Video Playback - Wrong Aspect Ratio

[gcoupe 63]

When I play recorded TV shows via the Windows 8 MediaBrowser client, they play back with the correct 16:9 ratio. However, when I play the same video files on my WP8 phone (Nokia Lumia 1020), the image is squeezed into a narrower ratio.

 

MediaBrowser tells me that the recorded video files are: Video:mpeg2video • 720x576 • 16:9 • 4851 kbps

 

It seems as though on WP8, the aspect ratio flag of 16:9 is being ignored, and the files are being played simply at 720x576 ratio.

 

This looks like a bug to me.

[ScottIsAFool 517]

Ok, thanks, will investigate. Could you email me the logs from the app, and the ffmpeg logs when you've tried playing one of these video files please, thanks.

[gcoupe 63]

Er, sorry, I'm new here. How can I attach log files to a message I send you through this forum? The message editor doesn't seem to offer an option for attaching files...

 

Also, I have the server log ready to send, but on the WP8 client, while there's an "email logs" option in the Settings, it doesn't appear to do anything.

 

Thanks.

[Tikuf 663]

How can I attach log files to a message

 

Easiest way it to use http://paste2.org or http://pastebin.com/ as we can then access the logs no matter what device we are on.

 

The email logs on the ph will email the phone logs directly to Scott

 

Welcome

[ScottIsAFool 517]

Also, I have the server log ready to send, but on the WP8 client, while there's an "email logs" option in the Settings, it doesn't appear to do anything.

Can you clear the logs, try playing the video again, then try sending them.

[gcoupe 63]

Ah, OK, clearing the logs on the phone works - I can then send you a new log. Just sent it now. ffmpeg log here: http://paste2.org/I1P6nvKD

 

Thanks for the help.

Edited January 23, 2014 by gcoupe

[Tikuf 663]

Ffmpeg looks ok @Scott there are some benign errors which are expected with tv recordings.

[ScottIsAFool 517]

@@Tikuf so according to ffmpeg the stream should be in the right aspect ratio?

[Tikuf 663]

Sorry Scott wrong information from me. The original file is 720x576 (sample aspect 5:4 display aspect 16:9 ) the conversion is to 640 x 480 (4:3)

 

to correct the aspect for files like this the width requested 640 should request a height of 640/(16/9)= 361 (but has to be rounded to 362 for h264)

 

I am not sure if you are requesting width, height or maxwidth, maxheight (or one of them)

Edited January 23, 2014 by Tikuf

[ScottIsAFool 517]

@@Tikuf I'm requesting MaxHeight and MaxWidth https://github.com/MediaBrowser/MediaBrowser.WindowsPhone/blob/master/MediaBrowser.WindowsPhone8/ViewModel/VideoPlayerViewModel.cs#L204

[gcoupe 63]

Anything happening about this issue of the WP client displaying the wrong aspect ratio? Thanks.

[ScottIsAFool 517]

Nothing to report at the moment, been quite busy with work lately and haven't been able to spend as much time on this as I'd like. I will get to it though.

[Lee 205]

[gcoupe 63]

Nothing to report at the moment, been quite busy with work lately and haven't been able to spend as much time on this as I'd like. I will get to it though.

 

OK. Thanks for keeping it on the list.

[Viktikus 4]

I have developed transcoding using VLC and SD TV broadcast (720x576) needs to be as follows.. I'm resizing resolution to 640x360. This is VLC command line for 16:9

...width=640,height=360,vfilter="canvas{width=640,height=360}"...

The canvas does the trick.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Viktikus

[Viktikus 4]

Using the latest on both Windows client and Server (2014-04-30) but with 16:9 .ts files (mpeg2) aspect ratio on the windows phone client is wrong. It's 4:3 shrinked. Can there be a button like many other players where to choose what ascpect ratio to use?

[ScottIsAFool 517]

Is this only for recorded tv? Do other types of tv show correctly?

[ScottIsAFool 517]

And are those recordings definitely 16:9?

[gcoupe 63]

These are TV shows recorded from my Satellite receiver (SAB Titan 1) on to an attached hard drive, and then transferred, unchanged, onto my WHS 2011 system. The files have the .ts extension, but as I stated in my OP, they have the format and metadata: Video:mpeg2video • 720x576 • 16:9 • 4851 kbps

 

It seems as though on WP8, the aspect ratio flag of 16:9 is being ignored, and the files are being played simply at 720x576 ratio.

 

When played back in a browser, the W8 App, or Windows Media Player, the aspect ratio flag of 16:9 is being respected, but not in the WP8 App. Here's the WMP for example:

 

[gcoupe 63]

Yep - I've now got version 8.0.60.0 of the App installed - and it is still showing 4:3 aspect ratio instead of 16:9 for my recorded TV media...

[gcoupe 63]

An example...

 

[ScottIsAFool 517]

Ok, thanks.

[Viktikus 4]

With VLC 1.1.5 I transcode "Video:mpeg2video • 720x576 • 16:9" with

VLC.exe -I dummy --audio-language=en --sub-language=en http://192.168.0.251:8001/1:0:1:11:3:F:FFFF0000:0:0:0: 
--no-sout-transcode-hurry-up --sout-mux-caching=4000 --network-caching=4000 
--sout="#transcode{threads=auto,deinterlace,aenc=ffmpeg{aac-profile=low},
ab=96,samplerate=44100,channels=2,acodec=mp4a,audio-sync,vcodec=h264,width=640,
height=360,vfilter="canvas{width=640,height=360}",fps=25,scale=1,vb=672,
venc=x264{keyint=250,preset=veryfast,level=-1,profile=baseline,cabac,slices=8,
qcomp=0.4,vbv-maxrate=672,vbv-bufsize=336}}:std{access=http{mime=video/mp4},
mux=ffmpeg{mux=flv},dst=:554/video.mp4}"

IF somehow video is 4:3, I use

VLC.exe -I dummy --audio-language=en --sub-language=en
http://192.168.0.251:8001/1:0:1:11:3:F:FFFF0000:0:0:0: --no-sout-transcode-hurry-up 
--sout-mux-caching=4000 --network-caching=4000 --sout="#transcode{threads=auto,
deinterlace,aenc=ffmpeg{aac-profile=low},ab=96,samplerate=44100,channels=2,
acodec=mp4a,audio-sync,vcodec=h264,width=480,height=360,vfilter="canvas{width=640,
height=360}",fps=25,scale=1,vb=672,venc=x264{keyint=250,preset=veryfast,level=-1,
profile=baseline,cabac,slices=8,qcomp=0.4,vbv-maxrate=672,vbv-bufsize=336}}:
std{access=http{mime=video/mp4},mux=ffmpeg{mux=flv},dst=:554/video.mp4}"

With this Calculus, I get the X-resolution for 16:9 or 4:3

$TRANSCODE_VIDEO_WIDTH = 640;
$actualVideoWidth = null;

if ($asrat=="4:3") 
    $actualVideoWidth =  round($TRANSCODE_VIDEO_WIDTH* (pow(1.333, -1))) ; // will result 480
else if ($asrat=="16:9")
     $actualVideoWidth = $TRANSCODE_VIDEO_WIDTH;

so the CANVAS is always the same, video encoding x-reso changes..

 

THIS only a sample how I have resolved this problem with VLC. FFMPEG is not so different?

Subtitle and Audio selection are there aswell, that is missing from current MediaBrowser Windows Phone Client.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Viktikus

[ScottIsAFool 517]

We've identified the problem and this will be fixed in the next release of the *server* not the WP app.

[gcoupe 63]

Terrific! Thanks for your perseverance on this issue.