Strange encoding glitch with H.264 and DivX at DVinfo.net

Sunny Singh · June 12th, 2009, 08:27 PM

Greetings, all. I've noticed a very peculiar glitch when I attempt to compress some of my raw .avi files. I first noticed it when I compressed the video to DivX, and again when I attempted it with H.264.

The problem is as follows: at approximately 9:26 into the video (any video of mine, actually), the frame flickers green (see screenshots below) and it is accompanied by a high pitched beep. I thought something had just gone awry during the encoding process, but here's where it gets strange. This error not only occurs at 9:26, but also roughly at every integer multiple of 9:26. For example, the same problem manifests itself at 18:53 and so forth.

The videos I'm encoding are about 40 minutes in length, so you can imagine how annoying these glitches are. What's more, this frame flicker/beep does NOT appear in the raw .avi file.

1 frame before glitch:
http://hate5six.com/glitch/frame1.png

Glitch:
http://hate5six.com/glitch/frame2.png

Does anyone have any clues as to why this might be happening? Thanks in advance!

Chris Soucy · June 12th, 2009, 10:06 PM

You don't say what sort of system and resources you're using for this encoding.

Knowing nothing more than it's "a computer", I'd have to venture:

a. File size limit issue
b. Sleep/ standbye issue
c. Resource issue with competing applications - Firewall/ anti virus/ disc management/ auto data feed update etc.

Without more info I'm shooting blind, tho' even more info may not illuminate this one.

CS

Sunny Singh · June 13th, 2009, 07:18 AM

Careless oversight on my part!

2.4 GHz P4 running Windows XP (32 bit)
1.5GB RAM
1TB of space between 3 drives (each 7200rpms)

The .avi's are generated using Premiere Pro 1.0 and/or Premiere Pro 2.0. Encoding has been tested with the following: Dr. DivX, h264, and Handbrake.

It's obviously an older machine, but I perform maintenance routinely and everything *seems* to be okay with it. It performs well enough for the editing I do, it's just the encoding process that goes awry.

Sunny Singh · June 13th, 2009, 12:57 PM

The problem has been replicated on an older, albeit different, machine (1.06GHz Athlon, 384MB RAM). The glitch is again appearing with the same exact regularity at every 9 minutes and 26 seconds in the video(s).

Now I'll attempt it on a Linux box...

Sunny Singh · June 13th, 2009, 04:25 PM

Okay, things just got even weirder!

I transferred the raw avi file from my Windows machine to my Linux box in an attempt to test a compression on that box. The entire file transferred over successfully (roughly 36 minutes long). VLC plays the video fine and indicates the correct duration of 36 minutes. However, another player (Totem to be exact) registers the video as only being 9:26 in length!

Now I'm starting to think it's a problem with the exported avi...

Chris Soucy · June 13th, 2009, 04:43 PM

Sunny, where are these files coming from?

Is it possible there is a problem with whatever is the source?

May be simplistic but it would appear that a file header value is being written incorrectly or a file record is being inserted after a certain file size that is throwing the compression algorithm.

Weird!

CS

Ervin Farkas · June 16th, 2009, 04:29 PM

Sunny,

download copy of GSpot and analyze your video. As Chris mentioned, your problem is likely not the video itself but the embedded info.

GSpot Codec Information Appliance

June 12th, 2009, 08:27 PM	#1
Sunny Singh Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mt Laurel, NJ Posts: 43	Strange encoding glitch with H.264 and DivX Greetings, all. I've noticed a very peculiar glitch when I attempt to compress some of my raw .avi files. I first noticed it when I compressed the video to DivX, and again when I attempted it with H.264. The problem is as follows: at approximately 9:26 into the video (any video of mine, actually), the frame flickers green (see screenshots below) and it is accompanied by a high pitched beep. I thought something had just gone awry during the encoding process, but here's where it gets strange. This error not only occurs at 9:26, but also roughly at every integer multiple of 9:26. For example, the same problem manifests itself at 18:53 and so forth. The videos I'm encoding are about 40 minutes in length, so you can imagine how annoying these glitches are. What's more, this frame flicker/beep does NOT appear in the raw .avi file. 1 frame before glitch: http://hate5six.com/glitch/frame1.png Glitch: http://hate5six.com/glitch/frame2.png Does anyone have any clues as to why this might be happening? Thanks in advance!

June 12th, 2009, 10:06 PM	#2
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,682 Images: 18	Hi Sunny............. You don't say what sort of system and resources you're using for this encoding. Knowing nothing more than it's "a computer", I'd have to venture: a. File size limit issue b. Sleep/ standbye issue c. Resource issue with competing applications - Firewall/ anti virus/ disc management/ auto data feed update etc. Without more info I'm shooting blind, tho' even more info may not illuminate this one. CS

June 13th, 2009, 04:43 PM	#6
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,682 Images: 18	Hi again......... Sunny, where are these files coming from? Is it possible there is a problem with whatever is the source? May be simplistic but it would appear that a file header value is being written incorrectly or a file record is being inserted after a certain file size that is throwing the compression algorithm. Weird! CS

June 16th, 2009, 04:29 PM	#7
Ervin Farkas Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta/USA Posts: 2,515	Sunny, download copy of GSpot and analyze your video. As Chris mentioned, your problem is likely not the video itself but the embedded info. GSpot Codec Information Appliance __________________ Ervin Farkas www.AtlantaLegalVideo.com

June 13th, 2009, 07:18 AM	#3
Sunny Singh Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mt Laurel, NJ Posts: 43	Careless oversight on my part! 2.4 GHz P4 running Windows XP (32 bit) 1.5GB RAM 1TB of space between 3 drives (each 7200rpms) The .avi's are generated using Premiere Pro 1.0 and/or Premiere Pro 2.0. Encoding has been tested with the following: Dr. DivX, h264, and Handbrake. It's obviously an older machine, but I perform maintenance routinely and everything seems to be okay with it. It performs well enough for the editing I do, it's just the encoding process that goes awry.

June 13th, 2009, 12:57 PM	#4
Sunny Singh Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mt Laurel, NJ Posts: 43	The problem has been replicated on an older, albeit different, machine (1.06GHz Athlon, 384MB RAM). The glitch is again appearing with the same exact regularity at every 9 minutes and 26 seconds in the video(s). Now I'll attempt it on a Linux box...

June 13th, 2009, 04:25 PM	#5
Sunny Singh Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mt Laurel, NJ Posts: 43	Okay, things just got even weirder! I transferred the raw avi file from my Windows machine to my Linux box in an attempt to test a compression on that box. The entire file transferred over successfully (roughly 36 minutes long). VLC plays the video fine and indicates the correct duration of 36 minutes. However, another player (Totem to be exact) registers the video as only being 9:26 in length! Now I'm starting to think it's a problem with the exported avi...