mp4 and directshowsource

[rustyconc]

All,

A really basic question: I am using DirectShowSource to read an H264 MP4 video into VirtualDub. It works on one of my PCs, but not another - DirectShowSource on that machine does not 'support the format'. I presume there is something installed on the other computer that allows DirectShowSource, but I cannot figure out what is missing. The basics are identical between the machines: Avisynth (with the DirectShowSource.dll in plugins folder), VirtualDub, XVid, and Quicktime.

Ideas?

Thanks
R

[sneaker_ger]

It could be missing some filters like e.g. LAV Filters (http://code.google.com/p/lavfilters/). DirectShowSource is usually recommended only as a last resort, though. Try ffmpegsource (http://code.google.com/p/ffmpegsource/).

[filler56789]

VirtualDub can open MP4 files directly, if you have the MP4 input plugin, plus the x264 VfW and AAC ACM codecs.

[IanB]

Render your media file is GraphEdit or GraphStudio to diagnose what is missing.

[rustyconc]

Thanks for all the tips...

On the computer that already played the MP4 with DirectShowSource:

- after adding the FFMS2 files (http://code.google.com/p/ffmpegsource/) to Avisynth plugins folder, calling FFVideoSource in avs script works very nicely

- after adding the QuickTime plugin (http://gral.y0.pl/~fcchandler/Plugins/QuickTime/) listed here (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/Virtualdub) and installing the x264VfW (http://sourceforge.net/projects/x264vfw/?source=dlp) and AAC ACM (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/AAC_ACM_Codec.htm)codec I can load the MP4 directly into Virtualdub, and it partially works: it shows every second frame, while every other frame is a black frame.

On the PC which did not work originally
- FFVideoSource is only able to show the first 3 frames, and then returns empty frames (Virtualdub reports this Avisynth error)
- the Virtualdub plugin + codecs route behaves similarly to the other PC, showing every second frame as black

Reading around, it seems to me that FFVideoSource is my best option overall? So, I'm focusing on solving that problem. Further ideas then?

Thanks again.
R