ffmpegX - flv to mp3 - no bytes

[Noodles4]

Hi,

I use FFMpegX to convert .flv files to .mp3, and currently get an .mp3 file of 0 bytes.
I suspect I need to install/ enable additional codecs, but am not sure how.

The ffmpegX Progress window displays 'Finished'. This is an improvement, as previously the window displayed 'Failed' (although it still produced a 0kB file). I was able to get the window to display 'Finished' after reading these forums; I selected:
Audio > Invert Mapping
and Options > Decode with QT.

I am using FFMpegX version ffmpegX v0.0.9y Jan 26, 2008
I have Perian 1.2.1 installed.
With MediaInfo Mac, the codecs for these .flv files are Audio: AAC, Video: AVC

The ffmpegX Progress window code I get is:

FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Mac OSX universal build for ffmpegX
libavutil version: 49.0.0
libavcodec version: 51.9.0
libavformat version: 50.4.0
Tue Aug 3 21:27:40 CST 2010
[flv @ 0x5597b8]Unsupported video codec (7)
[flv @ 0x5597b8]Unsupported audio codec (a)
[flv @ 0x5597b8]Unsupported video codec (7)
[flv @ 0x5597b8]Unsupported video codec (7)
...
[flv @ 0x5597b8]Unsupported video codec (7)
Seems that stream 0 comes from film source: 1000.00 (1000/1) -> 25.00 (25/1)
Input #0, flv, from '/Users/Shared/Shared Music/(song title).flv':
Duration: 00:02:26.3, bitrate: N/A
Stream #0.0, 25.00 fps(r): Video: 0x0007
Stream #0.1: Audio: 0x000a, 44100 Hz, stereo
Codec type mismatch for mapping #0.0 -> #0.0


The ulterior motive for all this is that I am using the add-on Download Helper in FireFox to queue youTube downloads & conversions, and the conversion preferences points to /Library/Application Support/ffmpegX, so I figure that if I can get ffmpegX to work, Download Helper will work too.

Thanks for your help,
Noodles

[Case]

With MediaInfo Mac, the codecs for these .flv files are Audio: AAC, Video: AVC

Input #0, flv:
Stream #0.0, 25.00 fps(r): Video: 0x0007
Stream #0.1: Audio: 0x000a, 44100 Hz, stereo

The ffmpeg version used in ffmpegX 0.0.9y doesn't support AVC/AAC in an FLV container yet (the specific combination of these codecs and this container). You would need a newer version of ffmpeg to convert the audio from files like your FLV.

[Noodles4]

Thanks for the advice Case.
I have downloaded the most recently revision of ffmpeg from www.ffmpeg.org , and found instructions to install this, http://stephenjungels.com/jungels.net/articles/ffmpeg-howto.html
However following these I have not been able to install it yet as I do not have access to Apple's Developer Tools inc Xcode.
Is there a work around/ other method?

Regards,
Noodles

[Case]

Is there a work around/ other method?

You could get an ffmpeg binary from an application package that has ffmpeg in it, compiled for you by the developer of whatever application it came with. Many free video and audio tools use ffmpeg, so there's always a recent copy to be downloaded.

Just as an example, download "All2MP3". Control-click the application icon. From the contextual menu, choose Show Package Contents. Open the folder 'Contents'. Open the folder 'Resources'. Open the folder 'bin'. There is a copy of ffmpeg ready to use from the command line.

[Noodles4]

Alright. So I downloaded All2MP3, navigated down to the (more recent) version of ffmpeg, then directed Download Helper to use that version (cf. FFmpegX's version) for its conversions, and upon attempting to use this Firefox add-on to download & convert youtube in one command... no conversion occurs. An .flv file is downloaded to a Temp directory. I can play the file in Quicktime thanks to Perian, but still can't have this turned into an .mp3 in a one-command maneuver using Download Helper.
I fear this may have progressed from an ffmpeg issue to a Download Helper issue...?

[Case]

I tried setting up DownloadHelper for conversions using ffmpeg by setting the path to /Applications/All2MP3.app/Contents/Resources/bin/ffmpeg . After that, I went to YouTube to find some music video, to try out a conversion. I watch the clip; select the DownloadHelper icon in the navigation bar; the FLV filename pops up; I hover the mouse pointer over the FLV filename; a menu pops up allowing for Download and Convert; I click that option; a new window pops ups for the conversion format; I select MP3; a Save As dialog box appears; I confirm the filename and save location; the Downloads window shows the progress; when it's complete, I find the converted file in the save-as location.

I wonder what's different on your side...

[Noodles4]

Aha! Winner. The difference was the path; I had it entered ending as .../Resources/bin/ e.g. no ffmpeg on the end.
It works beautifully now. Thanks for your help Case.