.AVI is not properly converting to .FL when using ffmpegX

[- Ø®£Z -]

I'd recently been looking for a codec for Mac OS X [QuickTime] that can play .AVI files that were recorded with an intel webcam for a Windows PC, I believe. VLC PLayer for Mac does not play the files either.

The codec is fourcc 'IV50', or just 'IV50'. There is no 'IV50' codec that was ported for Mac OS X, therefor there is none available.

After further wondering how to be able to view the Windows webcam files, I thought about how the website www.YouTube.com converts virtually any video format to a Flash format upon uploading.

I began searching for a similar program to what they must use, but more specifically searching for an .AVI to Flash converter, and came across the www.ffmpegX.com conversion program.

However, when trying to convert a Windows PC webcam .AVI file to a .FL file, the file fails or finishes as an un-openable, blank white file with no information, and no content = 0kb

So, I tried to convert the .AVI file to every other format available in the ffmpegX program, and of all the formats that didn't fail, none would deliver a viewable video. The audio works for some, but the video does not work for any.

Help!

[redwudz]

You would get better answers in our Mac forum. Moving you.

And welcome to our forums.

[- Ø®£Z -]

Okay.

Thanks.

[Ai Haibara]

IV50 is, I believe, Indeo Video 5. As you've discovered, there's essentially no support for the Indeo codecs under OS X, either through Quicktime, or third-party apps. However, if you have a pre-OSX (OS9 or earlier) setup available (note: I'm not sure if you can do it through Classic), you can try converting it there, as the previous Systems did have support for Indeo Video codecs (it's a licensing issue, IIRC).

[- Ø®£Z -]

Yeah, I can use Classic OS 9, but I can't seem to find any working QuickTime app in Classic. And I can't change my start disk to Classic from OS X for some reason. So, thanks for the reply. But what I really need is a way to convert the .AVI files with the ffmpegX program. Unless there's another .AVI to ? conversion program for OS X, that you know of?

[Ai Haibara]

Nothing that supports conversion of Indeo Video formats, I'm afraid.

[axewielder]

This is just to mention that I could play play a video made using Logitech Quickcam under Classic.

Under OS X, VLC media player/Quicktime/RealPlayer had all failed to play it.
VLC had complained about fourcc/IV50, so I searched around and found this site and a couple of others mentioning OS 9 (and tentatively, Classic).

1. Using System Preferences, startup Classic
2. download the indeo update from the apple site mentioned
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60366
3. "run" the download - it is a disk image. copy the content by dragging it to your Classic "Extensions" folder under the Classic "System Folder".
4. restart Classic.
3. Browse to your Classic "System Folder" or your Classic "Applications Folder" open quicktime therein.
4. you might have to use the Quictime Menu or Quicktime Prefernces App to update it.
5. You should now be able to play the problematic video.

[terryj]

if your system allows you to utilize classic ( it is a non-intel mac),
then you could simply play the file in Classic Quicktime, and then
"hijack" that file using iShowU in OSX, and re-record it to a
proper Quicktime file using the Motion JPEG-A codec.

Then, you'll be able to trancode that "hijacked" file to
FLV using ffmpegx or VisualHub.

[axewielder]

You're right, Terryj
This is a non-intel mac.

Very good info from you indeed, but are there free/opensource alternatives to iShowU that you could recommend?

(thanks for the tip on Classic - the old videos in question were really very important to me!)

[terryj]

no, the two best for "hijacking" video,
SnapzXPro and iShowU, are not freeware,
and I don't know of any alternatives that are free.
lots of free to still (.jpg), but not free to video (.mov).