Avisynth install question

[garumphul]

I've just got a new dual core machine at work, and I thought I'd kick off MeGUI and x264 to see how fast it was. Purely for research purposes, you understand.

I installed the following:
FFDShow (rev 760)
Avisynth (2.57)
MPC (6.4.9.0)
MeGUI (0.2.4.1026)

I have an MP4 file encoded with x264 (the only video file I had handy). I can open it with MPC, it plays fine and there's a little FFDShow icon in my system tray, so I'm reasonably sure FFDShow is working.

I create an AVS file with one line:
DirectShowSource("myfile")

When I open this in MPC I get a video message saying:
"DirectShowSource: could not open as video or audio"

and other "Format not supported" type comments.

MeGUI and VirtualDub don't like the AVS file either.

This all works quite happily on both my home PC and old work machine, and I'm not sure what's different. I've searched around the forums, tried a few suggestions, but nojoy as yet.

Do I have to install things in a particular order?

Grateful for any suggesting, and apologies for such a hopelessly noob question.

[foxyshadis]

Try installing haali's splitter, which reads most non-avi formats (MPC has these built in, directshow does not). If it's avi or mpeg, it should be readable as-is, though. It's possible the right format isn't enabled in ffdshow and MPC's decoder is getting used, so be sure to make sure decoding of the format you're opening is enabled (MPEG4, AVC, whatever).

If you tried that, there might be a directshowsource problem, that could be diagnosed with Directshowsource("...",log="log.log").

[garumphul]

Hmmm... curiouser and curiouser...

I installed Haali's media splitter (version 1.6.400.11), and I get a different kind of error.

Instead of an error message on the MPC window, I now get a pop-up dialog telling me:

"Media Player Classic could not render some of the pins in the graph; you may not have some of the needed codecs or filters installed on the system."

I have an icon for the Haali Media Splitter in my system tray, so I assume that's working.

Also, when I add that parameter to the AVS file I get:

Script Error: DirectShowSource does not have a named argument "log"

Should I backtrack on my Avisynth version?

[foxyshadis]

Oops, no, the argument is logfile=.

Media Info (or gspot) could also give you a file you can copy in here, if you aren't sure what the file is or what's in it, that can help us diagnose.

[garumphul]

The MP4 file is just a movie encoded with MeGUI: video is x264 with all bells & whistles, two AAC audio streams, and the whole lot muxed with MP4Box. Basically, I just used the tools that come with MeGUI (a wonderful bit of kit).

The output of the AVS log and Media Info are attached.

Thanks for any help. I'm puzzled because this stuff usually... y'know... just works.

Cheers.

[foxyshadis]

It looks as if avisynth is working, DSS opens and decodes both streams. (Only one audio at a time, you have to play with haali's filter to select which.) If you open in virtualdub it should work. It might be that avisynth isn't registered to play .avs files for some reason.

Actually, I just realized, since raw formats are being delivered it might be a lack of YV12 decoding to view. You can either enable raw formats in ffdshow's codecs, or install xvid. Both give you a YV12 decoder, the first is probably easier.

[garumphul]

That's it.

Enabled "All Supported" raw video in FFDShow's VFW configuration and it loaded up fine. I thought I'd tried that already, but apparently not (maybe I didn't change VFW).

Probably my other systems work because they have xvid installed - I don't remember ever enabling raw video in FFDShow before.

Superb, thanks very much.