x264 problems and QT compatibility

[GarfBond]

So I produced an x264 rip, but when I tried muxing it into an MP4, Quicktime doesn't play the video. Instead, all I see is a white screen while the audio plays fine. I've got a raw .264 file but I'm not entirely sure how to view it when it already doesn't work in an MP4 container. What can I do to salvage this?

My second question is what are the recommended settings for producing a good Quicktime-viewable rip, or what are the settings to avoid? I've looked through a few threads here and I thought I avoided some important things, but perhaps I missed something. Here's what I used:

MeGUI 0.2.3.1b
x264 379
Automated 2pass, with Turbo
Keyframe interval 250
3 Reference frames, not mixed
2 B-frames, Adaptive, not pyramid

Deblock filter
0 Alpha or Beta deblocking
CABAC on
Subpixel refinement at 5
Weighted Prediction off
Chroma ME on

Macroblock options I4X4, P4X4, P8X8, B8X8

Main AVC Profile
Unrestricted AVC level

I pretty much didn't touch things in the Advanced tab.

[Backflip]

The CE-QuickTime profile here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=101813) was made for QT compatibility purposes.

[GarfBond]

Awesome, thanks. Out of curiousity, does anyone know what was wrong in my config that QT may have barfed on?

[Sharktooth]

The number of reference frames.

[Randall]

What Sharktooth said. The QT white screen of death sux0rs. Sharktooth's profile will solve all your QT problems. I also wrote a QT compatibility guide here http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=102609 if you have any more problems.

QT doesn't support anything above Main Profile, meaning that it's built in decoder will accept sources that used multipass, max 2 B-Frames, B-References, Adaptive Quant, multiple slices, CABAC, etc. Essentally everything in the Main Profile settings.

QuickTime does NOT support 8x8 dct and intra prediction, lossless encoding, etc. Basically anything from the High Profile.

[GarfBond]

Hmm, so I tried using the CE-Quicktime profile this time and I still got the white screen of d'oh. Maybe I should start this rip from scratch, bad karma or something... :)

[GarfBond]

Here was my avisynth, happily generated for me by gknot:
# Created with Gordian Knot
#
# http://gknot.doom9.org

# PLUGINS
LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\GordianKnot\DGMPGDec\DGDecode.dll")
#LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\decomb.dll")
#LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\KernelDeInt.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\UnDot.dll")
#LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\dgbob.dll")
#LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\Convolution3d.dll")
#LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\FluxSmooth.dll")
#LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\TomsMoComp.dll")
#LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\VSFilter.dll")
#LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\SimpleResize.dll")

# SOURCE
mpeg2source("H:\CHARLIE_CHOCOLATE_FACTORY_D1\charliechocolatefactory.d2v")

# CROPPING
crop(4,0,714,476)

# SUBTITLES
#VobSub("FileName")

# RESIZING
LanczosResize(512,288)

# DENOISING: choose one combination (or none)
Undot()

# 1) little noise
#Temporalsoften(2,3,3,mode=2,scenechange=6)
#mergechroma(blur(1.3))
#FluxSmoothST(5,7)

# 2) medium noise
#Temporalsoften(3,5,5,mode=2,scenechange=10)
#Convolution3d("moviehq")
#FluxSmoothST(7,7)

# 3) heavy noise
#Temporalsoften(4,8,8,mode=2,scenechange=10)
#Convolution3d("movielq")
#FluxSmoothST(10,15)

EDIT: Removed large blocks that were commented out.

[Randall]

That looks good for a avisynth script. nothing wrong there. what about your x264 command line, can we get a look at that? If your x264 command line args check out (within QT permaters) then the only other thing left is your muxing with MP4Box. Interrestingly enough, I have been having some trouble with the latest version of MP4Box and QT. I reverted to the previous version and everything is working fine again. I dunno if it was a bug in MP4Box, or if I was just using it wrong, or if it was just a fluke. If you're still having trouble (The CE-QuickTime profile should have worked for you) then when I get home tonight I can look up exactly which version of MP4Box I have and let you know.

Your x264 command line should look something like this assuming that you have named your avs script charliechocolatefactory.avs...

x264.exe --pass 1 --bitrate 839 --stats "charliechocolatefactory.stats" --bframes 2 --subme 6 --analyse p8x8,b8x8,i4x4,p4x4 --me esa --progress --no-psnr --output NUL "charliechocolatefactory.avs"

x264.exe --pass 2 --bitrate 839 --stats "charliechocolatefactory.stats" --bframes 2 --subme 6 --analyse p8x8,b8x8,i4x4,p4x4 --me esa --progress --no-psnr --output "charliechocolatefactory.mp4" "charliechocolatefactory.avs"

Good luck bro.

QT compatibility tends to be a bitch.

[bond]

not yet another "x264 and qt" thread

striked for not :search:

closed