Problem with FFdshow video codec/encoder

[*.mp4 guy]

The following codecs do not work for encoding:

Mpeg4
Mpeg1
Mpeg2
H.263
H.261

They cause this error report.

Cannot start video compresion
An unknown error occured (may be corrupt data).
(error code -100)

The following work but creat corruptfiles that do not decode properly all the time:

wmv7
wmv8

The following start to encode, but crash:

H.263+

All of the others work, is there any way to get these encoders to work?

This is using virtualdub to encode a 720*480 23.976 fps clip with default settings in ffdshow build-20050803. I must admit that I didn't scoure the ffdshow thread, but I did search, and I didn't find anything usefull.

[Koepi]

That error message appears as well if you're trying to encode with a "wrong" audio-codec. So it isn't necessarily ffdshow's fault. Try disabling audio when encoding and see if this helps. (I assume you're using virtual dub ina stable version.)

Cheers
Koepi

[stephanV]

Works here at least for MPEG4 (VirtualDub 1.6.9).

[*.mp4 guy]

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I get the error with huffyuv files with no sound with Virtualdub V1.6.7, and 1.6.10 even when I set it to no sound and use default settings, I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling FFdshow aswell.

[DeathTheSheep]

I have exactly the same problem. No matter what, this error message occurs:

Cannot start video compression
An unknown error occurred (may be corrupt data).
(error code -100)

with the following codecs:
MPEG 4
H.261
H.263
MPEG1
MPEG2

There is no pause before displaying the error; it happens immediately upon clicking "save" when saving the AVI.

Here are my specs:
COMPUTER: Celeron D 2.93ghz 512ram 533bus
AVI program: VirtualDub 1.6.10 STABLE
SOURCE: attempted <320x240, 640x480>, 23.976fps, attempted <RGB32, YUY2, YV12>, attempted <fast, normal, and full processing mode>, no audio.
FFDSHOW:
--Version: August 3, 2005
--Compiled by: Celtic Druid (I believe)
--Settings: No combination produces any different result.

POSSIBLE CAUSES:
1. Celeron D processor isn't supported
2. Input is rejected by ffdshow
3. Fundamental flaw in ffdshow
4. Fundamental flaw in VirtualDub

Anybody looking into this?

[stephanV]

It seems to me a flaw in ffdshow, since it happens with VirtualDubMod too... I have one file that works (a huffyuv capture), but none of my avs scripts do.

DivX3 seems to work fine though...

[DeathTheSheep]

stephanV: Tell me a bit more about your huffyuv caputure (dimentions, size, etc).

It would be interesting if the encoding of the source effects ffdshow's encoders...

[stephanV]

it was a screen capture at 344x332, 5 fps, Huffyuv 2.1.1 RGB (predict gradient) compression.

i could upload a frame or 2 somewhere if necessary.

[*.mp4 guy]

@stephanV: That would probably help.

[DeathTheSheep]

Yeah, sounds good. Thanks ;)

[LigH]

AMD Duron 800 (MMX, ISSE)
Windows 2000 (de) SP4 + Rollup 1
ffdshow 2005-08-22, ICL 9 build by celtic-druid
VirtualDub 1.6.9 build 23604/release
VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.1 build 2439/release
Video - Fast recompress
one pass - constant file size: 1150 kbps

Source 1: AviSynth script QCIF.avsColorBars(352,288,"YUY2")
KillAudio()
AssumeFPS(25.0)
Trim(0,100)
AssumeFrameBased()
AssumeTFF()
Info()
Source 2: Source 1 encoded to HuffYUV 2.1.1 AVI (YUV mode, predict median)

MPEG 4: fine.
DivX 3: fine.
MS MPEG4 v2: fine
MPG1: fine.
MPG2: fine.
H.263: fine.
H.263+: fine.
H.261: VirtualDubMod immediately disappears after the Dub window is shown; VirtualDub reports:An out-of-bounds memory access (access violation) occurred in module 'libavcodec'...
...while compressing frame 0 from 00e65058 to 00e1a278 using codec "ffdshow Video Codec" (VideoSequenceCompressor.cpp:618)...
...while running thread "Processing" (thread.cpp:150).
WMV 7: fine
WMV 8: fine

[Asmodeus]

I've had the same problem and it is fps bug. With 23,976 most of encoders (MPEG1/2) crashes. With assumefps(25) all plays fine.

[*.mp4 guy]

When I use VirtualDub to change the frame rate of the video to 25 I can encode to mpeg4 and the other problem codecs withought the error I previously mentioned, it would be helpful to see if this helps other peolpe aswell.

[DeathTheSheep]

It most certainly would, indeed. I hereby bestow upon you my utmost gratitude, LigH, for clearing up the most nagging of problems... for that particular script.
Truly, I thought it was an incorrigible problem that was always in existence and always would be (or, more accurately, for an exceedingly lengthy interval of time which seemed to me to be nothing short of interminable).

Again, I extend my heartfelt thanks for resolving the most frazzling of problems... for that particular script.

Yes, that script works perfectly. But any actual source... doesn't. Consider this script, 2 frames of which actually encode before VirtualDub (regardless of version) dies.


avisource("xvidintro.avi")
converttoyuy2()
bilinearresize(352,288)
killAudio()
AssumeFPS(25.0)
Trim(0,100)
AssumeFrameBased()
AssumeTFF()


Works like a charm with only that one particular script. With a different source, it crashes. Still, it's a start :D Any ideas?

Yours,
DTS

[DeathTheSheep]

OK, I only got an error using SSE... SAD seems to work just finem though.

I don't believe it is a framerate issue at all... Try that exact same script with the dimentions 320x240. I think it's a sizing issue.

To test this, I opened a random 640x480 video and resized it to 352x288. It worked like a charm. For this reason, I believe some stupid input-size bug is causing all our problems (or at least, some of 'em :D).

[Inventive Software]

Seems the problem lies with everybody using 23.976 FPS. Until ffdshow corrects this issue, it will remain.

I don't have any of those problems with 25 FPS. I did have problems with 24 FPS.

[DeathTheSheep]

Yeah, maybe. But nothing works for me--nothing at all-- unless it's 352x288 resolution.

If it is, EVERYTHING works

[NoX1911]

I have the problem with a 15fps video (no sound). Changing (for testing purpose) to 25fps in vdub works though.

Looks like a virtualdub bug since graphedit creates the avi without problems. Anyone seen the dev around here these days?

[sumpm1]

I was getting this same error also. I was able to encode with MPEG 4 at 25 fps, but not at 29.97. Has anyone reported this to ffdshow developers?

[LigH]

Yes, rather frequently: This forum is the place where most developers are often. ;)

[Inventive Software]

It could be to do with ffdshow not supporting recurring numbers, or numbers longer than 4 DP. If you divide 1 / 24, you get a rational number. With 1 / 23.976, you also get a rational number, but the recurrance is a lot longer, about 8 Decimal Places.

[IvS]

I have the same "unknown error" when trying to encode from 640x480 30fps MJPEG videos taken with a Canon S2 camera.
Encoding works perfectly with all other encoders I tried.

Edit: The error occurs with various recent builds posted in this forum and the latest build by Milan from November 24th.

[zambelli]

Ditto. I repro the error with a 29.97fps clip too.
What's more interesting is that the error only comes up when I encode with VirtualDub and VfW ffdshiw encoder. If I use GraphEdit and DShow encoder, MPEG-4 encoding works just fine.

[IvS]

Any news about this "unknown error"? Maybe by now someone realized what might cause it. (it's not just with 29.97 etc., refer to my post above)

[zambelli]

Are there any ffdshow developers on this board? Should we file the bug elsewhere?

[PatchWorKs]

FairUse uses ffdshow encoding (through VirtualDubMod), and i succesfully backupped a DVD into a 2pass-Theora/Vorbis -q0/OGM (with chapters) into 1/4 DVD size.

[IvS]

PatchWorks: well that's right, Theora works, but not MPEG4.

[*.mp4 guy]

OK, I only got an error using SSE... SAD seems to work just finem though.

Thats a seperate error that I beleive has been around longer, atleast it has an easy workaround.