MKV Support

[Ararat]

First off, I'm very glad that mkv is supported now. I know it's not easy when you can't just add in code from mkvmerge.

Second, the mkv support is REALLLLLY beta at the moment. As expected anything with DTS will simply refuse to open. But even mkv's with AC3 audio are asking for a QSF, most of them as soon as I open them, the rest as I try to navigate.

All in all, a good start, cos most of the mkv's (with AC3) I've attempted have at least opened.

It's actually a lot like early wtv support (in that navigation is sluggish, and we often got asked to QSF), and that eventually came good so definitely headed in the right direction.

(Y)

By the way if you're looking for mkv samples... I have HEAPS from many different sources. Problem is they're very big...

 

[SimonP]

Alas, same here, I haven't managed to open /any/ mkv files yet, regardless of AC-3 or DTS (or both in the same file). I click 'Open file', select the video, then it just sits there saying "Not responding" until finally it comes back with "Problem while seeking to: 00:00:00.00 Please consider running Tools>QuickStream Fix" but when I do that, VRD immediately crashes.

Most, if not all, of the mkv files I have were written by mkvmerge so that could be a good place to start for further testing - two I tried were written by mkvmerge v2.x and they exhibited the above behaviour, another using v4.3 that I made (stripping out unwanted audio and subtitle streams from an mkv video I downloaded) crashed VRD completely.

I'm also getting a lot of "out of memory" errors now ("LargeBufferMalloc: no more memory"), which has never happened before, despite running Win7 64 bit with 4GB.

Again, all samples are huge (>1GB) but perhaps MediaInfo data would help?

Also I needed to manually add mkv as a file type so you may want to include that in the next beta.

I appreciate the work you've done so far but I'm afraid it has a way to go yet... I'll be happy to help with testing though.

 

[Danr]

I'm also getting a lot of "out of memory" errors now ("LargeBufferMalloc: no more memory")

If this an MKV issue, or another issue?

TVSuite, being a 32-bit application is limited to 2GB regardless of how much memory you have on your system.

 

[SimonP]

Only when trying to process mkv files (so far).

The files I've been experimenting with have been rather large - 4GB to 6GB, could that have anything to do with it?

 

[Dan203]

I just downloaded an MKV off bittorrent which produces this error as well. If I remux it to TS using tsMuxeR it opens and processes fine. I'll take a look at it on Monday and see if I can figure out what's going on.

Dan

 

[SimonP]

Thanks Dan.

 

[Ararat]

Yeah, I got that out of memory error once as well, but most of the time, just a QSF message. And yes, all mkv's (without DTS) open fine once remuxed to .ts.

 

[Dennis56]

Program stream not found

Ive associated the mkv container to open file type however im getting "program stream not found" when trying to open mkv files created with Handbrake.

Peter

 

[Anole]

more detailed = more useful

Since MediaInfo will give full report of all aspects of the file and who wrote it, maybe it would be helpful to Dan if that report were included with each comment of a failing file.?.?
There are other good reporting programs as well.

 

[Dennis56]

Here is the Mediainfo report on one of the Handbrake generated MKV files that returns the "program stream not found" error on opening .

Peter


General
UniqueID : 297657485636311282431616867976784627210 (0xDFEEBF1909B600D29EC3099A5A2BC60A)
Complete name : D:\test.mkv
Format : Matroska
File size : 1.38 GiB
Duration : 1h 39mn
Overall bit rate : 2 000 Kbps
Writing application : HandBrake svn3722
Writing library : libmkv 0.6.4.1

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L3.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 39mn
Bit rate : 1 512 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 436 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.35:1
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.193
Stream size : 1.05 GiB (76%)
Writing library : x264 core 112
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=2 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=12 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=2 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=0 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=18.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=3 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Language : English
Color primaries : BT.601-6 525, BT.1358 525, BT.1700 NTSC, SMPTE 170M
Transfer characteristics : BT.709-5, BT.1361
Matrix coefficients : BT.601-6 525, BT.1358 525, BT.1700 NTSC, SMPTE 170M

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Codec ID : A_AC3
Duration : 1h 39mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 448 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 317 MiB (22%)
Language : English

Menu
00:00:00.000 : Chapter 1
00:11:18.440 : Chapter 2
00:17:25.160 : Chapter 3
00:25:31.320 : Chapter 4
00:36:33.400 : Chapter 5
00:49:07.400 : Chapter 6
00:57:31.640 : Chapter 7
01:06:17.920 : Chapter 8
01:15:34.520 : Chapter 9
01:24:35.800 : Chapter 10
01:31:09.800 : Chapter 11

 

[MrVideo]

Width : 720 pixels
Height : 436 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.35:1

Can VRD even handle that? What you have is non-standard, i.e., it isn't 720x480, 720x576, 720p or 1080i.

 

[Anole]

could be wrong, but . . .

Frame rate mode : Variable

Isn't that what VRD won't swallow?
And didn't I read on this forum that is the default for Handbrake?
Just another reason I use Super...

 

[Dan203]

Yep. Variable frame rate does not work in VRD.

Dan

 

[Wintermute77]

Oh nice job with adding a very anticipated feature!

So far it works quite nicely considering it's the first beta. Have managed to:

• open (and seek through) about a dozen of files without any problems
• got the understanding the files with DTS track won't open, however the message given is way too generic whereas it should be more explicit on reasons (DTS not supported)
• put a program in responsive but unstable state with trying (and failing) to open certain big MKV, after that no other MKV can be opened any more until program is restarted. VRD kept displaying "Unknown catch error" messages with no more detail to be found in LOG
• output about two clips to MKV without problem, also these would play back normally in external player as expected
• provoke VRD to crash in avcodec-52.dll while opening specific MKV file
• first time experience "multiple resolutions found" dialog while opening specific MKV/MP4 file. One of the resolutions reported was the actual resolution of clip: 720x704 while the other one reported was some funny 16x32.

Cheers and looking forward to future refinements

 

[Ararat]

Yeah, in its current state (though promising), it's probably a lot more useful for OUTPUTTING directly to mkv, because as far as I know (haven't tried it yet) there shouldn't be any trouble doing that (apart from no subtitle/chapter support). This will save a step or two for a lot of people.

Editing anything that is already in mkv is hit and miss (to be expected with a first beta), and it's probably easier to just assume you'll have to remux to TS using tsMuxer, as that has well established support for mkv input.

 

[MrVideo]

Yep. Variable frame rate does not work in VRD.

But it also says that the frame rate is 25 fps, so which is it?

 

[MrVideo]

One of the resolutions reported was the actual resolution of clip: 720x704 while the other one reported was some funny 16x32.

720x704 is a funny resolution? It certainly isn't any kind of standard value that I know of.

 

[Dan203]

But it also says that the frame rate is 25 fps, so which is it?

MediaInfo always reports it that way. The 25fps is the average frame rate. However if even one small section of the file uses a variable frame rate it will mess VRD up.

Although, to be honest, in my experience VRD doesn't usually have trouble opening files with a variable frame rate. It usually has trouble during editing and output. So this particular problem could be caused by something else. Although even if we fixed it and got the file to open it still would have trouble with editing/output.

Dan

 

[MrVideo]

MediaInfo always reports it that way. The 25fps is the average frame rate. However if even one small section of the file uses a variable frame rate it will mess VRD up.

Who's brilliant idea was it to have variable frame rate video? That is just wrong.

 

[Dennis56]

Variable Frame Rate

Ok thanks for that info. My standard approach for frame rate in Handbrake is to leave the frame rate "same as source". For interests sake I will re-code the file using a fixed frame rate & see if VRD opens the file.

Peter