I have been working with the tech support at Sorenson regarding a problem with the MPEG-1 files that Squeeze 7 is making. I am having trouble convincing them that there is, in fact, a problem. The MPEG-1 files that come out of Squeeze are not playing in most Windows Media Players that I test them on. They play on some, though, and the some include the players on the computers that Sorenson tech support uses. I have sent this video file to three people, and it plays on two out of six computers so far.

If you have a moment, could you download this MPEG file and tell me if it plays on your PC with Windows Media Player?

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/fjioords/Test10sec.mpg

I do not need it tested in Quicktime, I know it plays there. I need results for Windows Media Player, whatever version you happen to have on your computer. Then please post your results, and, if you can, include the version of WMP you are using.

You will probably have to right-click and "Save Link As..." to test WMP properly, as clicking on the link will play it in whatever plug-in your browser is set up for, such as QuickTime.

The problem is not making it work on my computer, per se. I have to send MPEG files to dozens of different clients who use WMP, and I can't ask them all to upgrade, re-configure or change their media player. That is bad business, and in fact it should have to happen at all. I have been making MPEG-1s for many years, and they are basic, non-proprietary, easy to use files that should just play.

If I can get a decent sampling of responses, that would help us solve this problem. Thanks a bunch.

Plays in WMP 10, v 10.00.00.4074.
Windows XP

But, this box has ffdshow on it, and I see that the codecs were supplied from ffdshow.

Works in version 11.0.5721.5280 no problems.

Windows XP SP 3.


CS

Does NOT play in WinMedia Player on my Windows 7 computer (latest everything).

[It does play in my QT-based MPlayer Classic, but you already know that].

Nogo on any of my 3 Win 7 PCs.

[QUOTE=

But, this box has ffdshow on it, and I see that the codecs were supplied from ffdshow.[/QUOTE]

That's very interesting. I've been telling them its a codec problem. This appears to be a DivX/MPEG-4 codec.

Thanks everyone for the replies. They are very helpful. If anyone else wants to post their results, that would be even more helpful.

Nope, it's not Divx - it's mpeg1. Here is the report generated by Media Info.

General
Name : Test10sec.mpg
Format : MPEG-PS
File size : 1.69 MiB
Duration : 10s 560ms
Overall bit rate : 1 343 Kbps

Video
ID : 224 (0xE0)
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 1
Format settings, Matrix : Default
Duration : 10s 477ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 058 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 1 100 Kbps
Width : 352 pixels
Height : 240 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4/3
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.418

Audio
ID : 192 (0xC0)
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 2
Duration : 10s 560ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits

Plays OK on my Win 7 Ultimate, version 6.1.7601 SP1
Windows media player version 12.0.7601.17514 last update was 11/2010
GSpot shows using mpeg-1 codec, but I don't know whose. I have a bunch of codecs installed....
fwiw, plays ok in vlc media player also.

I have a bunch of codecs installed... fwiw, plays ok in vlc media player also.
That's likely because of the 'bunch of codecs'; VLC also comes with its own codecs.

Something is wrong either with the way the file has been encoded or some header info. According to Information about the Multimedia file types that Windows Media Player supports (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316992) mpeg1 is supported in Media Player 9-10-11, but there is some conflict with Media Player under Win7.

The file plays fine on all my video players except WinMedia Player.

Doesn't work for me either. Window Media Player ver 12.0.7600.16667
Windows 7 Home 64 bit.

Gordon

Running Win 7 64 bit enterprise and it plays just fine with latest WMP 12. Just to let you know, I do have VLC player on my system as well.

Good morning Ken. Your video works fine on my Toshiba laptop running window vista ultmate 64 and WMP version 11.0.6001.18311. Hope this helps...

Works fine in WMP 9.00.00.4510 on XP Pro.

This particular box doesn't have the ffdshow codec package installed, but does have VLC.

FYI, ffdshow is installed with Sorenson Squeeze, and provides various encoding and decoding support for Squeeze. Any MPEG-1 incompatibilities would seem to be codec differences, possibly the ffdshow version of MPEG-1.

*****************************************************
Works fine in WMP 12.0.7601.17514 on Win7

No ffdshow or vlc on this box.

*****************************************************
I think I understand the reasons you're distributing in what is today considered a low-quality-for-bitrate codec, that there is near-universal compatibility with this format.

However, the world has moved on, and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Standards organizations and all sorts of manufacturers are promoting the heck out of various MP4 versions. We're now two generations past MPEG-1... Take that for what it's worth.

Squeeze has some great workflow and batching capabilities, and gives access to controls that many other encoders don't. However, it's not the only product out there, especially if you don't use all of its goodness.

Telestream Episode is perhaps equivalent. I've heard good things about (Grass Valley) Canopus Procoder, thought I've not used it myself. Likewise Carbon Coder ($$$), and Compressor on the Mac.

If you don't need batching and sophisticated controls, there are a lot more encoding products out there...

... However, the world has moved on, and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Standards organizations and all sorts of manufacturers are promoting the heck out of various MP4 versions. We're now two generations past MPEG-1... Take that for what it's worth.


As a matter of fact, I have absolutely no say in the format. MPEG-1 is the format, WMP is the player, period, until I'm told otherwise.


Squeeze has some great workflow and batching capabilities, and gives access to controls that many other encoders don't. However, it's not the only product out there, especially if you don't use all of its goodness.

Telestream Episode is perhaps equivalent. I've heard good things about (Grass Valley) Canopus Procoder, thought I've not used it myself. Likewise Carbon Coder ($$$), and Compressor on the Mac.

If you don't need batching and sophisticated controls, there are a lot more encoding products out there...

Do you know of any others besides these? I looked at Episode: It would not join multiple clips into one file unless I paid for the $5000 version. ProCoder is not in production anymore. It didn't make sense to buy something that's not going to be supported. Mac's Compressor is slow and can't make more than one at a time, and I'm not sure it can export an MPEG-1. I've never heard of Carbon Coder, but the ($$$) may have turned me away from the git-go if I saw it.

I choose Squeeze because it can handle AVCHD files (and others), I can set up many files and run it overnight, and it makes use of my Mac's 8 cores (but not hyperthreading). It will work with a reference file from FCP so I can join files that way, although that's annoying.

In any event: Is there any way to install a new codec in my encoding software? Either by me or by Sorenson? That seems to be the best solution.

I think the mpeg1 file Sorenson is producing is fine; neither G-Spot nor Media Info report any problems. As pointed out above, it's just that Microsoft does not consider such an old codec important anymore, so it plays in some versions of WMP and it does not in others... they just don't care to fix it anymore.

As far as other encoders, consider TMPG - it's one of the best kept little secrets in the industry. It's a consumer priced piece of software with pro capabilities - high quality encoding, batch operations, clip joining, filters, even timeline-based basic editing - all this for $100. Yes, that's no typo: one hundred!

You might have a look at Flip4Mac, whose sole purpose is making and viewing .wmv files on Macs, we used it where I used to work, worked a treat: Windows Media player for Mac - Flip4Mac WMV Overview - Telestream (http://www.telestream.net/flip4mac-wmv/overview.htm)

Actually, I'm using TMPG to re-encode the Squeeze files so I can send product to my clients. I'd gladly use TMPG if they could do batches and handle AVCHD files. Heck, I'd pay $200.

Thanks everyone for your testing. Its been a great help. If I find out a solution, I'll post it for posterity's sake.

I have fddshow on my machine as well. I'm running 64bit Windows 7..version 12.0.7601.17514. When I tried to play it from Windows Media player it said there was a problem. I have the version of WMP that comes with Windows 7 so that's consistent with what Mr Farkas said about MS no longer supporting the codec.

Actually, I'm using TMPG to re-encode the Squeeze files so I can send product to my clients. I'd gladly use TMPG if they could do batches and handle AVCHD files. Heck, I'd pay $200.


Okay, I have to update and scold myself. TMPG actually CAN input AVCHD files and CAN do batches. I didn't even have to upgrade it.

I just assumed that, because it's less expensive it couldn't do them. I also assumed that, if it could do them, why the hell does something like Squeeze sell for $600? Why does it even exist? Okay, Squeez's main market is exporting H264 files, not MPEG-1s. But still, I feel foolish for buying the Sorenson product.

My first tests show that the final product even looks better than the Squeeze.

This will simplify things immensely.

Well, well, well... you didn't know because, as I said, it's a well kept secret (OK, it WAS a secret).

And you haven't even started scratching the surface. TMPG is nicely customizable, out of the box is not the best, you need to look under the hood and adjust a thing or two. For example HDV editors have had a very hard time transcoding interlaced footage to good looking DVD (standard definition). We killed ourselves with all sorts of work-arounds (AviSynth, VirtualDub) until TMPG has been updated and it is now the king of HDV to DVD - finally a crisp, clean video.

Yes, to give the final report: I have returned Squeeze 7 and am going with TMPGEnc. To be fair, the Squeeze folks were gracious about extending the time I had to return for refund because I had been working with them on finding a solution since the first month I had it.

For now I am working with TMPGEnc 4, and it is the solution I spent weeks looking for. My quest now is to improve encoding speed, perhaps by employing a CUDA card. If you have any ideas about that, here's the thread to that discussion:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/avchd-format-discussion/503613-best-old-computer-cuda-tmpgenc.html

I want to avoid buying a brand new computer and CUDA card. I figure if I can get the least expensive computer that is compatible with CUDA cards, then I can get all the processing power from the card and the CPU really doesn't enter into the equation.

We'll see if my idea pans out.

Thanks again, everyone!