Audio Issue-MTS Files

bcf1ca wrote on 5/7/2018, 6:30 AM

Hello all;

I recently did the Windows 10 April 2018 Update on my system and since then, audio no longer plays from some MTS files that worked previously in VPX. I shot a multi-camera theatre production on the weekend and find there is no audio from two cameras that produce MTS files which, under the Audio section of Properties, show them to be:

Bit rate: 256 kbkps,
Channels: 2 channel (stereo)
Audio sample rate :48,000 kHz

These files play just fine outside of VPX i.e. using VLC or the generic player with W10.

Interestingly, MTS files from another camera play without problems in VPX; their Audio Properties are:

Bit rate: 384 kbkps,
Channels: 6
Audio sample rate :48,000 kHz

I went back to some MTS files from a project I worked on prior to the April Update and their Properties match the ones I'm having issues with now. Sure enough, they no longer work in VPX but I know that they worked in VPX under Windows 10, version 1709 (Fall Creators Update). So, my conclusion is that something is broken in the Windows April 2018 update. Is anyone else experiencing a similar problem?

Barry

VPX version 15.0.5.211
Processor: Intel i7 7700 @ 3.6 GHz,
Memory: 8 gb
OS: Windows 10 version 1803 (Build 17134.1)

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Comments

siegbrunn wrote on 5/23/2018, 8:15 AM

@scenestealer

Tried the proxy thing, you're right, didn't work.

johnebaker wrote on 5/23/2018, 10:34 AM

@Scenestealer

Hi Peter

. . . . It has been confirmed that the problem is triggered by the Win10 update but I think the problem is with how Magix access the codec / license from within their programs. . . . .

I have updated my PC to Windows 10 1803 this morning and tested MEP and VPX and currently have no issues with MTS audio or licence requests for AC3 codec - the expansion pack was installed some time ago ie after the upgrade from Win 8 to 10 where I had to re-install all my Magix programs.

I have also tested on my laptop (Windows 1709) and had to download the expansion package for both MEP and VPX, I am now updating my laptop to Windows 1803, once this is done I will repeat the testing.

The only request I did get was to turn on 5.1 Surround Sound in the Mixer - I forgot to do this before setting up to export 🙃.

HTH

John EB

wongck wrote on 5/23/2018, 6:44 PM

@John EB

I have updated my PC to Windows 10 1803 this morning and tested MEP and VPX and currently have no issues with MTS audio or licence requests for AC3 codec - the expansion pack was installed some time ago ie after the upgrade from Win 8 to 10 where I had to re-install all my Magix programs.

what is this expansion pack? Was it something not found on the MEP DVD and needed to be purchased ?

The only request I did get was to turn on 5.1 Surround Sound in the Mixer - I forgot to do this before setting up to export 🙃.

I never had the Surround sound settings in my MEP... missing something

Scenestealer wrote on 5/23/2018, 7:40 PM

@wongck

This can only mean you only have the Standard version of MEP ie not MEP Plus or Premium, or you only have a Trial version installed.

wongck wrote on 5/24/2018, 6:48 AM

It is MEP Pro, that's what's written on the invoice. So a MEP Pro == MEP Standard.

It was certainly not the premium version, that I know.

Looking at my past email, I remember how crazy it was.

The MEP Pro was selling at the same price of MEP Plus, just 6 months after I purchased mt MEP Pro. So I asked MagiX what is the upgrade cost and the reply was USD 59.99. This was crazy as you can get an new license for MEP Plus for USD 69.99, so it's just USD10 off by upgrading. I paid around USD 50 (exchange rate) for my MEP Pro, so if I upgraded I would have paid nearly double for the same product. Crazy.

wongck wrote on 5/24/2018, 7:24 AM

@ John

I have updated my PC to Windows 10 1803 this morning and tested MEP and VPX and currently have no issues with MTS audio or licence requests for AC3 codec - the expansion pack was installed some time ago ie after the upgrade from Win 8 to 10 where I had to re-install all my Magix programs.

I have also tested on my laptop (Windows 1709) and had to download the expansion package for both MEP and VPX, I am now updating my laptop to Windows 1803, once this is done I will repeat the testing.

The only request I did get was to turn on 5.1 Surround Sound in the Mixer - I forgot to do this before setting up to export 🙃.

I think you do not have to do any testing, so long as your MEP/VPX downloads the expansion package and installs your own AC3 encoder it will work.

My MEP AC3 uses the MS AC3 DLL, which have changed from v1709 to v1803 ( I checked the size). And I know that my MEP standard professional uses that MS AC3 DLL. If I remove Windows Media Player which also removes the MS AC3 DLL, I go not get the AC3 selection drop down in the Export Advanced menu.

So definitely MS changed the AC3 DLL. I tried to un-register the new AC3 DLL to register the old AC3 DLL, but I am getting an error about unable to find entry point or something similar.

wongck wrote on 5/24/2018, 10:40 AM

Just noticed that MS had 3 cumulative updates for 1803 install within the yesterday and today. 😲

So all those patches and none to fix the broken AC3 codec still not here yet.... how long more to wait.

LOL Guess fixing issue like their important Chrome-bashing Edge browser hanging and crash takes top priority since they now put Edge in your face and shows you how it hangs. 🙃

Scenestealer wrote on 5/24/2018, 6:08 PM

Just to clarify, IIRC - MEP standard will import / export AC-3, but not edit or export AC-3 5.1surround sound.

So all those patches and none to fix the broken AC3 codec still not here yet.... how long more to wait.

As I understand it - it is not Microsoft that will fix it but it is something Magix needs to sort out with their licensing of the codec.

wongck wrote on 5/24/2018, 8:25 PM

You mean the DRM stuff ?

wongck wrote on 5/24/2018, 8:41 PM

Just to clarify, IIRC - MEP standard will import / export AC-3, but not edit or export AC-3 5.1surround sound.

It is fine for me not having 5.1 surround as I am not doing any commercial stuff. LOL, I am just exporting DVD standard low rez stuff to play on my TV. Just that my videocam from 2009 does AC3 and I am stuck now. May be I need to just re-encode my mpeg to use wave or PCM audio. Not sure if this is possible.

wongck wrote on 5/24/2018, 8:52 PM

As I understand it - it is not Microsoft that will fix it but it is something Magix needs to sort out with their licensing of the codec.

I hope they will sort it out quickly. Licensing sound like it will take some lawyers and money. Love it when a software company breaks something and ask customers to pay for rights to use. This business model is not much different from Ransomware - You cannot use whatever you are using now, but if you give me some money, you will be able to.

johnebaker wrote on 5/25/2018, 3:45 AM

@wongck

. . . . MEP AC3 uses the MS AC3 DLL . . . .

What is the full name of this dll?

Do you have any 'All in one' codec packs, eg K-Lite, installed?

To confirm Scenestealers comment - MEP Standard (Basic) will import AC3 audio however it cannot export AC3 audio without the expansion pack.

John EB

wongck wrote on 5/25/2018, 6:47 AM

Hi,

The AC3 DLL is should be C:\Windows\SysWOW64\MSAC3ENC.DLL. I do not install other codec on my system. But I have iTunes on it, so I am not sure if the MOV playback is because of it or not, or it installs other audio codecs.

But what I have done was remove Windows Media Player & I do not have the AC3 selection on my Export Advance Audio encoder option. If I install back Windows Media Player, the AC3 is again selectable. So looks like something to do with MS codecs.

Should I install K-lite? This one I remembered back in the old XP days....

emmrecs wrote on 5/25/2018, 9:27 AM

@wongck

Should I install K-lite?

No! The installation of this and similar codec packs has been shown many times to create far more problems than it solves.

wongck wrote on 5/25/2018, 9:38 AM

No! The installation of this and similar codec packs has been shown many times to create far more problems than it solves.

Good to know.

Great that I did not install this when I moved to win 10 64bits. 😁

siegbrunn wrote on 5/25/2018, 10:43 AM

BTW - as far as rolling back the 1083 Windows update --- am I right in thinking that in Win10 Home version it's not possible? I find the list of installed updates with Windows v. 1083 at the top on 18th of May. But if I go to the list of updates I COULD uninstall, the only update on that day for Windows was Microsoft Security update KB4103721. The big one is not there.

Lordie, I hope Magix fixes this soon. I've done a video of a student concert and because I can't use the m2ts files that were made of it, I had to covert to MP4. I took johnebaker's advice and raised the video bitrate to 6000 in converting. It's a bit better than my first attempt with converted MP4, but it still looks like cow-pies to me. Not to mention that the conversion caused several cases of unsynchronised video/audio which cost me a whole lot of time to line up again.

I wanted also to ask if someone can guess why my PC won't accept the "extension" download when I've gone through the procedure that forces the program to offer it. I have MEP Plus 2017 (purchased, not a trial version) and I opened the program as administrator. It goes through the motions but doesn't actually install anything.

If it's somehow important to know, here is the info under "about Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus" on the Help menu.

MEP Plus 2017: 16.0.4.119 (UDP3)
UG Code 8426 KA4

johnebaker wrote on 5/25/2018, 11:26 AM

@wongck

. . . . C:\Windows\SysWOW64\MSAC3ENC.DLL . . . .

That is what I thought you had and is the only one I have on my PC, it there is also a copy of it in the Windows, Suystem folder.

The DLL is the Microsoft AC-3 Encoder, and, AFAIK, is used by programs for encoding audio for the playback/export of surround sound - hence when you remove WMP and the file is no longer there you get no AC3 selection on the Export Advance Audio encoder option in MEP.

. . . . I am not sure if the MOV playback is because of it . . . .

Is the the video format from your 2009 videocam?

If so you may need Quicktime installing, if you do not have it installed, to be able to import the video files into MEP.

John EB

wongck wrote on 5/25/2018, 7:14 PM

BTW - as far as rolling back the 1083 Windows update --- am I right in thinking that in Win10 Home version it's not possible? I find the list of installed updates with Windows v. 1083 at the top on 18th of May. But if I go to the list of updates I COULD uninstall, the only update on that day for Windows was Microsoft Security update KB4103721. The big one is not there.

The rollback from 1803 to 1709, you need to check if your C: drive has a C:\Windows.old folder. All the 1709 stuff are inside that folder. I am not sure of W10 Home as mine is the MS download version without any Home written on it, and no Professional nor Enterprise.... it just says Windows 10.

For me, I rollback not by uninstalling the updates but using the Recovery option, which will reboot and goes into a special mode and I can rollback there.

Google it.

wongck wrote on 5/25/2018, 7:17 PM

I wanted also to ask if someone can guess why my PC won't accept the "extension" download when I've gone through the procedure that forces the program to offer it. I have MEP Plus 2017 (purchased, not a trial version) and I opened the program as administrator. It goes through the motions but doesn't actually install anything.

If it's somehow important to know, here is the info under "about Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus" on the Help menu.

MEP Plus 2017: 16.0.4.119 (UDP3)
UG Code 8426 KA4

At least you get to download the extension.... mine do not even do that.

As I have now restore from my drive image backup, I have my latest MEP Pro 17.0.3177 (UP3).

Edit:: I now see that I did not buy the extra component Mpeg-4 codec (mainconcept) as I only used DVD formats. This may be the downloads that I am missing. :-(

wongck wrote on 5/25/2018, 7:26 PM

@wongck

. . . . C:\Windows\SysWOW64\MSAC3ENC.DLL . . . .

That is what I thought you had and is the only one I have on my PC, it there is also a copy of it in the Windows, Suystem folder.

The DLL is the Microsoft AC-3 Encoder, and, AFAIK, is used by programs for encoding audio for the playback/export of surround sound - hence when you remove WMP and the file is no longer there you get no AC3 selection on the Export Advance Audio encoder option in MEP.

. . . . I am not sure if the MOV playback is because of it . . . .

Is the the video format from your 2009 videocam?

If so you may need Quicktime installing, if you do not have it installed, to be able to import the video files into MEP.

John EB

Thanks John,

Exactly how I figured it out.

The MOV file is from a cheap Canon point & shoot camera.I think iTunes installed also Quicktime in my PC.

DugsBugs wrote on 5/25/2018, 8:07 PM

After this one is all sorted we can look forward to the next diabolical stuff up.

wongck wrote on 5/25/2018, 10:35 PM

After this one is all sorted we can look forward to the next diabolical stuff up.

well, normally comes every month but the real big ones comes every quarter. if MS is on time.

siegbrunn wrote on 5/26/2018, 8:47 AM

@wongck

It's actually a problem for Magix I believe and (strangely enough) NOT a Windows mistake.So we can only hope that the programmers and execs at Magix are working late every night till they get this straightened out. And if it takes too long, I'll just dump the MEPplus , learn Premiere - which I already have as part of a subscription, and then buy a computer that Premiere will run on. (My present PC isn't up to it).

wongck wrote on 5/26/2018, 10:34 AM

I just decided to rollback my Win 10 to 1709. I have been keeping 1803 previously so that I can try MagiX fixes. I have not done any editing for 3 weeks, so it time to start again.

Whose fault it is I will just keep at 1709 till I hear a fix from anyone.

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