Right way to join two different video files using ffmpeg?

[yetanotherlogin]

Hello

I'd like to join two different videos into a single file, so that one movie with play before the second:

c:\>ffprobe.exe -i file1.mp4

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'file1.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
    minor_version   : 512
    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
    encoder         : Lavf54.63.104
  Duration: 00:03:28.69, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 815 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 854x480 [SAR 1:1 DAR 427:240], 683 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : VideoHandler
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp, 125 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : SoundHandler

c:\>ffprobe.exe -i file2.mpeg

Input #0, mpeg, from 'file2.mpeg':
  Duration: 01:13:39.98, start: 0.604000, bitrate: 9356 kb/s
    Stream #0:0[0x1e0]: Video: mpeg2video (Main), yuv420p(tv), 720x576 [SAR 64:45 DAR 16:9], max. 9100 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc
    Stream #0:1[0x80]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 448 kb/s

I naively used the following command, but the output file only includes the second file:

ffmpeg -i file1.mp4 -i file2.mpeg -c:v libx264 -r 25 -vf scale=640:-1 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -strict experimental -b:a 128k -ac 2 -ar 44100 -threads 2 -crf 20 -f mp4  full.mp4

Using ffmpeg, which solution would you recommend to concatenate those two files into one?
https://www.ffmpeg.org/faq.html#How-can-I-concatenate-video-files

Thank you.

---
Edit: I tried the following…

ffmpeg -i file1.mp4 -i file1.mpeg -filter_complex "[0:0] [0:1] [1:0] [1:1] concat=n=2:v=1:a=1 [v] [a]" -map "[v]" -map "[a]" -c:v libx264 -r 25 -vf scale=640:-1 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -strict experimental -b:a 128k -ac 2 -ar 44100 -threads 2 -crf 20 -f mp4 output.mp4

… but ffmpeg ain't happy:

Filtergraph 'scale=640:-1' was specified through the -vf/-af/-filter option for output stream 0:0, which is fed from a complex filtergraph.
-vf/-af/-filter and -filter_complex cannot be used together for the same stream.

[Cornucopia]

You cannot "join" them as-is.

You must either conform the 2nd to the format of the 1st, or
conform the 1st to the format of the 2nd, or
conform both to a 3rd format to where they will have everything in common.

Only then can they be joined.

BTW, this is usually what's known as "editing".

Scott

[yetanotherlogin]

Thanks for the info.

Considering that the MP4 looks like this…

Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 854x480 [SAR 1:1 DAR 427:240], 683 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc (default)
Metadata:
  handler_name    : VideoHandler
Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp, 125 kb/s (default)
Metadata:

… I tried recompiling the MPEG file thusly:

ffmpeg -i file2.mpeg -c:v libx264 -r 25 -vf scale=854:480 -c:a aac -strict experimental -b:a 128k -ac 2 -ar 44100 -threads 2 -crf 20 -f mp4 file2.mp4

Next I used the following to join them:

ffmpeg -i file1.mp4 -i file2.mp4 -filter_complex "[0:0] [0:1] [1:0] [1:1] concat=n=2:v=1:a=1 [v] [a]" -map "[v]" -map "[a]" -c:v copy -c:a copy -threads 2 -crf 20 -f mp4 joined.mp4

… but no go:

Streamcopy requested for output stream 0:0, which is fed from a complex filtergraph. Filtering and streamcopy cannot be used together.

Next, I tried the following:

c:\>type input.txt

file '.\file1.mp4'
file '.\file2.mp4'

c:\>ffmpeg -f concat -i input.txt -c copy joined.mp4

… but it's not working either, as ffmpeg barfs out millions of lines like this:

[mp4 @ 041d2340] pts has no value
DTS -406750706815049024, next:232370749 st:1 invalid dropping
PTS -406750706815049024, next:232370749 invalid dropping st:1
DTS -118059162068766816, next:211979266 st:0 invalid dropping
PTS -118059162068765792, next:211979266 invalid dropping st:0

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Incidently, is there a command that tells ffmpeg to recompile a file by simply reading the settings of another file?

Thank you.

[Baldrick]

I don't think you can do this in one step. You must first convert it with exact same settings(no, ffmpeg can't read the settings from another file).

[pandy]

MPEG Transport Stream as container may work for you. It is not recommended but also not forbidden.

[yetanotherlogin]

It looks like MP4 is pretty much the standard these days, so I'd rather use that as a container.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG_transport_stream

What do you guys use when you have to join two files that weren't encoded the same way?

[pandy]

It looks like MP4 is pretty much the standard these days, so I'd rather use that as a container.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG_transport_stream

What do you guys use when you have to join two files that weren't encoded the same way?

Well... TS is standard and it is widely used from over 20 years and it support concatenating of the different codecs by definition.

[usually_quiet]

It looks like MP4 is pretty much the standard these days, so I'd rather use that as a container.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG_transport_stream

What do you guys use when you have to join two files that weren't encoded the same way?

If the files have to be joined together in an mp4, I would re-encode one or both files so that they do match, like probably almost every else who answered you said to do, then concatenate them.

Even if you did manage to simply concatenate these two dissimilar files without re-encoding, media players in consumer electronics and software media players frequently don't correctly play dissimilar material that has been simply joined together in one file.

[poisondeathray]

Even if you match the exact same settings, the exact same encoder etc... it doesn't always work.

You can try other software like mp4box, mkvmerge to append segments, or retail smart encoding software like videoredo

It does increase your chances when using x264 if you use --stitchable in the commandline (not sure if it's available for libx264 in ffmpeg, but it would be under x264opts) or specify a different --sps-id . The 2nd method with a binary join always works when done properly (GOP boundaries). It's discussed in other threads



If this is the same as your other project, you should have done it in one operation which would work for sure (because joining is in the uncompressed domain, before encoding) .

You also have other problems (source was interlaced, but you didn't encoded interlaced, nor does it look like you bob deinterlaced)

[yetanotherlogin]

Thanks guys.

As a work-around, I re-encoded and compiled the two files into a single MP4 file using Corel VideoStudio, although I wish I could have used ffmpeg instead. It seems to take a bit of knowlege to join videos that weren't encoded the same way.

[Budman1]

Basically there are 2 methods I use to join files, Binary joining and ffmpeg concat. Different formats work with Concat and others work with binary.Checking several formats gave me these results:

FLV ffmpeg concat=joins OK plays both, length is both
FLV copy /b = 2 complete movies but time says only one and plays one
MKV ffmpeg concat=joins but first subtitle
MKV copy /b = 2 complete movies but time says only one and plays one
MP4 ffmpeg concat = joins but loses DVBsubs and srt subs
MP4 copy /b= 2 complete movies but time says only one and plays one
VOB ffmpeg concat = multiple errors trying to join and aborts
VOB /b works and carries over the DVD subtitles
3GP ffmpeg concat=joins/ plays fine Subtitles ??????
3GP copy /b = 2 complete movies but time says only one and plays one
FLAC ffmpeg concat= Multiple errors during conversion. Fails
FLAC copy /b = 2 complete movies but time says only one and plays one
MPG ffmpeg concat=joins/ plays fine. Gives correct time and size. Subtitles ??????
MPG copy /b = Seems to play ok but Time and size is given as only one video.
M2V = Same as MPG
M2V /b copy = Same as MPG

The formats for each are:

[yetanotherlogin]

Thanks for the info.

Out of curiosity, what's that Media Utility software? It's drowned in hits when googling for it.

[Budman1]

Media Utility is a program I wrote(am writing as ongoing project.) I got tired of looking up something that I have looked up before but couldn't remember how. It spits out the format for MANY of the requests people ask for that are unique maybe to them and several others. I'm sure it could use improved but it does most of what I want:

1. Check integrity of FLV videos
2. Remove Meta Data
3. Replace Meta Data
4. Perform Media Info on the video for most needed information with Media Info CLI
(https://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo/Download/Windows)
5. Extract Audio
6. Extract Video
7. Shift Audio/Video to resync (Can visually compare audio to video)
8. Rename Videos with Media Info in name
9. Find old video names left coded into the video
10. Player using your main viewer for videos
11. Built in Windows Media Player
12. Embed the date/time from the image. Not the Windows file data but the data from the camera
13. Add a subtitle track to an MP4 or MKV OR Hardcode subtitles into a video (SRT/ASS at the moment)
14. Add logo
15. Add overlay (picture in Picture)
16. Calculator
17. Histograms (Including Quality difference [work in progress])
18. One image converted to video so plays music with single image
19. Multiple images slideshow while playing audio(with or without transitions between)
20. Crop and pad Landscape/Portrait to create Portrait/Landscape so it can be used with others in 19 above
21. Merge Resize
22. Edit video with size, quality, aspect, crop, pad, brightness, contrast, intensity, RGB color saturation
23. RECENT added changing Created/modified date/time FROM Encoded/Tagged date/time or TO Encoded Date/time

I use it to post an answer that can be proven is seconds to work so the information is correct for those that request help.

[yetanotherlogin]

Thanks for the info.

But again: What tool do you guys use to to convert different videos into the same format, before joining them?

To get back to the actual files I had to deal with: Provided ffmpeg can be used for that, what switches would you use to re-encode the MPEG file to match the MP4 file?

c:\>ffprobe.exe -i file1.mp4

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'file1.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
    minor_version   : 512
    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
    encoder         : Lavf54.63.104
  Duration: 00:03:28.69, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 815 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 854x480 [SAR 1:1 DAR 427:240], 683 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : VideoHandler
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp, 125 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : SoundHandler

c:\>ffprobe.exe -i file2.mpeg

Input #0, mpeg, from 'file2.mpeg':
  Duration: 01:13:39.98, start: 0.604000, bitrate: 9356 kb/s
    Stream #0:0[0x1e0]: Video: mpeg2video (Main), yuv420p(tv), 720x576 [SAR 64:45 DAR 16:9], max. 9100 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc
    Stream #0:1[0x80]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 448 kb/s

[postcd]

Another command i have found is:

ffmpeg -i vid1.mp4 -i vid2.mp4 -filter_complex "[1:v][0:v]scale2ref=oh*mdar:h=in_h:[v1][v0];[v0][v1]hstack[vo]" -map "[vo]" ./output-video.mp4

(2nd video scale to match the 1st)
source

[Budman1]

Just for the record here... It is very difficult to encode a video to match another mp4 but not impossible. It is so hard that I created a program to create the string for me. The 2 files are almost exactly the same format and join so that they play all the way through without problems.. I have tried it other ways but some videos worked and some didn't. Haven't had a problem now so far using most of the second videos parameters.

EXAMPLE:

ffmpeg -i "C:\Users\Bud\Desktop\Wham_Last Christmas.mp4" -ss 102.700000 -vframes 250 -c:v libx264 -b:v 873k -crf 20 -r 30 -profile High -level 3 -preset medium -c:a aac -ar 44100 -ab 128k -x264-params cabac=1:refs=4:deblock=1:0:0:analyse=0x3:0x113:me=hex:subme=7:psy=1:psy-rd=1.00:0.00:mixed-refs=1:me-range=16:chroma-me=1:trellis=1:8x8dct=1:cqpfile=0:deadzone=21,11:fast-pskip=1:chromaoffset=-2:threads=18:lookahead-threads=2:sliced-threads=0:nr=0:decimate=1:interlaced=0:bluray-compat=0:constrained-intra=0:bframes=3:b-pyramid=0:b-adapt=1:b-bias=0:directpred=1:weightb=1:open-gop=0:weightp=2:keyint=250:min-keyint=25:scenecut=40:intra-refresh=0:rc-lookahead=40:rc=crf:mbtree=1:crf=1.0:qcomp=0.60:qpmin=0:qpmax=69:qpstep=4:ip-ratio=1.40:aq-mode=1:crf=20.0 -refs 4 -y "C:\Users\Bud\Desktop\T1_0_Wham_Last Christmas.mp4"