Error Msg when exporting h.264 files
 

Hi everyone,

Hoping I get get some help with a troublesome issue...

I am running Adobe Premiere & Media Encoder CS5 on a PC. When I export h.264/mp4 files from the timeline, they play fine in Windows Media Player. However, when the file gets to the end of playback, I always receive an error message in the last few seconds of the exported clip. Media Player stops, & I receive an error msg that says "Windows Media Player encountered a problem while playing the file."

I do NOT have this error when playing the file in Quicktime Player. However, it seems like the audio playback is slightly out of sync in QT Player... Maybe just my imagination.

I do NOT have this error in WMP with any other type of exported video clip.

Most of my corporate clients use WMP for video playback, so this is becoming a problem. And I prefer the h264 format because it tends to play best when clients are using a mix of Mac & PC.

Here are my export settings for a 1920x1080, 23.98 fps, Progressive timeline:

Format: H.264
Export Video & Audio
Codec: MainConcept
TV standard: NTSC
640x360
Frame Rate: 24 fps
Field Order: None
Pixel Aspect: Square
Profile: Main
Level: 3.1
VBR, 2 Pass
Target bitrate - 1
Max bitrate - 2
Check: Use Previews

Audio codec: AAC
Freq: 48 khZ
Audio quality: high
Bitrate: 128
Precedence: Bitrate

Any thoughts are welcome!

Re: Error Msg when exporting h.264 files
 

Hi Brett,

Long time, probably WEVA 2008? Hope you are doing well.

Do you add a couple of seconds of black video at end of sequence before exporting? Something about having enough room to close a GOP when encoding and not having any audio at the very end either.

Was just helping a customer with similar issue to yours, and in his case it was blank spots in timeline, as he was still in the proofing stage. He had the VO and music placed, but had "holes" in the video and H.264 playback would freeze at the first blank spot upon playback in WMP.

Just had another thought - try encoding at 23.98 rather than 24 fps, I think that bit me a couple of years ago. Maybe it was 29.97 versus 30, but I had an issue with a clip I made for YouTube and it was very frustrating.

Thanks

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers