WinUAE Video Output: AVI splitting

[Al82]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

Yeah, this thread is about two different things now.

1. AVI's can split sometimes. But this happens rarely (at least for me)

2. First frame in AVI recording is not captured from WinUAE 2.4.x. This causes a "jump" in the video when you join two AVI parts. It's hard to see because it is just one frame. But you hear it clearly. That's why we call it "sound glitch".

The second one has nothing to do with the first one.

I tried recording a video using the beta that Toni uploaded a few posts ago and it seems to have cured the pop that occurs when a split occurs.

However, I noticed that it does appear to lose a frame when recording from loading a savestate - this is really odd because I've done quite a few videos with versions 3.3 through to 3.5 and never noticed it before. I'm not sure it happens consistently (which might explain why I didn't notice it).

I went and grabbed an old copy of 2.3 based on Hipoonios' post and rerecorded the video and there were no dropped frames/audio glitches when recording from loading a state. I did have to uncheck 'capture before filtering', otherwise the video failed to capture for some reason.

[mark_k]

I wonder... when you save a state, does WinUAE always delay the "snapshot" until the next vertical blanking period, or can the state correspond to when the Amiga is half-way through a frame? If the latter, that could explain why you lose a frame: the initial partial frame wouldn't/shouldn't be output to the AVI (since the top part would be blank).

Regarding the spontaneous splitting, can you run WinUAE with -log argument and try to reproduce the issue. Is there any log output when the split happens? Could you upload a series of split AVIs (which split due to whatever this issue is, not the filesize limit). Does splitting seem to happen more often or only when recording certain games/demos?

[Al82]

Originally Posted by mark_k

can you run WinUAE with -log argument and try to reproduce the issue. Is there any log output when the split happens? Could you upload a series of split AVIs (which split due to whatever this issue is, not the filesize limit). Does splitting seem to happen more often or only when recording certain games/demos?

I put a log output on the first page of the thread

Since I made that post, I've noticed that the video codec used might be a factor. I'd always used Lagarith up until a couple of weeks ago, but now I've got Techsmith's Screen Capture Codec installed as well.

I've noticed that I'll get splits seemingly at random with Lagarith, whereas I've not had any with TSCC yet. I don't think file size is a factor because I've had Lagarith split after recording a few seconds worth of footage.

I'm not really bothered about the fact that it splits, just the fact that there was a horrible pop in the audio when it did (which I think Toni has rectified in the beta he posted). It's possible to clean it up using Audacity, but it's just a laborious process to export the WAV to clean it up, then splice it back with the video

With regards to the missing frames, it's tremendously useful to have the audio/video present in the buffer when loading the state because you can combine segments together with seamless audio/video.

[mark_k]

Originally Posted by Al82

I put a log output on the first page of the thread

Were there any other lines in the log around the same time as the split? I'm thinking of anything related to graphics like a mode change, even a tiny one. (E.g. Amiga changes from outputting all long fields to all short fields.)

[Al82]

Nope, none at all - busy outputting to avi and then just the line about the split.

[Toni Wilen]

There are 2 different splits:
- split due to file size, avi format stays the same.
- split due to display size or frequency or sound frequency change. AVI format changes to match new settings. (""AVIOutput: parameters changed, restarting.." will get logged. It is possible this happens when it shouldn't.)

About statefile related issue, does it happen with and without capture before filtering option?

[Al82]

Just performed a test by loading from state file and recording a few seconds of footage:

Capture Before Filtering = OFF: frame 0 is blank (audio present on frame 0)

Capture Before Filtering = ON: frame 0 contains game visual (audio present on frame 0)

I've also just recorded 2 clips with Capture Before Filtering = On with the following process:

* Record clip 00.avi
* Press F12 > Create State File
* Load state file
* Create new output file 01.avi
* Click AVI Output Enabled
* F12 to resume

I recorded a few more seconds of footage before stopping. If I join these 2 segments to together (i.e. in VirtualDub), there is no missing video frame, but there is a noticeable skip in the audio where segments join.

I've also repeated the above steps with Capture Before Filtering = Off. The difference with the 2 clips is there is a blank frame at the start of the second clip and the audio skips as well.

[Al82]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

This problem has been since WinUAE 2.4

Just adding this here in case it's of use to anyone.

Just in the process of doing some further testing with earlier versions of WinUAE and it looks like 2.3 has a problem with buffered audio "leaking" into the video when a save-state is loaded.

A portion of whatever sound was playing before the state was loaded ends up in the captured audio (regardless of whether Capture Before Filtering is enabled or not).

I've just grabbed a copy of 2.4 and it doesn't appear to exhibit the same issue - I tried loading a state at a point when the emulator was playing a loud sound and it doesn't get added to the video. It also seems to be free from the issue with a blank frame getting inserted.

[ransom1122]

Version 2.4 can merge avis (whilst using savestates) without pops and a blank frame?

[Al82]

I'd need to do some further testing

* Edit *
Opened up some state files from my older recordings to see what version I used and a lot of them are 2.5.0, although I did use 2.8.1 as well.

I made a longplay of Nitro last night using 2.5.0 and there's certainly no problem with blank frames. There was a *tiny* bit of audio/static at the beginning of certain avi segments when loading from save-states, but it was inconsistent when it happened.

[hipoonios]

Have now made many tests and this frame drop problem drives me crazy

I can not record AVI without frame drop anymore (first frame dropped). I tried to downgrade to a very outdated version (WinUAE 2.0.1) and the problem is still there! I even tried my old laptop which I used for recording long time ago. And the installed version on this computer is 2.3 and I remember this version worked fine.

So can it be related to a Windows update? Or may it be that WinUAE has never captured the first frame but we have not noticed it because the pop sound is much worse in later versions?

Also figured out that the problem is not related to savestates.

[ransom1122]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

Have now made many tests and this frame drop problem drives me crazy

I can not record AVI without frame drop anymore (first frame dropped). I tried to downgrade to a very outdated version (WinUAE 2.0.1) and the problem is still there! I even tried my old laptop which I used for recording long time ago. And the installed version on this computer is 2.3 and I remember this version worked fine.

So can it be related to a Windows update? Or may it be that WinUAE has never captured the first frame but we have not noticed it because the pop sound is much worse in later versions?

Also figured out that the problem is not related to savestates.

Dam thats not good.

Can you explain how pops or frame drops happen without savestates?

Which game? What version of winuae..

I don't recall any pops when not using savestates but i may be wrong..

[hipoonios]

No pops when not using savestates. But always video frame drop no matter if using savestates or not. Hard to tell if it is the first frame that is missing or the last one.

[ransom1122]

Do you think Toni can fix this issue? Or is it a problem with windows or other?

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by ransom1122

Do you think Toni can fix this issue? Or is it a problem with windows or other?

No idea. But I really hope so. This video frame drop and pop sound when using savestates is really annoying.

[ransom1122]

In just hoping Toni understands the issue completely.

[Toni Wilen]

I don't. No one has really explained what are you EXACTLY doing, only saying "it does not work".

EDIT: screenshot of avioutput panel. Used config file. Preferably using -max_avi_size <size that is max few megabytes> to trigger split quickly when using some unexpanded A500 config with specific game or demo so this can be duplicated reliably.

[Al82]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

I don't. No one has really explained what are you EXACTLY doing, only saying "it does not work".

EDIT: screenshot of avioutput panel. Used config file. Preferably using -max_avi_size <size that is max few megabytes> to trigger split quickly when using some unexpanded A500 config with specific game or demo so this can be duplicated reliably.

I set up OBS to capture the log window, properties and main WinUAE app window whilst recording to disk using the basic A500 config from the quick launch and a split didn't occur - typical!

What I can say is that I've just recorded another longplay video using my usual methodology, but I used the TSCC codec throughout and no splits occurred at all, so it still leads me to believe that the codec plays a part in this.

[Al82]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

No idea. But I really hope so. This video frame drop and pop sound when using savestates is really annoying.

Just a quick FYI: finished recording a new longplay of Walker and used many savestates for that using WinUAE 2.5.1 - no black/missing frame issue.

Settings Used
Video Codec: TSCC (no splits occurred)
Audio: PCM
Capture Before Filtering: On
Disable Sound Sync: On (stops the audio pitch variations depending on CPU load)
Sound Interpolation: Disabled (this seemed to stop audio leak when loading in from savestate)
Graphics API: DirectDraw (used to have an issue where video capture failed to work in D3D)

[ransom1122]

I can add to this I tried AI82's WINUAE version of 2.5.1 with TSCC codec and his settings of

Settings Used
Video Codec: TSCC (no splits occurred)
Audio: PCM
Capture Before Filtering: On
Disable Sound Sync: On (stops the audio pitch variations depending on CPU load)
Sound Interpolation: Disabled (this seemed to stop audio leak when loading in from savestate)

I test recorded Shadow Warrios as their is ingame music and easy to detect pops when joining AVI's.

[Joining 5 avis] Dying.. reloading Savestate, Delete Old AVI, re record AVI.
Then joining with VirtualDub and it works, Shadow Warriors, music and all no POPS or Frame Skips that I can tell.