using VLC to convert avi-mp4 problem

[psy93]

I'm using VLC ver 1.0.5 and am trying to convert avi's to mp4, but I keep getting an error message

here's what I'm doing then step by step-
open VLC
-media
-convert/save
-File
-add
-convert/save-browse to save destination
-Profile Video MPEG4+AAC (MP4)
-Start

I then get error message-

Streaming / Transcoding failed:
VLC could not open the encoder.

At this stage I then have a file saved with a .ps extension, open it with VLC and its an audio of the avi that i'm trying to convert that is only the first 2 minutes of the clip......

Somone told me that if I just hit "record" this will also save a copy of the avi to "MyDocs" as an MP4 but it only saves as an avi??

any help / ideas appreciated,

TIA

psy93

[VLC_help]

Record button does as if copying. So if the input is AVI the output will also be AVI.

Before you do the transcoding, open Tools -> Messages... (set Verbosity to 2), it will complain more.

[psy93]

many thanks for the help!

[Beksy]

Hi, I'm new to VLC but trying to do a similar thing to assist with a presentation of mine. I keep getting the same error in transcoding message and I'm not very good at computers to be perfectly honest. Is there anyway that anyone could possibly explain to me how to get rid of this?
Thanks.

[VLC_help]

As I said earlier, open Tools -> Messages (set Verbosity to 2) before playback and check what it complains. If you don't understand the messages, paste them here so someone can tell you what the problem is.

[tizzo]

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but I'm having a similar problem, and I've captured the information requested of the previous poster.

First, here's my command line:

Code: Select all

C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC>vlc -vvv "C:\vlctest\E03.avi" --sout=#transcode{vcodec=mp2v,vb=4096,scale=1,acodec=mp2a,ab=192,channels=2}:standard{access=file,mux=ps,dst="C:\VLCTest\E03.mpg"} --aspect-ratio "4:3" --sout-transcode-width 720 --sout-transcode-height 480 --sout-transcode-fps 29.97 --sout-ffmpeg-keyint 16 --sout-ffmpeg-strict 1 --stop-time 20

This was constructed using the advice in the following two Wiki articles:

http://wiki.videolan.org/Transcode#Tran ... and_Prompt

http://wiki.videolan.org/How_to_Create_a_DVD

The message output at verbosity level 2 is:

Code: Select all

main debug: processing request item E03.avi node Playlist skip 0 main debug: resyncing on E03.avi main debug: E03.avi is at 0 main debug: starting new item main debug: creating new input thread main debug: Creating an input for 'E03.avi' main debug: thread (input) created at priority 1 (../.././src/input/input.c:214) qt4 debug: IM: Setting an input main debug: thread started main debug: using sout chain=`transcode{vcodec=mp2v,vb=4096,scale=1,acodec=mp2a,ab=192,channels=2}:standard{access=file,mux=ps,dst=C:\VLCTest\E03.mpg}' main debug: stream=`standard' main debug: looking for sout stream module: 1 candidate main debug: set config option: sout-standard-access to file main debug: set config option: sout-standard-mux to ps main debug: set config option: sout-standard-dst to C:\VLCTest\E03.mpg stream_out_standard debug: creating `file/ps://C:\VLCTest\E03.mpg' stream_out_standard debug: extension is mpg stream_out_standard debug: extension -> mux=ps stream_out_standard debug: using `file/ps://C:\VLCTest\E03.mpg' main debug: looking for sout access module: 1 candidate access_output_file debug: file access output opened (C:\VLCTest\E03.mpg) main debug: using sout access module "access_output_file" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 9.650 ms - Total 9.650 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 9.650 ms) stream_out_standard debug: access opened main debug: looking for sout mux module: 1 candidate mux_ps info: Open main debug: using sout mux module "mux_ps" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.389 ms - Total 0.389 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.389 ms) main debug: muxer support adding stream at any time main debug: muxer prefers to wait for all ES before starting to mux stream_out_standard debug: mux opened main debug: using sout stream module "stream_out_standard" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 43.140 ms - Total 43.140 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 43.140 ms) main debug: stream=`transcode' main debug: looking for sout stream module: 1 candidate main debug: set config option: sout-transcode-vcodec to mp2v main debug: set config option: sout-transcode-vb to 4096 main debug: set config option: sout-transcode-scale to 1 main debug: set config option: sout-transcode-acodec to mp2a main debug: set config option: sout-transcode-ab to 192 main debug: set config option: sout-transcode-channels to 2 stream_out_transcode debug: codec audio=mp2a 0Hz 2 channels 192Kb/s stream_out_transcode debug: codec video=mp2v 720x480 scaling: 1.000000 4096kb/s main debug: using sout stream module "stream_out_transcode" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.956 ms - Total 0.956 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.956 ms) main debug: using timeshift granularity of 50 MiB main debug: using timeshift path 'C:\DOCUME~1\Tony\LOCALS~1\Temp' main debug: `file:///C:/vlctest/E03.avi' gives access `file' demux `' path `C:\vlctest\E03.avi' main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='' path='C:\vlctest\E03.avi' main debug: looking for access_demux module: 2 candidates main debug: no access_demux module matching "file" could be loaded main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.599 ms - Total 0.599 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.599 ms) main debug: creating access 'file' path='C:\vlctest\E03.avi' main debug: looking for access module: 2 candidates filesystem debug: opening file `C:\vlctest\E03.avi' main debug: using access module "filesystem" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.547 ms - Total 0.547 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.547 ms) main debug: Using AStream*Stream main debug: pre buffering main debug: received first data after 0 ms main debug: pre-buffering done 1024 bytes in 0s - 12345 KiB/s main debug: looking for stream_filter module: 2 candidates main debug: no stream_filter module matching "any" could be loaded main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.326 ms - Total 0.326 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.326 ms) main debug: looking for stream_filter module: 1 candidate main debug: using stream_filter module "stream_filter_record" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.266 ms - Total 0.266 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.266 ms) main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='' path='C:\vlctest\E03.avi' main debug: looking for demux module: 50 candidates avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:46464952 (RIFF) size:367440188 pos:0 avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'AVI ' avi debug: <list 'AVI '> avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:306 pos:12 avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'hdrl' avi debug: <list 'hdrl'> avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:68697661 (avih) size:56 pos:24 avi debug: avih: streams:2 flags: HAS_INDEX IS_INTERLEAVED 624x352 avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:116 pos:88 avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'strl' avi debug: <list 'strl'> avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:68727473 (strh) size:56 pos:100 avi debug: strh: type:vids handler:0x44495658 samplesize:0 23.98fps avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:66727473 (strf) size:40 pos:164 avi debug: strf: video:XVID 624x352 planes:1 24bpp avi debug: </list 'strl'> avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:106 pos:212 avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'strl' avi debug: <list 'strl'> avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:68727473 (strh) size:56 pos:224 avi debug: strh: type:auds handler:0x00000000 samplesize:0 41.67fps avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:66727473 (strf) size:30 pos:288 avi debug: strf: audio:0x0055 channels:2 48000Hz 16bits/sample 125kb/s avi debug: </list 'strl'> avi debug: </list 'hdrl'> avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:28 pos:326 avi debug: found LIST chunk: 'INFO' avi debug: <list 'INFO'> avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:54465349 (ISFT) size:16 pos:338 avi debug: ISFT: software : transcode-1.0.4 avi debug: </list 'INFO'> avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:4b4e554a (JUNK) size:1666 pos:362 avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:5453494c (LIST) size:364896496 pos:2036 avi debug: skipping movi chunk avi debug: found Chunk fourcc:31786469 (idx1) size:2541648 pos:364898540 avi debug: idx1: index entry:158853 avi debug: </list 'AVI '> avi debug: * LIST-root size:367440196 pos:0 avi debug: + RIFF-AVI size:367440188 pos:0 avi debug: | + LIST-hdrl size:306 pos:12 avi debug: | | + avih size:56 pos:24 avi debug: | | + LIST-strl size:116 pos:88 avi debug: | | | + strh size:56 pos:100 avi debug: | | | + strf size:40 pos:164 avi debug: | | + LIST-strl size:106 pos:212 avi debug: | | | + strh size:56 pos:224 avi debug: | | | + strf size:30 pos:288 avi debug: | + LIST-INFO size:28 pos:326 avi debug: | | + ISFT size:16 pos:338 avi debug: | + JUNK size:1666 pos:362 avi debug: | + LIST-movi size:364896496 pos:2036 avi debug: | + idx1 size:2541648 pos:364898540 avi debug: AVIH: 2 stream, flags HAS_INDEX IS_INTERLEAVED avi debug: stream[0] rate:23976024 scale:1000000 samplesize:0 avi debug: stream[0] video(XVID) 624x352 24bpp 23.976024fps main debug: selecting program id=0 avi debug: stream[1] rate:48000 scale:1152 samplesize:0 avi debug: stream[1] audio(0x55) 2 channels 48000Hz 16bits avi debug: selected standard index for stream[0] avi debug: selected standard index for stream[1] avi debug: stream[0] created 58021 index entries avi debug: stream[1] created 100832 index entries avi debug: stream[0] length:2419 (based on index) avi debug: stream[1] length:2419 (based on index) main debug: using demux module "avi" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 168.835 ms - Total 168.835 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 168.835 ms) main debug: looking for a subtitle file in C:\vlctest\ main debug: looking for packetizer module: 21 candidates main debug: using packetizer module "packetizer_mpeg4video" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.375 ms - Total 0.375 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.375 ms) main debug: thread (decoder) created at priority 0 (../.././src/input/decoder.c:301) main debug: thread started main debug: looking for packetizer module: 21 candidates main debug: using packetizer module "mpeg_audio" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.370 ms - Total 0.370 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.370 ms) main debug: thread (decoder) created at priority 2 (../.././src/input/decoder.c:301) main debug: thread started main debug: starting in sync mode main debug: looking for meta reader module: 2 candidates lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in C:\Documents and Settings\Tony\Application Data\vlc\lua\meta\reader lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\meta\reader lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\meta\reader\filename.lua main debug: no meta reader module matching "any" could be loaded main debug: TIMER module_need() : 2.323 ms - Total 2.323 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 2.323 ms) main debug: `file:///C:/vlctest/E03.avi' successfully opened main debug: Buffering 0% main debug: switching to async mode main debug: Buffering 8% main debug: Buffering 16% main debug: Buffering 25% main debug: Buffering 33% main debug: Buffering 41% main debug: Buffering 50% mpeg_audio debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:48000 bitrate:128 main debug: adding a new sout input (sout_input:01638480) stream_out_transcode debug: creating audio transcoding from fcc=`mpga' to fcc=`mp2a' main debug: looking for decoder module: 34 candidates main debug: using decoder module "mpeg_audio" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.704 ms - Total 0.704 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.704 ms) main debug: looking for encoder module: 12 candidates main debug: using encoder module "twolame" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.978 ms - Total 0.978 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.978 ms) stream_out_transcode debug: Looking for filter (mpga->s16l, channels 2->2, rate 48000->48000) main debug: looking for audio filter module: 14 candidates mpgatofixed32 debug: mpga->f32l, bits per sample: 0 main debug: using audio filter module "mpgatofixed32" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.434 ms - Total 0.434 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.434 ms) main debug: Filter 'mpgatofixed32' (00ddd60c) appended to chain main debug: looking for audio filter module: 14 candidates audio_format debug: f32l->s16l, bits per sample: 32->16 main debug: using audio filter module "audio_format" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.343 ms - Total 0.343 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.343 ms) main debug: Filter 'audio_format' (015fb454) appended to chain stream_out_transcode debug: Got complete audio filter chain main debug: adding a new input mux_ps debug: adding input codec=mpga main debug: Buffering 58% main debug: Buffering 66% main debug: Buffering 75% main debug: Buffering 83% main debug: Buffering 91% main debug: Buffering 100% main debug: Stream buffering done (325 ms in 4 ms) packetizer_mpeg4video warning: waiting for VOL packetizer_mpeg4video warning: waiting for VOL main debug: adding a new sout input (sout_input:0166b960) stream_out_transcode debug: creating video transcoding from fcc=`mp4v' to fcc=`mp2v' main debug: looking for decoder module: 34 candidates avcodec debug: libavcodec already initialized avcodec debug: trying to use direct rendering avcodec debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) started main debug: using decoder module "avcodec" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 1.939 ms - Total 1.939 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 1.939 ms) main debug: looking for encoder module: 12 candidates avcodec debug: libavcodec already initialized avcodec debug: found encoder MPEG-1/2 Video main debug: using encoder module "avcodec" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 2.370 ms - Total 2.370 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 2.370 ms) main debug: removing module "avcodec" main debug: Decoder buffering done in 4 ms mpeg_audio debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:48000 bitrate:128 stream_out_transcode debug: drift is too high, resetting master sync avcodec debug: using direct rendering stream_out_transcode debug: drift is too high, resetting master sync stream_out_transcode debug: decoder aspect is 1.772727:1 stream_out_transcode debug: source pixel aspect is 1.000000:1 stream_out_transcode debug: scaled pixel aspect is 1.181818:1 stream_out_transcode debug: source 624x352, destination 720x480 stream_out_transcode debug: encoder aspect is 0:480 main debug: looking for video filter2 module: 18 candidates swscale debug: 624x352 chroma: I420 -> 720x480 chroma: I420 with scaling using Bicubic (good quality) main debug: using video filter2 module "swscale" main debug: TIMER module_need() : 2.477 ms - Total 2.477 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 2.477 ms) main debug: Filter 'Swscale' (0168d5cc) appended to chain stream_out_transcode debug: destination (after video filters) 720x480 main debug: looking for encoder module: 12 candidates avcodec debug: libavcodec already initialized avcodec error: cannot open encoder main debug: no encoder module matching "any" could be loaded main debug: TIMER module_need() : 7.317 ms - Total 7.317 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 7.317 ms) stream_out_transcode error: cannot find video encoder (module:any fourcc:mp2v) avcodec debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) stopped main debug: removing module "avcodec" main debug: Filter 0168d5cc removed from chain main debug: removing module "swscale" main debug: EOF reached main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty main debug: finished input main debug: thread times: real 0m1.437500s, kernel 0m0.015625s, user 0m0.031250s main debug: removing module "packetizer_mpeg4video" main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mp4v', 0 PES in FIFO main debug: removing a sout input (sout_input:0166b960) main debug: thread times: real 0m1.359375s, kernel 0m0.062500s, user 0m1.109375s main debug: removing module "mpeg_audio" main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mpga', 0 PES in FIFO main debug: removing a sout input (sout_input:01638480) main debug: TIMER encoding audio frame : 0.753 ms - Total 743.038 ms / 963 intvls (Avg 0.772 ms) main debug: removing module "mpeg_audio" main debug: removing module "twolame" main debug: Filter 00ddd60c removed from chain main debug: removing module "mpgatofixed32" main debug: Filter 015fb454 removed from chain main debug: removing module "audio_format" mux_ps debug: removing input main warning: no more input streams for this mux avi debug: free chunk avih avi debug: free chunk strh avi debug: free chunk strf avi debug: free chunk LIST avi debug: free chunk strh avi debug: free chunk strf avi debug: free chunk LIST avi debug: free chunk LIST avi debug: free chunk ISFT avi debug: free chunk LIST avi debug: free chunk JUNK avi debug: free chunk LIST avi debug: free chunk idx1 avi debug: free chunk RIFF avi debug: free chunk LIST main debug: removing module "avi" main debug: removing module "stream_filter_record" main debug: removing module "filesystem" main debug: Program doesn't contain anymore ES main debug: thread ended main debug: dead input main debug: destroying useless sout main debug: destroying chain... (name=transcode) main debug: removing module "stream_out_transcode" main debug: destroying chain done main debug: destroying chain... (name=standard) mux_ps info: Close main debug: removing module "mux_ps" access_output_file debug: file access output closed main debug: removing module "access_output_file" main debug: removing module "stream_out_standard" main debug: destroying chain done main debug: thread times: real 0m1.718750s, kernel 0m0.031250s, user 0m0.093750s main debug: changing item without a request (current 0/1) main debug: nothing to play qt4 debug: IM: Deleting the input main debug: TIMER input launching for 'E03.avi' : 364.117 ms - Total 364.117 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 364.117 ms)

The part that looks most interesting is:

main debug: looking for video filter2 module: 18 candidates
swscale debug: 624x352 chroma: I420 -> 720x480 chroma: I420 with scaling using Bicubic (good quality)
main debug: using video filter2 module "swscale"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 2.477 ms - Total 2.477 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 2.477 ms)
main debug: Filter 'Swscale' (0168d5cc) appended to chain
stream_out_transcode debug: destination (after video filters) 720x480
main debug: looking for encoder module: 12 candidates
avcodec debug: libavcodec already initialized
avcodec error: cannot open encoder
main debug: no encoder module matching "any" could be loaded
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 7.317 ms - Total 7.317 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 7.317 ms)
stream_out_transcode error: cannot find video encoder (module:any fourcc:mp2v)
avcodec debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-4 Video) stopped

Does anything jump out that I'm doing wrong? Thanks.

Tony