H264/Mp4 conversion to Avi have big probs

[wolf422]

I have some files that are stated as being H264 but the file assoiation is MP4!

I want to convert these to avi or Divx that can play on my dvd player and am having no luck. I have seacrchrd the forums and guides and still have probs. Can anyone help!

Ideally i want to use freeware.

I have already tried using Xvid4psp (crashes) and Avidemux.

Avidemux always states that a B frame exists and then uses a different method which can reduce quality. These convert really well and work on my pc. They are saved as avi but for some reason when burned onto disk as an iso they come up in the menu on the DVD player but dont play??? just flick on and off for 2 seconds!!!!

Desperatley seeking help

[poisondeathray]

What settings did you use in avidemux?

Did you resize to SD? What dimensions? Use mediainfo (view=>text)

[Ai Haibara]

MP4 is a container, like MKV and AVI - all of them can contain h264 video streams.

Expanding on what poisondeathray said, somewhat...
To convert the MP4 to something that might be playable in a DivX/Xvid-capable DVD player, in AVIDemux, load your video. Make sure the first drop-down under Video on the left side of the window is set to "MPEG-4 ASP (Xvid)". If your video is above DVD resolutions (720x576 for PAL material, 720x480 for NTSC (both maximum resolutions)), click on Filters and add one of the resize filters to resize it to those resolutions or below.

For audio, the first drop-down in the Audio section should be changed to "MP3 (lame)". The Format drop-down should be set to "AVI".

Choose File > Save > Save Video... (or just hit Ctrl-S) and fill in the full name of the video you want to create, including the ".AVI" extension. (AVIDemux won't automatically add the extension for you.)

[wolf422]

What settings did you use in avidemux?)

Video = Mpeg4 asp-xvid. video size 2 pass @ 900mb. Audio=AC3 aften @ 386k. saved as avi extension.

Did you resize to SD? What dimensions? Use mediainfo (view=>text)

no resizing!

[wolf422]

MP4 is a container, like MKV and AVI - all of them can contain h264 video streams.

Expanding on what poisondeathray said, somewhat...
To convert the MP4 to something that might be playable in a DivX/Xvid-capable DVD player, in AVIDemux, load your video. Make sure the first drop-down under Video on the left side of the window is set to "MPEG-4 ASP (Xvid)". If your video is above DVD resolutions (720x576 for PAL material, 720x480 for NTSC (both maximum resolutions)), click on Filters and add one of the resize filters to resize it to those resolutions or below.

For audio, the first drop-down in the Audio section should be changed to "MP3 (lame)". The Format drop-down should be set to "AVI".

Choose File > Save > Save Video... (or just hit Ctrl-S) and fill in the full name of the video you want to create, including the ".AVI" extension. (AVIDemux won't automatically add the extension for you.)

Have now resized to dvd and files will now play on dvd player

Audio is AC3 aften @ 386k. Mp3 (lame) doesn't work. says the number of channels is greater than what the codec can do?
Audio dialogue is very quiet and have turn tv up but then when there is an action scene its too loud. So i have had to turn the volume up and down through the movie? not come across this before?
any ideas on a f ix or which audio i should be using?

[Ai Haibara]

Well, what I mentioned above was meant to be a 'simple' guide. But if you have AC3 audio, I believe you'll have to downmix the channels. With the audio set to MP3 (lame), push the Filters button under Audio, and in the Mixer: dropdown, select Stereo. (I think that's how it's done - I haven't actually tried to convert 5+-channel audio using AVIDemux to something my DVD player will recognize, yet. You may also need to experiment with some of the other options in the Audio Filters box, such as Gain.)

[wolf422]

Well, what I mentioned above was meant to be a 'simple' guide. But if you have AC3 audio, I believe you'll have to downmix the channels. With the audio set to MP3 (lame), push the Filters button under Audio, and in the Mixer: dropdown, select Stereo. (I think that's how it's done - I haven't actually tried to convert 5+-channel audio using AVIDemux to something my DVD player will recognize, yet. You may also need to experiment with some of the other options in the Audio Filters box, such as Gain.)

thanks for your help. i have proberly identified the file and the audi isn't ac3 as stated before that is just something i have used before and have never had problems with.

The audio is codec = mp4a: MPEG-4 AAC LC info=48000Hz 301 kb/s tot , 6 chnls (3/2 .1)

I'm now trying different options but its very frustrating. These files are mp4 and work great through my windows media player straight onto my plasma but when i want to back up to dvd (save disk space) i have these problems. Do you know of any other programmes that arn't as frustrating and are clearly simpler to use and work first time. With this current software im having to tey different things then burn to dvd and then test to make sure theres no audio/video problems and that its all in sync.

[Ai Haibara]

I can't say I know of anything that's very easy, in regard to MKV and MP4 videos.

It might also help if you use RW (CD or DVD-RW) to test, if your player has no problem reading rewritable discs. Or, if your player allows you to play videos from a USB drive, that would help quite a bit more when testing.