[FFmpeg-user] Adaptive Color Transform error

Mon Nov 25 22:44:08 EET 2019

I have a batch of dnxhd files generated from Avid projects which generate an "Unsupported: variable ACT flag" error, followed by "Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile" warnings in ffplay and ffmpeg.

The full console output from ffplay is below. The error shows up coincident with visual effects graphics in the edit. In the example given below, the error shows up about 40 seconds into the program.

The files play with no visual problems but this error crashed Tektronix Aurora quality control software that we use.

The Avid export is generated using a "same as source" setting in the Avid project. If the Avid export specifies a DNXHD codec the error does not show up.

I can also use the following command to re-encode the files and the error goes away:

ffmpeg [INPUT] -c:v dnxhd -b:v 175M -pix_fmt yuv422p10le -map v -map a [OUTPUT]

I have been told that this error is not a problem, but the people who have told me this can not state why it isn't a problem.

These are final deliverable files and my concern is that they may fail on some player at some point in the future in a similar way to crashing the Tektronix Aurora software. We have a new version of the Aurora software which no longer crashes, but Tektronix has not released the details on what caused the crash to begin with. 

In order to make an informed decision about these files I need an understanding of the significance of the "Unsupported" variable ACT flag in a dnxhd file.

Can anyone explain the significance of this error and what impact it may have on the files?

Thank you.

Gary

PS: I realize that this output is not from the latest version of ffmpeg, but this error can also be generated with the latest version, and the subsequent changes made to the code which generates this error (https://github.com/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/blob/master/libavcodec/dnxhddec.c), don't seem to relate to this error in any way.

C:\>ffplay X:\test_only\act_test.mov
ffplay version N-92391-g07bc603757 Copyright (c) 2003-2018 the FFmpeg developers built with gcc 8.2.1 (GCC) 20181017 configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-sdl2 --enable-fontconfig --enable-gnutls --enable-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libfreetype --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libzimg --enable-lzma --enable-zlib --enable-gmp --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libmysofa --enable-libspeex --enable-libxvid --enable-libaom --enable-libmfx --enable-amf --enable-ffnvcodec --enable-cuvid --enable-d3d11va --enable-nvenc --enable-nvdec --enable-dxva2 --enable-avisynth
  libavutil      56. 23.101 / 56. 23.101
  libavcodec     58. 39.100 / 58. 39.100
  libavformat    58. 22.100 / 58. 22.100
  libavdevice    58.  6.100 / 58.  6.100
  libavfilter     7. 43.100 /  7. 43.100
  libswscale      5.  4.100 /  5.  4.100
  libswresample   3.  4.100 /  3.  4.100
  libpostproc    55.  4.100 / 55.  4.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'X:\test_only\act_test.mov':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : qt
    minor_version   : 537199360
    compatible_brands: qt
    creation_time   : 2019-10-21T22:59:16.000000Z
    timecode        : 00:59:45:00
  Duration: 00:01:18.95, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 178289 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(eng): Video: dnxhd (DNXHD) (AVdn / 0x6E645641), yuv422p10le(tv,
bt709/unknown/unknown), 1920x1080, 175984 kb/s, SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9, 23.98 fps, 23.
98 tbr, 23976 tbn, 23976 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2019-10-21T22:59:16.000000Z
      handler_name    : Apple Video Media Handler
      encoder         : Avid DNxHD Codec
    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: pcm_s24le (in24 / 0x34326E69), 48000 Hz, stereo, s3
2 (24 bit), 2304 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2019-10-21T22:59:16.000000Z
      handler_name    : Apple Sound Media Handler
    Stream #0:2(eng): Data: none (tmcd / 0x64636D74) (default)0/0
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2019-10-21T22:59:41.000000Z
      handler_name    : Time Code Media Handler
      timecode        : 00:59:45:00
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7000] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7000] Unsupported: variable ACT flag.B f=0/0
[dnxhd @ 0000000007054c00] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071cff80] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7000] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7900] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 0000000007054c00] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071cff80] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e6240] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e6b40] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7000] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7480] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7900] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 000000000704af00] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000070537c0] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 0000000007054640] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 0000000007054c00] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071b53c0] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071bdd80] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071c75c0] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071cff80] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071d9380] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e5dc0] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e6240] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e66c0] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e6b40] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7000] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7480] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071e7900] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 000000000704af00] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000070537c0] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 0000000007054640] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 0000000007054c00] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
[dnxhd @ 00000000071b53c0] Adaptive color transform in an unsupported profile.
  46.13 A-V:  0.001 fd=   2 aq=  627KB vq=15233KB sq=    0B f=0/0