SVCD -to- H264?

[rumplestiltskin]

Okay; I'm stumped. I have SVCDs that, using Toast and vcdXtools, I've managed to get on to my hard drive as MPEG2 files (that do play well in QT Player with the MPEG2 decoder). What I'd like to do is convert these files over to H264 for my iPod. It looks like I have de-mux and then convert the audio and video into something else and then do the final conversion in ffmpegX.

Would someone mind filling in the blanks? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

[Case]

No demuxing needed. Just select the MPEG-2 file as source. Select the iPod h.264 preset. In Video, set Autosize to 4:3. Hit 'Best' bitrate to adjust for any change in frame size. In Options, de-select Decode with QT (*). Hit Encode.

(*) Decoding with QuickTime requires the MPEG-2 Playback component for MPEG-2 source material. QuickTime renders MPEG-2 content a bit darker than other decoders, so you may like the bit brighter image that the alternate decoder provides. That's why I suggest to de-select the option. But it will work either way.

[rumplestiltskin]

Case,

Thanks for your input. I'm trying it now (without the QT option). We'll see how it goes. I'll report back when it's completed (about an hour from now I expect).

[rumplestiltskin]

Nope. Something about the ".mp2" audio it most definitely doesn't like. Here's the "info" from the failed conversion:

FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Mac OSX universal build for ffmpegX
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --enable-mp3lame --enable-gpl --disable-vhook --disable-ffplay --disable-ffserver --enable-a52 --enable-xvid --enable-faac --enable-faad --enable-amr_nb --enable-amr_wb --enable-pthreads --enable-x264
libavutil version: 49.0.0
libavcodec version: 51.9.0
libavformat version: 50.4.0
built on Apr 15 2006 04:58:19, gcc: 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 5250)
Input #0, mp3, from '/Users/me/Desktop/Shared with PC/BigOne.mpg-0.mp2':
Duration: 01:40:31.3, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 127 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Audio: mp2, 44100 Hz, stereo, 128 kb/s
Output #0, mp2, to '/Users/me/Desktop/Shared with PC/BigOne.mpg-0.s.mp2':
Stream #0.0: Audio: mp2, 48000 Hz, stereo, 224 kb/s
Stream mapping:
Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
video:0kB audio:164914kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead 0.000000%
INFO: [mplex] mplex version 1.9.0 (2.2.7 $Date: 2006/02/01 22:23:01 $)
**ERROR: [mplex] File /Users/me/Desktop/Shared with PC/BigOne.mpg-0.m2v unrecogniseable!
INFO: [mplex] File /Users/me/Desktop/Shared with PC/BigOne.mpg-0.s.mp2 looks like an MPEG Audio stream.
**ERROR: [mplex] Unrecogniseable file(s)... exiting.

I'm trying another transcode to XviD but adding in AIFF audio. (I converted the mp2 to AIFF.)

[Case]

Your progress info shows a mp2 to mp2 conversion, not SVCD (MPEG) to iPod h.264 (x264) mp4.

[rumplestiltskin]

Your progress info shows a mp2 to mp2 conversion, not SVCD (MPEG) to iPod h.264 (x264) mp4.

Here's what a new attempt at encoding shows:

FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Mac OSX universal build for ffmpegX
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --enable-mp3lame --enable-gpl --disable-vhook --disable-ffplay --disable-ffserver --enable-a52 --enable-xvid --enable-faac --enable-faad --enable-amr_nb --enable-amr_wb --enable-pthreads --enable-x264
libavutil version: 49.0.0
Mon May 22 21:02:32 MDT 2006
libavcodec version: 51.9.0
libavformat version: 50.4.0
built on Apr 15 2006 04:58:19, gcc: 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 5250)
Input #0, mpeg, from '/Users/me/Desktop/Shared with PC/13thFloor_01.mpg':
Duration: 00:50:13.0, start: 0.726722, bitrate: 2161 kb/s
Stream #0.0[0x1c0]: Audio: mp2, 44100 Hz, stereo, 128 kb/s
Stream #0.1[0x1e0], 29.97 fps(r): Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 480x480, 2007 kb/s
Output #0, yuv4mpegpipe, to 'pipe:':
Stream #0.0, 29.97 fps(c): Video: rawvideo, yuv420p, 320x240, q=2-31, 200 kb/s
Stream mapping:
Stream #0.1 -> #0.0
Press [q] to stop encoding
x264 [info]: using cpu capabilities MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2
mp4 [info]: initial delay 0 (scale 30000)
video:0kB audio:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead inf%
x264 [info]: slice I:362 Avg QP:13.09 size: 6720 PSNR Mean Y:52.97 U:54.76 V:55.26 Avg:53.43 Global:52.88
x264 [info]: slice P:89969 Avg QP:16.04 size: 1227 PSNR Mean Y:50.27 U:52.53 V:52.94 Avg:50.86 Global:50.18
x264 [info]: mb I I16..4: 50.3% 0.0% 49.7%
x264 [info]: mb P I16..4: 2.8% 0.0% 2.2% P16..4: 44.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% skip:50.7%
x264 [info]: final ratefactor: 18.34
x264 [info]: PSNR Mean Y:50.281 U:52.543 V:52.945 Avg:50.869 Global:50.184 kb/s:299.43
encoded 90331 frames, 86.49 fps, 300.66 kb/s
FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Mac OSX universal build for ffmpegX
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --enable-mp3lame --enable-gpl --disable-vhook --disable-ffplay --disable-ffserver --enable-a52 --enable-xvid --enable-faac --enable-faad --enable-amr_nb --enable-amr_wb --enable-pthreads --enable-x264
libavutil version: 49.0.0
libavcodec version: 51.9.0
libavformat version: 50.4.0
built on Apr 15 2006 04:58:19, gcc: 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 5250)
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/Users/me/Desktop/Shared with PC/13thFloor_01.mpg.ff.video.mp4':
Duration: 00:50:14.0, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 301 kb/s
Stream #0.0(und), 29.97 fps(r): Video: h264, yuv420p, 320x240
Input #1, mpeg, from '/Users/me/Desktop/Shared with PC/13thFloor_01.mpg':
Duration: 00:50:13.0, start: 0.726722, bitrate: 2161 kb/s
Stream #1.0[0x1c0]: Audio: mp2, 44100 Hz, stereo, 128 kb/s
Stream #1.1[0x1e0], 29.97 fps(r): Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 480x480, 2007 kb/s
Codec type mismatch for mapping #1.1 -> #0.0

Note that it shows the mp2 (which really is the format of the mux'd audio). Ready for more suggestions, Case. TIA

[Case]

built on Apr 15 2006 04:58:19

Mine says:
built on Apr 15 2006 08:41:02
So maybe whatever caused the error is fixed in the newer build. Are you running 0.0.9w r4 (of May 19, 2006)?

[rumplestiltskin]

I re-downloaded everything but the problem persists. I think it's just that ffmpegX doesn't like the mp2 audio that's present in these mpeg's. I used vcdXtools to extract the mpeg out of the bin file (that Toast created when I imaged the physical disc).

In any case, I was finally able to get it done. Here's how:
1. ffmpegX's Tools to join the two mpegs (there were two discs).
2. Opened the joined mpeg in MPEG Streamclip. The audio wouldn't play (even though I could play the mpg in VLC).
3. Demux to M2V & AIFF (with MPEG Streamclip).
4. Opened the M2V with MPEG Streamclip. It imported the file.
5. Export to QuickTime (mjpeg-b) with no changes.
6. Open both the mpeg-b file and aiff file with QT Player (Pro). Selected and copied the audio, then clicked in the video window and used Add to selection-scaled.
7. Saved as a reference movie.
8. Opened the reference movie in MPEG Streamclip (ffmpegX doesn't know how to work with them yet).
9. Export to MP4 (H264, best quality, 320x240, 30fps, 500kb, 128kb audio 48k).
10. Drop into iPod (within iTunes).
Done.

I would love for ffmpegX to understand how to deal with QT reference movies. I prefer the quality I can get from ffmpegX at lower bitrates; this movie could have been done at around 300kb and been smaller.

Yeah, ten steps not including the original imaging of the SVCDs and mpeg extraction from the bin files. However, it shows two things:

1. Cat-skinning is an art.
2. I may have too much time on my hands.