File and Codec Types for DIAdem 10.1 view

[r.spicka]

Hello,

I am trying to find a list of the compatible file types (.AVI, .MJPEG, etc) and Codecs (CVID, XVID and so forth) that work within DIAdem 10.1 View.  Could someone please provide a list of what has been tested, or is recommended to use? 

Thanks for your help.

Rick

[James M]

Hi Rick,

If you have DIAdem installed, please refer to the help section titled "Requirements for Playing Videos in DIAdem VIEW". Basically, DIAdem can play anything that you can open in Windows Media Player on your machine. Most videos, regardless of the codec, use the AVI or MPEG container formats, so its really a matter of having the correct codecs installed for your video file. I've attached a PDF document listing common codecs that have been tested with DIAdem and the various considerations for each.

Regards,

[r.spicka]

I understand that most file types will play in View, but I still have unresolved issues.

I can record as an AVI with the YUY2 Codec, (quite the large file) but problem I continue to get is that there are slight "pauses" in the picture, or it hops.  When using an MPEG4 container, it plays fine, but there is a section in the upper right hand, ~25% of the screen, that is horizontal lines.  I have tried various capture methods and cameras with the same result.  Secondly, I am unable to advance by each frame in the video using the MPEG4. I have followed the proper steps, and the cursor on the data curve moves with the advance of the frame, but the video stays still. 

Any suggestions? 

[James M]

Hi Rick

Just a few questions to clarify the situation:
1. Are you playing the video from a network location?
2. How large is the video file and what is the bit-rate?
3. Do you see the pausing and hopping when playing the video in Windows Media Player (WMP)?
4. Do you see the horizontal lines on the screen when playing the video in WMP?

The pausing and hopping may be due to the performance of computer, the size/bit-rate of the video, or a combination of all three of these factors. I'm guessing the reason you see a performance increase (no pausing or hopping) when you use the MPEG4 container is because the size and/or bit-rate of the video have decreased.

The reason you cannot seek to frames after converting to MPEG4 most likely due to the keyframes in your video file. Most mainstream video codecs use a difference algorithm to compute subsequent frames from previous frames. A keyframe represents a known, fully rendered frame that other subsequent frames can be computed from. As the frequency of keyframes decreases, the amount of time to calculate a given frame in the future increases (since the playback algorithm must compute each frame in between the current frame and the desired frame).

As you may already know, there are several third party programs that can update keyframes in video files, such as VirtualDub. Enthusiast websites also exist, such as www.doom9.org, with many detailed tutorials on using products like VirtualDub. Most pertinent to this discussion is the doom9 article under Guides >> VirtualDub procedures >> Rederive keyframes.

If you are seeing the horizontal lines in WMP, then it is likely there has been in error in encoding the original video file and you may need to adjust the settings in your encoder utility.

Regards,