Hi, In January I bought a Samsung Galaxy A50 phone and have been taking videos on it. But when I try to play the .mp4 videos in my Magix Movie Edit Pro software (from year 2015 with all current updates) I am unable to do so. Can anyone advise me on what I am failing to do, please
A lot of phones now record at a variable frame rate to save phone memory or card space that a normal editor can't process. You will need to convert the video files to constant frame-rate first and maybe even reduce the quality if you have recorded in a higher quality than MEP 2015 can handle. ( I tried to look up the specs for MEP 2015 but can't find them). There are free video converters out there such as Handbrake.
Ray.
Hi and welcome to the forum.
. . . . .Magix Movie Edit Pro software (from year 2015 with all current updates) . . .
What is the version number as found under Help, About.
A MediaInfo analysis, from the Text view within MediaInfo, of one of the video clips may confirm @CubeAce assessment of the issue, or give a different reason for MEP not loading the video.
John EB
Forum Moderator
Thanks John EB and Ray
Version number is: 14.0.0.187 (UDPP3)
A sneakpeak into the media info of one of the videos that my Samsung Galaxy A50 phone records, shows the following:
.mp4
Frame: W 1920 x H 1088
Frame rate: 29.96 frames/second
I downloaded the Handbrake converter like you @CubeAce suggested and then converted one video to a constant framerate export video, but in vain. My Magix software does not play it. But I can play it in Windows Media Player, so I´m still puzzled.
Hi
. . . . My Magix software does not play it. But I can play it in Windows Media Player, so I´m still puzzled. . . . .
Can you post the full analysis from the Text view in MediaInfo - there is more essential information there then what you have posted.
My Galaxy A20 mp4 video plays fine in MEP 2015 and should be the same format as the A50.
John EB
If you could download the Mediainfo app in John's link above (the word in blue in John's first post) and install it, then you will be ale to right click on any video clip and get all the recording data off of it.
Then if you could paste that information here John will probably be able to see what is causing the problem.
When you do that you should get a similar readout of the file's specs to this one, if you use and copy the text version.
General
Complete name : D:\2019\Santa Fun Run 2019\100MEDIA\DJI_0213.MP4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : JVT
Codec ID : avc1 (avc1/isom)
File size : 513 MiB
Duration : 42 s 880 ms
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 100 Mb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2019-12-15 10:36:03
Tagged date : UTC 2019-12-15 10:36:03
Comment : DE=D-CLike, Type=Normal, HQ=Normal, Mode=P
gpt : +4.50
gyw : -2.30
grl : +0.00
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L5.2
Format settings : CABAC / 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=30
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 42 s 880 ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 100.0 Mb/s
Width : 3 840 pixels
Height : 2 160 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 50.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.241
Stream size : 512 MiB (100%)
Title : DJI.AVC
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2019-12-15 10:36:03
Tagged date : UTC 2019-12-15 10:36:03
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 42 s 880 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 991 KiB (0%)
Title : DJI.AAC
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2019-12-15 10:36:03
Tagged date : UTC 2019-12-15 10:36:03
Other
Type : meta
Duration : 1 s 0 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Default : No
..............................................................................................................
As you can see Mediainfo gives a comprehensive set of data to evaluate.
Ray.
Thanks for the thorough and clear information @CubeAce
I downloaded the MediaInfo software and below is the info I got from one of my recent videos, that I can not open in my Magix software:
General
Complete name : G:\MYNDIR\2020\2020.03.08 NÍUTÍU ára afmælisveisla Erlu\20200308_155356.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (isom/mp42)
File size : 101 MiB
Duration : 1 min 22 s
Overall bit rate : 10.3 Mb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2020-03-08 15:55:20
Tagged date : UTC 2020-03-08 15:55:20
xyz : +64.1031-021.8177/
com.android.version : 9
Video
ID : 1
Format : HEVC
Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile : Main@L4@Main
Codec ID : hvc1
Codec ID/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration : 1 min 22 s
Bit rate : 10.0 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 30.000 FPS
Minimum frame rate : 23.715 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 30.070 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.161
Stream size : 98.4 MiB (97%)
Title : VideoHandle
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2020-03-08 15:55:20
Tagged date : UTC 2020-03-08 15:55:20
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
transfer_characteristics_Original : BT.601
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : hvcC
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 1 min 22 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 256 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 2.52 MiB (2%)
Title : SoundHandle
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2020-03-08 15:55:20
Tagged date : UTC 2020-03-08 15:55:20
------
Many thanks to you guys for your service and effort.
Hafsteinn in Reykjavik, Iceland (at home with my family, healthy and fine and having fun with my videos)
Thanks. It's as I suspected. We have seen this problem before and it has been cured. I haven't had to use handbrake as I've no variable frame-rate video files, but I've copied John into this reply. Maybe he can help further as they will need to be converted to constant frame rate. I know it can be done with handbrake but not how. Sorry, this is as far as I can help.
This is the part of the file that is important. See the variation between frames in the red oval.
Ray.
I wonder if there is a setting in your phone when you take video to stop this from happening? It won't help your current files but could help having to do conversions in the future. My phone is somewhat older and doesn't do this.
Ray.
Thanks for the complete information it.
From the data
Codec ID/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
HEVC (h.265) encoded video is not supported by Movie Edit Pro 2015, the capability was introduced with the next version 2016.
I record in h.264 on my Galaxy A20 and this imports correctly in MEP 2015, without the need for conversion.
The existing video you will have to convert from h.265 to h.264 - I use MovAvi Video Converter (paid for) however Handbrake can do the conversion.
Until you upgrade your MEP to a version that supports HEVC encoded video I would suggest you set you Galaxy A50 to record h.264.
HTH
John EB
Hi John.
On the ball as always 😃
I missed the earlier MEP version as I didn't go back and carefully re-read the post. Lesson one learned.
As for lesson two. Would the latest version of MEP handle the variable frame rate? I don't want to knowingly give out that wrong information in future.
With regards to handbrake. I looked at some of the help files on that site and realised that converting also has implications on how good a quality to set. Could there be problems with conversions losing quality if a person is not taking notice of the export settings? Why do you prefer to use MovAvi Video Converter instead?
Ray.
Hi Ray
It does with video from my Galaxy A20.
The biggest issue with variable framerate is with MPEG and AVI files, though some MP4's can be troublesome.
Here is a short clip, variable framerate, for you to play with.
Fun fact - wind speed was 115 km/h ( 72 mph ) gusting to 150 km/h ( 93 mph), wave height 5+ metres ( 16+ ft ).
Had to stay on the island for another day/night - no ferries!
John EB
Thank you so much @CubeAce and @johnebaker.
Yesterday I figured out how to set video recording to constant framerate on my Samsung A50 phone. I recorded a clip, loaded it into Magix and .... voilá! It worked. So from now on I´m all set with future editing. Many thanks to you both.
Hafsteinn
Hi folks, I've read this about variable frame rate many times, I've pretty much only ever used my phone to record, I don't have any old phone footage to check but I know this Samsung S21 Ultra records variable, I'm sure constant will be easier for any software to process but In all the time I've had MEP I've never needed to convert my footage to constant in order to play & edit it, even with my old less powerful PC's,
As John pointed out it may well have been the HEVC format that wasn't compatible with @Hafsteinn-G's version of Magix, so it would be interesting to see the MediaInfo of the constant clip mentioned in the comment above this one, HEVC or AVC?
@johnebaker's link to the variable clip won't load but here's one of mine, I film in H.264, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1019Hw-rOOVy_qdVSk1BXiN3zlH4gZEL1/view?usp=sharing
@Former user
The OP asked his question in April 2020, which I suspect you didn't notice? That is also likely to be the reason why John's clip is no longer available!
I think you may have responded to the thread because another user made a post, which has now been hidden by John because it is quite irrelevant to the subject of the thread!
Jeff
Forum Moderator
@emmrecs Ah, Doh! yeah or should i say no I didn't notice the date, since 2020 time in general has been a bit vague, + at the mo my head is a bit fuzzier then usual, 👴🙃😉
Thanks 👍