No audio: converting .mov to DivX via mencoder

[mkgordon]

Greetings,

I used DivX Doctor II to "clean up" some .avi files. DivX Doctor II created .mov files, which play fine on any of my video players (VLC, MPlayer OS X, Quicktime 7). But I recently got a DVD player which can play DivX DVDs. In order to avoid Toast 7's reputed lengthy encoding time, I tried to convert these files to DivX using ffmpegX 0.0.9x, which has wicked fast DivX creation using AVI DivX mencoder in single-pass mode. Try as I might with different audio channels or swapping, I can't get DivX AVI files with sound.

Interesting [?] details:

a. The .Mov file, ffmpegX says, has mp2/48KHz/stereo audio. The AVI DivX mencoder setting wants to convert the audio to mp3/48KHz/128kbps

b. When I try to play the file from the Play button next to the source file in ffmpegX, mencoder tries to play the file, but has no audio.

c. Hitting Info next to the source file gets me:

Fourcc: 2VI3 Codec: " [V] filefmt:7 fourcc:0x32564933 size 640x352 fps:25:00 ftime:=0.0400

Which means little to me. Anyone?

What gives? Why doesn't mencoder see my audio? What has DivX Doctor II done with my audio?

I'm anxiously awaiting your suggestions.


Mike Gordon
iMac G5/2.0GHz/1Gb RAM/OS X 10.4.8
Registered owner of ffmpegX

[Case]

I used DivX Doctor II to "clean up" some .avi files.

A long time ago, in the QuickTime 4/5 days, I found DivX Doctor a handy tool as it was a time when QuickTime Player had trouble with mp3 in AVI files, and there was no VLC or MPlayer for Mac OS yet. Now, with updated QuickTime and fine MPEG-4 ASP codecs (DivX, XviD, 3ivX), I don't use it anymore.
Do you need to correct stuttering sound & jerky playback in DivX movies? If not, then revert to the original un-Doctored AVIs. You did keep the originals, right?

I tried to convert these files to DivX using ffmpegX 0.0.9x[...]. Try as I might with different audio channels or swapping, I can't get DivX AVI files with sound.

For "DivX ffmpeg" preset, check the Options tab. See if Decode with QuickTime is activated.
For "DivX mencoder", there is no such option, so you can only use it for files that Mplayer plays correctly.

b. When I try to play the file from the Play button next to the source file in ffmpegX, mencoder tries to play the file, but has no audio.

DivX Doctor has performed a hack to improve playback in QuickTime Player. This does not mean other decoders recognise/are able to handle this movie structure as well.

Fourcc: 2VI3 Codec: " [V] filefmt:7 fourcc:0x32564933 size 640x352 fps:25:00 ftime:=0.0400
Which means little to me.

FourCC is in the Glossary. It can be represented as four letters (2VI3) or with numbers (0x32564933).
filefmt:7 - file format number 7; I suppose that stands for ".mov".
size 640x352 - the frame size in pixels (width x height)
fps:25:00 - the frame rate; (25 frames per second, the PAL standard)
ftime:=0.0400 - no idea on that one

[mkgordon]

Case,

Thanks for that detailed reply.

I did not keep the originals - thought that the Divx Doctor II converted files were just "cleaned up", not locked to Quicktime. (the AVIs were a little jerky and someone told me to use it) Used MPlayer OS X et al to play them. Oh, well. I guess I wasn't fully understanding DDII's function.

Thanks for the tip on the proper way to reencode a DD II MOV to DIVX. Makes total sense. I'll try it. Since I couldn't get ffmpegX to work, I used MPEG Streamclip 1.7 to convert the files - wondered why it worked and ffmpegX mencode didn't. One thing I noticed was that MPEG Streamclip diidn't try to convert the audio to MP3 - kept in MP2.

(Has no-one ever done a head to head quality/speed comparision of ffmpegX and MPEG Streamclip?)

Also thank for explaining the fourcc code.


Mike Gordon
iMac G5/2.0GHz/1Gb RAM/OS X 10.4.8
Registered owner of ffmpegX