Frame stepping issue... not working as I'd like it to...

[Boxster]

Hey everyone,

To start: I am working on a medical research project that requires me to analyze recorded videos frame-by-frame for scoring. Windows media player is apparently not capable of this feature so I hit the "interwebs". Someone in a forum suggested BS Player so I figured I would give it a shot.

I downloaded the latest BS Player, v2.57.

Initially, the arrow keys would jump seconds... not frame by frame. Looked on google and saw that what I want to be a able to do is called "frame stepping".

Searched again and saw how to allow this in BS Player: Disable seek by key frames (in general settings) and select "internal render DirectDraw surface" (in video rendering options).

Great! Now I can do "frame stepping"!

THE ISSUE:

I open a video and immediately hit pause. Using the arrow keys I am able to seek and move frame by frame, BUT about 19-22 seconds in, it wont advance any further. I have played with the setting and can't seem to resolve this.

If I unpause the video, it returns to where I had hit pause. The only way I am able to use this is if I seek to about 18 seconds (otherwise it will skip frames if too exact) and then hit pause again and then I can frame step for another 20 seconds or so. It's very annoying to have to do this. Can't I go frame by frame without it needing to keep the original frame as a returning point? I don't need to return to where I paused.

Is it a buffer issue? Is there a limit to frame stepping? Are my settings off?

I need to have the results for the videos by Monday and there are A LOT of videos. Any help is HUGELY appreciated.

I've spent the last several hours trying to resolve this... nothing was found in doing searches

Video File Info:


File: _______________.mpg
Size: 355734 KB (347 MB) <-Average
Length: 00:05:00
Demuxer: mpegps

Video Resolution: 720 x 480
Aspect ratio: 1.7778
Format: 0x10000002
Bitrate: 9000 kbps
Frames per second: 29.970
Selected codec: ffmpeg2

Initial Audio Stream Format: 8192
Bitrate: 448 kbps
Rate: 48000 Hz
Channels: 2
Selected codec: ffac3


Some Tech Specs:

-Using BS Player v2.57

-ASUS M50VM series
-Windows 7 64bit
-Intel Core2Duo T9400
-nVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS
-4GB RAM

Note: I tried to do this with the same settings on other computers with different OS versions and all had the same exact issue.

[BSPeter]

Working without problems overhere. (WinXP SP3 - BS.Player Pro 2.57.1051)
When you installed BS.Player, did you allow it to internally
(i.e. for use by BS.Player only and not interfering with your system's codecs/filters)
install its preferred codecs/filters?
Which filters/codecs does BS.Player actually use for playback of your video? To find out:
(rightclick >) Options > Filters > Advanced
Please also click on "Source" and on the small [+]-signs in front of the filters/codecs shown in order to reveal further info (and access).

If you're really in a great hurry for your project, you could perhaps meanwhile try the old 2003-version 0.86.501 (click here for my old Help2Help-post).
[In this connection note the actual 2.57.1051 version and the old 0.86.501 version don't bite eachother, though I must admit I don't know how the old version behaves under Windows 7.]

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by BSPeter

Working without problems overhere. (WinXP SP3 - BS.Player Pro 2.57.1051)
When you installed BS.Player, did you allow it to internally
(i.e. for use by BS.Player only and not interfering with your system's codecs/filters)
install its preferred codecs/filters?
Which filters/codecs does BS.Player actually use for playback of your video? To find out:
(rightclick >) Options > Filters > Advanced
Please also click on "Source" and on the small [+]-signs in front of the filters/codecs shown in order to reveal further info (and access).

If you're really in a great hurry for your project, you could perhaps meanwhile try the old 2003-version 0.86.501 (click here for my old Help2Help-post).
[In this connection note the actual 2.57.1051 version and the old 0.86.501 version don't bite eachother, though I must admit I don't know how the old version behaves under Windows 7.]

Thanks for the reply.

I tired this on a computer with XP SP3... same result. Same video, same install method, and settings.

I remember it asking to install plugins or something (writing was in red I believe), I clicked ok or yes to allow it to.

When I right click in BS Player v2.57>Options>Filters>Advanced (It didn't work at first, I guess you need to be playing a video to see the window), it doesn't show much...

The only +/- box is for Default DirectSound Device

After that, it says:

EQ (no +/- box)
"EQ
Location:
, Size: 0 bytes"

WMVideo Decoder DMO (no +/- box)
"WMVideo Decoder DMO
Location: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\
qasf.dll, Size: 206848 bytes, Version 12.0.7601.17514

CompanyName: Microsoft Corporation
FileDescription: DirectShow ASF Support
FileVersion: 12.0.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
InternalName: qasf.dll
LegalCopyright: © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
LegalTradeMarks: © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
OriginalFilename: qasf.dll.mui
ProductName: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
ProductVersion: 12.0.7600.16385
Comments: 12.0.7600.16385"

WMAudio Decoder DMO (no +/- box)
"WMAudio Decoder DMO
Location: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\
qasf.dll, Size: 206848 bytes, Version 12.0.7601.17514

CompanyName: Microsoft Corporation
FileDescription: DirectShow ASF Support
FileVersion: 12.0.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
InternalName: qasf.dll
LegalCopyright: © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
LegalTradeMarks: © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
OriginalFilename: qasf.dll.mui
ProductName: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
ProductVersion: 12.0.7600.16385
Comments: 12.0.7600.16385"

Source (no +/- box)
"WMAudio Decoder DMO
Location: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\
qasf.dll, Size: 206848 bytes, Version 12.0.7601.17514

CompanyName: Microsoft Corporation
FileDescription: DirectShow ASF Support
FileVersion: 12.0.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
InternalName: qasf.dll
LegalCopyright: © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
LegalTradeMarks: © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
OriginalFilename: qasf.dll.mui
ProductName: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
ProductVersion: 12.0.7600.16385
Comments: 12.0.7600.16385"


I think I tried the older one, but had some issues with in in a Win7 64 environment. I will try it again now and report back soon. In the meantime, what do you think of the information I posted? It appears to be using Windows' stufff....

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by BSPeter

If you're really in a great hurry for your project, you could perhaps meanwhile try the old 2003-version 0.86.501 (click here for my old Help2Help-post).
[In this connection note the actual 2.57.1051 version and the old 0.86.501 version don't bite eachother, though I must admit I don't know how the old version behaves under Windows 7.]

I just DL'd 0.86.501

No dice.

I get a black screen. I can hear audio, however. It's VERY laggy too. If I drag the video window around the screen it leaves trails.

I'm running out of time

[BSPeter]

Maybe try to blacklist WM Decoders DMO:
(rightclick >) Options > Preferences > Filter management > [Blacklist/Whitelist] ... etc.

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by BSPeter

Maybe try to blacklist WM Decoders DMO:
(rightclick >) Options > Preferences > Filter management > [Blacklist/Whitelist] ... etc.

Just tried that and now I get an error that says "Unknown file format ()"

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by BSPeter

Maybe try to blacklist WM Decoders DMO:
(rightclick >) Options > Preferences > Filter management > [Blacklist/Whitelist] ... etc.

Now I'm unable to use the program at all... It says it can't find the codec??

I guess my last resort is to try to uninstall/reinstall...

[BSPeter]

Did you try to simply "unblacklist" by removing the blacklisted filters from the blacklist?
If you re-install make sure you allow BS.Player to 'internally' install its preferred codecs/filters.
(By the way: it is always possible to re-run BS.Player's codecmanager.
You can find codecmanager.exe inside BS.Player's installation folder.)

(P.S.:
I asked you to try blacklist as I think I've previously read that Microsoft's WM decoders don't support framestepping. Normally, if a filter/codec is blacklisted, BS.Player will search and find another filter/codec which is able to do the job (like e.g. ffdshow filter). Maybe the codec used for encoding doesn't support single frame stepping. I don't know if that could make any sense at all. I'm no codec-expert. To the contrary. However, I'm pretty sure your problem is codec-related, so maybe the only solution would be a recoding/conversion to another video standard.)

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by BSPeter

Did you try to simply "unblacklist" by removing the blacklisted filters from the blacklist?
If you re-install make sure you allow BS.Player to 'internally' install its preferred codecs/filters.
(By the way: it is always possible to re-run BS.Player's codecmanager.
You can find codecmanager.exe inside BS.Player's installation folder.)

(P.S.:
I asked you to try blacklist as I think I've previously read that Microsoft's WM decoders don't support framestepping. Normally, if a filter/codec is blacklisted, BS.Player will search and find another filter/codec which is able to do the job (like e.g. ffdshow filter). Maybe the codec used for encoding doesn't support single frame stepping. I don't know if that could make any sense at all. I'm no codec-expert. To the contrary. However, I'm pretty sure your problem is codec-related, so maybe the only solution would be a recoding/conversion to another video standard.)

Thanks for all the help. I am going to try your suggestions this afternoon!