The latest beta thread

[FlyingHorse]

I too have been having this problem both with Beta 9 & 10. Since I am unable to attach the file here I am providing a temporary link from my SkyDrive account where I have compressed the file for download.

Download file from (URI Removed by OP)

This video file was found in "C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ink" I had no trouble viewing the image with WMP, QuickTime, or WinAmp.

BTW I'm trying to run MP on Windows 8 Pro x64 w/Media Center.

[zonetrooperex]

This error means that Media Preview has encountered a file with some unexpected properties and failed to create a thumbnail for it.
Now this can happen because (from the most possible case to the least):
1. I already fixed this in the latest beta but you're still running an older beta. Until beta10, there was a bug in the installer that could make it picking up the wrong install file at times. Can you uninstall any beta versions you got, download beta10 and try again?
http://www.babelsoft.net/bin/MediaPrevi ... 10.sfx.exe
2. You have a file with properties Media Preview still can't handle. If beta10 is still failing, can you look at the last folder it was processing and send me the media files this folder contains? If altogether they're too big, let me know. I'll try to send you a version of Media Preview that will tell you which file triggers the bug.
3. Windows 8.1 has changed the way it handles Shell add-ins like Media Preview comparing to Windows 8.0, particularly in the memory managing area. If 1. and 2. didn't let me find the source of the bug, I'll have to do some scalability testing on Windows 8.1.

I downloaded the latest beta, beta 10:

http://www.babelsoft.net/bin/MediaPrevi ... 10.sfx.exe

and then uninstalled all previous versions and then installed the beta.

This is my testing:

I first clicked "Select All" then "Apply" on the "Image Formats" tab and then tried filling up the cache, it started filling up fine. I then clicked "Select All" then "Apply" on the "Audio Formats" tab and then tried filling up the cache, it started filling up fine.
But when I clicked "Select All" then "Apply" on the "Video Formats" tab and then tried filling up the cache it showed the same error as before:



Once I clicked "Select None" then "Apply" on the "Video Formats" tab and tried filling the cache up again it worked.



It seems the association of videos is the issue.

I've attached the first video that causes an issue but it seems to me that it is a normal .avi file.

I've also come across this "Clear Thumbnail Cache" button always showing:

[BabelSoft]

Ok, it's weird that avi files are triggering these bugs.
In the latest beta, the filling up cache button is only processing video files as Media Preview is only slow with video files.
@zonetrooperex : it's normal that when clicking on cleaning cache button, you get this error. After the previous error, the system has temporarily marked Media Preview as unstable and so doesn't permit it to manipulate the cache any further.
You cannot attach a video file in the forums, it's too big. Please, use a cloud service or any similar remote file repositories.

I'm currently on vacations, but I'll try to see what's wrong ASAP.

Edit: the config tool always reports the last successfully processed file.
@flyinghorse: so, the problematic file should be another one in the same folder. I'll do another beta that will let the config tool display what was the last processed file.

[BabelSoft]

I've just uploaded a version of the config tool that gives the file being processed in the status instead of the last successfully processed file.
It should work with beta 10. Simply download the good version of the config tool for your system (32 or 64 bit), copy the exe directly in the install folder of Media Preview and launch it in place of the regular config tool.
Test filling up the cache with it, when you get the COM error, the config tool should display the actual file that triggered the bug. Please, then upload the file somewhere I can retrieve it.

http://www.babelsoft.net/bin/MediaPrevi ... .32bit.exe
http://www.babelsoft.net/bin/MediaPrevi ... .64bit.exe

Thanks for reporting the bug and helping me fix it!

[FlyingHorse]

Here is a link: http://sdrv.ms/1dQkkaY to a .wmv file that caused the first crash using the modified MP Config executable.

[Awesome Donkey]

I'm noticing flaky AVI thumbnail generation with b9 and b10, whereas it worked fine in b6. Media Preview generates thumbnails fine for some AVI files, however it doesn't generate others (disabling AVI allows those broken to work, but breaks the ones that worked with Media Preview.

[BabelSoft]

@flyinghorse: thanks for taking the time to test and send me a faulty video file. I can reproduce the bug and it is something related to how ffmpeg has changed its way to handle memory. The video decoding is fine but I didn't expect it would also impact the video metric computing part... Something I didn't get with the few samples I usually use to make quick testing.
@awesome donkey: if you can send me one of those flaky avid files, it would help me. But I'll probably detect the issue with my extended testing set anyway.

That's what I meant by extended testing before doing the final release I could have detect those bugs with my extended testing file set. But it's always better to have feedbacks from others as well. I'll fix these after my vacations (a little more than 1 week to go) and release another beta to see if everything is fixed on your side. Thanks for caring about Media Preview!

[zonetrooperex]

Thanks for your continued effort on your really useful software

[FlyingHorse]

@BabelSoft:
I'm glad to help in any way that I can.
I'd also like to echo the sentiments of zonetrooperex and say that I too thank you for your efforts and for making this software available to all!

[BabelSoft]

Ok; here's the promised beta that should fix all those COM errors.

1.3.2 b11

New stuff since beta9:
- Core: fixed an illegal memory access error during video metric computing with oddly sized video sequences (regression due to FFmpeg new memory management system).
- Config tool: better support for grammatical numbers
- Installer: fixed a bug where the wrong msi (i.e. install file) could get used, actually installing the wrong version in the system

Download:
http://www.babelsoft.net/bin/MediaPrevi ... 11.sfx.exe

@awesome donkey: I couldn't reproduce the bug you depicted. Can you test with beta11 again by forcing cache update (check "Force Update" before clicking on "Fill Up Thumbnail Cache"). If you still have the bug, I'll need you to send me a link to one of those video files to understand what specific characteristic makes Media Preview to fail at its job.