"ffmpegx Progress" freezes randonly mid-conversion

[tzippy]

I'm covertign several VOB files (20min each) to "ipod mpeg4-480w" at 1000kbps, 480x360, 112kbps AAC audio.
It all works very well using ffmpegx 0.0.9x on my 1,5GHZ powerbook 12".
But sometimes it just stops the conversion in the middle of the progress...at random percentages. It doesn't prompt an error, the number simply stays the same. As well as the filesize.
But it happens more often the more files I put in the queue... Sometimes the first progress freezes, sometimes the third....There seems to be no system at all behind all this.

Please, anyone tell me this is a commom Problem with a simple solution

Thanks in advance!!

[tomlee59]

This seems to be a very common problem -- Progress seems to be a bit of a vampire process, and if you try to take away some of its resources (say, even by just clicking on another window), it'll hang your 'book for some time. If it takes too long, Progress times out, and you're SOL.

I've not found any workaround, other than not to touch the mac at all until it's done with its conversion job. "Touch" here includes virtual touching -- disable any networking apps (turn off Airport, disable automatic time server synchronization, etc). Just let ffmpegX and Progress have the whole machine to themselves. If I do that, I tend to have few problems.

And as you've noticed, the deeper the queue, the more likely the occurrence of the problem. Keep queues short.

[tzippy]

man, I wish you would have said something like "oh, no problem with that. just quit app xy while encoding and it'll work fine." or "install this patch and you're done."
well..thanks anyway. seems I just have to give ffmpegX what it wants....even if that is EVERYTHING

[tomlee59]

I wish it were that easy. I am hoping that someone else will chime in with "no, you dummy; just type these magic commands in a terminal window, and all will be better." But like you, I just give ffmpegX whatever it wants, and hope for the best.

--Cheers,
Tom

[rumplestiltskin]

Might help if you "nice" the Progress app.

(Although I must say I haven't experienced this issue at all on my Core Duo iMac; sorry.)

[tzippy]

i guess "nicing" the process will make it even more unstable. this hast to have something to do with ffmpegx itself, while "nice" is a system command. But worth a shot!

[rumplestiltskin]

Create a new user account. Log in and see if anything changes. If so, you know what to do. If not, check to see what extensions and startup/login items you have running. Last resort: Archive & Install a new OSX.

I must stress that I've never experienced anything like what you are reporting so I have to believe it's something in your system that is causing the issue and not ffmpegX.