Solved Videos being cropped on all sides

[Skopin]

Hi everyone,

I'm having an issue when trying to watch videos. For some reason, videos I try to watch both on YouTube and in Windows Media Player (or Windows Media Center) are being cropped around the edges. I can get around the WMP issue by using VLC, because that will display the full video, but I can't find a workaround for online videos. At first I thought it may be a codec issue, but even updating them or installing new ones hasn't helped.

I've attached 3 screenshots from the same video: one from VLC showing how it's supposed to look, one from WMP, and one from YouTube.

I'd appreciate any insight anyone can offer on this.

Thanks!

 

[mitchell65]

Hi and Welcome to the Forum
Have you tried a different browser and Can you post a link to one of the You Tube videos you are having trouble with?

 

[Skopin]

I'm using Firefox, but it's the same in any browser.

Final Fantasy X Comparison - Original vs HD - YouTube is the video that I took the images from.

 

[mitchell65]

Plays fine on my FF. Would suggst that you chek to see if you have the latest update for Flash player! Try here:
Adobe - Flash Player

 

[Skopin]

I do have the latest Flash. Also, it's not just YouTube videos. Any video I play in WMP or WMC is the same.

 

[Skopin]

Bump...Any other ideas?

 

[dsperber]

I'm using Firefox, but it's the same in any browser.

Final Fantasy X Comparison - Original vs HD - YouTube is the video that I took the images from.

As was already stated by mitchell65, works perfectly for me too using Firefox and YouTube, with latest Flash player installed (standard default settings I guess, since I've never adjusted anything). No problem at all.

Did you download the video from YouTube to your PC, in order to run VLC and WMP on it locally?

Or did you run those two directly from the YouTube URL, or perhaps some other online URL for "streaming viewing" from an online location other than YouTube??

 

[mitchell65]

I think the OP is getting this problem wether its You Tube or others videos on his PC.
Skopin
Have you downloaded any codec packs recently? Do you know a date when this problem started or has it always been like this?

 

[Skopin]

It has been like this for a few weeks. I got a new motherboard, so had to do a fresh install of Windows, and it has been like that since then.

The video I used for an example, I made myself. So the screenshots from WMP and VLC are from the original file, and the YouTube screenshot is from the same video after it was uploaded.

The problem occurred before installing any codec packs, but I have tried using a few others to no avail.

 

[mitchell65]

When you say you carried out a fresh install where did you get the installation disc from? You shouldn't need to install any codecs at all. Have you actually installed complete packs or individual codecs? Uninstall all the codecs you have installed then run sfc /scannow from an elevated command prompt.

 

[Skopin]

The installation disc is my normal Win7 installation disc. I only tried installing other codecs after the problem started. Once they didn't work, I uninstalled them.

The scan returned no results: Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

 

[mitchell65]

I have just read your post #3! are you saying you downloaded a video from You Tube?

 

[Skopin]

No lol. I recorded/edited the video myself. Then I uploaded it to YouTube. I used that video as an example since I have the original file.

 

[mitchell65]

No lol. I recorded/edited the video myself. Then I uploaded it to YouTube. I used that video as an example since I have the original file.

What I am interested in is where did the original images come from. In other words where did you record them from? We need to get this straight to ascertain if the problem is with the possible corruption of the files or if it is your Windows setup!

 

[Skopin]

The images are simply screen captures from the various programs. The original file was recorded from my PC, which displayed the full thing without issue. The 2 videos were spliced together using Sony Vegas. When I tried to play the raw files in WMP, they were cropped. Playing them in VLC worked fine. When editing the raw files in Vegas, the full image was shown in the Vegas preview window.

The rendered file (from which I showed the screen caps), is cropped when played on my computer in WMP or after being uploaded to YouTube. When played in VLC, it looks normal. It also looks normal from any other computer. It's the same for any other video, not just this one. I chose to do the screen caps for this video because I recorded it myself so I had the raw files, and the text at the bottom made it easier to show what was happening.

 

[dsperber]

I've downloaded your videos (in all available resolutions, starting from the 1080p one and down) and it appears they are encoded as H.264/AVC, i.e. with the AVC1 codec (as reported by PotPlayer, and also GSpot).

[Video Information]
Video Codec:AVC1 - DXVA Decoder(VLD - Slice Short)
Input type:AVC1(24 bits)
Input size:1280 x 720(1.78:1)
Output type:dxva
Output Size:1280 x 720(1.78:1)
Frame Rate:29.97
BitRate: Unknown

[Audio Information]
Audio Codec:AAC(0xaac0) - Default Decoder
Sample rate:44100 ->44100 samples / sec
Bit rate:16 ->16 bits / sample
Channels:2 ->4 channels
Bitrate: 191 kbps

GSpot describes it as AVC1: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC


I would have thought that this AVC1 codec should be supported "native" by Windows 7. According to GSpot, it is an ISO codec so I'm sure that means support for it comes built into Win7:

AVC1 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC ITU-T/ISO/IEC


But it's also supported by FFDSHOW. Actually, I have installed FFDSHOW on my own Win7 systems with most of the supported codecs checked as disabled if they're supported "native" by Windows 7 (which is most of them, actually). I don't want to interfere with (or add to) Win7's inherent fabulous support for multi-media formats unless in the rare case where an odd codec is not supported. So in particular, I have FFDSHOW's support for H.264/AVC "disabled", so I'm sure it's not participating in why I have no problems playing your video properly so that it appears uncropped.

==> I will NOT EVER INSTALL A CODEC PACK such as K-Lite, or Shark, or whatever.

Anyway, all your H.264/AVC MP4/FLV downloaded videos obviously play just fine for me locally using WMP12, as well as all my other media player products such as VLC and PotPlayer. Also plays fine with Firefox and current Flash Player.

Sorry, but there's no cropping from ANY of these on my systems... no matter played from the Internet or played locally with multiple different players.


NOTE: I have ATI video cards in my systems (HD4850, HD5770) and DXVA is "enabled" in all players, including with Flash Player running inside of Firefox.

 

[mitchell65]

The images are simply screen captures from the various programs. The original file was recorded from my PC, which displayed the full thing without issue. The 2 videos were spliced together using Sony Vegas. When I tried to play the raw files in WMP, they were cropped. Playing them in VLC worked fine. When editing the raw files in Vegas, the full image was shown in the Vegas preview window.

So is your "You Tube name" HAB17A7? If so have you tried all your other videos that are on your account to see if they perform the same?

 

[Skopin]

The images are simply screen captures from the various programs. The original file was recorded from my PC, which displayed the full thing without issue. The 2 videos were spliced together using Sony Vegas. When I tried to play the raw files in WMP, they were cropped. Playing them in VLC worked fine. When editing the raw files in Vegas, the full image was shown in the Vegas preview window.

So is your "You Tube name" HAB17A7? If so have you tried all your other videos that are on your account to see if they perform the same?

Yessir, that is me. And yes, all videos are doing the same thing, whether from my channel or someone else's. It is the same with videos downloaded to my computer, even those that were fine before I reinstalled Windows.

 

[mitchell65]

Well I think it is now established that the probelm is within your Windows environment. The best I can suggest is that you do a clean install of Windows using Gregrocker excellent guide here:
Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7
Use the new downloaded ISO not your supplied disc and burn the ISO at the slowest speed your burner will go down to 4x is best and make sure you have the LAN driver handy as advised but often missed in the text!
I can't see that you will need any codecs. If you do don't install the whole pack just the one you need!

 

[Skopin]

I was thinking the same thing. I just wish I could figure out what caused it. It's a very odd occurrence.

I never install any codec packs; Windows usually has everything I need, and for those videos that don't work in WMP or WMC, VLC takes care of it. It was just really strange that streaming videos were affected as well.