VideoReader reads ".h264" video compression file with error "Caught unexpected exception of unknown type."

Initially when I tried to use the VideoReader function to read the ".h264" video compression format file I got the error "Unable to determine the codec required." Then I learned from the Internet that I needed to install the "Media Player Codec Pack" package to read it correctly, so I successfully installed the package from this link, and when I read it again using VideoReader, I got the following error: "Caught unexpected exception of unknown type."

videoPath = "myvideo.h264";
info = mmfileinfo(videoPath)

info =

struct with fields:

Filename: 'myvideo.h264'

Path: 'E:\workDir'

Duration: 0

Audio: [1×1 struct]

Video: [1×1 struct]

info.Video.Format

ans =

'MPEG2'

ENVIRONMENT： Matlab R2022b, windows 10

Note: Since I installed this package, I can play ".h264" files normally with the windows media player that comes with my windows system.

[Walter Roberson]

Use a tool such as VLC to determine which codec was used. The codec is a 4 character code (so it is not 'MPEG2' which is 5 characters)

[cui,xingxing]

@Walter Roberson , I use potplayer to get codec infomation, screenshot is below.

[Filter Usage List]

(1) Built-in Raw Video Source

(2) Built-in Video Codec/Transform

(3) Enhanced Video Renderer(Custom Present)

[Video Information]

Video Encoding: H264 - Built-in FFmpeg decoder (h264, Thread Frame)

Input format: H264 (24 bits)

Input size: 1280 × 960 (1.33:1)

Output format: YV12 (12 bits)

Output size: 1280 × 960 (1.33:1)

Frame rate: 15

BitRate: Unknown

so the codec is 'H264',and then?

Answer 1

[cui,xingxing]

After much trial and error, I was lucky enough to find a solution that worked for me, and I am sharing it with you so that I can help others.

The prerequisite is to download the ffmpeg audio/video open source tool, download the binary executable for your platform here. I then converted the original video to avi format in the terminal by using the following command, which was subsequently read by matlab properly.

ffmpeg -i myvideo.h264 -vcodec copy test.avi

note: out put video 'test.avi' is same codec as original 'myvideo.h264'

Reference:

ffmpeg extract lossless image from video

Video and Audio file format conversion

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Email: [e-mail]

[Kevin Wang]

Thank you so much!

Exactly what I needed!