VLC Streaming issues

[UncleJohnsBand]

Got it!

I edited my capture device, and changed the compression from MPEG4 (divx) to MPEG2. MPEG4(divx) cannot be correctly streamed.

Thanks so much for helping me with this. I have a much better understanding of the inner workings now.

Excellent! Thanks for the follow-Up.

[netwerk23]

Hi
I've posted this issue before, but it's still bothering me and I hope you don't mind if I reuse this thread as it's a VLC streaming problem.

VLC can't stream through files that have been cleaned by comclean and comskip. It chokes whenever it hits the break. The weird thing is that the audio continues, and after anywhere from 15 seconds to 2 minutes, the video kicks right back in. This happens on any streaming setting on either VLC or WMP for playback.

Sometimes, it doesn't kick back in, the player just stops. On the server I still see VLC.exe running, and I can't reconnect to the stream at that point. I have to kill it and restart it to get it to work again.

If I stream live tv, it works for hours on end without interruption. It's only cleaned files.

I added a line to remux the files to my post processing.bat file, and even if I remux the files manually, VLC still chokes. I tried installing the newest VLC build but it didn't make a difference. I tried turning on the logging feature but it never writes anything. Is it possible to replace VLC on the server with another streaming application? I know Windows Media Streaming Services is free. Thank you so much, EWA is otherwise totally jawesome.

[aspirax]

If you play the file with VLC (gui) does it also happen?
And if so, what are the messages? (View->messages)

[netwerk23]

If you play the file with VLC (gui) does it also happen?
And if so, what are the messages? (View->messages)

I'll test that as soon as I get home. As I recollect, VLC gui chokes too, as does WMP and MEdia Player Classic. The only media player that plows through the files is the one included with Xbox Media Center (I think it's mplayer?), which is the principle method of playback at home.

edit: over RDP I can watch the video play at around 1 FPS. The view-messages is riddled with "late picture skipped" errors, but I imagine that's because of my connection method. I'll know for sure when I test tonight. Thanks for your help aspirax.

Edit2: I turned on View-Messages during a streaming show that fails for me in the same spot each time. The file plays normally, some frames skipped, then I get this:


main warning: late picture skipped (27409)
main warning: late picture skipped (43841)
main warning: late picture skipped (10507)
main warning: late picture skipped (98314)
main skipped (-9450)
main warning: late picture skipped (-14904)
main warning: late picture skipped (-1657)
main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-40005)
main warning: late picture skipped (23771)
main warning: late picture skipped (25946)
main warning: late picture skipped (-7408)
main warning: late picture skipped (12015)
main warning: computed PTS is out of range (8289729), clearing out
main warning: PTS is out of range (8258750), dropping buffer
main warning: output PTS is out of range (8328437), clearing out
main warning: PTS is out of range (8237663), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (8216617), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (8195544), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (8174445), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (8153369), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (8132241), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (8111129), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (8090129), dropping buffer
ts debug: eof ?
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main warning: late picture skipped (8294926)
main warning: late picture skipped (8261589)
main warning: late picture skipped (8228234)
main warning: late picture skipped (8194878)
main warning: late picture skipped (8161521)
main debug: closing input
ts debug: pid list:
ts debug: - pid[0] seen
ts debug: - pid[66] seen
main debug: removing module "faad"
main debug: thread times: real 12m29.982734s, kernel 0m0.156250s, user 0m0.515625s
main debug: thread 4052 joined (input/decoder.c:191)
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mp4a', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "bandlimited_resampler"
aout_directx debug: closing audio device
aout_directx debug: DirectSoundThread exiting
main debug: thread times: real 12m29.764530s, kernel 0m0.000000s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 4656 joined (directx.c:598)
main debug: removing module "aout_directx"
main debug: removing module "float32tos16"
main debug: removing module "float32_mixer"
main debug: removing module "packetizer_mpeg4audio"
ts debug: - pid[68] seen
ffmpeg debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) stopped
main debug: removing module "ffmpeg"
main debug: thread times: real 12m29.967148s, kernel 0m0.765625s, user 0m12.609375s
main debug: thread 4212 joined (input/decoder.c:191)
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mp4v', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "packetizer_mpeg4video"
main debug: Program doesn't contain anymore ES
ts debug: - pid[69] seen
ts debug: - pid[8191] seen
main debug: removing module "ts"
main debug: removing module "access_http"
main debug: thread times: real 12m30.730862s, kernel 0m0.875000s, user 0m0.812500s
main debug: thread 3956 joined (input/input.c:412)
main: nothing to play
main debug: garbage collector destroys 1 vout
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseSurface
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay clipper
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay display
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDDraw
vout_directx debug: CloseVideo
vout_directx debug: DirectXEventThread terminating
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseWindow
vout_directx debug: WinProc WM_DESTROY
main debug: thread times: real 12m29.904804s, kernel 0m0.078125s, user 0m0.031250s
main debug: thread 4700 joined (directx.c:509)
main debug: removing module "vout_directx"
main debug: thread times: real 12m29.873632s, kernel 0m4.015625s, user 0m4.406250s
main debug: thread 4728 joined (video_output/video_output.c:461)

[netwerk23]

I tried another file and it choked again at a commercial break:

main warning: late picture skipped (1591)
main warning: late picture skipped (33307)
main warning: late picture skipped (29)
main warning: late picture skipped (1234)
main warning: computed PTS is out of range (8024070), clearing out
main warning: PTS is out of range (8024083), dropping buffer
main warning: output PTS is out of range (8030109), clearing out
main warning: PTS is out of range (8003113), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (7982031), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (7960918), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (7939874), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (7918782), dropping buffer
ts debug: eof ?
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main warning: late picture skipped (8090581)
main warning: late picture skipped (8057246)
main warning: late picture skipped (8023889)
main warning: late picture skipped (7990533)
main debug: closing input
ts debug: pid list:
ts debug: - pid[0] seen
ts debug: - pid[66] seen
main debug: removing module "faad"
main debug: thread times: real 7m54.562528s, kernel 0m0.265625s, user 0m0.828125s
main debug: thread 4056 joined (input/decoder.c:191)
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mp4a', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "bandlimited_resampler"
aout_directx debug: closing audio device
aout_directx debug: DirectSoundThread exiting
main debug: thread times: real 7m54.188464s, kernel 0m0.000000s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 4624 joined (directx.c:598)
main debug: removing module "aout_directx"
main debug: removing module "float32tos16"
main debug: removing module "trivial_mixer"
main debug: removing module "packetizer_mpeg4audio"
ts debug: - pid[68] seen
ffmpeg debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) stopped
main debug: removing module "ffmpeg"
main debug: thread times: real 7m54.375496s, kernel 0m0.593750s, user 0m10.890625s
main debug: thread 4216 joined (input/decoder.c:191)
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mp4v', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "packetizer_mpeg4video"
main debug: Program doesn't contain anymore ES
ts debug: - pid[69] seen
ts debug: - pid[8191] seen
main debug: removing module "ts"
main debug: removing module "access_http"
main debug: thread times: real 7m55.248312s, kernel 0m0.171875s, user 0m0.218750s
main debug: thread 3956 joined (input/input.c:412)
main warning: refcount is 1, delaying before deletion (id=343,type=-7)
main: nothing to play
main debug: garbage collector destroys 1 vout
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseSurface
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay clipper
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDisplay display
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseDDraw
vout_directx debug: CloseVideo
vout_directx debug: DirectXEventThread terminating
vout_directx debug: DirectXCloseWindow
vout_directx debug: WinProc WM_DESTROY
main debug: thread times: real 7m54.313152s, kernel 0m0.000000s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 4708 joined (directx.c:509)
main debug: removing module "vout_directx"
main debug: thread times: real 7m54.281980s, kernel 0m2.281250s, user 0m3.921875s
main debug: thread 4736 joined (video_output/video_output.c:461)


Is there anyway to enable logging on the server-side VLC to determine why it's bombing out? I tried the Advanced->VLC Logging but it never writes anything to the file.

[UncleJohnsBand]

Hi
I've posted this issue before, but it's still bothering me and I hope you don't mind if I reuse this thread as it's a VLC streaming problem.

VLC can't stream through files that have been cleaned by comclean and comskip. It chokes whenever it hits the break. The weird thing is that the audio continues, and after anywhere from 15 seconds to 2 minutes, the video kicks right back in. This happens on any streaming setting on either VLC or WMP for playback.

Sometimes, it doesn't kick back in, the player just stops. On the server I still see VLC.exe running, and I can't reconnect to the stream at that point. I have to kill it and restart it to get it to work again.

If I stream live tv, it works for hours on end without interruption. It's only cleaned files.

I added a line to remux the files to my post processing.bat file, and even if I remux the files manually, VLC still chokes. I tried installing the newest VLC build but it didn't make a difference. I tried turning on the logging feature but it never writes anything. Is it possible to replace VLC on the server with another streaming application? I know Windows Media Streaming Services is free. Thank you so much, EWA is otherwise totally jawesome.

If you are receiving errors from a com-clean file then I would suspect that it is a comclean issue (which I have seen many.....many of) and not a streaming issue....it may be that the streaming which is actually transcoding the recorded file is picking up artifacts or errors that when not transcoding the file render fine.

Does the unadulterated (non-comclean) file stream...my guess would be yes.

When you are streaming you can select (on the client) menu option view and then messages and you may be able to see what is occuring.

[netwerk23]

If you are receiving errors from a com-clean file then I would suspect that it is a comclean issue (which I have seen many.....many of) and not a streaming issue....it may be that the streaming which is actually transcoding the recorded file is picking up artifacts or errors that when not transcoding the file render fine.

Does the unadulterated (non-comclean) file stream...my guess would be yes.

When you are streaming you can select (on the client) menu option view and then messages and you may be able to see what is occuring.

Un-cleaned files stream fine. The output of the client messages is what I posted above. The issue is pretty much that VLC can't output a stream if the file has been cleaned. It streams it fine until it hits what was a commercial break, then the stream ends. I have remuxed the file manually after it's cleaned which should fix any timing problems within the files themselves, but that doesn't fix it.

Does this work for other people? That would be helpful to know.

edit: I can play the cleaned files on VLC on the server without a hiccup. It's ONLY when the files are streamed through VLC. Any chance for an alternative?

[UncleJohnsBand]

Un-cleaned files stream fine. The output of the client messages is what I posted above. The issue is pretty much that VLC can't output a stream if the file has been cleaned. It streams it fine until it hits what was a commercial break, then the stream ends. I have remuxed the file manually after it's cleaned which should fix any timing problems within the files themselves, but that doesn't fix it.

Does this work for other people? That would be helpful to know.

edit: I can play the cleaned files on VLC on the server without a hiccup. It's ONLY when the files are streamed through VLC. Any chance for an alternative?

They probably play fine on the server because you are not transcoding them to another format....when you stream you are transcoding from the recorded format/speed to another(or same format)/but at a different speed.......

[netwerk23]

They probably play fine on the server because you are not transcoding them to another format....when you stream you are transcoding from the recorded format/speed to another(or same format)/but at a different speed.......

Any recommendations? Perhaps the VLC support forums? I could host a file somewhere to test with if that would be helpful.

[HtV]

If you'd use videoredo for the cutting, I'm quite sure you won't have problems. My guess is that comclean/cut cuts right through a gop (Group Of Pictures, mostly 12 - 15 pictures) instead of between to gops. Then the gop that has been cut should be re-encoded but comclean doesn't do that.