X265 with applied filter(s) produces blank videos

[j_iliz]

Have been going crazy uninstalling/installing newest and older versions of 2.6.12 without successful results.
I have even reverted back to the last 2.6.11

Have also tried both 32 & 64 bit versions of the program and all do the same thing.
I have tried changing the different encoding modes, Q20 to Q30 values... no success.

Anyway as an example, I read in an MOV file, set vid output to HEVC(X265), Audio= copy, Output format=MKV Muxer. Then I trim out the unwanted piece of the video, and Save. Processing the vid seems ok.

The result is, Windows media player gives popup with a music note in the middle and the sound plays... the video is not there. It is also interesting that the size of the MKV file seems right and grows/shrinks as expected with the configure settings.

If I do a straight copy of the trimmed vid, it works fine, however once I try to select a filter, any filter, to sharpen a tad, the resulting "save" produces a result with no video.

What is not right?
Thanks !

[andrewk8]

• Are you sure that Windows Media Player supports x265?  You have to find out if it supports it natively or if you have installed the correct third-party codec.  I don't use WMP.  I use VLC instead and don't have issues playing media of any container format or codec.
  http://www.videolan.org/index.html
• Don't use ADM to transcode to x265.  It uses an old version of x265 and ADM UI doesn't have the right settings.  See this: http://avidemux.org/smif/index.php/topic,16558.msg74068.html#msg74068
  I will use ADM to cut a video, setting COPY for the audio and video tracks.  Then I use Handbrake to transcode to x265.  It uses a more recent version of x265 and supports the UI has correct presets and tunes for x265.
  https://handbrake.fr

[j_iliz]

Thanks for the feedback Andrew,

I am pretty sure WMP supports x265 because I can take any standard MOV file, even trimmed by Avidemux into a MKV container and they play. The issue comes after applying a filter with Avidemux. That is when the whole video wont display.

I typically use VLC except as many know there is a color palette issue when playing files that began life as a MOV. VLC will play them but the color shift makes thing unacceptable. People have posted solutions on other sites but for me nothing has been successful. FWIW - Avidemux applied filters resulting in an MKV container file gives a popup with a crash message.

I am not sure I understand the thread you linked to me. I assume when you write "ADM" you mean Avidemux? My interpretation of that thread is that Adivemux is not ready for prime time for x256 processing. If this is the case the Configure items should be grayed out until that time else guys like me do nothing but waste days and days trying to figure things out.

I will take a quick look at that handbrake link you gave... thanks !

[andrewk8]

I am pretty sure WMP supports x265 because I can take any standard MOV file, even trimmed by Avidemux into a MKV container and they play. The issue comes after applying a filter with Avidemux. That is when the whole video wont display.

Don't confuse the container format with the codec.  Is it possible the MOV has video encoded to AVC (h264, x264, etc.)?  That would explain why WMP can play the original, but when you transcode it to HEVC using x265, it can't play it.
See this for codec vs. container formats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_video_container_formats

[j_iliz]

Hi Again Andrew,

Your right, VLAN - Tools>Media info says my iPhone wrote/writes a MOV file using H264 - MPEG4 AVC (Part 10)(AVC1).

I was under the false premonition my MOVs came in H265. It is interesting that I am able to do a trim-copy of an encoded H264 with the H265 Video Output selected in Avidemux. And after checking the encoding of the post trimmed video, I see it is identical to the input MOVs coding.

So I take back that WMP is playing H265. I know my MOVs are H264 ow both before and after being trimmed and my issue of applying a filter and not getting WMP playback anymore might be related to the selection of the Video Output ->X265 in Avidemux.

So bottom line is I am confined to H264 encoding right? No way for me to encode my H264 to H265 without using Handbrake, right?

Thanks !

[Jan Gruuthuse]

Not exactly. Avidemux 2.6.12 does encode with HEVC. As for now it is not encoding up to andrewk8 specs.

x265 encoded mkv with applied filter
Lightning Hevc X265.mkv File (1.74 MB total) Will be deleted on 11 July, 2016 Download link: https://we.tl/kKIEtNhKra

[andrewk8]

So bottom line is I am confined to H264 encoding right? No way for me to encode my H264 to H265 without using Handbrake, right?

If you want to play your video with WMP, then, yes, it appears that you need to stick with AVC format.

ADM is actually quite good with x264 support.  I was quite happy with it, until February, when Handbrake released 0.10.5 with x265 updated to 1.9.  I ran some test videos and was very happy with the quality and size. I saw that ADM also supported it (sort of) and jumped in to HEVC.

As for now it is not encoding up to andrewk8 specs.

The x265 v 1.4 used by ADM is 5 versions behind and 17 months old.  It shouldn't be too hard to implement the presets and tunes correctly and completely - maybe only a few lines of code to change.

[j_iliz]

I am not sure what I was doing wrong before, but I now am able to convert&trim iPhone X264 MOV files to X265 with Avidemux. VLC does say the finished video is X265 so I am good there.

So I have learned that Windows Media Player will not play X265 and I am confined to playing under VLC, except... VLC's color palette is incompatible with my MOV based MKV files.

Can somebody recommend a source or provide clear instructions how I can resolve the Color Palette mismatch between my base MOV/MKV files with VLC ?

Thanks!

[Jan Gruuthuse]

Are you referring to chroma inversion <- follow link.
Left hand: Video Decoder -> Configure -> [Decoder Options]
[v] Swap U and V
see if this helps.