Info, Play and Preview buttons dead (AVI to DVD ffmeg mpeg2)

[MsMousette]

I think this must be an installation problem. One thing I wondered was that in the first screen when I first opened the app it asked me to find the components mencoder and mplayer in the same file: ffmpegXbinaries20060307.zip

I installed it with that component and the other one listed:mpeg2enc.htm

I tried converting an avi file anyway - to DVD ffmeg (to play on any DVD player, if I have understood the instructions properly).

It did something and I got something out, but nothing that would play properly using VLC or MPEG Streamclip.

I tried running ffmpegX again and it asked me to install the components again. After I had done that the Info, Play and Preview buttons were still dead so I assume that there is still something wrong.

I would be grateful for any tips!

Best wishes,
Liz

MacBook Pro 17", OSX 10.5.8 (Leopard), Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 148GB HDD

[Case]

One thing I wondered was that in the first screen when I first opened the app it asked me to find the components mencoder and mplayer in the same file: ffmpegXbinaries20060307.zip

Unzipping the file will give you two files: mencoder and mplayer. Select those, not the .zip.

I installed it with that component and the other one listed:mpeg2enc.htm

.htm? Uh-oh, not a good sign. Does the installer window still ask for mpeg2enc when it appears after a relaunch of ffmpegX? If so, try this copy instead. Unzip before use.

After I had done that the Info, Play and Preview buttons were still dead.

That would be signs of a malfunctioning mplayer.

[MsMousette]

Hi Case,

Many thanks for the reply.

When I was first setting up, I had unzipped the file ffmpegXbinaries20060307.zip but the ffmegX screen asked me for the location of the zip file and to install it so I followed the intructions to the letter (having just done it again I realise that I have been talking complete twaddle here!)

I will try the new copy you have suggested and then locate and install the separate files and will let you know the result. FIngers crossed

Best wishes,
Liz

[MsMousette]

Hi Case,
The "Info, Play and Preview" buttons are still dead after including the new file that you posted plus the two from the zip - but I have set it off to try again just to see if it works.

[Case]

The Info, Play and Preview buttons are still dead.

The Info and Play buttons need a source file to be selected (either by drag-and-drop or the Open… button) before use of the Info and Play buttons.
The Preview button (upper right corner) only works while conversion is in progress.
All three work by using mplayer. So that component has to be installed correctly.

[MsMousette]

Hi Case,
All those conditions were in place before I tried the buttons again.

I copied the Progress Information after it had finished the second time and got this (I imagine the last line is the important bit but I am afraid that I do not know what it means - I have Googled around and the explanations are even more difficult to fathom!):

FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Tue Apr 13 01:03:24 BST 2010
Mac OSX universal build for ffmpegX
libavutil version: 49.0.0
libavcodec version: 51.9.0
libavformat version: 50.4.0
Input #0, avi, from '/***/***/***/Dellamorte Dellamore/Dellamorte Dellamore.avi':
Duration: 01:38:43.6, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1872 kb/s
Stream #0.0, 25.00 fps(r): Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 656x352
Stream #0.1: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Stream #0.2: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Output #0, dvd, to '/***/***/***/Dellamorte Dellamore/Dellamorte Dellamore.avi.ff.mpg':
Stream #0.0, 25.00 fps(c): Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 720x576, q=2-20, 4000 kb/s
Stream #0.1: Audio: mp2, 48000 Hz, stereo, 224 kb/s
Stream mapping:
Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
Stream #0.1 -> #0.1
video:2586552kB audio:161970kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead 2.579189%
bench: utime=3059.494s
STAT: Picking VTS 01
STAT: Processing /***/***/***/Dellamorte Dellamore/Dellamorte Dellamore.avi.ff.mpg...
ERR: SCR moves backwards, remultiplex input.

Does that make any sense to you?

I am very grateful for your replies and help, by the way!

Best wishes,
Liz

[Case]

That's a new error to me. It seems like the ffmpeg generated output (foo.mpg) isn't multiplexed exactly as dvdauthor wants to see it.
Just checking: Did you set any options in the Options tab? Is the Encoding profile set to 'dvd' in the Options tab?

One way to overcome this would be to de-multiplex and then multiplex again to dvd settings.
To de-multiplex you could use Tools > Demux in ffmpegX.
To multiplex again you could use Tools > Mux. Set the Author checkbox to generate a VIDEO_TS folder.
This should be fairly fast, as the conversion to MPEG is already done.

[MsMousette]

Hi Case,

I didn't set any options in the Options Tab. There was some output in the form of a file named Dellamorte Dellamore.avi.ff.mpg.ts

This is not in a separate VIDEO_TS folder.

I have re-opened ffmegX as if to start over again with a conversion to DVD ffmeg and in the Options Tab it has set itself to Encoding Profile "DVD" with "Author as - DVD(VIDEO_TS).

I will try Tools > Demux in ffmpegX and then Tools > Mux and set the Author checkbox to generate a VIDEO_TS folder.

Many thanks again for your help - I will let you know what happens

Best wishes,
Liz

[MsMousette]

Hi Chase,

Instant problem. FFmegX will not demux the file generated because the filename ends in ".ts"

The file info says that it is an "MPEG transport stream".

I was just going to change the name by deleting the ".ts" but thought I would ask you first if that would be a sensible thing to do or if I should try something else?

Best wishes,
Liz

[Case]

There was some output in the form of a file named Dellamorte Dellamore.avi.ff.mpg.ts
This is not in a separate VIDEO_TS folder.

There should not be a .ts file. Perhaps you did a conversion to MPEG-TS? That is NOT the preset you would want to use for making DVDs.

The output for a conversion to DVD should be an .mpg file. If all goes well, then the .mpg file should be further processed into a VIDEO_TS folder.
Remux the .mpg file as described earlier, if you still have that file.

[MsMousette]

Hi Chase,
There was no mpg file produced last time (have searched for any .mpg files to check) so I will have another go with a conversion to DVD ffmeg and see what happens this time

Best wishes,
Liz

[MsMousette]

Hurray! It appears to have worked this time

I have got
- a file called Dellamorte Dellamore.avi.ff.mpg (which started to play OK in VLC)
- a directory called Dellamorte Dellamore.avi.ff.mpg.DVD that seems to play OK with iDVD

Phew! Now I am going to have another go but adding in the English subtitles this time

MANY thanks for all your help Case! Not that I will benefit from it personally, as I hate horror films, all this effort being on behalf of The Loved One, who loves nothing better than a movie stuffed full of ruddy zombies

Best wishes and good luck with the exploring
Liz