Convert VIVO to any other video format

[neo76]

Hi,

I have some vivo files which I can't play with anyother software except Vivo player. So I wanted to know if there is any tool that converts from Vivo to mpeg or avi or any other standard format?

Thanks.
Neo

[Ohmsi]

Sorry to bump this corpse thread, but I found it with a Google search and have the exact same question. I tried converting a Vivo file with ffmpeg, but the later doesn't support that codec. Any help?

[jagabo]

VIVO was an implementation of the h.263 standard. What container are the files? You may be able to change the fourcc to some other h.263 fourcc. Or force ffmpeg to assume the codec is h.263. Do you have a small sample you can upload?

[Cornucopia]

Jagabo's suggestion (inspect media and spoof with a modern/standard player) is the preferred method, but if that doesn't work, you can always fall back to using the vivo player along with a screen recording app (e.g. OBS), recording to a ~lossless format before editing/processing and then finally encoding to your preferred final format.

I have to do it that way with crappy Cisco Webex meeting recordings, as the internal export feature is pitiful (very low bitrate wmv or mp4, with the video in a small window of the whole recorded screen).


Scott

[Ohmsi]

I don't know how to change or fake the fourcc. I found a program called "FourCC Changer", but it only supports AVI files. Wikipedia says that MPlayer can open VIVO files. I installed a copy and tried playing the file. All I get is audio, but no image.

FYI, I'm using Windows.

[LigH.de]

I tried to analyze the demo clip shipped with VivTV using ffprobe:

[vivo @ 000000000041ee40] Could not find codec parameters for stream 0 (Video: none, none, 320x240): unknown codec
Consider increasing the value for the 'analyzeduration' (0) and 'probesize' (5000000) options
Input #0, vivo, from 'VivTV.viv':
  Metadata:
    Rate            : 000019829
    VidRate         : 000138277
    Playtime1       : 000003000
    Playtime2       : 000003000
    Buffer          :        -1
    Preroll         : 000001038
    Title           : VivTV III
    Author          : MediaTV
    Copyright       : � 1999 MediaTV
    Producer        : VivoActive Producer for Windows Version 2.0
    DisplayWidth    : 000000320
    DisplayHeight   : 000000240
    TimestampType   : relative
    RecordType      : 03
    InitialFrameLength: 000000040
    GainFactor      : 000006283
  Duration: 00:00:15.93, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 158 kb/s
    Stream #0:0: Video: none, none, 320x240, 15 fps, 15 tbr, 15 tbn, 15 tbc
    Stream #0:1: Audio: siren, 16000 Hz, mono, flt, 6 kb/s
Unsupported codec with id 0 for input stream 0

So the video stream may be compressed with the H.263 algorithm but possibly not stored in a bitstream format compliant to MPEG-4 SP/ASP.

As far as I remember, VivoActive was heavily limited in resolution and bitrate. It may not be a hard loss.

Attached two ancient clips for anyone curious enough.

[Selur]

conversion works fine with 32bit mencoder (and the necessary vfw dll):
1. download 32bit mencoder
2. download mplayer codecs pack (http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.html#binary_codecs)
3. extract codecs pack next to mencoder&mplayer
4. rename the extracted folder of the codec pack to 'codecs'
5. call for example:

mencoder -oac pcm -ovc x264 -x264encopts crf=0 c:\Users\Selur\Desktop\VivTV.viv -o e:\Test.mp4

to convert to mp4(H.264&pcm)

mplayer c:\Users\Selur\Desktop\VivTV.viv

for playback.

Cu Selur

Ps.: this only works with 32bit mencoder&mplayer since vfw support is only for 32bit.

[Ohmsi]

conversion works fine with 32bit mencoder (and the necessary vfw dll):

Thank you, converting the files worked. Out of curiosity, would a conversion work with ffmpeg too if I use the codec pack?

[Selur]

No, ffmpeg has no vfw support (afaik).

[Brazil]

Everything I still have about VIVO is in the attached 7z archive. I think that's the whole codec.

Some info here: https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php/Vivo

And there, about MPlayer: http://tuxrip.free.fr/MPlayer-DOCS-HTML/en/audio-codecs.html

7.2.5. VIVO audio

The audio codec used in VIVO files depends on whether it is a VIVO/1.0 or VIVO/2.0 file. VIVO/1.0 files have g.723 audio, and VIVO/2.0 files have Vivo Siren audio. Both are supported.