Convert Windows WVP2 (Photo Story) to any format on Mac

[der-mutt]

I've received a photo story with pictures and music via G-mail. My problem is that while the music is fine all I can see is blank video.

I've done some searching but all I can come up with are Windows conversion apps, which would be fine if I had Windows, but that boat has sailed a few years back and I really don't want it to come back...

I've tried ffmpegX which correctly identifies the codec used and processes it (complete with cute "ding" at the end) but I still have no images.

Does anyone know if there is a successful method of converting WVP2 so it can be viewed on the Mac?

[Baldrick]

Pleasee post in the mac forum section. I'm moving you this time.

[Case]

Do you have Flip4Mac installed? It is supposed to help QuickTime read WMV files.

When ffmpeX doens't convert some file correctly, it is helpful if you could post the Process Information log, which you may access by clicking the blue "i" in the ffmpegX Progress window.

[guns1inger]

Do you actually have the WMV file ?

I suspect that the file you have (if it is a WVP2 file) is a photostory project file. The only way to get anything of use out of it will be to open it in photostory and create a video, then convert.

[der-mutt]

@Baldrick - sorry won't happen again *note to self - look further down the list*

@Case - yes I have Flip4Mac installed, but it doesn't include the WVP2 codec ffmgegX does complete the conversion but only the sound is available; the video still doesn't come across. Here's the log file from the "i" button when I try to convert to MOV:

FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Mac OSX universal build for ffmpegX
Sun Aug 10 11:39:11 IST 2008
libavutil version: 49.0.0
libavcodec version: 51.9.0
libavformat version: 50.4.0
Seems that stream 1 comes from film source: 1000.00 (1000/1) -> 30.00 (30/1)
Input #0, asf, from '/Users/Diarmuid/Desktop/Maymas Wedding.wmv':
Duration: 00:02:52.0, start: 5.000000, bitrate: 336 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Audio: wmav2, 44100 Hz, stereo, 121 kb/s
Stream #0.1, 30.00 fps(r): Video: WVP2 / 0x32505657, 640x480
Incorrect frame rate

Here it is when it fails to convert to AVI DivX:

Encoding started on Sun Aug 10 11:48:03 IST 2008
FIXME:Hardenabling SSE and SSE2 without detection
MEncoder dev-CVS-060307-04:23-4.0.1 (C) 2000-2006 MPlayer Team
Mac OSX static build for ffmpegX
CPU: Intel (Family: 6, Stepping: 8 )
CPUflags: Type: 6 MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
Compiled for x86 CPU with extensions: MMX MMX2 SSE SSE2
success: format: 0 data: 0x0 - 0x6e7f5f
ASF file format detected.
Too many video packets in the buffer: (4131 in 3446134 bytes).
Maybe you are playing a non-interleaved stream/file or the codec failed?
For AVI files, try to force non-interleaved mode with the -ni option.
Requested video codec family [wmvadmo] (vfm=dmo) not available.
Enable it at compilation.
Cannot find codec matching selected -vo and video format 0x32505657.
ASF: No audio stream found -> no sound.
VIDEO: [WVP2] 640x480 24bpp 1000.000 fps 0.0 kbps ( 0.0 kbyte/s)
[V] filefmt:6 fourcc:0x32505657 size:640x480 fps:1000.00 ftime:=0.0010
Opening video filter: [expand osd=1]
Expand: -1 x -1, -1 ; -1, osd: 1, aspect: 0.000000, round: 1
Opening video filter: [scale w=640 h=272]
================================================== ========================
Read DOCS/HTML/en/codecs.html!
================================================== ========================
Exiting...

I can't find the referenced codec page

@guns1inger - I have the file as an attachment in G-mail. I too think it's a photostory but I don't have a Win PC and I don't really want one having owned and built many and fixed them more times than I care to remember. I could ask a PC owning friend to do it but I was hoping to find a Mac-based solution.

[Case]

FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Incorrect frame rate

The ffmpeg conversion looks more promising than the mencoder conversion. What was set as framerate in the Video tab? If it was "30.00", then try "30,00" or just "30", to see if that goes any better. (If it really is a collection of photo stills, then the framerate isn't that important, so you might as well set it to "25" to convert it more PAL compatible.)

[guns1inger]

It is a video encoded with WMV 9.1 image V2, which is a still image optimised extension of WMV 9.1. Flip4Mac WMV should be able to open it.

You could try changing the extension to WMV. Otherwise you may have to get someone with Windows to convert it for you.

[der-mutt]

@Case - I've tried that and a few other tweaks and each time ffmpegX creates an empty file!

@guns1inger - the extension is already .wmv and Flip4Mac does play it but with no pictures, just sound.

Thanks for the input guys but I guess I'll just have to pay a visit to a buddy and get him to convert it on his PC. I am very disappointed that there isn't a Mac way of doing this especially as WVP2 is pretty much a "legacy" format and there aren't too many things you can't convert to Mac these days...

[Case]

I've tried that and a few other tweaks and each time ffmpegX creates an empty file!

Did you try the "Invert mapping" too? The stream mapping seems reversed (audio before video), which ffmpeg likes the other way around.

[der-mutt]

When I apply "invert mapping" the process fails and says it can't find the required codec. I assume that there is simply no available Mac codec for WVP2.

On a final note I watched the clip on my buddy's PC - to be honest it's not worth converting...

[Joyce]

At the present time, Flip4Mac does not support playback or conversion to the following Windows Media codecs:
Windows Media Audio Voice
Windows Media Video Screen
Windows Media Video Image
Note: Videos created using Microsoft PhotoStory are encoded using the Image codec.

Support for these codecs is on our roadmap and we hope to have compatibility in the near future.

[iSAWaUFO]

I had a short Photo Story .wmv to convert for Mac. I uploaded it to Youtube. Youtube converted it and then I was able to download the MP4.

[mc734j0y]

I had a short Photo Story .wmv to convert for Mac. I uploaded it to Youtube. Youtube converted it and then I was able to download the MP4.

Thank you very much for posting this solution. I had a Photostory .wmv of my daughter's school project and was at a loss as to how to convert it. I followed your advice and now have the converted MP4 saved to my hard drive