Video Conversion/Compatibility Question flv->Win Media Player, Mac Player

[charlestek]

I have some recorded Flv video seminars that I want to convert into a format that is natively viewable by Windows Media Player and ???? whatever Video Player a Mac uses by default and also the least lossless format. I want to burn the seminars on a DVD, so technically I suppose I could have one folder with a format for Windows Media Player and one folder with a format for a Mac if that is the way to keep the best fidelity.

I found a freeware converter at http://www.flv-converter.org/

The possible conversion outputs of this converter are: avi, mpeg-1, mpeg-2, mp4, mov, ipod, psp, iPhone, 3gp

I am sending the dvd to Non-Technical people who either use a Windows PC, a Mac, and probably also own an Iphone or Android phone, though I'm not thinking about the latter two.

If they were technical I would include a copy of the portable VLC media player on the DVD, but it then would probably get too complicated to instruct them on how to run it and view the flv seminar videos.

So I really want to convert the flv's to either a lossless format that both Windows Media Player and the ???Native Video Player on Mac Os (which I have no idea what that is), or convert the flv's to two formats, one format for each machine with the best lossless format. Note that when I say lossless, I really mean I want to convert the flv to a format that does not reduce the fidelity in the original flv (though there really IS no fidelity in the flv, I just don't want to lose any more).



Can anyone tell me what would be a good choice??

[Baldrick]

I would use mp4. Most mp4s works fine in windows 7 windows media player 12+ and mac os x quicktime player.

What is the video and audio codecs in your flv? You might be able to remux to mp4 directly(no video reconversion). Identify the video and audio codecs using mediainfo or mediainfoxp.

[charlestek]

Right now, I'm trying the "Portable FLV Converter v3.5" and converting to mp4, but the resulting file mp4 size is THREE times the flv file size!!!

Here is the MediaInfo Output for one of the FLV files (all are similar):

General
Complete name :
Format : Flash Video
File size : 211 MiB
Duration : 1h 0mn
Overall bit rate : 489 Kbps

Video
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : 7
Duration : 1h 0mn
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 400 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Writing library : x264 core 130 r2273 b3065e6
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=1 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=2 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=6 / lookahead_threads=2 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=1 / keyint=110 / keyint_min=11 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=10 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=20.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=20000 / vbv_bufsize=25000 / crf_max=0.0 / nal_hrd=none / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Color primaries : BT.601 NTSC
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.601
Color range : Limited

Audio
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 10
Duration : 1h 0mn
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy

[Baldrick]

AVC video and aac audio should work fine in a mp4 container. So you might don't have to reconvert.

You could try avidemux, open the flv, under video and audio choose copy, under format choose mp4, last save a new video.mp4. It should be the same size. Try play it. The variable frame rate may cause sync problems though.

[charlestek]

I will try Avidemux after the flv converter finishes converting the 25 flv's to bloated mp4's.

Unfortunately I don't have a Mac to test Avidemux container conversion to mp4's, only Windows Media Player.

What native program do Mac Os's use for displaying videos????

I also had a suggestion for another freeware that uses the .Net framework: http://www.freemake.com/
though this requires an installer, I have no idea what algorithm it uses for conversion.

[Baldrick]

Mac os x uses quicktime player.

Freemake video converter will also reconvert the video. If you really want to reconvert use instead vidcoder or handbrake. Free software with no adware crap. And to keep same size as the source then set bitrate to same as the source. But you will always lose quality by reconverting.

You can also use ffmpeg and mp4box to remux flv to mp4(no reconversion, just change container format). But they are command line tools so might be a bit tricky.

[charlestek]

Am a former Microsoft .Net C# developer. Should be able to do command line....

[Baldrick]

ffmpeg -i video.flv -vcodec copy -acodec copy video.mp4


See also https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/295721-i-need-to-remux-my-flv-with-h-264-video-into-mp4