Topic: MP4 handling within MC11 (Read 14019 times)

bbrip · « **on:** October 02, 2005, 08:57:53 am »

Any news when we can expect full video capabilities within MC? Many codecs, in particular the increasingly popular Nero formats remain unsupported only because your software relys on Quicktime.

Would be great to see Zplayer or similar support soon. I hate having to deal with two media players, one (MC11) for my audio and another for my video playback / archiving

Many thanks!!!

BB

JimH · « **Reply #1 on:** October 02, 2005, 10:15:45 am »

Nero invented their own standard, it seems.

What do you use for a video player?

bbrip · « **Reply #2 on:** October 02, 2005, 12:05:21 pm »

Didnt really "invent" theri own. Even many DVD players now support the Nero formats (Kiss, etc...)!!

I use either Zplayer or Nero's own ShowTime to play the files. Zplayer is easy to integrate as it is open standard. Would be really, rellay great if you could have a look at that. Other HomePc Centers use it as well (Sonavis, a German high end MediaPC firm to name one).

Cheers

B

JimH · « **Reply #3 on:** October 03, 2005, 07:25:17 am »

Can you play them with Windows Media Player 10?

bbrip · « **Reply #4 on:** October 03, 2005, 10:51:16 am »

nope.

have a look at www.nerodigital.com i am sure this gives a sense as to how far this is already becoming a standard

JimH · « **Reply #5 on:** October 03, 2005, 11:06:35 am »

Quote from: bbrip on October 03, 2005, 10:51:16 am

nope.

have a look at www.nerodigital.com i am sure this gives a sense as to how far this is already becoming a standard

Well, I can see that it is a standard as far as Nero is concerned, but it doesn't seem so for Microsoft if WMP won't play it.

Alex B · « **Reply #6 on:** October 03, 2005, 11:11:19 am »

WMP and MC should be able to play the files if the appropriate Direct Show filters for Nero format are installed. MC uses always system level codecs for video playback.

This google search finds more information: Nero Digital "direct show".

bbrib, could you provide a link to a small sample video (10 s. or so)?

bbrip · « **Reply #7 on:** October 03, 2005, 03:46:53 pm »

You can find a set of samples in various resolutions at the link below. Would love to hear more how to install these direct show filters in MC11

http://trailer.nerodigital.com/deu/180.html

Thanks
bb

JimH · « **Reply #8 on:** October 03, 2005, 03:49:03 pm »

Have you tried a google search to see if you can get it working with WMP? That might be a good place to start.

MC11 has an option for video playback that tells it to use the WMP control, so if it works with WMP, you can probably get that to work.

bbrip · « **Reply #9 on:** October 03, 2005, 04:46:49 pm »

Ya, but all that google stuff is not very clear to me whether Nero works with dirct show. I assume it should because it wokrs beautifully with the Zoom Player

http://www.inmatrix.com/

Any chqance integrating that into MC11? That would be my dream come true - well almost

bb

Alex B · « **Reply #10 on:** October 03, 2005, 05:50:23 pm »

I downloaded the Standard and Cinema samples. I have no problems with playing them. I tried WMP10, MC11 and QT7.

GSpot codec information tool reports this:

Quote

DirectShow claims to be able to play the file. The following combination of filters were used:

{D:\Test\TheFog_Stan_ASP.mp4} (Source)
{3ivx D4 Media Splitter} (Splitter)

{3ivx D4 Video Decoder} (Video Decoder)
{Video Renderer} (Video Renderer)

{CoreAAC Audio Decoder} (Audio Decoder)
{MatrixMixer} (Audio Post-processor)
{Default DirectSound Device} (Audio Renderer)

I seem to have the appropriate codecs installed.

www.3ivx.com
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/CoreAAC_Directshow_filter.htm

Alex B · « **Reply #11 on:** October 03, 2005, 06:00:08 pm »

Here's more information:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=88775
http://forum.doom9.org/forumdisplay.php?f=17

bbrip · « **Reply #12 on:** October 04, 2005, 06:01:42 am »

I'll try when I am home this evening.

And what you say is that you can play these files from within MC11? Ie you import and tag them etc end then just play them in the playing now window? Because thats where I struggle.

Playing them sepratly outside MC11) works perfectly for me as well

bb

JimH · « **Reply #13 on:** October 04, 2005, 06:48:29 am »

Quote

MC11 has an option for video playback that tells it to use the WMP control, so if it works with WMP, you can probably get that to work.

bbrip · « **Reply #14 on:** October 04, 2005, 10:15:25 am »

Jim, I tried that before but to no avail. I will fiddle a bit more once home to see if I get there...

The tips so far have been useful and got me closer to any possible root source than my previous attempts to voice this subject.

Thanks to all so far. I'll report later.

B

Alex B · « **Reply #15 on:** October 04, 2005, 10:32:04 am »

Quote from: bbrip on October 04, 2005, 06:01:42 am

And what you say is that you can play these files from within MC11? Ie you import and tag them etc end then just play them in the playing now window? Because thats where I struggle.

I can import the files and fill library fields. MC does not handle any physical MP4 file tags because it uses an external decoder.

I am just now trying the playback on my older W2k PC. It doesn't play the sample files without installing new codecs. I'll report later.

bbrip · « **Reply #16 on:** October 04, 2005, 10:50:51 am »

Don't worry about W2k - at least not for me. I run XP professional

bbrip · « **Reply #17 on:** October 04, 2005, 01:16:40 pm »

Jim, Alex,

one step further: In the past I got an Error message when dragging and dropping an MP4 file encoded with Nero into MC11. Now I dont get a message, it seems to import it, but then when I try to locate the file it is not there....

I attach my system details below:

Media Center Registered 11.0.309 -- C:\Programme\J River\Media Center 11\

Microsoft Windows XP 5.1 Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
Intel Pentium 4 3590 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 2095 MB, Free - 1676 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2900.2180 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) / Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2900.2713 (xpsp_sp2_gdr.050702-1513) / Shell32.dll: 6.00.2900.2620 (xpsp_sp2_gdr.050225-1820) / wnaspi32.dll: N/A
Ripping / Drive D: _NEC DVD+-RW ND-3450A Mode:ModeSecure Type:Auto Speed:Max
Drive E: SAMSUNG DVD-ROM SD-616E Mode:ModeSecure Type:Auto Speed:Max
Digital playback: Yes / Use YADB: Yes / Get cover art: No / Calc replay gain: Yes / Copy volume: 32767
Eject after ripping: Yes / Play sound after ripping: No

Burning / Drive D: _NEC DVD+-RW ND-3450A Addr: 0:0:0 Speed:48 MaxSpeed:48 BurnProof:Yes
Test mode: No / Eject after writing: Yes / Direct decoding: No / Write CD-Text: No
Use playback settings: No / Normalization: None

Alex B · « **Reply #18 on:** October 04, 2005, 01:29:38 pm »

I installed 3ivx v. 4.5.1 and QuickTime 7.02.

Now MC 11.0.314 can play and import the sample files on my W2k PC.

The "use Windows Media Engine..." option works too, but it doesn't change anything. MC still shows the "QuickTime" label.

Quote from: bbrip on October 04, 2005, 01:16:40 pm

one step further: In the past I got an Error message when dragging and dropping an MP4 file encoded with Nero into MC11. Now I dont get a message, it seems to import it, but then when I try to locate the file it is not there....

What is the exact file name and path? QT is sometimes picky with filenames.

bbrip · « **Reply #19 on:** October 04, 2005, 01:29:59 pm »

Done yet another test:

Renamed the file container from MP4 to AVI and - the file plays !!!!

However, why does it not recognise the file as an MP4 container file? Dont really intend to rename all files but if that is what it takes, I'll do it

Thanks for all your help!!

BB

Alex B · « **Reply #20 on:** October 04, 2005, 01:32:37 pm »

Do you have QuickTime 7 installed?

bbrip · « **Reply #21 on:** October 04, 2005, 01:37:25 pm »

Yes I do. May that create the problem?? I have certainly tickked to use WMP in MC11 for Video Playback.

BB

bbrip · « **Reply #22 on:** October 04, 2005, 01:40:34 pm »

Under "Options/File Associations" in MC11, MP4 is actually NOT listed whereas AVI is.

Maybe thats the root cause. How do I get MC11 to also list (and therefore recognize) MP4 as a valid file format?

Thanks again
BB

bbrip · « **Reply #23 on:** October 04, 2005, 01:51:26 pm »

I now go the MP4 format to list in the file associations list by activiating Quicktime as default player for MP4 files in the Quicktime options menu.

However, it does not change the fact, that the files dont even get imported into MC11

B

Alex B · « **Reply #24 on:** October 04, 2005, 02:11:02 pm »

Quote from: bbrip on October 04, 2005, 01:37:25 pm

Yes I do. May that create the problem?? I have certainly tickked to use WMP in MC11 for Video Playback.

BB

I think v. 7.0.2 is better. I had QT 6.52 but it didn't work properly with the 3ivx codecs. I got some error messages and the QT Player hung.

3ivx is only one of the options available, but it seems to work on my PCs.

Quote from: bbrip on October 04, 2005, 01:51:26 pm

I now go the MP4 format to list in the file associations list by activiating Quicktime as default player for MP4 files in the Quicktime options menu.

However, it does not change the fact, that the files dont even get imported into MC11

B

MP4 seems to be missing from the available formats. I imported from the MC Tree and by dragging from the Windows Explorer.

bbrip · « **Reply #25 on:** October 04, 2005, 02:28:24 pm »

Alex, I actually got Quicktime 7.0.2. installed.

MP4 seems indeed be missing, the question being: How do I get it to show up ?

Cheers
BB

JimH · « **Reply #26 on:** October 04, 2005, 03:23:35 pm »

Under MC's tools/options/file associations, do you have MPEG Video checked?

bbrip · « **Reply #27 on:** October 04, 2005, 03:45:32 pm »

Yes - doesnt change anything

bbrip · « **Reply #28 on:** October 04, 2005, 04:08:23 pm »

Very odd indeed:

Once I have renamed the files to AVI (which is the only way MC11 lets me import them, and then - once they are in MC!! - rename the files back to MP4 they play just perfectly.

However, still struggling to import in MP4 in the first place. Very odd...

BB

Alex B · « **Reply #29 on:** October 04, 2005, 04:53:44 pm »

JRiver must add the file type.

For now you can drag MP4 files and folders to Playing Now, select all and right-click import. You may also want to change the file type to Video when tagging. At least on my PC the sample files showed up as Audio.

bbrip · « **Reply #30 on:** October 04, 2005, 05:09:25 pm »

well, I wish I could drag and drop them into Playing Now. It simply doesnt do it. I say "Add to play list", MC displays a pop-up saying "Importing...." - and at the end nothing is there.

its also not under Audio - I#ve already checked that before

B

Alex B · « **Reply #31 on:** October 04, 2005, 05:36:16 pm »

Something is different. I can drag MP4 files into Playing Now. They show up as unimported with the yellow audio icon. After right-clicking and selecting "Import Into Library" the icon changes to blue.

Do you have the general option "Automatically import files into Media Library" selected? I don't.

bbrip · « **Reply #32 on:** October 04, 2005, 05:49:11 pm »

I havent selected that option either

B

bbrip · « **Reply #33 on:** October 04, 2005, 06:30:51 pm »

Made another step forward:

Installed the latest Haali Medi Splitter. Seems to import MP4 ok now!!

B

bbrip · « **Reply #34 on:** October 05, 2005, 07:13:39 am »

Sorry, I was shooting too fast last night:

Problem importing MP4 has not gone away. I only picked a file that was encoded in "simple" (QT 6 compatible) format, therefore it loaded it.

However, files encoded withmore advanced codecs AVC, H.264 etc. still can only be imported following a rename into AVI

The mystery continues.. ?

bbrip · « **Reply #35 on:** October 06, 2005, 10:19:53 am »

Any further bright ideas as to how I might be able to get around my problem importing MP4 files directly into MP4 without having to go through the AVI renaming route??

Cheers
B

micahmj11 · « **Reply #36 on:** April 19, 2006, 06:43:34 pm »

Has there been any update to this issue? I am still unable to import mp4 and m4v files. I can get the mp4 files into MC by dragging and dropping, but not simply by running "import media."

Yaobing · « **Reply #37 on:** April 20, 2006, 08:28:06 am »

Quote from: micahmj11 on April 19, 2006, 06:43:34 pm

Has there been any update to this issue? I am still unable to import mp4 and m4v files. I can get the mp4 files into MC by dragging and dropping, but not simply by running "import media."

You need to have Quicktime installed in order to import/play these. Mp4 can also be played in DirectShow, if you have the correct filters and configure MC to do so.

Pegase64 · « **Reply #38 on:** April 20, 2006, 01:49:46 pm »

Quote from: Yaobing on April 20, 2006, 08:28:06 am

You need to have Quicktime installed in order to import/play these. Mp4 can also be played in DirectShow, if you have the correct filters and configure MC to do so.

I'm sorry but .mp4 is NOT a proprietary container of Apple Quicktime.

Quicktime use this extension for the AAC sound files and MediaCenter is wrong in supposing any file with .mp4 extension is a Quicktime sound file.

MPEG4 is a compression format developed by two Groups, the MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) from ISO and the VCEG (Video Coding Experts Group) from ITU (International Telecommunication Union).

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=96059

Nero is perfectly right in using .mp4 container for the video files, H263 or H264 AVC compression.

It is perfectly possible to play Nero files in WMP (just a codec problem).

But the problem is IN Mediacenter code which supposes any file with .mp4 extension or mp4 code is a quicktime file (and worse a sound file).

Quicktime implementation of mpeg4 is very poor (see the size of quicktime files

and H264 AVC Mpeg4 implementation in Quicktime 7 is properly scandalous ! (it is under the baseline profile).

Anyway, Quicktime is unable to read real mpeg4 H264 files (as compressed by Mainconcept coder, Nero coder etc... in baseline or main profile)

The workaround proposed : rename .mp4 in .avi is a bad solution. AVI container misses essentials informations about mpeg4 format.

So the solution is in mediacenter itself : remove mp4 as quicktime proprietary format. Please

Friendly

Pegase64

JimH · « **Reply #39 on:** April 20, 2006, 01:55:33 pm »

Quote from: Pegase64 on April 20, 2006, 01:49:46 pm

Quicktime implementation of mpeg4 is very poor (see the size of quicktime files and H264 AVC Mpeg4 implementation in Quicktime 7 is properly scandalous ! (it is under the baseline profile).

Anyway, Quicktime is unable to read real mpeg4 H264 files (as compressed by Mainconcept coder, Nero coder etc... in baseline or main profile)

You may not like Apple's implementation but it is now a standard. Nero's is different, maybe even better, but it isn't the same.

This whole area is a bit of a mess. Not to mention that we now have:

MP3, MP4, MPG, MPEG, MPC, M4P, and M4A.

If your files are imported as audio, you can edit the media type in MC.

Alex B · « **Reply #40 on:** April 20, 2006, 02:03:49 pm »

Quote from: Pegase64 on April 20, 2006, 01:49:46 pm

So the solution is in mediacenter itself : remove mp4 as quicktime proprietary format. Please

It is already available:

Options > Playback > DirectShow playback settings

Alex B · « **Reply #41 on:** April 20, 2006, 02:13:29 pm »

More information is available in these threads:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=30561.0
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=31688.0

Also, you may want to add your feature requests here:

Topic: What video playback features would you like to see in MC version 12?

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: MP4 handling within MC11 (Read 14019 times)