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MP4 plays still image + audio track

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slowjeff
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MP4 plays still image + audio track

#1 Post by slowjeff »

Running the latest Debian, installed this week on a Toshiba Satellite U-505 with KDE desktop, when I attempt to play an MP4 file on either Dragon or VLC it shows the first frame as a still image but runs the audio track normally.
I installed via unetbootin - debian. Everything else appears to work.
The "LRV" (Low Resolution Video) form of the same clip will play.
The MP4 in question was recorded by a GoPro Hero 4 at high resolution and frame speed.
The MP4 is a good file and will play OK on a common commercial OS.
I have attempted to install all the codecs I can find in the depository.
Any guidance will be appreciated.

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#2 Post by Segfault »

You forgot to mention what output method VLC is configured to use for video. Also, is your installation using correct video drivers or it is running on fallback drivers (VESA, fbdev)?

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#3 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

slowjeff wrote:I have attempted to install all the codecs I can find in the depository.
And which codecs would these be, then? We wouldn't want to offer redundant advice, that would be irritating :)
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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#4 Post by Segfault »

First, with recent ffmpeg all codecs you need for common formats are already installed.
Second, MP4 is not a video format, it is a container. Usually the video inside is AVC, aka H.264 aka MPEG-4 part 10. Audio is usually AAC.
Third, run mediainfo on your file if you want to know what's inside.

... and fourth ... I still suspect there is incapable video driver in use, in other words, the Xorg is running on fallback drivers.

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#5 Post by stevepusser »

I thought that the GoPro uses its own video codec for the higher resolution video; I remember reading a lot about that and Linux a couple year back. Newer versions of ffmpeg/libav* than you have in Stretch may support that codec, though.

Edit: Some posts say that the latest GoPros are using hevc (h.265) encoding...

What does media information in VLC say about the video?
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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#6 Post by Segfault »

Well, in case hardware decoding is not available for H.265 then there must be sufficient CPU power to decode it. Again, playing with VLC video output options may help (or may not).

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#7 Post by slowjeff »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
slowjeff wrote:I have attempted to install all the codecs I can find in the depository.
And which codecs would these be, then? We wouldn't want to offer redundant advice, that would be irritating :)
FFmpeg*

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#8 Post by slowjeff »

Segfault wrote:First, with recent ffmpeg all codecs you need for common formats are already installed.
Second, MP4 is not a video format, it is a container. Usually the video inside is AVC, aka H.264 aka MPEG-4 part 10. Audio is usually AAC.
Third, run mediainfo on your file if you want to know what's inside.

... and fourth ... I still suspect there is incapable video driver in use, in other words, the Xorg is running on fallback drivers.
I don't know how to check to see which video drivers are in use.
I'm.an old man..I used to be an IT tech but I've been out of it for a decade. I just want a computer that will enable me to write and do some very minor video edits and I am *so sick* of dealing with Windows. I used to run various Debians back when I was a working pro, but my memory has faded.
How would I check that?

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#9 Post by slowjeff »

Segfault wrote:You forgot to mention what output method VLC is configured to use for video. Also, is your installation using correct video drivers or it is running on fallback drivers (VESA, fbdev)?
I don't.know how to check what output.method is configured.for VLC.
More ignorance.
I have a boundless supply.

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#10 Post by stevepusser »

So you can play other, more normal mp4 files just fine in VLC, right? Have you checked that?

You can install mediainfo and/or mediainfo-gui to get information on media files, including hevc (h.265) encoded files.

Here is a test 5 MB hevc-encoded mp4 file of me fending off an attacking coyote (OK, just my hand appears in the video) that you can test VLC and mediainfo with. Make sure to download it and not just play it in the browser:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zWATk ... Fc1dVxa-_l
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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#11 Post by slowjeff »

stevepusser wrote:So you can play other, more normal mp4 files just fine in VLC, right? Have you checked that?

You can install mediainfo and/or mediainfo-gui to get information on media files, including hevc (h.265) encoded files.

Here is a test 5 MB hevc-encoded mp4 file of me fending off an attacking coyote (OK, just my hand appears in the video) that you can test VLC and mediainfo with. Make sure to download it and not just play it in the browser:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zWATk ... Fc1dVxa-_l
No, I hadn't checked that, and yes, your file plays perfectly.
Nice to see you defending yourself from the coyote so bravely and powerfully.
So... can I convert my GoPro file to something reasonable?

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#12 Post by slowjeff »

Other interesting note:
MediaInfo can't see anything inside the file in question, although it can see what's in conventional MP4 files.

:shock:

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#13 Post by stevepusser »

Can VLC play the problem video on the commercial OS? If not, what player is playing it there, and can it provide any information about the codecs?

If VLC can play it there, you can convert it to a more standard format in VLC, or enable the advanced GUI in VLC and use the record button to make a small clip to upload for others to see what they can do with it.
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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#14 Post by Segfault »

Try ffprobe, example below:

Code: Select all

 $ ffprobe -hide_banner The.Road.to.Hong.Kong.1962.mkv 
Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'The.Road.to.Hong.Kong.1962.mkv':
  Metadata:
    title           : The Road to Hong Kong 1962
    creation_time   : 2018-12-27T02:40:26.000000Z
    ENCODER         : Lavf58.20.100
  Duration: N/A, start: -0.007000, bitrate: N/A
    Stream #0:0: Video: hevc (Main), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 1200x720 [SAR 1914:1915 DAR 638:383], SAR 1:1 DAR 5:3, 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 1k tbn, 23.98 tbc (default)
    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: opus, 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp (default)
    Metadata:
      title           : Stereo

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#15 Post by stevepusser »

Segfault wrote:Try ffprobe, example below:

Code: Select all

 $ ffprobe -hide_banner The.Road.to.Hong.Kong.1962.mkv 
Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'The.Road.to.Hong.Kong.1962.mkv':
  Metadata:
    title           : The Road to Hong Kong 1962
    creation_time   : 2018-12-27T02:40:26.000000Z
    ENCODER         : Lavf58.20.100
  Duration: N/A, start: -0.007000, bitrate: N/A
    Stream #0:0: Video: hevc (Main), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 1200x720 [SAR 1914:1915 DAR 638:383], SAR 1:1 DAR 5:3, 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 1k tbn, 23.98 tbc (default)
    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: opus, 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp (default)
    Metadata:
      title           : Stereo
ffprobe requires that you install the ffmpeg package, in case you get a "what?" from the system when you try it.
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Solved Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#16 Post by slowjeff »

Thanks to all.

I installed HandBrake and it appears to be going to convert these files to a usable format.

It didn't occur to me in advance that what GoPro called an MP4 file wasn't what the rest of the world called an MP4 file, but I learned a few valuable things from y'all in the process.

Thanks again

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#17 Post by Segfault »

This is workaround, not solution. And since all re-codings with lossy codecs also contribute to quality loss I'd say this is not a good workaround.

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Re: Solved Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#18 Post by stevepusser »

slowjeff wrote:Thanks to all.

I installed HandBrake and it appears to be going to convert these files to a usable format.

It didn't occur to me in advance that what GoPro called an MP4 file wasn't what the rest of the world called an MP4 file, but I learned a few valuable things from y'all in the process.

Thanks again
The mp4 format is just a container, so it can hold all kinds of different codecs. I still suspect that GoPro has their own custom one. Just type

Code: Select all

ffmpeg -codecs
to see all the ones they've reverse-engineered for support there.
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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#19 Post by Segfault »

Handbrake opened it, in its Activity log is description of source, including codecs.

Edit: GoPro website tells it is H.264 and may be H.265 for some newer cameras, depending on recording mode. Although they do not mention if it is 8 bit, 10 bit or 12 bit. I'm assuming 8 bit.

We still do not know what video hardware is used. It may be H.264 is decoded in hardware and H.265 falls back to software decoding. Again, playing with VLC video output options may help. It defaults to Auto, but it may not be the best solution.

More edit: Being old is not an excuse to solicit spoonfeeding. I'm old myself.

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Re: MP4 plays still image + audio track

#20 Post by stevepusser »

For what it's worth, I just backported Sid's VLC 3.0.5 for MX Linux, and it adds a 10-bit h.264 playback plugin, though that also needed a backport of libx264-155 from Buster. I can also play the latest new AV1 video codec in it, though that is probably due more to the backported ffmpeg 4.0.3 with libaom I've also got.

I'll see about adding those to my backports multimedia repo tomorrow when I have time.
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