AVI Content Unreadable

dglenn1 · Post by **dglenn1** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:24 am

I've been at this for several weeks.
I've got an EasyCAP and ULEAD 10 running on my laptop.
Capturing Hi8 analog video via SVIDEO to AVI using YUY2 compression.
Video and sound capture beautifully. AVI can be played on windows MP and previewed in ULEAD.
Try to drag and drop to the edit session and get the message "The content of these files is unreadable."
No get this - I right click the clip, select "Insert To Video Track" and I get the same message but this time the clip is added to the edit track and previews fine.???
Now when I go to Share, there is no longer any video, but sound is OK.
I've downloaded AVICodec and confirmed the compression and that I have it loaded. I've made sure the project properties are set to AVI and I've read these forums for several hours.
What to try next?
Thanks, Dan

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:40 pm

What are your clip and project properties? Please list them separately.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:26 pm

I echo Lack Lab's comment that we require more information. We need to know, for instance, what codec you used to compress to YUY2. If you used HuffYUV, for instance, that does not produce a file which is compatible with DVD standards. There is a ton of detail on this problem on the internet, with one interesting article, for instance, at http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/ ... meth1.html To take just one para of that:

The main problem with HuffYUV as it is at the moment is that it does not have the ability to store YV12 data. YV12 is the native colorspace of DVD and is hence the format that would be most appropriate to store the colour information in. It also contains physically less data due to the fewer chroma samples per frame.

The article goes on to suggest various other codecs which *do* give compatible video...

And we need to know all the Project Properties. You say simply they are set to AVI. But the problem there is that there are literally dozens of video formats out there which call themselves AVI. AVI is merely a carrier or wrapper extension which is used by all these formats. They stretch from uncompressed 'raw' AVI (huge at 65 GB per hour) through DV/AVI (13 GB per hour), the various AVIs using codecs like HuffYUV etc, right through to the other end, with highly compressed mpeg-4 type codecs DivX and XVid which also call themselves AVI. And some of these are far more difficult to edit and process than others.

dglenn1 · Post by **dglenn1** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:32 am

Here is my clip properties:

Here are my project properties:

Here is the codec list showing the YuY2 info:

Apparently I'm on the "beginner" side of things here and I appricieate any guidance you can give me. I loaded Ulead and selected AVI after experimenting with several formats and AVI seems to be giving me acceptable results. I don't know how you tell who supplied your YuY2 compression or why Ulead uses the one's it does. I believe this info should answer your questions. Again, thanks for any help you can offer. Dan

Post by **Ron P.** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:48 am

Hi Dan,

While I'm not familiar with the EasyCap, I do note that there are some irregularities with the video clip properties.

The Frame size of 640 x 480 is not DVD specs. It should be for NTSC 720 x 480 or PAL 720 x 576. Next is the weird frame rate of 29.964. I must say I've never seen that one before. Again for NTSC the frame should be 29.97, not far off but it can affect the video.

Is there a setting in EasyCap to change the frame rate and frame sizes? Try setting them to those I specified above. Since you are capturing from analog sources, you need to grab the highest quality possible. If you can not capture to DV, then I would not recommend capturing to "RAW uncompressed" avi. The file sizes are way too large to manage, and you're not gaining anything when your source is from a VCR.

Try capturing to DVD MPEG-2. As long as your editing is kept to a minimum, you will not loose quality, especially if you make sure your project properties and video clip properties match in VS. That way SmarRender can be used to encode only the changed parts of the video.

dglenn1 · Post by **dglenn1** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:20 am

Thanks for the suggestions vidoman. EasyCAP has no configration of it's own, it is all set through VideoStudio. I adjusted the frame rate to 29.97 but after capture the clip shows some other value like 29.66 and varies a little each time. I reset the image size like you suggested and made sure the capture properties matched the clip properties for image size, bit rate, fps etc. Still no luck. It captures and previews fine, but I get a message that the file is unreadable when I try to add it to the video track in the editor. again with two behaviors. If I drag and drop, error message only. If I right click and add it gives me the error message, but adds it to the track. Preview is fine but then loses video when I go to the share tab.

Dan

Post by **Ron P.** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:14 am

Is this the "EasyCap" you're referring to?

If so you're capturing via USB right?

USB well, it just does not work for capturing video very well at all. You probably have a mouse, keyboard, and other devices connected to your PC via a USB port right? Well all of those have to share this USB (Universal Serial Bus). USB devices are selfish, stingy things, they do not like to share. So the amount of bandwidth available is chopped down with each and everyone of these, leaving your video transfer, which needs it the most, with not enough.

In VS try capturing to MPEG-2. Hopefully your PC is powerful enough to handle it. I don't know much about the YUY2 CODEC, never used it.

If you are going to be doing much video editing I would consider investing in another capture device, such as a Hauppauge video capture card, or try to find an old Digital 8 or MiniDV camcorder that has pass-through capability. I have 2 of Sony's DCR-TRV120s. The work great for getting my old VHS and even my BetaMax movies onto my PC. The camcorder does the analog to digital conversion. I transfer from the camcorder to my PC via firewire to DV format. While the cost more then the EasyCap, you'll have a lot less problems..

dglenn1 · Post by **dglenn1** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:26 pm

Thanks again for the reply. I'm off to work so I can't experiment right now. I'm running on a Dell M90 and EasyCAP is working fine for me. I would be willing to make further investments if I can get some basic stuff to work first. I have a lot of experience buying software and hardware that does not live up to its promises.

My results from MPEG-2 were horrible. I've tried every format that would capture that VS has and AVI was by far and away the best quality. (Granted I have not tried every setting and codec with every format.) I am frustrated because AVI is the only format that won't go into the edit bar.

Keep in mind that the AVI clips I am capturing play fine in preview, in Media Player and in Windows Movie Maker. The only area I'm having trouble with is the edit bar in VS. I would like to use the editing features available in VS which is why I am on this board trying to make it work. My experiments so far lead me to the conclusion that either something is set wrong in VS or it has a bug or is not capable of doing this for some reason. YuY2 is the default choice for me in the capture mode and seems to result in a file readable by everything I have except VS edit and share.

Thanks for any further direction you all can offer. Dan

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:06 pm

dglenn1 wrote:Thanks again for the reply. I'm off to work so I can't experiment right now. I'm running on a Dell M90 and EasyCAP is working fine for me.

I don't want to appear arguementative, but if it was working fine you wouldn't be here asking questions.

I would be willing to make further investments if I can get some basic stuff to work first. I have a lot of experience buying software and hardware that does not live up to its promises.

My results from MPEG-2 were horrible. As above I've tried every format that would capture that VS has and AVI was by far and away the best quality. (Granted I have not tried every setting and codec with every format.) I am frustrated because AVI is the only format that won't go into the edit bar. As above, which is why vidoman suggested some equipment of a better quality than the easycap.

Keep in mind that the AVI clips I am capturing play fine in preview, in Media Player and in Windows Movie Maker.

What happens if you put the file which won't work in VS into Movie maker and resave it as a dv.avi file, will this then edit ok in VS?

The only area I'm having trouble with is the edit bar in VS. I would like to use the editing features available in VS which is why I am on this board trying to make it work. My experiments so far lead me to the conclusion that either something is set wrong in VS or it has a bug or is not capable of doing this for some reason. YuY2 is the default choice for me in the capture mode and seems to result in a file readable by everything I have except VS edit and share.

Thanks for any further direction you all can offer. Dan

dglenn1 · Post by **dglenn1** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:01 pm

skier-hughes -
Not to appear flippant, but it does seem argumentative. Unless I can be pointed to some reason why a USB interface is causing the problem, then I'm not apt to focus my attention on it. What will it do or not do that would cause the problems I am seeing? Dropped frames, can't process the bit rate ... whatever. I can buy into that. I humbly accept the fact that I am new to this and am thrilled that are a few knowledgable folks willing to engage in a conversation to help me along. Everything I am seeing and reading is pointing my attention to VS itself.

I'll try your suggestion to output the file from MovieMaker later this evening. If you have a moment could you tell me what that would indicate? If it is able to be edited in VS then what? It not then what?

As a way of education in VS, in general, how can a file preview from the library just fine and not be able to be moved into the edit bar? Is this two different areas in the software that use different methods of reading the file? I'm really stuck on this basic inconsistancy between playing the clip from the VS library and being unsuccessful moving it into edit and what that is telling me about the file.

Again, I do appriciate the help. Dan

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:50 pm

Unless I can be pointed to some reason why a USB interface is causing the problem, then I'm not apt to focus my attention on it.

If so you're capturing via USB right? USB well, it just does not work for capturing video very well at all. You probably have a mouse, keyboard, and other devices connected to your PC via a USB port right? Well all of those have to share this USB (Universal Serial Bus). USB devices are selfish, stingy things, they do not like to share. So the amount of bandwidth available is chopped down with each and everyone of these, leaving your video transfer, which needs it the most, with not enough.

dglenn1 · Post by **dglenn1** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:01 pm

USB devices are selfish, stingy things, they do not like to share.

Absolutely no help at all there. Don't even know what to do with that.

USB well, it just does not work for capturing video very well at all.

In what way? Low quality? Picture loss? Sound sync issues? Have you ever seen it cause what I am experiencing?

...bandwidth available is chopped down...

Resulting in ... ??????

...leaving your video transfer ... with not enough.

Not enough what?????

Honestly, do really think these comments address the issue at all? Am I supposed to glean from these generalizations about USB connectivity an approach to solve a problem where a video captures, views, but doesn't edit? The connection is not clear to me.

When I preview the capture or view it in Media Player or Windows Movie maker it appears to be a high quality clip with great sound and very little loss from the source. It just won't go into edit in VS. Can you help me make the leap in logic that says the problem lies in the capture device?? or the compression codec?? or my keyboard fighting for the attention of the USB port?? It seems if these were the problems it wouldn't capture at all or at least have some very poor quality or other visible problem. I have made it clear that I am doing the capture inside of VS using EasyCAP as the interface device correct? It looks to me that VS can't read it's own writing.

I don't mean to appear obstinate here, but I'm looking for deeper clues on how to track down what is wrong with my situation. Perhaps someone could share a setup that does work? Codec, settings etc. or offer some deeper insight as to how VS interacts with the devices I have or between its different modes to help me understand what to try next?
Regards, Dan

GuyL · Post by **GuyL** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:14 pm

dgelnn1,

What they are saying is using USB to capture video has been a problem in a large percentage of applications. In theory, it is fast enough. Practically, it isn't. The USB bus just flat out chokes and the video feed starts to hiccup, lose frames, etc.

As a result, it isn't a highly recommend method to capture video with. Firewire is the way to go.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:34 pm

Please read the following: http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... ht=easycap

I found it by doing a Search for EasyCap.

There are plenty of other threads that might help you.

dglenn1 · Post by **dglenn1** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:39 pm

GuyL wrote:dglenn1,

What they are saying is using USB to capture video has been a problem in a large percentage of applications. In theory, it is fast enough. Practically, it isn't. The USB bus just flat out chokes and the video feed starts to hiccup, lose frames, etc.

As a result, it isn't a highly recommend method to capture video with. Firewire is the way to go.

So I get that there are other ways to capture video that are better and USB capture is problematic. But is this in fact the problem? When the USB "chokes" would it be invisible on the capture and just cause problems with VS edit? Wouldn't I be able to see missing frames in the preview or other viewing platforms? Is VS editor particularly picky when trying to read these files? More picky than its own preview player? You see where I am going?

An analogy is that my car battery is dead and the advice here so far is to get a new alternator because they are known to be problematic. Well there are seperate tests I can run on my alternator to determine whether it is the real problem or I just have a dead battery.

All indications are that my capture device, codec, other settings and VS are producing good results capable of being viewed and edited in other softwares available to me, just not back in VS edit. I'm looking for some solid information that can tell me whether my capture device is actually the problem, or there is an issue with VS edit and its settings, or a codec or other setting that seems to work fine with capture/preview is somehow not good for edit.

Thank you for your response, Dan