.vob to h.264 (x264 engine) conversion fails

[thierion]

I'm trying to convert DVDs into h.264 files.

I'm using MacTheRipper 3.0 to rip the DVDs to a single .vob file. I'm using Title - Chapter Extraction mode with the 'merge chapters' flag checked because Main Feature Extraction cause MTR to quit unexpectedly.

In ffmpegx, I'm using the 'H264 [.MP4] (x264)' video codec setting. I've got my audio codec set to 'AAC (MOV/MP4/3GP)'.

The final result of the encode is 2 files, 1 labeled as video, the other labeled as audio. The video file looks excellent. The audio file is 0KB. I don't know why the audio isn't being encoded and the 2 files merged. It was suggested to me that I may have selected the wrong audio track, so I used VLC to determine the audio track (track 1, not the default 0) and set it in ffmpegx.

I have tried 3 different DVDs (X3, Hoodwinked, Ice Age) on both my PM G5 2.3GHz Dual and my MacBook Pro 2.16GHz with the same results.

I did not use mencoder because of the audio drift issues. I've only just noticed the ffmpeg option, so I will try that tonight.

Here is the log of my most recent attempt (Hoodwinked):

FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Thu Oct 26 13:47:21 PDT 2006
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)
x264 [warning]: MB rate (38121) > level limit (11880)
x264 [info]: using cpu capabilities MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2
mp4 [info]: initial delay 0 (scale 24000)
Input #0, mpeg, from '/Users/neil/Movies/DVD Rips/HOODWINKED Title 23 (Ch1 - Ch21)/VIDEO_TS/HOODWINKED Title 23 (Ch1 - Ch21).VOB':
Duration: N/A, start: 0.280633, bitrate: N/A
Stream #0.0[0x1e0], 29.97 fps(r): Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 720x480, 9800 kb/s
Stream #0.1[0x20]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #0.2[0x21]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #0.3[0x80]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5:1, 448 kb/s
Stream #0.4[0x81]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5:1, 384 kb/s
Stream #0.5[0x82]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Output #0, yuv4mpegpipe, to 'pipe:':
Stream #0.0, 23.98 fps(c): Video: rawvideo, yuv420p, 848x480, q=2-31, 200 kb/s
Stream mapping:
Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
Press [q] to stop encoding
video:0kB audio:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead inf%
x264 [info]: slice I:1509 Avg QP:22.61 size: 36074 PSNR Mean Y:44.82 U:46.78 V:47.26 Avg:45.37 Global:44.45
x264 [info]: slice P:114872 Avg QP:23.28 size: 7267 PSNR Mean Y:43.47 U:45.22 V:45.74 Avg:43.99 Global:42.84
x264 [info]: mb I I16..4: 39.7% 0.0% 60.3%
x264 [info]: mb P I16..4: 4.8% 0.0% 3.9% P16..4: 21.4% 11.8% 4.3% 0.0% 0.0% skip:53.9%
x264 [info]: final ratefactor: 21.06
x264 [info]: PSNR Mean Y:43.487 U:45.237 V:45.762 Avg:44.008 Global:42.857 kb/s:1465.44
encoded 116381 frames, 16.98 fps, 1466.47 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/neil/Movies/Encodes/Hoodwinked.video.mp4':
Duration: 01:20:54.0, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1467 kb/s
Stream #0.0(und), 23.98 fps(r): Video: h264, yuv420p, 848x480
Input #1, mpeg, from '/Users/neil/Movies/DVD Rips/HOODWINKED Title 23 (Ch1 - Ch21)/VIDEO_TS/HOODWINKED Title 23 (Ch1 - Ch21).VOB':
Duration: N/A, start: 0.280633, bitrate: N/A
Stream #1.0[0x1e0], 29.97 fps(r): Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 720x480, 9800 kb/s
Stream #1.1[0x20]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #1.2[0x21]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #1.3[0x80]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5:1, 448 kb/s
Stream #1.4[0x81]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5:1, 384 kb/s
Stream #1.5[0x82]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Codec type mismatch for mapping #1.2 -> #0.0

[rumplestiltskin]

Try MPEG Streamclip. Can you play the VOB there and actually hear the audio? If not, quit the app, get info on it, and enable the "Rosetta" checkbox. Try it again. Let us know.

[major]

Set audio track (in the Audio tab) to the next track (eg 2 if you previously set 1).

[thierion]

I had to install the MPEG-2 component for QuickTime before MPEG Streamclip would play the .vob file. After doing so, it plays the .vob with audio. I've never had to that for ffmpegx. Is that a new requirement?

I've since tried using the 'H264 [.MP4] (ffmpeg)' video codec. The encoding finishes immediately and creates a 0KB file. I've tried using the 'H264 [.MP4] (mencoder)' video codec. The encoding finishes after several hours and creates 2 files. 1 without an extension that appears to be the video. The other, a 0KB file that is marked as the audio.

I am now trying MPEG Streamclip to see if it has any better results.

re: Major

I've tried using the next audio track a few times with no better results. I have not gone through all 16 options listed in the 'audio track' dropdown. When I play the .vob in VLC, it lists perhaps 3 audio tracks numbered from 1. Am I correct in understanding that the audio track the VLC lists as '1' corresponds to track '1' in ffmpegx?

The last time I used ffmpegx was on August 26th. I used the revision that was current at that time. Since ffmpegx acts as a driver for the engines, is the problem likely to be in the engine, rather than ffmpegx? Have any significant changes been made to the engines since then?

[rumplestiltskin]

I had to install the MPEG-2 component for QuickTime before MPEG Streamclip would play the .vob file. After doing so, it plays the .vob with audio. I've never had to that for ffmpegx. Is that a new requirement?

I've since tried using the 'H264 [.MP4] (ffmpeg)' video codec. The encoding finishes immediately and creates a 0KB file. I've tried using the 'H264 [.MP4] (mencoder)' video codec. The encoding finishes after several hours and creates 2 files. 1 without an extension that appears to be the video. The other, a 0KB file that is marked as the audio. <snip>

Why don't you try either of the two iPod H264 settings? They should work for you. If not, save the VOBs through MPEG Streamclip as QuickTime (best quality MJPEG-B). The resulting file, if playable through QuickTime Player, will convert to one of the iPod H264 formats using ffmpegX.

[bigbubba]

I'm experiencing the same problem: When converting a single VOB with the iPod h.264 320w preset, I get a video file (~1.5MB) and an audio file (also 0KB). I tried playing the VOB (ripped from MTR, Title-Chapter) in QT and it only played a little bit of it without sound, which was the same length (30 seconds or so) that was encoded by ffmpegx. Bumping the audio track from 0 to 1 didn't improve anything.

Any ideas on how to get this to work? I'm not too keen on transcoding, as I have quite a few of these to do. I tried fixing timecodes (~110 breaks in this rip) in MPEG Streamclip 1.8, but every time I "fix" the timecode, I reopen the VOB and it asks if I want to fix the timecode again... what's up with that? Do I need to Save-As in some other format for the timecode fix to take effect?

Also, what's with the black bars on the sides of the screen in VLC and QT (shown here)? This is from a DVD, and I thought that it was supposed to fill all the available screen pixels?

screen.png

[bigbubba]

Well, I got it to work. My process:

1) Rip DVD w/MTR
2) Open VOBs with MPEG Streamclip and fix timecode breaks
3) Export to mpeg (the step I was missing, I thought it automatically saved the fixes to the VOBs)
4) Open fixed mpeg with ffmpegx, and encode.

[rumplestiltskin]

MPEG Streamclip will make the H264 file for you directly from the "fixed" VOBs.

[jobu]

When I first started using ffmpegx, I was able to convert a VOB made with MacTheRipper straight to H264 with no intermediate step (I have the file to prove it to myself!!!) I however can not for the life of me get it to do it again. I get the same video and audio file breakdown.

There has to be some way to do this properly. I am concerned about the loss in quality from putting the original file through so many processes.

Has anyone been able to convert a VOB straight to H264?