x264 Error output in megui: Exception in readStdErr

[ManiacDC]

Hi, I took a break from encoding for a few months. I started using megui again, updated it, ran a couple encodes and I keep not being able to see any of the stderror data I used to be able to see, such as the ssim calculation and the number of P,B, and I frames. Can anyone shed some light on this for me? (also please let me know if I should be asking this in the x264 forum). I have included examples of what I'm getting now (above) compared to what I used to get (below).

Thanks!

(On a side note, did the way crf is computed change or something? using the same settings I now get a much larger file than I used to when doing the same encode)

[Information] Log for job7 (video, [RAWka]_Porfy_no_Nagai_Tabi_01_(BS-FUJI_1280x720_DivX680).[EE1007FC].avs -> porfy crf25.mp4)
-[Information] [3/8/2009 4:26:41 PM] Started handling job
-[Information] [3/8/2009 4:26:41 PM] Preprocessing
-[NoImage] Job commandline: "C:\Program Files (x86)\megui\tools\x264\x264.1066M.exe" --crf 25.0 --level 4.1 --keyint 240 --min-keyint 24 --ref 7 --mixed-refs --no-fast-pskip --bframes 16 --b-pyramid --weightb --deblock 1:1 --subme 7 --trellis 1 --partitions p8x8,b8x8,i4x4,i8x8 --8x8dct --me umh --merange 24 --threads auto --thread-input --sar 1:1 --progress --no-psnr --output "E:\My Videos\Encoding\Porfy\porfy crf25.mp4" "E:\My Videos\Encoding\Porfy\[RAWka]_Porfy_no_Nagai_Tabi_01_(BS-FUJI_1280x720_DivX680).[EE1007FC].avs" 
-[Information] [3/8/2009 4:26:41 PM] Encoding started
-[NoImage] Standard output stream:                                                         
-[NoImage] Standard error stream
--[NoImage] avis [info]: 1280x720 @ 23.98 fps (35243 frames)
--[NoImage] x264 [info]: using SAR=1/1
--[NoImage] x264 [info]: using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 PHADD SSE4.1 Cache64
--[NoImage] x264 [info]: profile High, level 4.1
--[NoImage] mp4 [info]: initial delay 2002 (scale 24000)
--[NoImage] Exception in readStdErr: Length cannot be less than zero.
--[NoImage] Parameter name: length
-[Information] Final statistics
--[NoImage] Constant Quality Mode: Quality 25 computed...
--[NoImage] Video Bitrate Obtained (approximate): 1104 kbit/s
-[Information] [3/8/2009 4:50:16 PM] Postprocessing
--[Information] Deleting intermediate files
-[Information] [3/8/2009 4:50:16 PM] Job completed

-[Information] Log for job9 (video, The Three Stooges_WSBK-DT_28_09_2008_09_45_02.avs -> The Three Stooges_WSBK-DT_28_09_2008_09_45_02.mp4)
--[Information] [10/25/2008 12:43:39 AM] Started handling job
--[Information] [10/25/2008 12:43:39 AM] Preprocessing
--[NoImage] Job commandline: "C:\Program Files (x86)\megui\tools\x264\x264.exe" --crf 20.0 --level 4.1 --keyint 240 --min-keyint 24 --ref 16 --mixed-refs --no-fast-pskip --bframes 16 --b-pyramid --weightb --subme 7 --trellis 1 --partitions p8x8,b8x8,i4x4,i8x8 --8x8dct --me umh --merange 24 --threads auto --thread-input --sar 1:1 --progress --no-psnr --output "E:\My Videos\The Three Stooges\The Three Stooges_WSBK-DT_28_09_2008_09_45_02.mp4" "E:\My Videos\The Three Stooges\The Three Stooges_WSBK-DT_28_09_2008_09_45_02.avs" 
--[Information] [10/25/2008 12:43:39 AM] Encoding started
--[NoImage] Standard output stream:                                                         
--[NoImage] Standard error stream
---[NoImage] avis [info]: 640x480 @ 23.98 fps (23930 frames)
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: using SAR=1/1
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 Cache64
---[NoImage] mp4 [info]: initial delay 2002 (scale 24000)
---[NoImage]                                                                                
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: slice I:168   Avg QP:18.93  size: 24793
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: slice P:10235 Avg QP:21.21  size: 10284
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: slice B:13527 Avg QP:23.08  size:  3830
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: consecutive B-frames:  1.6% 59.4% 25.3% 13.0%  0.3%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.4%
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: mb I  I16..4:  4.1% 69.7% 26.3%
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: mb P  I16..4:  0.7%  5.8%  1.5%  P16..4: 47.1% 23.7% 16.0%  0.0%  0.0%    skip: 5.3%
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: mb B  I16..4:  0.1%  0.6%  0.2%  B16..8: 50.7%  1.9%  3.4%  direct: 5.9%  skip:37.3%  L0:39.6% L1:50.9% BI: 9.4%
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: 8x8 transform  intra:71.9%  inter:69.1%
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: ref P L0  58.2% 14.3%  7.6%  3.9%  2.9%  2.7%  2.2%  1.3%  1.1%  1.1%  0.9%  0.9%  0.8%  0.8%  0.7%  0.6%
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: ref B L0  72.0% 11.6%  4.4%  2.4%  1.8%  1.6%  1.3%  0.9%  0.7%  0.7%  0.6%  0.6%  0.5%  0.5%  0.4%
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: ref B L1  95.6%  4.4%
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: SSIM Mean Y:0.9792123
---[NoImage] x264 [info]: kb/s:1292.4
---[NoImage] encoded 23930 frames, 5.21 fps, 1292.45 kb/s
--[Information] Final statistics
---[NoImage] Constant Quality Mode: Quality 20 computed...
---[NoImage] Video Bitrate Obtained (approximate): 1294 kbit/s
--[Information] [10/25/2008 2:00:11 AM] Postprocessing
---[Information] Deleting intermediate files
--[Information] [10/25/2008 2:00:11 AM] Job completed

[Adub]

Yes, crf changed. But not in MeGUI, it changed in x264. Just run some tests and figure out what your new desired crf is.

Oh, and do you mean this:

---[NoImage] x264 [info]: SSIM Mean Y:0.9792123

because that's in you log.

The number of B-frames are in there as well. For example, 59.4% of the time you used 2 b-frames.

[ManiacDC]

Originally Posted by Merlin7777

Yes, crf changed. But not in MeGUI, it changed in x264. Just run some tests and figure out what your new desired crf is.

Oh, and do you mean this:
because that's in you log.

The number of B-frames are in there as well. For example, 59.4% of the time you used 2 b-frames.

Hi merlin, thanks, about the note regarding the crf change (I'm aware this would be an x264 change, megui is just a gui), it appears 25 is now pretty similar to 20, at least for the video I was encoding.


Yes, I mean regarding the SSIM output. It was in my old log (the bottom one), it is now not outputting it into the log (I am using x264 1125 now I think and it's still producing the below error).

I am getting this:

--[NoImage] Exception in readStdErr: Length cannot be less than zero.

If I encode the video from the command prompt I *do* get the output (SSIM, B frames, P frames, etc), but not in megui, I just get that error.

Thanks.

[Mottodj]

Have same problem, occurs when using FFvideoSource in avs script. With DirectShowSource it's alright.

[ManiacDC]

It's still happening for me, just not quite so frequently.

[Sharktooth]

CRF mean varies depending on the settings.
about the stderr problem... update megui and the tools thru the auto-update function.
when megui cant read the stderr displays that message in the log. that means the encoder crashed with no output.

[ManiacDC]

My settings were the same, so I'm not sure. Anyway I got it where I wanted it again.

I haven't gotten an error too recently but I haven't done much encoding in the past month (just a file or two). I'll keep an eye out for the error and see if I ever get it again. I always keep megui/tools up to date via auto update.

Thanks.