timeline not staying in sync with video

create synch shows with video, audio and lights

Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby Alan_G13 » 16 May 2016, 22:24

The interface you linked to appears to be for only audio files unless I'm mistaken, not video which is the topic of the discussion. From their website, it supports WAV, AIFF, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC files - plus it's getting to be somewhat of an involved process even if it did support video just to be able to do something that you'd think was handled directly from ShowXpress

Do you have any plans to change the timeline coding in a future version to solve the issue ?
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby support » 17 May 2016, 07:52

We do not know video players with midi message output, but this is certainly existing.

Trying to reach a better accuracy in Timeline would mean:
- design and embed our own media player in the software (very big job)
- include Codecs to read compressed formats (nightmare because so many different existing formats)
- load the media file in RAM (not suitable for "slow" computers)
- and many other difficult points
In other words, redo a new VLC software engine, and be able to play the lights with it, which is a very big job.
So, we do not plan to do this in a near future. Sorry for this.

But again, Please discuss with the other forumers who made timelined lightshows and who look happy with our software. We (support) are not pro in timelined lightshow, but when we see those here viewforum.php?f=79 , we find them well synchronized.
If their accuracy is better than what you presently have with your computer, please ask them how they do. So far, there are several things able to delay the media file playing (encoding file level, "waveform" not visible, antivirus, ...).
If their accuracy is not good enough for you, then we are afraid TimeLine could not meet your requirements.
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby Alan_G13 » 17 May 2016, 19:29

Hi

I've searched long and hard for either a hardware or software video player capable of outputting midi information and haven't yet come across one, so would be very interested to learn of one if one exists that anyone knows of. The 3D view examples in the link you provided though again all seem to be created from an audio file and not a video file. Synching to an audio file isn't so much of a problem, it's the video element of SX that causes the issue.

I totally understand your reluctance to create a more accurate timeline option given the size of the job and also the technicalities involved in doing so. However, I think there are a few options worth considering in answer to your comments -

design and embed our own media player in the software

There are several open source media players available without usage restrictions that could possibly be utilised, for example this one https://www.videolan.org/ It exposes a very usable API (details here https://www.videolan.org/developers/vlc/doc/doxygen/html/modules.html) and although it wouldn't be a small task to embed and use it in SX, I'd imagine it would be a lot easier than writing your own from scratch
include Codecs to read compressed formats (nightmare because so many different existing formats)

The media player linked to above includes all popular codecs, but for any other the excellent K-Lite codec pack http://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm covers just about all of them
load the media file in RAM (not suitable for "slow" computers)

Totally understand, however even the most basic PC's these days are spec'd high enough to handle the job I'd have thought. Another option would be to make it a user definable choice as to whether to load into RAM or not, and if they were having problems loading media into RAM due to a slower or underspec'd machine, use your existing method of letting the operating system deal with the media.

Yet another option might be to release two versions of ShowXpress, Pro and Lite where Lite would be the existing free version and Pro would be paid for version that included more accurate video synch, and other options not available in the Lite version. I know I for one would be more than happy to pay for the software, either as standalone or bundled into a deal with Chauvet when buying the interface if it did what we needed re video synch. At least that way you'd get some return for the amazing amount of time and effort you clearly put into the software :)

I've mentioned a couple of times in this thread (I think) that I truly believe ShowXpress has the potential to be world beating software with a few additions and tweaks and I'm in no way criticizing what you've already created, and I really hope that coming up with a solution to the synching issue could be considered something of a priority as it's definitely one area of a very useable system that lets it down in my opinion
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby support » 19 May 2016, 16:00

We would like to make more tests with video.
Can you please tell us more about your video file ?
(file size, file format, screen resolution, codec, frame/sec, rate of flow, ...)
The best would be you send it to us via a file transfer web site, but not sure it will be possible.
And more about your OS ?
(Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, MacOS, 32bits, 64bits)

FYI:
Launching the media files via VLC engine will not change anything, because two timers are running (the dmx timer and the media timer).
It is not allowed to include VLC into a non open source commercial software (GPL licence).
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby Alan_G13 » 19 May 2016, 20:30

Hi

No problem sending you a sample video via file transfer website. What email address to you want me to use to notify you of the upload URL ?
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby support » 20 May 2016, 07:21

We need the complete file (not only a part of it).
If it is possible to send it, viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19

Please tell also all details as requested in our post above.
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby Alan_G13 » 20 May 2016, 20:36

Hi

I'll upload a full video over the weekend in mpg format but it doesn't make any difference what video format we use, we still have the synch issue

Relevant specs of the venue PC's are

    OS: Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
    CPU: Core i5 3.4GHz 4 core
    RAM: 8GB
    Hard Drive: 2 x Internal 500GB Sata
    Graphics card: NVidia GeForce GT640 with onboard 2GB memory

Specs of my test PC are

    OS: Windows 10 Home 64 bit
    CPU: Core i7 3.4GHz 8 core
    RAM: 16GB
    Hard Drive: Internal 3TB Sata
    Graphics card: AMD Radeon HD 6700

Both machines have the same synch issues

Thanks for taking a look
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby Alan_G13 » 21 May 2016, 22:29

Test video file uploaded. You should be getting a link to the download site, let me know if there's any problems downloading it
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby support » 22 May 2016, 17:22

We have the video.
Can you also please post your lightshow ?

BTW: the video shows only a static picture ; it is normal ?
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Re: timeline not staying in sync with video

Postby Alan_G13 » 22 May 2016, 19:01

That particular video, yes it's just a static image. In general that's not the case though.

I'll need to grab the lightshow that's timed to that track from one of the venues, which might take me a day or so but as soon as I get it I'll attach it here.

Also, just for your info, that's one track from a show and each show consists of around 9 or10 tracks (in one video file) each of a similar length
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