MP4 plays fine outside magix, but plays blank/black in magix.

johnebaker wrote on 11/19/2022, 3:10 PM

Hi

. . . . I could blame the screen grabbing tool, but it cant be that because the videos it recorded work just fine outside MEP2016 . . . .

You may still be able to - what happens in a player has no bearing on what happens in a video editor, the video clip codecs may be supported by the player, especially if it is VLC. but not in MEP.

Download and install MediaInfo and analyse one of the recorded clips and post the results, see this tutorial on how to setup MediaInfo and analyse a video clip for all the data required.

Are the HD4600?

If the drivers for the HD 4600 are the latest version you need to revert back to an older version - see this Intel article

MEP 2016 is Intel GPU only, and cannot support the GTX 1050 Ti for import, preview rendering or export as it cannot use NVENC.

The Display options, Video mode should be set to the HD4600

HTH

John EB
Forum Moderator

deanccino wrote on 11/20/2022, 3:55 AM

Hi John,

Many thanks for your response.
Here is the MediaInfo analysis of the Flashback recorded video as requested.
Your thoughts would be very much welcomed! 🙂

Dean.

General
Complete name : C:\Flashback.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (mp42/isom)
File size : 4.74 MiB
Duration : 54 s 250 ms
Overall bit rate : 733 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2022-11-18 21:04:38
Tagged date : UTC 2022-11-18 21:05:36
fbv6 : (Binary)

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L3
Format settings : 2 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, Reference frames : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=32
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 54 s 250 ms
Bit rate : 731 kb/s
Width : 612 pixels
Height : 652 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 0.939
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 24.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.076
Stream size : 4.73 MiB (100%)
Encoded date : UTC 2022-11-18 21:04:41
Tagged date : UTC 2022-11-18 21:05:35
Codec configuration box : avcC

CubeAce wrote on 11/20/2022, 6:29 AM

@deanccino @johnebaker

The only odd things I can get from that file info is the size and ratio of the captured image which is the same size as this jpeg.

What is the screen ratio and resolution of the monitor you are capturing?

Ray.

deanccino wrote on 11/20/2022, 6:41 AM

What is the screen ratio and resolution of the monitor you are capturing?

Well its a trimmed section of the screen that I recorded, not a full-screen grab.
I have recorded full screen grabs too, and they also appear blank when dragged into MEP2016.
I assume the above means the monitor r&r are irrelevant.
When I add the grab to MEP2016, it appears in the middle of my video screenspace showing a border round the edge presumably because the grab is smaller than the dimensions of the first full-screen video (which is not a grab) that went into the project, which I don't have a problem with, however the grab plays black with the margin of the non-grab video behind it still showing properly.

Dean.

CubeAce wrote on 11/20/2022, 11:22 AM

@deanccino @johnebaker

Hi.

Can you upload a screen grab of the timeline editor with the problem file highlighted please?

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 11/20/2022, 11:59 AM

@deanccino

Hi

Did you try changing the Video mode in the program as I suggested to HD4600 and with what results?

If the HD4600 setting did not work try CPU

Apart from the odd resolution which you have explained, the rest of the data looks fine.

John EB

deanccino wrote on 11/21/2022, 5:41 AM

@CubeAce

Can you upload a screen grab of the timeline editor with the problem file highlighted please?

Here you can see the fourth track added at the bottom is my screengrab, incorrectly showing black thumbnails along it.

Also, with the orange marker positioned where top and bottom track videos are active, the viewing window in the top left shows the black grab from the fourth track at the front which is ok, but it should of course not be black.

@deanccino

Did you try changing the Video mode in the program as I suggested to HD4600 and with what results?

I do not have HD4600 as a selectable option. Maybe this is the onboard option for your hardware and not for mine.

Here are the available options in the two dropdowns in the program settings as you referenced.

I changed the latter drop-down to the Microsoft Basic Render Driver option, saved my project without the grabbed video, restarted MEP, and then re-added my grabbed video, but there was no difference.

johnebaker wrote on 11/21/2022, 7:03 AM

@deanccino

Hi

. . . . I do not have HD4600 as a selectable option. . . .

Thanks for the screenshots.

It looks like the HD4600 iGPU is disabled in the computer BIOS and needs re-enabling (if possible) - you may find details on how to do this in the motherboard manual or the manufacturers website.

Can you upload a short screen recording from the Flashback screen capture software for us to test - upload to Google Drive or OneDrive, Dropbox etc and share the file ensuring that 'anyone who has the link' option or equivalent, if available, is checked/on.

John EB

deanccino wrote on 11/30/2022, 4:26 PM

Hi John. @johnebaker
I've been off the scene for a week so apologies for my somewhat delayed response.
Great idea to have me share one of my flashback recordings.
Attached to this message is a flashback recording I just took of a small notepad window.
True to form - when opened in media players the recording plays fine, however when dragged into MEP2016, it is black from start to finish.
Interestingly I can still hear the audio of the recording - the sound of my keys clattering - even though there is no picture.
I'd be very interested to hear how you get on with it.
I'll have a look into your other suggestion regarding the bios while I await your findings.
Many thanks for looking into this for me!
Dean.

deanccino wrote on 11/30/2022, 4:40 PM

Update!...

I just thought I'd download the attachment from my previous post myself and test that it also doesnt work in MEP2016, but amazingly... it works in MEP2016!

Something in the forums upload or download process must have changed the file composition to a format that works.

ohhhhh. what now! 😵

Uploading every flashback video I want to use into a forum post and then downloading it again to get it to work is hardly a practical way forward! 😄

CubeAce wrote on 11/30/2022, 5:11 PM

@deanccino

That's why @johnebaker asked you to upload a file to google drive or Dropbox to share. Posted on this site or anywhere else and the file gets re-rendered. We need the same file you use. To see if anything in the files' exif data could be causing the problem. That fact the re-rendered file downloaded back from here works seems to point to that.

Ray.

Marc-Goder wrote on 11/30/2022, 5:28 PM

@deanccino

What happens here when uploading to the forum is a conversion to x264 with FF-MPEG.

you can do the same with the programs Handbrake.fr or XMedia Recode.

browj2 wrote on 11/30/2022, 7:34 PM

@deanccino

Hi,

As @Marc-Goder indicated, get and use Handbrake to convert your screen grab videos. It's free. I have to do this with all of my screen capture videos as Movie Studio really doesn't like them.

John CB

AAProds wrote on 11/30/2022, 7:38 PM

@browj2

I have to do this with all of my screen capture videos as Movie Studio really doesn't like them.

John, you should change grabber. 😉

browj2 wrote on 11/30/2022, 8:17 PM

@AAProds

Hi Al,

No way. I like it too much. I can live with using Handbrake - batch mode.

Corel MultiCam Capture - Computer screen plus webcam (if wanted) to 2 files. It came in a HumbleBundle.

John CB

Marc-Goder wrote on 11/30/2022, 9:08 PM

@browj2

Before I switched to Magix, I worked with Pinnacle Studio 25. I wasn't happy with Pinnacle Studio 25. The program is so slow and crashes so easily. But this Corel Capture Tool was there too. I work with it often. Make my screen recordings with it and then import them into Magix. That works immediately. I don't know why you have to convert it to import it into Magix.

johnebaker wrote on 12/1/2022, 3:56 AM

@browj2

Hi John

What recording format are you using, a MediaInfo may help 😉?

John EB

browj2 wrote on 12/1/2022, 5:22 AM

@Marc-Goder

Hi Marc,

I don't recall having this problem with VPX13, started with 14 and MS2023. It's not every file that gives me problems, but maybe 1 out of 5. Even being in the folder in the Media Pool can cause a slowdown.

Before using the current MultiCam Capture, I used Corel ScreenCap; it always worked.

@johnebaker

Hi John EB,

You'll see why the files are problematic - variable Frame Rate - min. 15fps, max. 30fps.

General
Complete name : E:\Video\Magix Projects\Tutorials\Tutorial 38 Preview Monitor in MS\Captures\Orig\Tut38 part 1 100pc.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (mp42/isom)
File size : 29.7 MiB
Duration : 46 s 416 ms
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 5 364 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2022-11-18 09:10:17
Tagged date : UTC 2022-11-18 09:10:17

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Baseline@L4
Format settings : 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, Reference frames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=2, N=15
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 46 s 333 ms
Bit rate : 5 243 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 8 943 kb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 29.719 FPS
Minimum frame rate : 15.000 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 30.000 FPS
Original frame rate : 30.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.085
Stream size : 29.0 MiB (98%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2022-11-18 09:10:17
Tagged date : UTC 2022-11-18 09:10:17
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 46 s 416 ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 128 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 131 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 726 KiB (2%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2022-11-18 09:10:17
Tagged date : UTC 2022-11-18 09:10:17

Other #1
ID : 3
Type : Object description
Format : System Core
Codec ID : mp4s-02
Duration : 46 s 333 ms
Stream size : 71.6 MiB
Source stream size : 18.0 Bytes
Language : English

Other #2
ID : 4
Type : Scene description
Format : System Core
Codec ID : mp4s-02
Duration : 46 s 333 ms
Stream size : 63.6 MiB
Source stream size : 16.0 Bytes
Language : English

browj2 wrote on 12/1/2022, 5:29 AM

Further to the above, here are the advanced settings in MultiCam Capture:

@Marc-Goder

Marc, I haven't checked in Pinnacle Studio 23 or VideoStudio 2021 recently. I checked in Pinnacle when I first got MultiCam Capture. I keep these programs around as they sometimes have something not in VPX/MS that I want.

John CB

johnebaker wrote on 12/1/2022, 5:45 AM

@browj2

Hi John

Aha - the 'good old' VFR problem.

My favourite, Screencast-o-matic, does not have that issue. AFAICS - it captures the frames direct from the output frame buffer and saves these in a file while recording - no messing about trying to encode & compress at the same time. Once finished, you publish to the selected video format in my case h.264 CFR.

John EB

browj2 wrote on 12/1/2022, 6:01 AM

@johnebaker

Hi John EB,

I downloaded and installed Screencast-o-matic, or at least it says it's installed. Nothing opens.

Back to MultiCam Capture.

John CB

AAProds wrote on 12/1/2022, 6:28 AM

I downloaded and installed Screencast-o-matic, or at least it says it's installed. Nothing opens.

I found the free version of SCOM, which appeared to operate via a webpage, too mind-boggling for me, a mere mortal. Back to Bandicam for me!

johnebaker wrote on 12/1/2022, 9:52 AM

@browj2

Hi

Did you download the Web based version? I have the standalone offline version

John EB

browj2 wrote on 12/1/2022, 11:45 AM

@johnebaker

Hi John EB,

I went to this site and clicked on Record for Free which came back with Launch Free Recorder which downloads an app. I opened the app - nothing - but ended up with Screencast-O-Matic on the apps list. Trying to run that does nothing. I went back to the first page, Record for Free... and went in circles.

EDIT: I just tried running from your link and that seems to work.

John CB