commercial name                          : BDAV
Codec                                    : BDAV
Codec                                    : BDAV
Codec/Info                               : Blu-ray Video
Codec/Extensions usually used            : m2ts
File size                                : 324390912
File size                                : 309 MiB
File size                                : 309 MiB
File size                                : 309 MiB
File size                                : 309 MiB
File size                                : 309.4 MiB
Duration                                 : 119953.164063
Duration                                 : 1mn 59s
Duration                                 : 1mn 59s 953ms
Duration                                 : 1mn 59s
Duration                                 : 00:01:59.953
Duration                                 : 00:02:00;02
Duration                                 : 00:01:59.953 (00:02:00;02)
Overall bit rate mode                    : VBR
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 21619536
Overall bit rate                         : 21.6 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate                 : 35500000
Maximum Overall bit rate                 : 35.5 Mbps
Frame rate                               : 23.976
Frame rate                               : 23.976 fps
Frame count                              : 2878
Stream size                              : 12948147
Stream size                              : 12.3 MiB (4%)
Stream size                              : 12 MiB
Stream size                              : 12 MiB
Stream size                              : 12.3 MiB
Stream size                              : 12.35 MiB
Stream size                              : 12.3 MiB (4%)
Proportion of this stream                : 0.03992
File creation date                       : UTC 2016-05-04 08:56:51.330
File creation date (local)               : 2016-05-04 10:56:51.330
File last modification date              : UTC 2016-05-04 08:20:19.763
File last modification date (local)      : 2016-05-04 10:20:19.763

Video
Count                                    : 333
Count of stream of this kind             : 1
Kind of stream                           : Video
Kind of stream                           : Video
Stream identifier                        : 0
StreamOrder                              : 0-0
ID                                       : 4113
ID                                       : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID                                  : 1
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : VC-1
Commercial name                          : VC-1
Format profile                           : Advanced@L3
Internet media type                      : video/vc1
Codec ID                                 : 234
Codec                                    : VC-1
Codec                                    : VC-1
Codec/Family                             : VC-1
Codec/Url                                : http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/format/codecdownload.aspx
Codec profile                            : Advanced@L3
Duration                                 : 120037
Duration                                 : 2mn 0s
Duration                                 : 2mn 0s 37ms
Duration                                 : 2mn 0s
Duration                                 : 00:02:00.037
Duration                                 : 00:02:00;02
Duration                                 : 00:02:00.037 (00:02:00;02)
Bit rate                                 : 20756502
Bit rate                                 : 20.8 Mbps
Width                                    : 1920
Width                                    : 1 920 pixels
Height                                   : 1080
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Sampled_Width                            : 1920
Sampled_Height                           : 1080
Pixel aspect ratio                       : 1.000
Display aspect ratio                     : 1.778
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate                               : 23.976
Frame rate                               : 23.976 (24000/1001) fps
FrameRate_Num                            : 24000
FrameRate_Den                            : 1001
Frame count                              : 2878
Resolution                               : 8
Resolution                               : 8 bits
Colorimetry                              : 4:2:0
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Scan type                                : Progressive
Interlacement                            : PPF
Interlacement                            : Progressive
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.417
Delay                                    : 4200000.000
Delay                                    : 1h 10mn
Delay                                    : 1h 10mn 0s 0ms
Delay                                    : 1h 10mn
Delay                                    : 01:10:00.000
Delay, origin                            : Container
Delay, origin                            : Container
Stream size                              : 311442765
Stream size                              : 297 MiB (96%)
Stream size                              : 297 MiB
Stream size                              : 297 MiB
Stream size                              : 297 MiB
Stream size                              : 297.0 MiB
Stream size                              : 297 MiB (96%)
Proportion of this stream                : 0.96008
Buffer size                              : 3749952
format_identifier                        : VC-1

[LigH.de]

I downloaded your sample. Currently using AviSynth+ (r1847, MT-pfmod), L-SMASH Source for AviSynth 32b r785: Works well, video looks good.

So if there is any issue, it must be in the VapourSynth version. Just tried to load with a version that came with an older StaxRip, and it fails opening the video source. I'll have to update and try again with current versions...

[meimeiriver]

I downloaded your sample. Currently using AviSynth+ (r1847, MT-pfmod), L-SMASH Source for AviSynth 32b r785: Works well, video looks good.

So if there is any issue, it must be in the VapourSynth version. Just tried to load with a version that came with an older StaxRip, and it fails opening the video source. I'll have to update and try again with current versions...

Thanks for all your testing so far!

Turns out Windows Media Player can't play VC1 either; what a joke! I'm on Windows 10 pro, 64-bit, btw. You'd think they'd finally added VC1 support by now! The KMPlayer shows it just fine, as well as PowerDVD 15. So, I'll investigate in that area some more.

[LigH.de]

MPC-HC 1.7.10 (using LAV Filters, video playback decoders using the same libavcodec kernel as L-SMASH Source) can play the sample just fine.

BTW, congratulations to your taste, "Watchmen" is one of only few movies I would even consider buying...
_

Now, updated VapourSynth x64 to R32, and StaxRip x64 to v1.3.4.0 stable; still, VirtualDub x64 v1.10.4 can't open the script.

---------------------------
VirtualDub Error
---------------------------
Avisynth open failure:
Python exception: [Fatal]: Failed to read an input file

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "src\cython\vapoursynth.pyx", line 1491, in vapoursynth.vpy_evaluateScript (src\cython\vapoursynth.c:26897)
  File "H:\Video\Test\wm-sample.vpy", line 5, in <module>
    clip = core.lsmas.LibavSMASHSource(source = r'H:\Video\Test\wm-sample.m2ts');
  File "src\cython\vapoursynth.pyx", line 1383, in vapoursynth.Function.__call__ (src\cython\vapoursynth.c:25204)
vapoursynth.Error: [Fatal]: Failed to read an input file

import vapoursynth as vs;

core = vs.get_core();
core.std.LoadPlugin(r'E:\Programme\StaxRip\Apps\Plugins\vs\vslsmashsource\vslsmashsource.dll');
clip = core.lsmas.LibavSMASHSource(source = r'H:\Video\Test\wm-sample.m2ts');
clip.set_output();

_

P.S.: My bad; that worked with an MP4, but for M2TS I need LWLibavSource.

import vapoursynth as vs;

core = vs.get_core();
core.std.LoadPlugin(r'E:\Programme\StaxRip\Apps\Plugins\vs\vslsmashsource\vslsmashsource.dll');
clip = core.lsmas.LWLibavSource(source = r'H:\Video\Test\wm-sample.m2ts');
clip.set_output();

Video loads fine in VirtualDub x64.

x264_64 from MeGUI runs nicely, no vc1 warnings. Only one

[mpegts @ 0000000000599120] Failed to open codec in av_find_stream_info

before y4m [info].

[meimeiriver]

Thanks for the compliment, for starters.

Strange how different versions of VapourSynth matter. I think I forgot to mention it (here), but I'm using the static version of LWLibavSource (as the dynamic one crashes on sight for me, for some reason).

I still get the impression that somewhere along the line a VC1 codec is missing somewhere. As my version of LWLibavSource is static, there is, like you said, no real way for me to manipulate it externally (like with ffdshow).

More at 11 (no really, as I need to catch me a few hours sleep now first: been up way too long).

And, once again, thanks for all your extensive testing!

[meimeiriver]

MPC-HC 1.7.10 (using LAV Filters, video playback decoders using the same libavcodec kernel as L-SMASH Source) can play the sample just fine.

BTW, congratulations to your taste, "Watchmen" is one of only few movies I would even consider buying...
_

Now, updated VapourSynth x64 to R32, and StaxRip x64 to v1.3.4.0 stable; still, VirtualDub x64 v1.10.4 can't open the script.

---------------------------
VirtualDub Error
---------------------------
Avisynth open failure:
Python exception: [Fatal]: Failed to read an input file

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "src\cython\vapoursynth.pyx", line 1491, in vapoursynth.vpy_evaluateScript (src\cython\vapoursynth.c:26897)
  File "H:\Video\Test\wm-sample.vpy", line 5, in <module>
    clip = core.lsmas.LibavSMASHSource(source = r'H:\Video\Test\wm-sample.m2ts');
  File "src\cython\vapoursynth.pyx", line 1383, in vapoursynth.Function.__call__ (src\cython\vapoursynth.c:25204)
vapoursynth.Error: [Fatal]: Failed to read an input file

import vapoursynth as vs;

core = vs.get_core();
core.std.LoadPlugin(r'E:\Programme\StaxRip\Apps\Plugins\vs\vslsmashsource\vslsmashsource.dll');
clip = core.lsmas.LibavSMASHSource(source = r'H:\Video\Test\wm-sample.m2ts');
clip.set_output();

_

P.S.: My bad; that worked with an MP4, but for M2TS I need LWLibavSource.

import vapoursynth as vs;

core = vs.get_core();
core.std.LoadPlugin(r'E:\Programme\StaxRip\Apps\Plugins\vs\vslsmashsource\vslsmashsource.dll');
clip = core.lsmas.LWLibavSource(source = r'H:\Video\Test\wm-sample.m2ts');
clip.set_output();

Video loads fine in VirtualDub x64.

x264_64 from MeGUI runs nicely, no vc1 warnings. Only one

[mpegts @ 0000000000599120] Failed to open codec in av_find_stream_info

before y4m [info].

Oh my, I completely misunderstood you! I thought the Failed to open codec in av_find_stream_info meant it still didn't work, but it *does*!!

So, what can we conclude here? That the original mkv file I used (demuxed with eac3to) makes LWLibavSource crap out, badly (but only for VC1, it would appear, as all H264 stuff I normally demux to .mkv works just fine). And that the later .m2ts version (remuxed with tsMuxeR) works fine too! (Sans that one error, which seems rather fatal, but actually turns out to be completely harmless, LOL).

Again, my deep appreciation for the time and effort you put into this, helping to resolve this!