TotalCode strange behaviour

[srfscenar]

Hi all,

I have this issue with TotalCode.
When I am encoding for DVD or BD(MPEG or AVC or VC1)
the output file has some frames (6-8) difference from the source.

What happens exactly is that it encodes the first 6-8 frames and then goes back and re-encodes those with a result of being 6-8 frames longer than the source. And despite that it actually shows those frames twice at the beginning of the stream!

That occurs with different MOV streams, Uncompressed 10bit & Apple ProRes with or without audio.

The computer is a Windows 7, 64bit + 8GB ram.
If I install TotalCode to another PC, it works fine.

Got any idea what that might be?
Rovi said that it has something to do with codecs but the only codec installed is the QT.

Thanks!

[mp3dom]

Are you using the certified version of QuickTime?

[srfscenar]

Yes, it's the latest QT version downloaded from Apple site.
Have you heard of it before?

[srfscenar]

Not the PRO version though... think it would matter?

[mp3dom]

I'm not referring to the 'genuine' Apple ver. or (for example) the QTLite version made by 3rd parties.
Generally speaking, for those kind of softwares (it also applies to NLEs) the producer 'certify' a particular version for QuickTime/drivers/other codecs that has been deeply tested to work without any particular problems. It's also not the latest version due to the time required for the test.

Anyway, when you import your source file, the length in TotalCode is correct?

[srfscenar]

Yes, it's correct. Everything seems fine.
BTW, which QT version is certified by Rovi?
They did not tell me anything about that.

[mp3dom]

I think 7.6.8 is one of the good version. Still I think it's not strictly related to QT. It can makes sense if your QT uses fancy codecs like XDCam or DVCProHD or something similar that relies to external codecs... but for uncompressed or ProRes there shouldn't be any kind of problem.

[srfscenar]

Thanks for the info!
Well, Uncompressed and ProRes is what I use and I too think there should not be any issues.
Its very strange.
I have even formatted and re-installed everything and still does the same.
The only think I haven't check is to use 32bit windows and not 64bit but then I will lose half my ram.
Think 64bit could cause issues?

Thanks.

[mp3dom]

Just to know, have you tried to use AVI instead of MOV? Not for the Prores files of course, but for uncompressed... just to see if it's a container problem or something else.

[srfscenar]

Yes, done that too.

[srfscenar]

I have also tried to disable the hyperthreading option in bios,
I even changed a video card. Always used Nvidia.
To be honest, now I am very curious of what that might be.

Just a thought, I have DirectX 11, maybe thats something Rovi does not support?
Think it might change anything?

[mp3dom]

Yes, done that too.
So it doesn't work even on AVI?

[srfscenar]

No, it has the same problem.

[srfscenar]

OK, the other PC that works fine is Windows XP32bit with Directx9.0C.
Unfortunately I cannot rollback from DirectX 11 (windows7) to 9.0C.
So, no news from there.

Maybe I'll give a try to Install Windows XP 64bit?
Think that will help a bit?

[mp3dom]

We have tested it on a Win7 x64 machine with all the latest updates and it works without any kind of problem, so I dunno honestly why it works bad on your system, but for me, at least, it's not a DirectX problem and/or a x64/x86 platform difference.

[srfscenar]

Thanks for your help...
I am out of ideas...
I will have to encode on a slow pc until I figure it out.

Thanks anyway!

[srfscenar]

OK, think I found it.
In TotalCode->File->Options
I disabled the "Decode movie during encoding" and it seems it did the job.
I have been encoding many different files over and over with different specs and it seems to be OK.
I remember having a similar issue many years ago with decode while encode with Optibase MM200 & Videoplex hardware.

Maybe there was some kind of conflict between Rovi's decoder and my hardware?, I don't know.
I will continue to test and maybe let Rovi also know about it. Not that they will care!

Thanks!