PEGASYS TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 7 shows "No Video Data" from a Pinnacle AVI

[hachelira]

Hi all... It's been years since my last post, but here I go again capturing video and asking for the great help from other members.

Bought a Pinnacle Dazzle hardware and upgraded the Studio for Dazzle software to Studio 22 Ultimate, such upgrade gave me access to DV capture to AVI, but so far I can only play it on some players (I have to mention that not by Windows Media Payer).

I would love to load it on TMPGenc VMW, but it also can't see the video part...

What could I do?

A lot of thanks in advance.

[Emulgator]

A sample would be helpful.

[hachelira]

Thanks again, I should have guessed that, so I uploaded an untouched capture to...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zyrPdSPymojHBA0D_LwmKhJ682OeEbDk/view?usp=sharing

[manolito]

I am not familiar with TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works, but it could be that it can only use the VFW interface to access video codecs. This would mean that WDM codecs will not work.

Your file is a standard DV25Pro file, all my players (MPC-HC, Tiny Player, VLC) could play it without problems. But VirtualDub (which is VFW based) refused to open it, even though I do have the good old Panasonic DV Codec installed.

What solved it was installing the Cedocida DV codec (get it at VideoHelp, download the ZIP file, not the EXE). You install it by right-clicking "cedocida.inf". Now VirtualDub accepts your file without issues, and there is a good chance that TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works will also accept it.


Good luck
manolito

[Emulgator]

What manolito said. Cedocida is a very good choice.
Here on Win7U64 LavSplitter and LavFilters (standalone, so available for VirtualDub2) took care of decoding that NTSC DV25Pro file.
Besides, blacks were lifted (wrong settings ?), interference visible and audible (poor cable ? or captured from CVBS ? or dazzled ? ;-))

[Zetti]

If you mean the preview in TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 7, it seems to work for me.

https://i.imgsafe.org/66/66a5253a2d.png

[manolito]

While playing with the Cedocida VFW codec under WinXP and Win7 I noticed that VFW codecs appear in device manager under WinXP, but not under Win7.

I suppose that M$ wanted to get rid of the VFW interface as quickly as possible, but I still appreciate it very much if I can check and edit codec settings with an Operating System tool. Does Win7 (and later) really have no way to access the VFW codec configuration? The DS filter tweaker by clsid only handles DirectShow filters, not VFW.

I know I can do this from within VDub, but is that the only way? I also saw that there is the "Codec Tweak Tool" from the K-Lite package, but for me the name "K-Lite" triggers a big red warning light...


Cheers
manolito

[filler56789]

While playing with the Cedocida VFW codec under WinXP and Win7 I noticed that VFW codecs appear in device manager under WinXP, but not under Win7.

I suppose that M$ wanted to get rid of the VFW interface as quickly as possible, but I still appreciate it very much if I can check and edit codec settings with an Operating System tool. Does Win7 (and later) really have no way to access the VFW codec configuration? The DS filter tweaker by clsid only handles DirectShow filters, not VFW.

I know I can do this from within VDub, but is that the only way? I also saw that there is the "Codec Tweak Tool" from the K-Lite package, but for me the name "K-Lite" triggers a big red warning light...

You might use GraphStudio(next) as well. CTRL + F, Video Compressors, Cedocida DV codec, Property page, Display VFW Configuration Dialog.

[Coaster Master]

I'm back again, with news...

First of all thanks to everyone participating in this thread, I feel a good will helping me.

What solved it was installing the Cedocida DV codec (get it at VideoHelp, download the ZIP file, not the EXE). You install it by right-clicking "cedocida.inf". Now VirtualDub accepts your file without issues, and there is a good chance that TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works will also accept it.

Thanks manolito, I did as you suggested in a fresh Win7P64 installation with no luck in VirtualDub either.

Here on Win7U64 LavSplitter and LavFilters (standalone, so available for VirtualDub2) took care of decoding that NTSC DV25Pro file.
Besides, blacks were lifted (wrong settings ?), interference visible and audible (poor cable ? or captured from CVBS ? or dazzled ? ;-))

Thanks Emulgator, to be honest I didn't want to install more stuff, felt like Studio capture wasn't worth it, now feeling like bypassing shortcuts and look for suffering a way more painful way and just re-discovered VirtualDub with a lot of new options to tweak, I must get better results, right?

I also have to say I used the first old worn cheapest cable I found (RCA) and I'm rounded by noisy hardware interference (suggestions to clean signals are most-welcome). By the way... what are lifted blacks?

Just to show you all capture relevant options Studio offers I attach this png:

[manolito]

Just to show you all capture relevant options Studio offers I attach this png:

Do not attach things directly in this forum. It can take ages until a mod approves your attachments. Better upload your pics to a hoster like postimages.org.

Without knowing the options you have it is generally not recommended to use the DV format for capturing. Better use a lossless codec like HuffYUV or maybe Lagarith or UTVideo.

I just tried to reproduce your problems with the Cedocida DV codec, but it works here on a Win7-64bit installation. No idea what is wrong with your setup...

[Emulgator]

I would then try what filler56789 suggested:
Pull the file on GraphStudioNext window just to check who is taking care of building the graph (or not).
Splitter not firing up ? If no LAV Splitter, then quartz.dll ?
BTW on my system using AvsPmod DirectShowSource decoded that NTSC sample as YUY2,
LWLibavVideoSource (left at defaults) decoded correct as YV411.
YV411 unsupported somewhere on your side ?
You may try to draw the graph manually.
By the way... what are lifted blacks?
This sample contains only few Y values lower than Y=40, even in its darkest parts of the frame (lower letterbox area).
Blacks seem to be centered around Y=40. I would expect a lower limit of Y=16 here.

[Coaster Master]

Just uploaded caps with best settings in Studio, default settings in VirtualDub and default settings with uncompressed, HuffYUV, Lagarith and X264VFW codecs (except for the 640->720 resolution change).

Pinnacle Studio DV25 sample (470 MB): https://drive.google.com/file/d/12tcJHsJDDzvqT9vRN_uh_YE_7oqNpNz5/view?usp=sharing
VirtualDub Uncompressed sample (2.55 GB): https://drive.google.com/file/d/19pw-6r4wuBj_wX8C1CN-kuMn5CIaiGmx/view?usp=sharing
VirtualDub HuffYUV sample (870 MB): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IjogBmkJOIRZRbBOMloqdWIkglMDQJED/view?usp=sharing
VirtualDub Lagarith sample (780 MB): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TD_XRVmjwcJ858tIRD3JAlskpXmpTYOv/view?usp=sharing
VirtualDub X264VFW sample* (67 MB!): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sx6t7DGlOAvgjHm3bfquNbxIuiqyoi7K/view?usp=sharing

*X264VFW plays in Windows but it's not loaded in Video Mastering Works.

I haven't done the UTVideo test yet because I haven't a clue about a suitable choice between all compression flavors available.

As always, any help regarding VirtualDub capture and codec choice and settings is very welcome. Thanks!

[manolito]

I checked your Studio DV25 sample and the HuffYUV sample, and HuffYUV is the clear winner regarding quality. The other formats are not competetive for analog captures IMO... :devil:

One thing I noticed is that the Studio sample is BFF (and it is also flagged correctly), but the HuffYUV sample is clearly TFF. This will matter if you want to deinterlace it later.

Maybe check the settings for the HuffYUV codec. For NTSC the field threshold must be 240. Also be careful to use a version which has patched out some bugs, this would be version 2.1.1 - CCESP Patch v0.2.2.

Also your HuffYUV sample does have a PCM audio track, but it is completely silent. You need to check your VDub settings for audio,,,

Using VirtualDub for capturing is one thing I have always recommended. For my hardware it is absolutely essential, because my capture card does not handle audio. Audio is treated by my sound card, and since video and audio run on separate clocks, sync problems are guaranteed unless I use VDub. VDub is the champion when it comes to deliver captures with perfect video/audio sync.


Cheers
manolito

[Coaster Master]

Here on Win7U64

I run the same OS! Should I use the 64-bit VirtualDub version?

Thanks

[Emulgator]

Yes, both VirtualDub2 are working in Win764. You get them downloaded and usable side by side anyway.
Only if you intend to use a plugin (VD or Avisynth) that is only available as 32-bit you got to fire up VirtualDub2 32 bit

[Coaster Master]

Hi all again,

I've been prevented from playing with video stuff until now, that I've been able to reinstall Windows and seems that allowed TVMW7 to properly interpret VirtualDub captured clips (compressed included), the clip properties screenshot showing that comes next:

https://postimg.cc/R3sT9wpC

Also, in an attempt to fix the lifted blacks thing I read some threads about how to interpret VirtualDub's histogram and calibrate it with level controls, so I took a video section and adjusted between 16 and 240. I hope I did it correctly. The Huffyuv AVI I uploaded here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19ppWiQeeE4vWj0bWO11oAoU4KaOffgJw?usp=sharing

Would you mind to tell me if I set the levels properly and/or share the name of the tool(s) used to discover the video properties? It would come very handy to me and be greatly appreciated.

[Emulgator]

Still lifted blacks, visible by the naked eye.
In AvsPmod
v=LWLibavVideoSource("E:\_VID\RETRY.avi")
a=LWLibavAudioSource("E:\_VID\RETRY.avi")
AudioDub(v,a)
Go to frame 1100, hover cursor into the black.
The value under cursor shows Y values around 37..38
Should be 16..18.
Strange: Frame 5055 has almost white content with Y=211..212
There the lower black bar has Y=18, but the upper has 27.
Looks like a kind of AGC.
Where that happens, you got to find out.
I guess capture settings. Or is it in the source ?
I never got to see the source...