ffmpeg command lines not working.

[PsyDonias]

I do use mencoder allot but some times I want to use ffmpeg.
and I did download the latest from Zeranoe.

libxvid does not work anymore.
-vcodec libxvid but it say unknown decoder.
how to use xvid.
how to enable libxvid.

I also have -b for bitrate but it say please use -b:a or -b:v
what do they mean.

can anyone help me please

[bat999]

how to enable libxvid.

Hi
Use command:-

ffmpeg -codecs

It's enabled if this is on the list:-

EV libxvid libxvidcore MPEG-4 part 2

[chicken264]

looks like a decoder problem not encoder.


x264, xvid are generally enabled in all ffmpeg versions

[PsyDonias]

how to enable libxvid.

Hi
Use command:-

ffmpeg -codecs

It's enabled if this is on the list:-

EV libxvid libxvidcore MPEG-4 part 2

this line is with.
EV libxvid libxvidcore MPEG-4 part 2

so how can i solve the problem.

looks like a decoder problem not encoder.


x264, xvid are generally enabled in all ffmpeg versions

the line say EV that say Encoder and video codec.




Codecs:
D..... = Decoding supported
.E.... = Encoding supported
..V... = Video codec
..A... = Audio codec
..S... = Subtitle codec
...S.. = Supports draw_horiz_band
....D. = Supports direct rendering method 1
.....T = Supports weird frame truncation
------

[bat999]

so how can i solve the problem.

What problem?

[intracube]

libxvid does not work anymore.
-vcodec libxvid

This command is used to set the encoding codec.

but it say unknown decoder.

As chicken264 has said, the error looks to be a decoding issue.

To get more help you need to post all the ffmpeg parameters you're using, and also the actual error message that it's returning.

I also have -b for bitrate but it say please use -b:a or -b:v

It looks like the ffmpeg developers are changing the command line options again... -b:a and -b:v don't work for me. Try -vb for the video bitrate and -ab for the audio bitrate. This works on my version of ffmpeg (Oct 2011).

For example -vb 2000k -ab 192k

[PsyDonias]

This is the ffmpeg line

ffmpeg.exe -b 2000k -vcodec libxvid -acodec ac3 -ab 448k -ac 6 -y -vf scale=720:400 -i input.mkv "output.avi"

it maybe should look like this for the bitrate and now how to get libxvid to work.

ffmpeg.exe -vb 2000k -vcodec libxvid -acodec ac3 -ab 448k -ac 6 -y -vf scale=720:400 -i input.mkv "output.avi"

[Chris K]

The command position has become more critical in recent FFmpeg versions.

You have -vcodec before the input. Try it this way...

ffmpeg.exe -i input.mkv -vb 2000k -vcodec libxvid -acodec ac3 -ab 448k -ac 6 -y -vf scale=720:400 "output.avi"

This is perhaps also why it says "unknown decoder" because everything before the input now concerns the source (input).

You can also try to use -codec:v which is the new syntax where v stands for video, so -codec:a is for audio.

[PsyDonias]

thanks will try that.
That could explain thing that it should be in the right order.
Chris should it be like this.
-codec:v 2000 or -codecc:v=2000

[Chris K]

-codec:v libxvid and -b:v 2000k for video.

-codec:a ac3 and -b:a 448k for audio.

You can even use -c:v libxvid and -c:a ac3 but I prefer to use -codec for clarity.

[intracube]

You can even use -c:v libxvid and -c:a ac3 but I prefer to use -codec for clarity.

Is there a page with a complete list of these changes and on what versions of ffmpeg they apply to?

I'm using ffmpeg 0.8.5 (Oct 3 2011 gcc-4_5-branch revision 160292) and it doesn't recognise the new syntax.

[Chris K]

Is there a page with a complete list of these changes and on what versions of ffmpeg they apply to?

I'm using ffmpeg 0.8.5 (Oct 3 2011 gcc-4_5-branch revision 160292) and it doesn't recognise the new syntax.

http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/ffmpeg.html#Video-Options

It says...

‘-vcodec codec (output)’

Set the video codec. This is an alias for -codec:v.

I use a 0.8.5-git revision of a few days ago and for me all three variants work; -vcodec, -codec:v and -c:v

[intracube]

http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/ffmpeg.html#Video-Options

It says...

‘-vcodec codec (output)’

Set the video codec. This is an alias for -codec:v.

I use a 0.8.5-git revision of a few days ago and for me all three variants work; -vcodec, -codec:v and -c:v

Thanks for that.

I spent some time with Google, but it was persistent in ignoring my search string and returning unrelated pages.

It's getting particularly bad at searching for strings with unusual symbols, snippets of code, etc. Quoting doesn't help at all. It's a shame there isn't a 'search for exactly what I've enter' option.

[Chris K]

It's getting particularly bad at searching for strings with unusual symbols, snippets of code, etc. Quoting doesn't help at all. It's a shame there isn't a 'search for exactly what I've enter' option.

I know! I tried it with error messages e.g. given by compilers. Also hardly had any success. Perhaps you have to escape certain characters. Did not try that yet.

[chicken264]

uploading part of your video may solve the problem quickly.

[intracube]

I know! I tried it with error messages e.g. given by compilers. Also hardly had any success. Perhaps you have to escape certain characters. Did not try that yet.

I also tried explicitly adding a '+', but it didn't help much:
ffmpeg +"-codec:v"

The search string above brings up the ffmpeg docs as the first hit. Looking at the cached page (which has search terms highlighted) shows this:


"codec v" isn't what I searched for. Stranger still, the only bit of text on that page highlighted in blue is...



Altavista does a better job of finding relevant pages in this instance.

[PsyDonias]

Chris thanks.


chris you maybe also know how to use advanced xvid options with ffmpeg like mpg quant and other stuff.

[Chris K]

you maybe also know how to use advanced xvid options with ffmpeg like mpg quant and other stuff.

Xvid is very poorly supported in FFmpeg. I tried -mpeg_quant 1 but MediaInfo still says matrix: default. It's also FFmpeg that decides which profile to use depending on certain other settings. I tried -mpeg_quant 1 -profile x and with any number I use it switches over from Simple@L3 to Streaming Video@L1. No idea what's happening and how to use it.

You can however use the -intra_matrix and -inter_matrix commands to set a custom matrix.

[PsyDonias]

ok I see.
I know ffmpeg is very limited. I mosly use mencoder but some times I want to use ffmpeg for a few resons.
so it is good to know how to use ffmpeg to.

Thanks for all your help.

and it did help to have the command in the right order.

[PsyDonias]

this has been very helpful for me so I thank for that.
Now I have two more questions.

1. if I want to have a silent video convert it with no audio how do I do that

if I do it without any audio codec I tells some error
ffmpeg.exe -i "Myinputfile.mp4" -b:v 2000k -codec:v libxvid -aspect 9:5 -y -vf scale=720:400 -vtag XVID "myoutputfile.avi"

and second how can I use an external soundfile.
if I have an mp3 or ac3 file on the hdd and want it to be added with no reencoding to the output file.
like a command -externalaudiofile path\myaudiofile.ac3

[bat999]

...
1. if I want to have a silent video convert it with no audio how do I do that

if I do it without any audio codec I tells some error
ffmpeg.exe -i "Myinputfile.mp4" -b:v 2000k -codec:v libxvid -aspect 9:5 -y -vf scale=720:400 -vtag XVID "myoutputfile.avi"
...

Hi
You need to use "-an" in the command.
Like this:-

ffmpeg.exe -i "Myinputfile.mp4" -b:v 2000k -codec:v libxvid -aspect 9:5  -y -vf scale=720:400 -vtag XVID -an "myoutputfile.avi"

[PsyDonias]

ok thanks.

its for some home recorded And I don´t want the original sound that was not good some people talking.
then I want to use and external sound with some music. you maybe know how to do that.

[bat999]

And I don´t want the original sound that was not good some people talking.
then I want to use and external sound with some music.

Hi

Use your command with "-an" to create the new file without audio (myoutputfile.avi).

Then find a music file, a few seconds longer than the video file (soundtrack.mp3).

Then mux the two like this:-

ffmpeg -i myoutputfile.avi -i soundtrack.mp3 -c copy -shortest mynewoutputfile.avi

[PsyDonias]

ok
it was that simple to specify two input.
thanks.