[MPlayer-users] MPlayer errors decoding captured streams

[JW]

Hello,

I'm currently using "MPlayer sherpya-r36349+gb24f15c-4.6 (C) 2000-2013 
MPlayer Team" under Win7 Pro x64.

For at least the last year I've been saving streamed audio using 
mplayer, via
     mplayer -playlist 
"http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/pls/CBC_R1_VCR_H.pls" -cache 
512 -dumpstream -dumpfile STREAMFILE.acc
(Which I force to exit after a fixed period via TaskKill. Is there some 
other way to tell mplayer to stop saving after a fixed time?)

This stream produces AAC files that MediaInfo shows to be
     Format: ADTS
     Format/Info: Audio Data Transport Stream
     Overall bit rate mode: Variable

     Audio
     Format: AAC
     Format/Info: Advanced Audio Codec
     Format version: Version 4
     Format profile: HE-AAC / LC
     Bit rate mode: Variable
     Channel(s): 2 channels
     Channel positions: Front: L R
     Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz / 22.05 KHz
     Compression mode: Lossy

These saved stream files I later decode to WAV files using the same 
mplayer via
     mplayer -vo null -vc null -ao pcm:waveheader:file=WAVFILE.wav 
STREAMFILE.aac
(This, so that I can transcode, edit, etc.)

For a long time this has been working reliably. However, recently the 
stream format has changed in some way that produces smaller saved stream 
files, without changing the format reported by MediaInfo. However, for 
about half (but not all) of the new, smaller, saved stream files MPlayer 
is unable to decode the stream that it has, itself, saved. Instead it 
reports an error.

Yet VLC is able to play these saved files without problem (and I've now 
started using VLC to decode them, though I'd prefer to have the details 
that MPlayer provides.)

For a stream file that MPlayer is able to decode, it reports:
     Playing STREAMFILE.aac.
     libavformat version 55.9.100 (internal)
     libavformat file format detected.
     [aac @ 01448fe0]max_analyze_duration 5000000 reached at 5015510 
microseconds
     [aac @ 01448fe0]Estimating duration from bitrate, this may be 
inaccurate
     [lavf] stream 0: audio (aac), -aid 0
     Load subtitles in [FILEDIR]
     Load subtitles in [HOMEDIR]/mplayer/sub/
==========================================================================
     Opening audio decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders
     libavcodec version 55.16.100 (internal)
     AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, floatle, 46.9 kbit/1.66% (ratio: 5857->352800)
     Selected audio codec: [ffaac] afm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg AAC 
(MPEG-2/MPEG-4 Audio))
==========================================================================
     [AO PCM] File: temp.wav (WAVE)
     PCM: Samplerate: 44100Hz Channels: Stereo Format floatle
     [AO PCM] Info: Faster dumping is achieved with -benchmark -vc null 
-vo null -ao pcm:fast
     [AO PCM] Info: To write WAVE files use -ao pcm:waveheader (default).
     AO: [pcm] 44100Hz 2ch floatle (4 bytes per sample)
     Video: no video
     Starting playback...
and does what it should. For a stream file that MPlayer can't decode, it 
reports:
     Playing STREAMFILE.aac.
     libavformat version 55.9.100 (internal)
     MPEG-PES file format detected.
     MPEG: FATAL: EOF while searching for sequence header.
     Video: Cannot read properties.
     Load subtitles in [FILEDIR]
     Load subtitles in [HOMEDIR]/mplayer/sub/
==========================================================================
     Requested audio codec family [mpg123] (afm=mpg123) not available.
     Enable it at compilation.
     Opening audio decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders
     libavcodec version 55.16.100 (internal)
     [mp2float @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2float @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2float @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2float @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2float @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2float @ 01474280]Header missing
     Unknown/missing audio format -> no sound
     ADecoder init failed :(
     Opening audio decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders
     [mp2 @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2 @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2 @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2 @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2 @ 01474280]Header missing
     [mp2 @ 01474280]Header missing
     Unknown/missing audio format -> no sound
     ADecoder init failed :(
     Opening audio decoder: [libmad] libmad mpeg audio decoder
     AUDIO: 11025 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 64.0 kbit/18.14% (ratio: 8000->44100)
     Selected audio codec: [mad] afm: libmad (libMAD MPEG layer 1-2-3)
==========================================================================
     [AO PCM] File: temp.wav (WAVE)
     PCM: Samplerate: 11025Hz Channels: Stereo Format s16le
     [AO PCM] Info: Faster dumping is achieved with -benchmark -vc null 
-vo null -ao pcm:fast
     [AO PCM] Info: To write WAVE files use -ao pcm:waveheader (default).
     AO: [pcm] 11025Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)
     Video: no video
     Starting playback...
     Cannot sync MAD frame
     Cannot sync MAD frame
     A:   0.0 (unknown) of 2704.9 (45:04.8) 72.7%
     Cannot sync MAD frame
     A:   0.0 (unknown) of 2704.9 (45:04.8) 72.7%

Again, the same file that MPlayer reports these errors for causes no 
problem for VLC.

Can anyone suggest how I can work around this issue, by
* ensuring MPlayer saves a valid file while capturing the stream?
* or, telling MPlayer what it needs to know at decode time to read the 
file (as VLC is able to do)?

Thanks,
John