ffmpegX produces non-fuctional files or no files

[sloopy]

I confess that I know next to nothing about video or conversion -- I'm a n00b -- but I am desperate to get this to work.... no one that I can find seems to run into the problems that I've had with this.

mencoder, mplayer, mpeg2enc.intel seem to have been recognized when starting the program on my OS X 10.4 and OS X 10.5.

Although when I try different files, different conversions, I get different results -- some create a file, some give a fail message, some ding complete but produce no file. Nothing at all seems to actually create a playable file.

For example:

A video I recorded of my desktop (mpeg4, yuv420p, 617x351/adpcm_ima_qt, 22050 Hz, mono) produces error messages in the info file that go on and on and then fails half way through no matter what I convert it to. Thinking it was the IMA I choose to encode the audio with, I tried another video...

Converting a file:
Video: WMV3 / 0x33564D57, 320x240
Audio: WMA2 / 0x32414D57, 44100 Hz, stereo

...to the basic FLV settings produces a file which cannot be read by VLC, which states: "videotitle.wmv.ff.flv is empty, aborting main: no suitable access module for `/Users/usernameremoved/Desktop/videotitle.wmv.ff.flv'"

Trying divx doesn't even produce a file.

In fact, no file I've tried to convert produces a playable result in MOV with Flip4Mac or VLC. I also downloaded a Real codex and tried that but it also produced no files.

Is it that my codex installation has gone wrong -- even though they seem fine? Or are none of my videos ones that ffmpegX can convert -- and I need a scrap of random test video that is known to be convertible to try?

I'm at a total loss. Any hint as to what might be going so wrong would be so greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[tomlee59]

Notably absent from your post is a clear indication of what you are trying to do.

What are you starting from (DVD? Live? Flash? Real?)? What are its stats -- frame rate, resolution, etc.? Audio format?

What do you want to end up with (DVD? Files that only need to play on a PC?)?

The more you tell us about what you are trying to do, the more we can provide specific advice. Right now, all we really know is that you tried a whole bunch of totally random things that didn't work.

[sloopy]

It's not missing. It's right there.

I'm trying to encode a mpeg4, yuv420p, 617x351/adpcm_ima_qt, 22050 Hz, mono) to an flv file. I'm also trying to encode a WMV3 / 0x33564D57, 320x240/ WMA2 / 0x32414D57, 44100 Hz, stereo into an flv file.

Just like it said in my first post. Nothing random about that. I'm sure you know what MPEG4 means. I'm sure you know what WMV means. I'm sure you can read WMA and IMA audio codex, so obviously that information isn't absent.

FLV is a popular format that allows high quality with smaller file sizes that play for off websites, so there is no need to assume that I'm trying to end up with a DVD.

There was a lot of information in that post if you read it carefully.

[Case]

Not all video and audio out there is recognized by ffmpegX. I'm not sure about adpcm_ima_qt, but WMV is rarely easy.

To see why a conversion failed, see the Process Information log, accessible by clicking the blue "i" in the ffmpegX Progress window. That should help diagnose it. Often a setting can be suggested that will overcome the failure.

no file I've tried to convert produces a playable result in MOV with Flip4Mac or VLC. I also downloaded a Real codex and tried that but it also produced no files.

Flip4Mac helps QuickTime understand WMV (ASF) files. As ffmpegX does not output as WMV, Flip4Mac won't help you play ffmpegX output files. (However, QuickTime can assist ffmpegX in reading source files, so Flip4Mac may be used in some cases to convert using ffmpegX from WMV to e.g. DVD.)
reallib helps the mplayer decoder for ffmpegX understand RealMedia files (.rm). As ffmpegX does not output as RM, reallib won't help you play ffmpegX output files. (However, mplayer can assist ffmpegX in reading source files, so reallib may be used to convert using ffmpegX from .rm to e.g. MP4/AVI/DVD.)

A video I recorded of my desktop (mpeg4, yuv420p, 617x351/adpcm_ima_qt, 22050 Hz, mono) produces error messages

Try AAC audio, WAV audio or MP3 audio instead of adpcm_ima_qt.

Converting a WMV file to the basic FLV settings produces a file which cannot be read

Three issues with this: (1) Not all WMVs can be decoded (read) with ffmpegX. (2) WMV usually have their streams inverted. (3) Conversion to FLV with inverted stream mapping produces FLVs that stutter in Flash playback (converted with current ffmpeg binary).

Or are none of my videos ones that ffmpegX can convert -- and I need a scrap of random test video that is known to be convertible to try?

I'll look for a shareable file that is known to convert good without any fuss (any preset).

[sloopy]

Thank you for that lengthy response, Case. That was useful and I appreciate your attempts to be clear about the details for a novice.

Not all video and audio out there is recognized by ffmpegX. I'm not sure about adpcm_ima_qt, but WMV is rarely easy.

I should have known better.

To see why a conversion failed, see the Process Information log, accessible by clicking the blue "i" in the ffmpegX Progress window. That should help diagnose it. Often a setting can be suggested that will overcome the failure.

Will do.

Flip4Mac helps QuickTime understand WMV (ASF) files. As ffmpegX does not output as WMV, Flip4Mac won't help you play ffmpegX output files. (However, QuickTime can assist ffmpegX in reading source files, so Flip4Mac may be used in some cases to convert using ffmpegX from WMV to e.g. DVD.)
reallib helps the mplayer decoder for ffmpegX understand RealMedia files (.rm). As ffmpegX does not output as RM, reallib won't help you play ffmpegX output files. (However, mplayer can assist ffmpegX in reading source files, so reallib may be used to convert using ffmpegX from .rm to e.g. MP4/AVI/DVD.)

I understand that. I've never tried to convert to MOV or WMV or RM, only from, and I was told that ffmpegX does -- or, at least, can ideal -- do that.

I've tried to create FLV and AVI DIVX as an intermediate (I read somewhere that might work) or as possible alternative for the website.

I believe VLC certainly should play whatever FLV I create. At least, it plays every FLV file I've ever tried.

Three issues with this: (1) Not all WMVs can be decoded (read) with ffmpegX. (2) WMV usually have their streams inverted. (3) Conversion to FLV with inverted stream mapping produces FLVs that stutter in Flash playback (converted with current ffmpeg binary).

Understood. That is problematic.

However, if I can get a setting of MOV file to convert to FLV, I can re-film, so to speak, with Snapz Pro X 2 and convert from there. Is it ideal? Maybe not. Yet it is a way to move forward.

I'll look for a shareable file that is known to convert good without any fuss (any preset).

I'd be most grateful.



This is my latest attempt. It's the MOV file I tried before; however, this time, taking your advice, it was pre-converted in QT to a MOV file which uses AAC for the audio portion.

FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Tue Nov 4 15:47:46 PST 2008
Mac OSX universal build for ffmpegX
libavutil version: 49.0.0
libavcodec version: 51.9.0
libavformat version: 50.4.0
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0x4701fc]negative ctts, ignoring
Seems that stream 1 comes from film source: 1000.00 (1000/1) -> 29.97 (30000/1001)
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/Users/username/Documents/filename.mov':
Duration: 00:00:54.1, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1091 kb/s
Stream #0.0(eng): Audio: aac, 44100 Hz, stereo
Stream #0.1(eng), 29.97 fps(r): Video: h264, yuv420p, 640x364
Codec type mismatch for mapping #0.0 -> #0.0

And VLC said:

access_file: file /Users/username/Documents/filename.mov.ff.flv is empty, aborting
access_file: file /Users/username/Documents/filename.mov.ff.flv is empty, aborting
main: no suitable access module for `/Users/username/Documents/filename.mov.ff.flv'

It made a 0 K file because there was a "Codec type mismatch" at the very start of the process? How can this be interpreted? Or helped?

Thanks.

[Case]

It made a 0 K file because there was a "Codec type mismatch" at the very start of the process?

Yes, exactly. A Codec type mismatch for mapping error stops the conversion at the very start of it.

How can this be interpreted?

This is about the stream mapping that I mentioned earlier. The software looks inside the file and finds video and audio. One is listed (#0.0) before the other (#0.1). ffmpeg, one of the conversion engines inside ffmpegX, is picky about stream order. ffmpeg defaults to expect stream #0.0 to be video and #0.1 to be audio. If the stream order is different than expected, then it has to be told to ffmpeg, or it just won't work.

How can this be helped?

For most conversions that use ffmpeg, set the "Invert mapping" checkbox in the Audio tab, if you get the Codec type mismatch error at first try. The checkbox would let ffmpeg know to convert stream #0.1 to video and to convert stream #0.0 to audio.
The exception is conversion to FLV, which would give the playback incompatibility that I mentioned before, for reasons that are not clear yet. The fix for that is giving ffmpegX a source file that doesn't need stream mapping to be set. That can be done with QuickTime Pro, as outlined in post 1810515. Alternatively, an intermediate conversion would give an output file with a stream order that ffmpeg likes at first sight.

I hope the above makes some sense to you. Good luck.