Magic Lantern (RAW) Video format v2.0 (mlv_rec.mo)

[Javenu]

Yes, the same filename is being written to the SD and CF cards by ML, which required a rename.

CF: M23-2258.MLV 517 MB
       
SD: M23-2258.MLV  608 bytes
       M23-2258.M00  90.7 MB

Since they are identically named, which MLV file should one import to the convertor?

Build is last night 3/23
Recording 1920x508 @ 60fps

[scarluuk]

Been having problems with MLV on the 1.2.3 firmware with the last nightly update (March 17)
Most of my vids come out green, while some are still adjustable by the white balance there are a few which go so dark that they cannot be recovered at all.
Here is an example when i open one of the frames in ACR:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x8hogghq4y7i1j6/Schermafbeelding%202014-03-24%20om%2014.42.56.png

Even with the exposure all the way to the right it's still almost black.
Tried a few different methods to convert but none of them worked.
The file is playable in the camera with MLV view and the colors look fine then but not on my imac.

Anyone has any suggestions?

[g3gg0]

Yes, the same filename is being written to the SD and CF cards by ML, which required a rename.

CF: M23-2258.MLV 517 MB
       
SD: M23-2258.MLV  608 bytes
       M23-2258.M00  90.7 MB

Since they are identically named, which MLV file should one import to the convertor?

Build is last night 3/23
Recording 1920x508 @ 60fps

oh, wow. didnt notice that.
then rename one .MLV to .M01 and try it with the oter .MLV

[Jared]

Been having problems with MLV on the 1.2.3 firmware with the last nightly update (March 17)
Most of my vids come out green, while some are still adjustable by the white balance there are a few which go so dark that they cannot be recovered at all.
Here is an example when i open one of the frames in ACR:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x8hogghq4y7i1j6/Schermafbeelding%202014-03-24%20om%2014.42.56.png

Even with the exposure all the way to the right it's still almost black.
Tried a few different methods to convert but none of them worked.
The file is playable in the camera with MLV view and the colors look fine then but not on my imac.

Anyone has any suggestions?

I too have the same problem, I record with this build "2014Mar23.5D3113" someone could help us please?

[g3gg0]

its on all frames?
can you upload one?

or dump a few frames from the .mlv using mlv_dump and the -f parameter (specify 2 or 3)

this please

[Jared]

this please

All frames are like this
https://www.dropbox.com/s/alebpmy150ocu5l/MLV_A001_220943_C00012_f000001.dng

and this tells me when I run mlv_dump -f

[g3gg0]

mlv_dump m22-0943.mlv -o out.mlv -f 3

[Jared]

mlv_dump m22-0943.mlv -o out.mlv -f 3

to execute the command, I have 2 files
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jdwgc3nr251a6q4/out.mlv
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kxlrkc39hcvry5j/out.mlv.wav

and still have the problem

[g3gg0]

these are the files i need to check what the problem is.
will report tonight.

[Jared]

these are the files i need to check what the problem is.
will report tonight.

Thanx @g3gg0 , very grateful!

[NedB]

@Jared: Download exiftool and exiftool GUI (google them). Change tag "BlackLevel" to a value of 2046. Problem fixed.

We've seen this before, for various reasons. It seems to be only a metadata problem: i.e., your .dng's are actually ok, if you just change this one value. I tried it on the .dng you uploaded and it now looks normal. Cheers

[g3gg0]

i added a workaround for that black level issue. (next nightly)
i am not sure why the raw backend has trouble in detecting the correct black level so often now.
did you all use zoomed modes?

a) mlv_rec will by default fix that value to 2048. depending on your camera this may be wrong.
iirc alex told me that there may be some models which have 4096. (maybe i mixed smth up)
for this reason there is a menu option to disable that black-fix if you need it.

b) mlv_dump has an option --black-fix to override black level to 2048. for existing footage just run
'./mlv_dump in.mlv --black-fix -o out.mlv' and your footage in out.mlv will have black level set to 2048.
(for windows users: here is a version with the fix)

the changes will take effect with the next nightly.

[gideonplus]

I had this problem only when the memory hack was on

[tonybeccar]

Hey g3gg0, is there any syntaxis in mlv_dump to start converting from a specific frame until the last one? I used March 13th version in a short and a lot of the files have a bug, in which the first frame is corrupted and mlv_dump can't extract anything.. same bug as Ted Ramasola had.

Anyway any help would be useful! Thanks!!

[g3gg0]

what was the output of mlv_dump -v again for this bug?

[tonybeccar]

This is the log: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rtl91lw3ath363x/log.txt

Basically: "[ERROR] File ends in the middle of a block. Processed 0 video frames"

[g3gg0]

you can use -f a-b  where a is start and b is end frame number.
but i committed a check which should skip a block if its frameSpace is invlaid.
can you try it? (exe)

[tonybeccar]

you can use -f a-b  where a is start and b is end frame number.
but i committed a check which should skip a block if its frameSpace is invlaid.
can you try it? (exe)

WOW! Alright g3gg0!!!! That fixed it! I tried with -f a-b argument and it worked, it didn't work with the other version of mlv_dump that I had. And it ALSO works normally, without -f parameter. So wow, couldn't be happier!!!! Is this mlv_dump also faster?

Cheers and trillions of thanks!!

[ted ramasola]

tony, have you tested this? Should this replace the one in the tools folder of your app?

[tonybeccar]

tony, have you tested this? Should this replace the one in the tools folder of your app?

I tested it and uploaded a new version of my converter with this version of mlv_dump. But a simple overwrite should work as well But it also happened that I forgot to upload the nconvert.exe for the thumbs (I think) and thumbs weren't being created. So I made a new version.

[Jared]

i added a workaround for that black level issue. (next nightly)
i am not sure why the raw backend has trouble in detecting the correct black level so often now.
did you all use zoomed modes?

a) mlv_rec will by default fix that value to 2048. depending on your camera this may be wrong.
iirc alex told me that there may be some models which have 4096. (maybe i mixed smth up)
for this reason there is a menu option to disable that black-fix if you need it.

b) mlv_dump has an option --black-fix to override black level to 2048. for existing footage just run
'./mlv_dump in.mlv --black-fix -o out.mlv' and your footage in out.mlv will have black level set to 2048.
(for windows users: here is a version with the fix)

the changes will take effect with the next nightly.

@g3gg0 Thank you very much, I have retrieved all the frames, you saved my life
grateful to all for your feedback!!!

[Canon eos m]

Hi, I have similar issues with the mlv_rec (green effect, corrupt files, challenge opening some files on mlrawviewer).

In terms of reliability, IMHO, it appears that raw_rec is robuster (if there is such a word).

The biggest difficulty I face is that most files that looked okay when shooting and replay on the camera are difficult to handle on the mlrawviewer. Initially, I deleted a few files since the mlrawviewer wouldn't open these. But now I realise that I should try opening the files at least three times before deleting. It could be that the issue is with the mlrawviewer. I simply can't say.

Plus, when the wrong combination of frame size, frame rate and snd is chosen the camera hangs and the battery has to be removed. Normally, the camera should just reject the wrong choice instead of trying to record and hang due to lacking buffer. Raw_rec somehow is better at dealing with this and is more bouncier overall. The obvious advantage is mlv_raw can record sound in camera while raw_rec cannot  for the same video quality.

Just yesterday, my 8 year old daughter had a recording session to cut a cd for sending to a music competition. The music teacher arranged for the recording at a professional sound studio. The studio manager told me to arrange for my own video recording. I decided to do it myself. Initially, I thought the best idea would be to record mlv or raw. But then I chickened out last moment since the studio was booked only for an hour with 3 takes allowed. We were paying too dollars to the studio plus another sizeable sum to the pianist girl. So I did not want to take a chance and went back to the tried and tested H.264@24fps.

Having said that, I am now a raw addict and mlv is my preferred format primarily because of the completeness of this package as a whole. After filling up 4TB of memory, I am still hungry for more. The 5D3 is a beast and ever hungry :-)

Overall, things are good as they are. Appreciate all the hardwork. And love every bit of the ML interface.

I dream to be a raw champion one day.

[frenchps49]

Could the unfortunate users of OSX have a compiled version of the latest mlv_dump ? Thanks a lot .

[mrd777]

Anyone know if it's possible to go from MLV to Cinema DNG without going from MLV to RAW first?

Thanks,
Mr D

[Danne]

Could the unfortunate users of OSX have a compiled version of the latest mlv_dump ? Thanks a lot .

I think you could change the mlv dump file to a newer one and simply run this script from here

http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=9731.msg93586#msg93586

*realized you would need a mlv_dump binary for it to work with mac.