[MEncoder-users] h264 ovc copy and reference picture missing during reorder

[The Wanderer]

Patryk Laurent wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I was using edl to edit out some clips from H264 video, and when I
> used ovc copy with the resulting edl file, playback of the result
> with MPlayer yields errors about "reference picture missing during
> reorder".  When those errors occur, the image becomes very pixelated
> and messy, eventually clearing up.  Is there a way around this
> problem.
> 
> Are there any additional flags that must be added to preserve
> reference pictures during -ovc copy?

It's not a matter of flags. "Reference pictures" (which I infer are the
same as I frames) appear at only specific points in the file, and if the
point where the edited-out section ends does not land exactly on one,
then there will not be one where the following frame needs it to be.

There are only two ways to avoid the problem: make absolutely certain
that your edit sections end exactly before an I frame (some formats
enforce this by seeking only to I frames, but apparently not all), or
re-encode the video instead of copying.

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