Mux VC1 on WMV

[crypto]

The first version of the VC12AVI tool is ready for testing. I opened a new thread here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=128943)

[HD-DVD±RW]

VC1 can be muxed as PRIVATE DATA with proper descriptors as says SMPTE RP227.

Have you done this? If so, can you share the settings (mp2ts)? I've tried several times and cannot.

[ACrowley]

I managed to remux VC1 from HDDVD with WMA Audio reencoded from DD+ into a conform WMV File

1.Demux your Evo/M2ts to VC1 ES
2.vc1conv to remove Pullddown
3.VC12AVI to mux VC1 into AVI Container
4.Solveig ASF Muxer to mux VC1 AVI to ASF Container
5.Reencode your Audio to WMA. Use eac3to to get 6 mono waves from DD+/TrueHD/LPCM and use WMencoder
6.WMStreameditor to mux a conform WMV File

I made a Sample from HDDVD 1080p VC1 with a DD+ to WMA reencode, properly remuxed to conform a WMV File.
Playback with Xbox360 Dashboardplayer should be possible, so far i can see it plays smooth

http://rapidshare.com/files/55317811...REMUX.wmv.html

[nowhere2007]

VC1 can be muxed as PRIVATE DATA with proper descriptors as says SMPTE RP227.

I'd like to know the secret combination of descriptors that will work with MP2TSME. All I'm able to get out is of MP2TSME is a "Video never acquired" message.

Xmuxer works for VC1, but is brutally slow...

[zambelli]

I managed to remux VC1 from HDDVD with WMA Audio reencoded from DD+ into a conform WMV File

1.Demux your Evo/M2ts to VC1 ES
2.vc1conv to remove Pullddown
3.VC12AVI to mux VC1 into AVI Container
4.Solveig ASF Muxer to mux VC1 AVI to ASF Container
5.Reencode your Audio to WMA. Use eac3to to get 6 mono waves from DD+/TrueHD/LPCM and use WMencoder
6.WMStreameditor to mux a conform WMV File
:goodpost:
That's very cool - glad to know all the tools are working together correctly!

[pandy]

I'd like to know the secret combination of descriptors that will work with MP2TSME. All I'm able to get out is of MP2TSME is a "Video never acquired" message.

Xmuxer works for VC1, but is brutally slow...

accordingly to the www.miravid.com

"Carriage of VC-1 encoded video within a transport stream is, in fact, fairly straightforward: In the PMT,
the stream_type is 0xEA, rather than 0x02 for an MPEG-2 video elementary stream. Also, the inner
loop of the PMT entry describing the VC-1 stream should have a
registration_descriptor
with a
formatidentifier
of "VC-1" (0x56432d31), and optionally a bit of information about the stream's
characteristics. That's it!"

So we can put by manzanita private data (CBR VC1) and set stream_type as a 0xEA.

[Usa1955]

How does it work the other way around?

I'm searching for a way to get a VC1 stream (and WMA-stream) out of a WMV Container. Any idea how this could be achieved? thanks

[crypto]

If you want to get a VC-1 elementary stream out of the wmv file, look for the VC-1 es writer filter or the vc1_info tool by stegre in this forum.

[depechefan]

I have managed to mux a true HD rip to .wma and the video to a wmv. However, Windows Media Stream Editor is saying that "All audiences in the content tree must have the same content type."

I thought people were using WMSE to mux the two streams together without problems! ARG! Last step in this 3 month project!!!

[crypto]

I have managed to mux a true HD rip to .wma and the video to a wmv. However, Windows Media Stream Editor is saying that "All audiences in the content tree must have the same content type."

You are nearly there:

1. Add the video stream and transfer it to the right side
2. Add the audio stream on the left side
3. Open the nodes down to Audio
4. Check the Audio stream xxx Kbps node and transfer it to the right side (The right side's selection should be on Audience xx Mbps node from the video during this)
5. Click Create File
6. Click Start to mux.

[depechefan]

You are nearly there:

1. Add the video stream and transfer it to the right side
2. Add the audio stream on the left side
3. Open the nodes down to Audio
4. Check the Audio stream xxx Kbps node and transfer it to the right side (The right side's selection should be on Audience xx Mbps node from the video during this)
5. Click Create File
6. Click Start to mux.

THANK YOU! #4 was what I wasn't doing right! Mux worked perfectly! I'm so stoked to finally have done my first one!

[acribb]

I managed to remux VC1 from HDDVD with WMA Audio reencoded from DD+ into a conform WMV File

1.Demux your Evo/M2ts to VC1 ES
2.vc1conv to remove Pullddown
3.VC12AVI to mux VC1 into AVI Container
4.Solveig ASF Muxer to mux VC1 AVI to ASF Container
5.Reencode your Audio to WMA. Use eac3to to get 6 mono waves from DD+/TrueHD/LPCM and use WMencoder
6.WMStreameditor to mux a conform WMV File

I made a Sample from HDDVD 1080p VC1 with a DD+ to WMA reencode, properly remuxed to conform a WMV File.
Playback with Xbox360 Dashboardplayer should be possible, so far i can see it plays smooth

http://rapidshare.com/files/55317811...REMUX.wmv.html

Actually, no dice on this. I just created an WMV-HD file using this method and the 23mbps is just too high for the Xbox 360 to handle. I am getting intermittent video flicker and dropout while playing through the Xbox 360 dashboard with Fall 2007 update. I probably saw about 20 video flickers or video pauses throughout the entire movie. It is watchable, however, not perfect. My 360 is wired cat5 to my pc. The video I tested with was the Erin Brockovich HD-DVD which is full 1:85:1 aspect ratio.

I just thought I would let the forum know so as not to waste your time with this. Unfortunately, the extremely long process of re-encoding the video to lesser bitrates is an absolute must to get perfect streaming WMV-HD video on the 360.

From #4 in the Xbox 360 December 2007 Video Playback FAQ:

WMV VC1 -
Video Bitrate: 15 Mbps with resolutions of 1920 x 1080 at 30fps. See question number 11 for more information.
http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/archive/2007/11/30/december-2007-video-playback-faq.aspx

[ACrowley]

yes..ofcourse such high Bitrate VC1 Video Streams from Bluray/HDDVD are not playing smooth!

But a WVC1 reencode to 1080p makes Problems too!
2pass VBR Peak abocve 12Mbps plays not smooth , even not for 720p!
Only in CBR Mode !
So for 1080p WVC1 encoding better use CBR..
I made 1080p WVC1 encodes with 1pass VBR ,Buffer 60000.
CBR Bitare ~18Mbps, plays nice

[acribb]

Thanks for the tips!

Acrowley - can you give me your wmcmd.vbs optimal settings for the highest quality that the xbox 360 can take as well as your wmcmd.vbs for the highest quality that fits on a DVD9 (either 720p or 1080p, whichever looks better).

With my old machine, it is taking just way too long to experiment when it takes two days to encode!

[puppydg68]

Hey guys PLaystation 3 now supports VC1 in a WMV container. Do you think this method will produce something the PS3 can handle?

PS3 blu-ray owners could now buy an HD-DVD(VC1) and convert it to play in their ps3. Could have the best of both worlds, on one unit!

[ACrowley]

Thanks for the tips!

Acrowley - can you give me your wmcmd.vbs optimal settings for the highest quality that the xbox 360 can take as well as your wmcmd.vbs for the highest quality that fits on a DVD9 (either 720p or 1080p, whichever looks better).

With my old machine, it is taking just way too long to experiment when it takes two days to encode!


Just use a preset . I use -v_preset better with mslevel 3.
Quality is really good.
#This 2pass VBR Peak 12Mbps 720p Encode takes around 20h on my X2 @5000

cscript.exe c:\windows\wmcmd.vbs -input g:\bourne1\bourne1.avs -output g:\bourne1\bourne1.wmv -v_codec WVC1 -videoonly -v_mode 4 -v_preset better -v_bitrate 8750000 -v_peakbitrate 12000000 -v_peakbuffer 10000 -v_mslevel 3 -v_mmatch 0 -log g:\bourne1\log.txt

Ofcourse you can use preset best or more. But this commandline is a really good balanced between quality and speed

[acribb]

Thanks Acrowley! Can you show me your AVS script?

My avs is:
Directshowsource("G:\WMV-HD Encoding\encoding tools\video_only.grf", fps=23.976, audio=false, seekzero=false, seek=true, framecount=190200)
spline36resize(1280,720)

I am using the following command line and it is showing 103 hours to go for the 2nd pass!

cscript.exe "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Components\Encoder\wmcmd.vbs" -input "G:\WMV-HD Encoding\encoding tools\video_only
.avs" -output "H:\WMV-HD Encoding\miamivideo.wmv" -v_codec WVC1 -videoonly -v_mode 4 -v_preset best -v_bitrate 8765000
-v_peakbitrate 12000000 -v_peakbuffer 10000 -v_mmatch 0
Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.6
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1996-2001. All rights reserved.

Microsoft (R) Windows Media Encoder Command Line Script Utility
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


Warning: Encoder failed to retrieve duration attribute from source plug-in.
Trying alternate method now......
Source duration retrieved: 7932.938 seconds.

======== Begin Pass1 ========
Read: 7932.8s (100%) Elapsed: 09:54:40 Left: 00:00:01 [0.22x]

======== Begin Pass2 ========
Encoded: 191.3s (2.4%) Elapsed: 02:33:44 Left: 103:42:10 [0.02x]

I'm thinking ABORT?

[acribb]

I am in the middle of encoding and it is on the second pass. I went and took a peek and tried to play the video that has been created thus far in WMP and the video looked pixelated, blocky and had funky colors in spots. Is this normal and will this go away once the encode is finished? 27 hours to go....

Thanks for any input.

[dburckh]

Hey guys PLaystation 3 now supports VC1 in a WMV container. Do you think this method will produce something the PS3 can handle?

PS3 blu-ray owners could now buy an HD-DVD(VC1) and convert it to play in their ps3. Could have the best of both worlds, on one unit!

I played with this and couldn't get an HD DVD VC1 stream to play on PS3.

The best I could get was following this process. I created a file the PS3 would give the information on, but wouldn't play. Played fine in WMP.

EvoDemux
VC1ToAvi
Mux in wma2 audio and remux to .wmv with ffmpeg

Notes:
I tried vc1conv the stream too, same results.
PS3 won't even try to play a WMV with no audio

[crypto]

@dburckh
Two more things you can try:
1. Remux the result with the Windows Media Stream Editor (part of WME9, but can also run without installing WME9)
2. In step 1 use TSRemux instead of EvoDemux

[SeeMoreDigital]

1. Remux the result with the Windows Media Stream Editor (part of WME9, but can also run without installing WME9)Interesting.... I tried doing running Windows Media Stream Editor without installing WME9 a while ago but failed. What's the secret?

[crypto]

Copy these files and run regsvr32 on the DLLs. All three tools are working:

Windows Media File Editor
Windows Media Profile Editor
Windows Media Stream Editor


Directory of C:\Program Files\Windows Media Components\Encoder

11.12.2002 18:38 150.528 StreamEditor.dll
11.12.2002 18:38 178.176 wmeditor.exe
11.12.2002 18:38 1.491.456 WMEncEng.dll
11.12.2002 18:38 929.280 wmex.dll
11.12.2002 18:38 242.176 WMEXres.dll
11.12.2002 18:38 32.256 WMProEdt.exe
11.12.2002 18:38 32.256 wmstreamedt.exe
7 File(s) 3.056.128 bytes

[bond]

moved to container forum

[dburckh]

@dburckh
Two more things you can try:
1. Remux the result with the Windows Media Stream Editor (part of WME9, but can also run without installing WME9)
2. In step 1 use TSRemux instead of EvoDemux

I tried both of those as well. No luck.

[idbirch2]

It was mentioned a bit further up that the 360 can't handle the high bitrates of HD-DVD VC-1 when remuxed into WMV and streamed from a PC. Linksys have just put out there new v2 extender - the 2100/2200 which in the manual boasts VC-1 Advanced Profile Level 4 and I'm wondering if they can handle it....?

[Beastie Boy]

I too have read that the 360 has problems playing back vc1 direct from HD-DVD, but my experience says otherwise.
I have remuxed both Batman Begins (approx 16GB for 2hr 23min) and The Last Samurai (approx 21GB for 2hr 34min) and both playback without problems.
Maybe the problems that have been reported are network related rather than the fault of the 360.

Edit: I also have a test file that I made. It's a 1 min segment from Transformers that I encoded using 2 pass VBR, 20Mb/sec bitrate with 30Mb/sec peak. The final file averaged just over 20Mb/sec but I have no idea what the peaks are. This also plays back flawlessly over my network.

Cheers, Beastie.

[idbirch2]

Hi Beastie, are you using the steps mentioned futher up this page or have you managed to refine the process? If you are using a slightly different method, could you post the exact steps you are taking? Are any of the new features in eac3to reducing the complexity of this task?

[Beastie Boy]

As requested, here are the steps I used to play back the original vc1 stream on the 360. I can't take any credit for the method, but can confirm that it works. I have so far copied 3 HD-DVDs to my network; Batman Begins, The Last Samurai and 300.

1) Demux the required video (vc1) and audio streams using eac3to. The audio can be demuxed directly to 6 mono wave files using the .wavs extension

eg eac3to FEATURE_1.EVO+FEATURE_2.EVO 1: video.vc1 4: audio.wavs

The eac3to thread contains a great deal of info regarding the use of this tool for those that are unfamiliar with it.

2) Remove pulldown flagging by running the vc1 file through vc1conv. Note that madshi may soon include this step within the eac3to tool (Thanks madshi)

3) Convert vc1 file to AVI using vc12avi. At present, this splits the output file into 2GB chunks, so...

4) Use VirtualDub to open the first AVI video.00.avi. Append video.01.avi and make sure the option is checked to automtically load successive files. VirtualDub mode may display an error saying that there is no suitable decompressor. Just click OK and ignore it as no decompressor is required for Direct Stream Copy. Save the AVI ensuring that Direct Stream Copy is ticked.

5) Load the large AVI file into Solveif ASFMuxer and output an asf file with asf file extension.

6) Encode the 6 mone wave files to WMA format. My tool of choice for this is Windows Media Encoder.

7) Mux the .asf and .wma files to WMV using Windows Stream Editor. Tip: Add both files into the left hand side window, fully expand both files by clicking the little + symbol next to each one, put a tick in the last box next to each file and then click the Add button between both windows. The output window will now contain the output or 'Audience' (?). Save a WMV file.

Since I am using a standard version of XP, I share files to my 360 using WMP11. Both my PC and 360 are connected via a Gigabit router and the files all play without any stutter or dropouts. Skipping and Fast Foreward also work without issue.
(The file may stutter for the fist 1.5 - 2 secs but run smoothly thereafter)

I have written this completly from memory as I am at work at the moment, so I apologise in advance for any errors.

Cheers, Beastie.

[Beastie Boy]

Just a thought...

If eac3to is updated to remove the pulldown flags from the vc1 file, perhaps this vc1 or mkv file could then be loaded directly into WMV Muxer (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=120320) to produce a compliant wmv/asf file. This would cut out most of the steps described above.

As yet, I haven't used WMV Muxer but will give it a try when I get the chance.

Cheers, Beastie.

[idbirch2]

Well, thanks to the instructions provided by Beastie, I've got this working. The only problem is when a scene contains almost complete white or almost complete black, the screen flickers a lot. I have converted "The Kingdom" using the above method and right at the start, just as the sun is coming up over the universal globe, there is a flickering. Once the scene lightens up a bit, it's gone.

Likewise, just before the 12 minute marker, there is a huge explosion followed by the screen going completely white, once this happens, the screen flickers really badly. I don't believe this is bitrate related as the actual explosion, which has lots of fire, smoke and debris detail is fine. My TV is a Tosh 42X3030 LCD but that has nothing to do with it as another 360 hooked up to a crappy old 20" CRT does exactly the same.

I'm currently uploading a sample of this scene and would be really greatful if someone here could test it on their 360 for me. For reference, I'm using Windows Vista Ultimate and streaming to the 360 dash (with Fall 07 dash). Playing from the Extender interface does not work at all, just freezes the 360.

I'll post a link to the sample as soon as it's done (about 20 mins).

[idbirch2]

Sample here (http://www.mediafire.com/?fmj9ijcxcjj).

[Beastie Boy]

I'm glad this is working for you. I'm afraid I can't help with the flickering you describe. The only artifact that I've noticed so far is one bad frame half way through Batman Begins where the screen goes completely blocky for one frame. I suspect this is at the join between the 2 EVOs.
I would love to test your sample but download sites are blocked at work, and I'm between ISPs at home at the moment, but hopefully someone else can test this. Out of interest, do you see the same flickering when the original disc is played back, or on similar scenes on another HD DVD?

Cheers, Beastie.

[meansizzler]

I have a question, when you convert the audio to wma 5.1, what frequency do you use?

16 or 24bit?, 192/96/48hz?..

How do you find out these settings for the source file?

[dburckh]

@dburckh
Two more things you can try:
1. Remux the result with the Windows Media Stream Editor (part of WME9, but can also run without installing WME9)
2. In step 1 use TSRemux instead of EvoDemux

I finally got VC-1 to play on a PS3! Here's what I had to do:

1. Demux a BluRay VC-1 stream (HD DVD doesn't work).
2. Mux the stream with VC12Avi
3. Mux in the audio with ffmpeg (You can skip this step)
4. Remux to WMV with Solveig ASF Muxer (May crash, but still works).

Play your video on the PS3! (The PS3 may say it's corrupted, but it still plays)

I tried remuxing to avi, m2ts, no luck. Appears to just support WMV.

[Sparky101]

Thanks for that dburckh, I've been trying to get VC-1 streams to play on the PS3 myself, great that you've had some success. A few questions though. When you mux the stream with vc12avi, do you get multiple 2GB files created as the output? If so how do you then join them back together again, can you just do a copy /b on them? Second question, what type of audio did you mux back in with the video, AC3?

[Sparky101]

Also could you post the command line you used to mux the audio with ffmpeg, I'm not familiar with that program. Cheers.

[idbirch2]

You can join the avis with VirtualDub. Open the first of the set, ignoring the error message then use File -> Append to add the second. Ensure the box for appending any other files in the set is ticked and then just save as a new AVI.

[Sparky101]

Cool, thanks idbirch2. Got the avi's joined and the timecodes are correct now in the resultant avi file. Now next issue :-), I've got something which kind of worked with ffmpeg but the muxed avi output file plays weird. The audio is fine, the video plays in fast forward, probably around double speed and the timeline at the bottom of MPC or WMP reaches the end of the film in about a minute but it carries on playing albeit in FF mode. This was the command line I used with ffmpeg:

C:\Program Files\ffmpeg>ffmpeg -r 23.976 -i "L:\Ocean's 13.avi" -f ac3 -i "L:\Ocean's 13.ac3" -ab 640000 -vcodec copy -acodec copy -f avi "G:\Ocean's 13 muxed.avi"

Is there something else I need to add into that? I'm getting close now to playing VC-1 titles on my PS3, I can smell it!!

[Sparky101]

I think it's got something to do with interleaving. MPC shows me this before starting to play it, I'm sure it'll mean something to someone.

http://www.btinternet.com/~mark.rayson/Interleaving.jpg

[dburckh]

Cool, thanks idbirch2. Got the avi's joined and the timecodes are correct now in the resultant avi file. Now next issue :-), I've got something which kind of worked with ffmpeg but the muxed avi output file plays weird. The audio is fine, the video plays in fast forward, probably around double speed and the timeline at the bottom of MPC or WMP reaches the end of the film in about a minute but it carries on playing albeit in FF mode. This was the command line I used with ffmpeg:

C:\Program Files\ffmpeg>ffmpeg -r 23.976 -i "L:\Ocean's 13.avi" -f ac3 -i "L:\Ocean's 13.ac3" -ab 640000 -vcodec copy -acodec copy -f avi "G:\Ocean's 13 muxed.avi"

Is there something else I need to add into that? I'm getting close now to playing VC-1 titles on my PS3, I can smell it!!

I hate to be a downer, but I couldn't get AC3 to work. Further, I only used a 500MB segment. I had to use -acodec wmav2. You may be able to get WMA3 to work if you want 5.1 (ffmpeg doesn't support this codec, but it may mux it). Couple other things, I didn't force the framerate because BluRay is already 23.976, I don't think -ab does anything there since you are copying. Here's what I did from memory.

ffmpeg -i video.avi -i audio.ac3 -ab 192k -ac 2 -acodec wmav2 outFile.wmv

[Sparky101]

Hmm, that's a pity. Is WMA3 the same as WMA Pro? Reading Wikipedia it suggests only WMA Pro is capable of doing more than 2 channel audio and I'm pretty sure the PS3 doesn't support WMA Pro yet so that's a non starter.

However, I've proceeded with the WMA2 audio as you suggested and got it muxed and playable. Gone through the Remuxing to WMV with Solveig step and the wmv file still works fine on my PC. The PS3 even detects the video as VC-1 but then gives the unsupported format error when trying to play it.

[dburckh]

I'll try to do the entire movie and see what happens. I read something about a 2GB limitation. I don't know if that applies here.

[Ballistix]

Hi guys, I'm having real trouble with Virtualdub.

I've followed this thread and others here, great forums btw, but I just can't get VirtualDub to stitch my AVIs together.

It comes up with the "Couldn't locate Decompressor format etc etc" and I just simply can't load any more videos and the Append option is greyed out!! It's an HD movie and it's come from a 15GB VC1 file.

Any help? I've tried everything and I can't get VirtualDub to load these files in.

Hope someone can help.

Regards,
B

[Beastie Boy]

Try VirtualDubMod. I don't know if it will make a difference, but it is what I use.

Cheers, Beastie.

[Ballistix]

Brill worked a treat. I now have a WMA audio file and a ASF 15GB hd file. I have two more problems the Windows Media Encoder not opening my 6 files for each channel on the 5.1 so I can mux into one WMA file, it says I don't have the codec! Also...the Windows Stream Editor is throwing an error "The requested Audio Codec is not installed on this system" when I try and load the ASF file, which is the video file! LOL...any ideas?

Tearing my hair out with this one.

B

[Captain-EO]

Well, thanks to the instructions provided by Beastie, I've got this working. The only problem is when a scene contains almost complete white or almost complete black, the screen flickers a lot. I have converted "The Kingdom" using the above method and right at the start, just as the sun is coming up over the universal globe, there is a flickering. Once the scene lightens up a bit, it's gone.

Likewise, just before the 12 minute marker, there is a huge explosion followed by the screen going completely white, once this happens, the screen flickers really badly. I don't believe this is bitrate related as the actual explosion, which has lots of fire, smoke and debris detail is fine. My TV is a Tosh 42X3030 LCD but that has nothing to do with it as another 360 hooked up to a crappy old 20" CRT does exactly the same.

I'm currently uploading a sample of this scene and would be really greatful if someone here could test it on their 360 for me. For reference, I'm using Windows Vista Ultimate and streaming to the 360 dash (with Fall 07 dash). Playing from the Extender interface does not work at all, just freezes the 360.

I'll post a link to the sample as soon as it's done (about 20 mins).


Same problem here with the Kingdom. I tried to change the framerate to 30 fps but no luck. Strange thing is that the movie plays without flickering on my pc on an Acer lcd pc monitor?

[idbirch2]

So have you tried other VC-1 titles and had any success or do they all do this?

[Captain-EO]

So have you tried other VC-1 titles and had any success or do they all do this?


Yes I did. Tried The Bourne Ultimatum, The Kingdom, Shrek 3 and the Pianist. All with no luck.

I even tried to change the Fourcc in asf muxer but again no luck. Have to keep my hd-dvd addon after all.

But i'll keep trying to look for a solution. If I find any I will let you know.

[FoxRacR17]

Any progress on this issue? I am trying it right now with my copy of planet earth on hd-dvd. I demuxed the .vc1, ran it through vc1conv, did vc12avi, combined with vdubmod, muxed to .asf with SMMASF, then muxed with windows stream editor. I then transfered the file to my external 1TB hdd and hooked it up to my 360 via usb, and I get the same flickering the other people are talking about. :(

[ACrowley]

I have a question, when you convert the audio to wma 5.1, what frequency do you use?

16 or 24bit?, 192/96/48hz?..

How do you find out these settings for the source file?


24Bit 48khz..this is what i use

It depends on the Source.
When i have 16Bit waves 48Khz, i take it for wma 10 pro