VirtualDub2 Now Refusing to Encode VP8/VP9

[Hunterh]

Well, that's it really. Until recently I encoded video in VP8, good quality and didn't take forever like VP9. When I try to do this using saved settings I get a message "Cannot start video compression. An invalid parameter was specified. (error code -6)"

I don't think anything changed since I use a saved settings profile. Possibly there was some change in originating video codec but these files are all run through an editor with "partial lossless" settings (splices in edits). Originating codec was dxtory. VLC reports all files as "(Codec: H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10) (avc1))." x265 works but takes forever and the file size is several times larger.

I can't even get an idea of what "error code -6" means (what's the matter, did they use up all the numbers after 0?). I have tried switching around everything. I loaded up VirtualDub2, made no changes other than compressor VP8. A file from February renders without comment. One from March does not. Comparing the two files, they are seemingly formatted identically except the one that works has a pixel format of "yuvj420p (709:FR)" and the new one is "yuv420." Does that mess up VirtualDub2? Something I can do about it?

UPDATE:

Ok, I was testing some later raw files, they all passed. Then the current file passed. So it is something to do with the editor. No variables were selected. Output is to MP4. I don't care that much about the container as long as it's compatible and it works.

Anyway, I have a choice in container, as it turns out. I selected MKV (raw files happen to be MKV too) and suddenly VP8 is working again. No idea what changed.

Anyway, moral of the story is try to isolate the variables in your workflow. I was pretty fortunate that there were almost no variables and I have many files, older and newer to compare results against. This is an irritation to have to add yet another step to the workflow but eh, if it works it works.

There is no apparent reason why the older MP4s ran through VirtualDub2 and new ones will not.

[davexnet]

Compare the full details in mediainfo (view>text) and/or post it here.

[Hunterh]

UPDATE: Nothing works. VirtualDub2 says "frame format is incompatible" no matter which compressor I try, except for VP8/9 which says of course that an invalid parameter was selected.

FILE 1:
Complete name : D:\Video recording\HF2 60 project LLSC.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 571 MiB
Duration : 30 min 2 s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 2 656 kb/s
Frame rate : 60.000 FPS
Writing application : Lavf55.33.100

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L3.2
Format settings : CABAC / 2 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 2 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 30 min 1 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 2 500 kb/s
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 60.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.045
Stream size : 536 MiB (94%)
Color range : Full
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 30 min 2 s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 152 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 192 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 32.6 MiB (6%)
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1

FILE 2:
Complete name : D:\Video recording\HF2 62 project LLSC.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 551 MiB
Duration : 28 min 57 s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 2 662 kb/s
Frame rate : 60.000 FPS
Writing application : Lavf55.33.100

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L3.2
Format settings : CABAC / 2 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 2 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 28 min 57 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 2 500 kb/s
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 60.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.045
Stream size : 518 MiB (94%)
Writing library : x264 core 142 r2455 021c0dc
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=3 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=hex / subme=7 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-4 / threads=4 / lookahead_threads=1 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=0 / rc=crf / mbtree=0 / crf=23.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=4 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=25000 / vbv_bufsize=25000 / crf_max=0.0 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Color range : Full
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 28 min 57 s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 152 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 192 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 31.5 MiB (6%)
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1

The first file (from February) renders just fine. The second does all this scandalous shit. First observation is all this "encoding settings" stuff. And writing library x264 core etc. Apparently that's the problem. But what of it, I changed NOTHING on the video editor side. I am so confused and frustrated.

[jagabo]

No problem saving vp8 and vp9 in mp4 with VirtualDub2 here. Make sure you are sending YUV 4:2:0 to the encoder.