Can't encode using ZarxGUI

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AimoAio
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Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by AimoAio » Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:29 am

Zarx Version 2.0

It'll encode and give me a file that's reasonably sized but I can't open the file in any media players at all. In MPC it says "Cannot render the file" which is strange because I've never had a problem with encoding using this version of Zarx. This is what it says when I import the lossless file (lagarith) and start the encoding:

Starting...
avs [info]: trying AVISource... succeeded
avs [info]: trying AVISource for audio ... succeeded
avs [info]: 1280x720p 0:0 @ 2997/125 fps (cfr)
avs [info]: color matrix: undef
audio [info]: opened qtaac encoder (AAC-LC VBR: 63, quality: medium, samplerate: 48000hz)
resize [warning]: converting from bgra to yuv420p
x264 [info]: using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 FastShuffle SSE4.2

--

I haven't touched any of the other settings in Zarx except the quantizer and the preset since I was doing test encodes. The only thing I can think of is perhaps it's something to do with Quicktime since I updated that last week along with iTunes. :\ Any ideas?

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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by mirkosp » Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:50 am

Well, iTunes could be a problem, but I'm too sure right now.
For starters, if it really is just the audio to give problems, then the video on its own should work. Try to remux the video stream only in mkv with mkvmerge gui. If the output mkv runs in the player, the issue is likely with the audio indeed (or possibly with the container ─ that's easily checked if remuxing both audio and video instead of just video still works), and you should perhaps try to revert to a previous version of quicktime.
If that doesn't work, then the issue probably lies in the video itself. If you can put the file somewhere, it might help to see if we can sort out what's wrong.

Sidenote: recently there have been bugfixes and changes in L-SMASH (the mp4 muxer the x264 builds zarxgui uses are based on), so perhaps those would fix problems with newer encodes by quicktime and that might be why it would fail. Updating the x264 build would be a better solution if that turns out to be the case.
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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by AimoAio » Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:34 am

I get this error when I try to add it in mkvmerge:

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The video file that won't open: http://www.mediafire.com/?vq60hhhjfwfibgh

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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by mirkosp » Sun Oct 14, 2012 12:27 pm

Yeah, something went very wrong with the encode. I don't believe it actually finished encoding at all. Can you upload me the lossless somewhere or is it too big?
Also, tried using another lossless format for the sake of it?
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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by AimoAio » Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:22 pm

Yeah I tried UTVideo, still the same problem.

And here's the lossless: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/58417114/Lossl ... k%2014.avi

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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by mirkosp » Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:51 pm

Alright, figured what the problem is. It is the audio, but in input, not output. It's failing to load it.
lavc [error]: could not open resampler
mp4 [error]: error opening audio encoder.
mp4 [error]: unable to init audio output.
Seems x264-audio does not support that audio format (signed PCM gives it issues? I think I had only dealt with unsigned PCM so far). Setting --acodec none lets the encode run fine in many ways (honestly I'd want to see this encoded in 4:4:4 due to all the chroma detail, it would be a shame to lose it! :( ).
Either way, I demuxed it as a wav and encoded it as aac with qaac on its own, and just let x264-audio mux that. It's also possible to mux audio and video together with L-SMASH or yamb afterwords if you prefer.
Alternatively, change the export settings for the audio so it is unsigned PCM and it should work normally.
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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by Qyot27 » Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:02 pm

Even though it's been narrowed down to the audio import side, updating Quicktime wouldn't have been a cause of the problem. Just to clear that part up.

However, MPC (you didn't mention whether this is the original one or MPC-Homecinema) can sometimes get screwed up when Quicktime updates*. It doesn't require you to downgrade Quicktime, though - just go into MPC's formats page and change the control of anything that says 'Quicktime' to 'DirectShow'. This can also happen if you have *both* the old MPC and MPC-HC and switch between them without telling them to store their settings in .ini files.
mirkosp wrote:Sidenote: recently there have been bugfixes and changes in L-SMASH (the mp4 muxer the x264 builds zarxgui uses are based on), so perhaps those would fix problems with newer encodes by quicktime and that might be why it would fail. Updating the x264 build would be a better solution if that turns out to be the case.
x264_L-SMASH uses an internal copy of L-SMASH, so even if the muxer itself updates, it's not guaranteed to filter down into x264_L-SMASH right away. The last time the two got synchronized was a month ago. It's not impossible to just hand-update those pieces (I've had to do it a few times), but I consider that a last resort in the event that there's been a prolonged lack of commits. Of course, it'd be worlds simpler if x264_L-SMASH just used liblsmash instead of an internal copy, but whatever.

*It's one of Quicktime's really annoying things on Windows - you can tell it during install not to steal your associations, but it'll do it anyway.
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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by mirkosp » Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:10 pm

Actually, JEEB's x264_L-SMASH got synced just last month: https://github.com/jeeb/x264_L-SMASH/commits/lsmash
EDIT: I swear I read "it was months ago" instead of "a month ago" in your post. Whoops.
I realized because I was using an older version of the L-SMASH standalone, and wasn't able to remux an mp4 output by the latest build he did. Building a newer L-SMASH standalone solved the problem (well, I did have to ask JEEB in order to sort it out, tho... I blame my ineptitude).
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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by Qyot27 » Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:25 pm

Just for the sake of pointing it out, check the Network page. Not that my branch has any of the other patches on it save for the one making the build log less verbose.
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Re: Can't encode using ZarxGUI

Post by AimoAio » Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:57 pm

mirkosp wrote:Alright, figured what the problem is. It is the audio, but in input, not output. It's failing to load it.
lavc [error]: could not open resampler
mp4 [error]: error opening audio encoder.
mp4 [error]: unable to init audio output.
Seems x264-audio does not support that audio format (signed PCM gives it issues? I think I had only dealt with unsigned PCM so far). Setting --acodec none lets the encode run fine in many ways (honestly I'd want to see this encoded in 4:4:4 due to all the chroma detail, it would be a shame to lose it! :( ).
Either way, I demuxed it as a wav and encoded it as aac with qaac on its own, and just let x264-audio mux that. It's also possible to mux audio and video together with L-SMASH or yamb afterwords if you prefer.
Alternatively, change the export settings for the audio so it is unsigned PCM and it should work normally.
Uh..you mean changing it in the editing program's export settings? Or somewhere else...? Cause I can't seem to find an option for signed/unsigned. :uhoh:

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Sorry, I'm not really good with this kinda stuff so I'm a little lost with what you meant by demuxing and the other stuff. :sweat:

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