DV type1 or type2 avi inputs to AviSynth 2.52 ?
 

Is there a way to get AviSynth 2.52 to accept DV type 1 or type 2 avi inputs? I tried AVISource (would not open) and DirectShowSource (opened, but I got errors).

You need to install a DV CODEC before you can open your file.

-kwag

I installed the MainConcepts demo DV codec. This shows up as a normal codec when I list MultiMedia Properties Video Compression Codecs, but AviSynth 2.52 still doesn't recognize the DV video file when I use the Avisource statement. Installing the codec did make Ulead Video Studio unuseable however. What codec do you recommend? What AviSynth command should I use?

I used the MainConcept codec to generate a DV (didn't tell me which type) using TMPGEnc. AviSynth 2.52 was able to open this file using the Avisource statement and the script worked OK. But, the resulting quality of the generated mpeg file was poor. So I guess the MainConcept codec will only open DV files made with it. It also seems to do a poor job of encoding. The DV files generated by Video Studio open fine in TMPGEnc and generate excellent quality mpeg videos. I am still looking for help. I would like to use avisynth 2.52 to convert my video cam DV files into mpeg files. Presently I convert the DV files to uncompressed avi and then use that, but the files are very large.

I got better results by increasing the CQ value and max kbps. But even at 2500 kbps CBR the quality of an mpeg made from the MainConcept DV file is poor relative to an mpeg made from the original uncompressed avi.

It's late. Thanks for your help. I will do some more tests tomorrow night.

If the Main Concepts DV codec is installed, AviSynth 2.52 will input type 2 DV files but will not input type 1 DV files. Input using the Avisource statement. Results are good. Since DV cams generate type 1 DV files this means the files must be converted before being used in AviSynth.

Just to be fair to the Main Concepts DV codec, once I learned how to use it (by using proper data rates) it produced very good quality DV video and the problems with Video Studio were actually caused by the ffvfw codec that comes with AviSynth 2.52 not the Main Concepts DV codec.

So, did you encode something from DV :?: :)

-kwag

Yes. Just some sample clips so far, but it works fine. I have been converting my home DV cam videos to mpeg1 and mpeg2 files using TMPGEnc wihich will input the DV files; so they will play on my DVD player. I use TMPGEnc because it seems to produce the best quality video and allows using templates. But to also use avisynth (to reduce the file size and improve quality even more) I had to convert to uncompressed avi for input to avisynth, which was using a lot of disk space and requires an extra color space conversion. This will allow me to use a type 2 DV file for input to avisynth instead of converting to uncompressed avi. Thanks for your help.

DV type-2 files can be opened by AviSource (provided you installed a DV codec), and DV type-1 files can be opened by DirectShowSource.

Thanks Wilbert,
When I used the following in AviSynth 2.52

DirectShowSource("C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\DVtype1.avi")
ConvertToYV12

the file opens but the video is all messed up. Do I need to do something else?

Sorry,
If I only use the above script it works. But when I add in Kwag's ScriptClip function it gets messed up. Thanks for the help.

You should force the framerate:

DirectShowSource("C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\DVtype1.avi", fps=25) # or what ever the correct fps is

Thanks Wilbert,
That works better, but there are still a few glitches when using Kwag's ScriptClip function. Works good without the ScriptClip function. This same type-1 DV video plays fine in MediaPlayer 6.4 and the same video works fine in AviSynth 2.52 with the MainConcepts codec if saved as type-2 DV. So there seems to be a problem using DirectShowSource with functions that use previous frames if the source video is type-1 DV.

I think the Main Concepts codec is the better way to go but I appreciate your explaining how to input type-1 DV files. Thanks again for your help.

The problems with using DirectShowSource and type-1 DV files was the ScriptClip function in the July 4 version of Kwag's script. By changing the ScriptClip function line from

TemporalSoften( fmin( round(2/nf), 6), round(1/nf) , round(3/nf) ,0, 2) ")

to

TemporalSoften( fmin( round(2/nf), 6), round(1/nf) , round(3/nf) ,1, 1) ")

the glitches went away. This change was not necessary when using the type-2 DV file and the Main Concepts DV codec.