MOV to FLV on OS X

[AJwonder]

I'm looking for a tool that will convert 1080i60 MOV files exported from final cut to 426x240 FLV files.

Here's the output settings I use for the FLV:

426x240
30fps
256 video bitrate
64 audio bitrate @ 44100Hz

The tool I was using was video2swf, but the quality of the converted files is terrible, even with the quality at 100 and the bitrate set anywhere betwen 256 to an excessive 1024. Basically, the FLV looks like something you'd see at 70 quality, no matter what the bitrate, and even if I try the 2 pass method.

On windows, I use WinFF (based on ffmpeg), which exports perfect quality FLVs at a video of 256 at 426x240 at 30fps.


So, are there any alternative tools for OS X, or is there some hidden setting in video2swf that's preventing me from coming out with perfect quality FLVs?


Thanks

[Case]

You could use ffmpegX, VisualHub, or some other Mac conversion tool interfacing with ffmpeg.
Or, if you're hardcore, you could compile ffmpeg yourself.

[AJwonder]

ffmpegx wouldn't allow 426x240 resolution for some strange reason. The error message I got said it needed a resolution divisible by 16.

VisualHub worked a little better, but didn't give the same results as winFF.

For something to be nearly the same quality, it had to be at a video bitrate of 512. That's a little higher than I'd like (after all, increased filesize = increased download time).

At 256 it looked like it was at 70 quality, rather than 100.


Anything else that's out there? I took a look at the instructions for getting ffmpeg on a mac, and it's a little over my head (especially since I'm not all that familiar with the inner workings of OS X or linux)


Why is it that WinFF is able to export quality FLVs at 256 on Windows, but ntohing seems quite comparable on OS X?

[rumplestiltskin]

ffmpegx wouldn't allow 426x240 resolution for some strange reason. The error message I got said it needed a resolution divisible by 16.

So why not just increase the width to 432? It's less than a 1.5% alteration so you won't even notice it.

[AJwonder]

The video player embeded on the website I put these videos on is set for 426x240.

If the video gets scrunched, I get some oddball video effects.

[terryj]

can you not change the embed settings for the video Player?
should be easy to do in html......

[AJwonder]

Normally, sure, if I was posting the code manually, but I manage a slew of websites where the video player is auto generated somewhere in the back end.

Everything's been standardized already, and it seems a little backwards that an OS X application isn't able to do this easily.

[Herve]

The video player embeded on the website I put these videos on is set for 426x240.

hmm, this must be a display size (and not a content size)
give a 320x240 video file and take a look (I suppose the file will be stretched to fit the player and so displays as 16:9)

The flvplayer I use does like that (and most of flv players deos the same, like you tube and dailymotion too )
Display size is just a settings (nothing to do with the real size of your video)
for example, youTube wants a 320*240 video, but its display will be larger.

so simply specify: -deinterlace (to remove one field) and -size 320x240 (to downscale the remaining field)
bye

[AJwonder]

There are two video player sizes...320x240 and 426x240. We use both 4:3 video and 16:9 video. Putting 16:9 video in a 4:3 player looks terrible.

[Herve]

seems correct, you have 2 players on this site:
one for a 44:3 display
one for a 16:9 display

give every size to 4:3 player and the player will display a 4:3 ratio
give every size to 16:9 player and the player will display a 16:9 ratio
flv player does not use size from your video, it only use its own size

eg: your input file is 16:9 (like yours), encode it to 320*240 WITHOUT adding black bars, and give it to te 16:9 player, it will be ok
eg2: your input file is 16:9 (like yours), encode it to 320*240 WITH adding black bars, and give it to te 4:3 player, it will be ok too


bye