AviSource

AviSource takes one or more files - not only AVI but also WAV (audio), AVS (AviSynth scripts), and VDR (VirtualDub frameserver) files. There is built-in Audio Compression Manager support for decoding compressed audio tracks (MP3, AAC, AC3, etc). If more than one file name is given, AviSource returns a clip with all files joined end to end. For the files to be joined, the media properties must be compatible - see Notes below.

WavSource will open a WAV file, or an audio-only AVI file. It will also return the audio stream from a normal video+audio AVI. This might be useful if your video stream is damaged or unreadable, or simply as a shortcut for AviSource(...).KillVideo.

AviSource(string filename [, ...] [, bool "audio", string "pixel_type", string "fourCC", int "vtrack", int "atrack", AVS+ bool "utf8"])
AviFileSource(string filename [, ...] [, bool "audio", string "pixel_type", string "fourCC", int "vtrack", int "atrack", AVS+ bool "utf8"])
OpenDMLSource(string filename [, ...] [, bool "audio", string "pixel_type", string "fourCC", int "vtrack", int "atrack", AVS+ bool "utf8"])

WavSource(string filename [, ...][, AVS+ bool "utf8"])

string  filename =

One or more file names. The files will be joined into a single clip with UnalignedSplice. To join files, the media properties must be compatible - see Notes below. AVS+ utf8 file names are supported since Avs+r2768.

bool  audio = true

If true, load the first audio stream, or the stream specified by atrack if present. If false, audio is disabled.

string  pixel_type = "FULL"

Chooses the output color format of the decompressor. Valid values are listed in the table below. This argument has no effect if the video is uncompressed, as no decompressor will be used in that case.

• If omitted or "FULL", AviSynth will use the first format supported by the decompressor, in the order shown in the table below.
• If "AUTO", AviSynth will use the alternate (older) order as shown.

pixel_type	Color formats, listed by decoding priority (high to low)
FULL	YV24	YV16	YV12	YV411	YUY2	RGB32	RGB24	Y8
AUTO			YV12		YUY2	RGB32	RGB24	Y8

In other words, if you don't specify anything, it will try to output YV24; if that isn't possible it tries YV16, and if that isn't possible it tries YV12, etc ...

For planar color formats, adding a '+' prefix, e.g. AviSource(..., pixel_type="+YV12"), tells AviSynth the video rows are DWORD aligned in memory instead of packed. This can fix skew or tearing of the decoded video with bad codecs when the width of the picture is not divisible by 4.

string  fourCC = (auto from source)

Forces AviSynth to use a specific decoder instead of the one specified in the source file. See FourCC for more information.

int  vtrack = 0

Specifies a numbered video track. Track numbers start from zero, and are guaranteed to be continuous (i.e. there must be a track 1 if there is a track 0 and a track 2). If no video stream numbered vtrack exists, an error will be raised.

int  atrack = 0

Specifies a numbered audio track. Track numbers start from zero, and are guaranteed to be continuous (i.e. there must be a track 1 if there is a track 0 and a track 2). If no audio stream numbered atrack exists, no error will be raised, and no audio will be returned.

AVS+

bool  utf8 = false

If true, file name is treated as utf8. Since r2768.

Joining clips

• There is a limit (of about 50, sometimes fewer) AviSource calls in script - see discussion. If the limit is exceeded, you will see the error message

AVISource: couldn't locate a decompressor for fourcc ....

If you need to join more AVIs, try VirtualDub (limit > 700)

• Media properties must be compatible, meaning they must have:

1. the same height and width;
2. the same color format (as presented by the decoder);
3. the same frame rate (precisely the same, not approximately); and
4. the same audio sample rate, bit depth and number of channels.

• See the VirtualDub blog post Appending streams and mismatch errors for a more in-depth explanation.

Windows 7 users

• WavSource under Windows 7 is unable to load WAV files with 32-bit IEEE Float samples having the WAVEFORMAT structure. You can use ffmpeg to rewrite the header to an extensible format (just do a stream copy; it always writes extensible headers)

ffmpeg -i "bad.wav" -c copy "good.wav"

Helpful hints

• Sometimes the colors will be distorted when loading a DivX clip in AviSynth v2.5 (the chroma channels U and V are swapped), due to a bug in DivX (5.02 and older). You can use SwapUV to correct it.

• AVISource can also open DV type 1 video input (only video, not audio).

• Some video files get decoded with the wrong color standard ('Rec601'/'Rec709') or luma range ('Full'/'TV'). This problem can arise if the input and output color formats are different, forcing a conversion. To avoid this conversion, try to specify another, compatible output format - for example:

• If the video was encoded as RGB, try pixel_type="RGB24" or "RGB32";
• If the video was encoded as YUV, try pixel_type="YV12", "YUY2" or "YV24".

If that does not work, try FFmpegSource, LSMASHSource or (if absolutely necessary) DirectShowSource.

10+ bit inputs

AVS+

When a classic 'pixel_type' shares more internal formats (such as YUV422P10 first tries to request the v210 then P210 format) you can specify one of the specific format directly. Note that high bit-depth RGBP (Planar RGB) is prioritized against packed RGB48/64.

The 'FourCCs for ICDecompressQuery' column means that when a codec supports the format, it will serve the frame in that one, Avisource then will convert it to the proper colorspace.

 Full support list. Non *-marked formats (FourCC column) are supported since r2724. 
 'pixel_type' Avs+ Format   FourCC(s) for ICDecompressQuery
 YV24         YV24          *YV24
 YV16         YV16          *YV16 
 YV12         YV12          *YV12
 YV411        YV411         *Y41B
 YUY2         YUY2          *YUY2
 RGBP10       RGBP10        G3[0][10]  r210  R10k
 r210         RGBP10        r210
 R10k         RGBP10        R10k             
 RGBP         RGBP10        G3[0][10]  r210  R10k
              RGBP12        G3[0][12]
              RGBP14        G3[0][14]
              RGBP16        G3[0][16]
              RGBAP10       G4[0][10]
              RGBAP12       G4[0][12]
              RGBAP14       G4[0][14]
              RGBAP16       G4[0][16]
 RGB32        RGB32         *BI_RGB internal constant (0) with bitcount=32
 RGB24        RGB24         *BI_RGB internal constant (0) with bitcount=24
 RGB48        RGB48         BGR[48]    b48r 
 RGB64        RGB64         *BRA[64]   b64a
 Y8           Y8            Y800       Y8[32][32]   GREY
 Y            Y8            Y800       Y8[32][32]   GREY
              Y10           Y1[0][10]
              Y12           Y1[0][12]
              Y14           Y1[0][14]
              Y16           Y1[0][16]
 YUV422P10    YUV422P10     v210       P210
 v210         YUV422P10     v210
 P210         YUV422P10     P210
 YUV422P16    YUV422P16     P216
 P216         YUV422P16     P216
 YUV420P10    YUV420P10     P010
 P010         YUV422P10     P010
 YUV420P16    YUV420P16     P016
 P016         YUV422P16     P016
 YUV444P10    YUV444P10     v410
 v410         YUV444P10     v410

More on codecs

Some reference threads:

• MJPEG codecs
• DV codecs

• C programmers note: backslashes are not doubled; forward slashes work too

AVISource("d:\capture.avi")
WAVSource("f:/soundtrack.wav")

• Splice two clips together; the following statements do the same thing.

AviSource("cap1.avi") + AviSource("cap2.avi")
AVISource("cap1.avi", "cap2.avi")

• Splice two clips together where frame rates do not match.

A = AviSource("FileA.avi") # "29.97" fps (30000/1001)
B = AviSource("FileB.avi") # 30.0000 fps
A ++ B.AssumeFPS(A)

• Splice two clips together where one of them contains no audio.

A = AviSource("FileA.avi") # with audio
B = AviSource("FileB.avi") # no audio stream
A ++ AudioDub(B, BlankClip(A)) # insert silent audio with same format

• Disable audio and request RGB32 decompression

AVISource("cap.avi", audio=false, pixel_type="RGB32")

• Open a DV, forcing the Canopus DV Codec

AviSource("cap.avi", fourCC="CDVC")

• Open a file, forcing the XviD Codec

AviSource("cap.avi", fourCC="XVID")

• Open a YV12 video with a bad codec where the width is not a multiple of four

Avisource("D:\Projects\test.avi", pixel_type="+YV12")

• opens the first video and second audio stream of a clip

AviSource("D:\Projects\test_multi10.avi", vtrack=0, atrack=1)