Problems with FLV files that I've converted to AVI

[Diana (Cda)]

I have tried so many converts out there (incl. a couple of suggestions from Baldrick <g>), Any Video Converter, XMedia Recode, Super, etc., etc., so many now over last month. The problem persists with many different FLV files that I've converted to AVI - AutoGK doesn't like the AVI's audio yet yet when I run the output AVI through VirtualDub, I always get the VBR audio header error. I've tried demuxing and putting back video with wav but nothing ever works reliably and it's way too much work even if the end result were good (which it never is).

After years of video conversions of all kinds to AVI, what I've found is that if AGK and VD don't like the output files, my standalone DVD player that supports DivX won't play them.

I just need something reliable to convert FLV files to an AVI that loads without problem to AGK (for bringing down in size) or that loads into VD without the audio problems. I run all AVIs through VD with direct stream audio/video and if audio synch in output is okay, then I know they'll always play fine in any of 2 standalone DVD players that I have.

If Super could be made to give CBR rather than VBR audio, I think that would probably do the trick, or if any of the other FLV to AVI freewars out there could do that that might do it. Then I'd choose my preferred CBR stereo MP3 bitrate of 128.

Any help appreciated. I've unfortunately forgotten the name of all the discarded converters that I've tried in last 3 months but if anyone even knows how to get either Super or Any Video Converter or even XMedia Recode to give right audio output, I'd appreciate it. Or perhaps there's a new freeware out there that I don't know about.

Thanks.

[Diana (Cda)]

Oops, sorry. I had meant to put this as a new thread but I did something wrong. Sorry, trying to do too much as I'm in the middle of a move. If moderators can make this into new thread, pls do so. Or let me know and I'll re-post as a new thread and this one can be deleted. Thanks.

[Diana (Cda)]

Well, I finally tried AviDemux again after dl it a couple of week's ago (a Baldrick recommendation <g>). I've found that, so far, it seems to be the most reliable in output that both VirtualDub and AutoGK won't choke on. And, as I've mentioned, after all these years of converting my DVDs to DivX as backups, that things they don't like, my standalone DVD players don't like, either!!

AviDemux is one of the few converters that allows me to set the audio to a CBR in the MP3 which VD likes since it hates VBR all the time! (Go figure <shrug>?!)

However, I'm trying to make life easier. I found info on the web that sort of allows us to save settings by saving the project. Well, as can be imagined, saving a project saves the filename along with it and you can't dump a new file to convert after loading these settings. I even then changed the project file name within the project settings file to reflect the name of the new file (how tedious!), but that didn't work as I got an error about the new file not being a multiple of 8, or some such ...

So I've been manuallly just re-setting the output configuration for each file as I add it. That's great for now but what about when I'm done and I leave this task and then come back a few weeks down the road and forget what I did before ... ??!

So, I did find instructions on the web that I couldn't make heads or tails of. However, the gist is that we can take that settings file and delete out everything but what is pertinent to our needs and then use that. So, that's what I'm asking for help for here. I have no clue as to all the numbers within the project file but someone here might. I just would like to keep the output Video, Audio and AVI settings, as per this info:

I changed Copy under VIDEO to: MPG-4 ASP (XviD)
- I left everything in Configure button as is since no clue if these defaults should be changed in any way. Figured they'd be okay, as is.
- Filters - I didn't touch these. No clue what they do.

I changed Copy under AUDIO to: MP3 (lame)
- configure defaults of: Channel mode: Stereo / Bitrate mode: CBR / Quality: 2 / Bitrate: 128 / Disable reservoir (?): unticked, I left as is since perfect.
- Filters - I didn't touch these. No clue what they do.


- I changed the Format to AVI and left the configure settings alone.

What I get is this in the settings file:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//AD <- Needed to identify//
//--automatically built--
//--Project: C:\Documents and Settings\Hypatia\Desktop\FLV to AVI\AVI Demux v2.5.3\APP- AVI Demux v2.5.3\0- FLV to AVI settings

var app = new Avidemux();

//** Video **
// 01 videos source
app.load("C:\Documents and Settings\User\Desktop\Saved FLV file.flv");
//01 segments
app.clearSegments();
app.addSegment(0,0,6487);
app.markerA=0;
app.markerB=6486;

//** Postproc **
app.video.setPostProc(3,3,0);

app.video.fps1000 = 15002;

//** Filters **

//** Video Codec conf **
app.video.codecPlugin("92B544BE-59A3-4720-86F0-6AD5A2526FD2", "Xvid", "CQ=4", "<?xml version='1.0'?><XvidConfig><presetConfiguration><n ame>&lt;default&gt;</name><type>default</type></presetConfiguration><XvidOptions><threads>0</threads><vui><sarAsInput>false</sarAsInput><sarHeight>1</sarHeight><sarWidth>1</sarWidth></vui><motionEstimation>high</motionEstimation><rdo>dct</rdo><bFrameRdo>false</bFrameRdo><chromaMotionEstimation>true</chromaMotionEstimation><qPel>false</qPel><gmc>false</gmc><turboMode>false</turboMode><chromaOptimiser>false</chromaOptimiser><fourMv>false</fourMv><cartoon>false</cartoon><greyscale>false</greyscale><interlaced>none</interlaced><frameDropRatio>0</frameDropRatio><maxIframeInterval>300</maxIframeInterval><maxBframes>2</maxBframes><bFrameSensitivity>0</bFrameSensitivity><closedGop>false</closedGop><packed>false</packed><quantImin>1</quantImin><quantPmin>1</quantPmin><quantBmin>1</quantBmin><quantImax>31</quantImax><quantPmax>31</quantPmax><quantBmax>31</quantBmax><quantBratio>150</quantBratio><quantBoffset>100</quantBoffset><quantType>h.263</quantType><intraMatrix><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value><value>8</value></intraMatrix><interMatrix><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value><value>1</value></interMatrix><trellis>true</trellis><singlePass><reactionDelayFactor>16</reactionDelayFactor><averagingQuantiserPeriod>100</averagingQuantiserPeriod><smoother>100</smoother></singlePass><twoPass><keyFrameBoost>10</keyFrameBoost><maxKeyFrameReduceBitrate>20</maxKeyFrameReduceBitrate><keyFrameBitrateThreshold >1</keyFrameBitrateThreshold><overflowControlStrength> 5</overflowControlStrength><maxOverflowImprovement>5</maxOverflowImprovement><maxOverflowDegradation>5</maxOverflowDegradation><aboveAverageCurveCompressi on>0</aboveAverageCurveCompression><belowAverageCurveCom pression>0</belowAverageCurveCompression><vbvBufferSize>0</vbvBufferSize><maxVbvBitrate>0</maxVbvBitrate><vbvPeakBitrate>0</vbvPeakBitrate></twoPass></XvidOptions></XvidConfig>");

//** Audio **
app.audio.reset();
app.audio.codec("Lame",128,20,"80 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ");
app.audio.normalizeMode=0;
app.audio.normalizeValue=0;
app.audio.delay=0;
app.audio.mixer="NONE";
app.setContainer("AVI");
setSuccess(1);
//app.Exit();

//End of script
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How can I just change the above so that I load it through FILE > LOAD/RUN PROJECT ..., then dump my file to convert, press FILE > SAVE VIDEO > SAVE VIDEO...?

Thanks! This will save me tons of headaches since it may be that AviDemux reliable outputs all files to a format that will always play reliably on my standalone DVD player (tested by running through VD and AGK).

[Diana (Cda)]

Perhaps a better subject line will help. I've saved the above project to AviDemux to preserve output settings. When I close the input file, which leaves the settings, and then dump another FLV file in, it sometimes doesn't like it. I've tried with a few this morning and they've been okay but yesterday, I got an error saying that the new FLV file was not a multiple of 8, or something. AviDemux wouldn't deal with the file.

I've tried removing bits and pieces, intuitively, from the above settings file but the little bits that I've managed to do give me errors. I found a message yesterday during a search (that came up not in this forum) that said we could save our settings in this manner just stripping away everything but the choices for input audio, video and the output. Fine. Did that.
But how to get this file to work, since AviDemux doesn't have an actual "save settings" option. It's okay now that I'm doing a few of these files. But when I leave this for a bit or start working with other settings, I'm going to have headaches trying to remember what works.

So if anyone knows AviDemux and knows how to get a generic FLV to AVI project file that allows one to load any FLV file or any dimension, would greatly appreciate knowing how to trim the above settings file to work in the same manner.

Thanks!

[davexnet]

Are you talking about preserving AVIdemux settings so that the settings can be recalled regardless of the source file?

The only way I know how to do this is first set up AVIdemux as you would like it. Load the source, add the filters, set the output,etc,etc.
Make sure it works to your satisfaction. Save the AVIdemux project file.

When you want to load a new source, very carefully edit the project file (in Notepad) and only change the name of the source file within.
Then load it into AVIdemux. All the settings should be intact. Setup the output file name and save.

Any further details about editing the project file, I would refer you to the AVIdemux forum, where they know what can/can't be done.

[Diana (Cda)]

Coming back with closure on this one. I've been using AviDemux for a while now and have gotten the hang of it.

I found that most of the time, the settings for one file have worked for all. I get the not complying with "multiples of 8" error very occasionally and it seems that ignoring it, so far, hasn't affected anything.

So I load the settings for one of the earliest saved projects, close the video and load in a new one and that seems to work just fine so far.

So that's one way of doing it. I never did figure out how to edit the settings file. Nothing I tried worked. However, just closing the video seems to do the trick.
When I wipe/reinstall WinXP, which is now overdue, we'll see if it chokes on the missing video. But I'll deal with that issue then if it's a problem. I haven't changed the location of the initial video that was from the project which may be why I'm not having problems there.
But since I can't figure out how to keep these settings so that they're generic and not linked to a specific file, will see later if it's a problem.

Thanks for introducing me to AviDemux. It doesn't work for every case, but when it does, it does the job.