VLC Streaming: MP4v ignoring bitrate

[MikeE]

Hello,
I'm trying to transcode an mpeg2-pes stream (coming from dvb vdr) to an mpeg4 stream and stream it over network on a Debian Etch system. With the binary vlc 0.8.6a etch package i don't have support for mp4a. So i recompiled ffmpeg (with liblamemp3 and libfaac) and tried the 0.8.6c source as well as the current svn. Now, mp4a is working but the encoder is ignoring the vb= command and thus i can't control the bitrate of the videostream (the audiostream ab= works perfectly).
Here's the command line:
./vlc -vvv http://192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109 --sout '#duplicate{dst="transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mp4a,vb=256,ab=56,channels=2, scale=0.5}:std${access=http,mux=asf,dst=:8020}"}'

and the VLC output:
VLC media player 0.8.6c Janus
starting VLC root wrapper... using UID 0 (root)
***************************************
* Running VLC as root is discouraged. *
***************************************

It is potentially dangerous, and might not even work properly.
[00000001] main private debug: checking builtin modules
[00000001] main private debug: checking plugin modules
[00000001] main private debug: loading plugins cache file /root/.vlc/cache/plugins-04041e.dat
[00000001] main private debug: recursively browsing `modules'
[00000001] main private debug: recursively browsing `/usr/local/lib/vlc'
[00000001] main private debug: recursively browsing `plugins'
[00000001] main private debug: module bank initialized, found 191 modules
[00000001] main private debug: opening config file /root/.vlc/vlcrc
[00000001] main private warning: config file /root/.vlc/vlcrc does not exist yet
[00000001] main private debug: CPU has capabilities 486 586 MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2 FPU
[00000001] main private debug: looking for memcpy module: 3 candidates
[00000001] main private debug: using memcpy module "memcpymmxext"
[00000245] main playlist debug: waiting for thread completion
[00000245] main playlist debug: thread 3082210224 (playlist) created at priority 0 (playlist/playlist.c:184)
[00000246] main private debug: waiting for thread completion
[00000246] main private debug: thread 3073817520 (preparser) created at priority 0 (playlist/playlist.c:210)
[00000247] main interface debug: looking for interface module: 1 candidate
[00000247] main interface debug: using interface module "hotkeys"
[00000247] main interface debug: thread 3065400240 (interface) created at priority 0 (interface/interface.c:231)
[00000249] main interface debug: looking for interface module: 1 candidate
[00000249] main interface debug: using interface module "screensaver"
[00000249] main interface debug: thread 3056999344 (interface) created at priority 0 (interface/interface.c:231)
[00000245] main playlist debug: adding playlist item `http://192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109' ( http://192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109 )
[00000251] main interface debug: looking for interface module: 2 candidates
[00000251] skins2 interface error: Cannot open display
[00000251] skins2 interface error: cannot initialize OSFactory
Remote control interface initialized. Type `help' for help.
[00000251] main interface debug: using interface module "rc"
[00000251] main interface debug: thread 3044866992 (manager) created at priority 0 (interface/interface.c:216)
[00000245] main playlist debug: creating new input thread
[00000255] main input debug: waiting for thread completion
[00000255] main input debug: creating statistics handler
[00000257] main stream output debug: stream=`duplicate'
[00000258] main private debug: looking for sout stream module: 1 candidate
[00000258] stream_out_duplicate private debug: creating 'duplicate'
[00000258] stream_out_duplicate private debug: * adding `transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mp4a,vb=256,ab=56,channels=2, scale=0.5}:std{access=http,mux=asf,dst=:8020}'
[00000257] main stream output debug: stream=`transcode'
[00000260] main private debug: looking for sout stream module: 1 candidate
[00000257] main stream output debug: stream=`std'
[00000263] main private debug: looking for sout stream module: 1 candidate
[00000263] main private debug: set sout option: sout-standard-access to http
[00000263] main private debug: set sout option: sout-standard-mux to asf
[00000263] main private debug: set sout option: sout-standard-dst to :8020
[00000263] stream_out_standard private debug: creating `http/asf://:8020'
[00000263] stream_out_standard private debug: using `http/asf://:8020'
[00000265] main private debug: looking for sout access module: 1 candidate
[00000265] main private: creating httpd
[00000265] main private debug: net: listening to port 8020
[00000268] main http server debug: thread 3028032432 (httpd host thread) created at priority 0 (network/httpd.c:1078)
[00000265] main private debug: using sout access module "access_output_http"
[00000263] stream_out_standard private debug: access opened
[00000269] main private debug: looking for sout mux module: 1 candidate
[00000269] mux_asf private debug: asf muxer opened
[00000269] mux_asf private debug: Packet size 4096
[00000269] mux_asf private debug: meta data: title='', author='', copyright='', comment='', rating=''
[00000269] main private debug: using sout mux module "mux_asf"
[00000263] stream_out_standard private debug: mux opened
[00000263] main private debug: using sout stream module "stream_out_standard"
[00000255] main input debug: thread 3036474288 (input) created at priority 0 (input/input.c:265)
[00000260] main private debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-vcodec to mp4v
[00000260] main private debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-acodec to mp4a
[00000260] main private debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-vb to 256
[00000260] main private debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-ab to 56
[00000260] main private debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-channels to 2
[00000260] main private debug: set sout option: sout-transcode-scale to 0.5
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: codec audio=mp4a 0Hz 2 channels 56Kb/s
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: codec video=mp4v 0x0 scaling: 0.500000 256kb/s
[00000260] main private debug: using sout stream module "stream_out_transcode"
[00000258] main private debug: using sout stream module "stream_out_duplicate"
[00000255] main input debug: `http://192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109' gives access `http' demux `' path `192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109'
[00000255] main input debug: creating demux: access='http' demux='' path='192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109'
[00000271] main demuxer debug: looking for access_demux module: 0 candidates
[00000271] main demuxer warning: no access_demux module matched "http"
[00000255] main input debug: creating access 'http' path='192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109'
[00000272] main access debug: looking for access2 module: 6 candidates
[00000272] access_http access debug: http: server='192.168.1.1' port=3000 file='/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109
[00000272] main access debug: net: connecting to 192.168.1.1 port 3000
[00000272] main access debug: connection in progress
[00000272] access_http access debug: protocol 'HTTP' answer code 200
[00000272] access_http access debug: Content-Type: video/mpeg
[00000272] main access debug: using access2 module "access_http"
[00000274] main private debug: pre-buffering...
status change: ( new input: http://192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109 )
status change: ( audio volume: 256 )
status change: ( play state: 1 )
[00000274] main private debug: received first data for our buffer
[00000274] main private debug: pre-buffering done 45055 bytes in 0s - 62 kbytes/s
[00000255] main input debug: creating demux: access='http' demux='' path='192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109'
[00000275] main demuxer debug: looking for demux2 module: 40 candidates
[00000275] main demuxer debug: using demux2 module "ps"
[00000255] main input debug: starting in sync mode
[00000255] main input debug: `http://192.168.1.1:3000/PES/S19.2E-1-1115-13109' successfully opened
[00000255] main input debug: selecting program id=0
[00000309] main packetizer debug: looking for packetizer module: 15 candidates
[00000309] main packetizer debug: using packetizer module "packetizer_mpegvideo"
[00000255] main input debug: stream out mode -> no decoder thread
[00000309] packetizer_mpegvideo packetizer debug: size 544x576 fps=25.000
[00000325] main packetizer debug: looking for packetizer module: 15 candidates
[00000325] main packetizer debug: using packetizer module "mpeg_audio"
[00000255] main input debug: stream out mode -> no decoder thread
[00000257] main stream output debug: adding a new input
[00000258] stream_out_duplicate private debug: duplicated a new stream codec=mpgv (es=0 group=0)
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: creating video transcoding from fcc=`mpgv' to fcc=`mp4v'
[00000335] main decoder debug: looking for decoder module: 19 candidates
[00000335] ffmpeg decoder debug: libavcodec initialized (interface 3354112 )
[00000335] ffmpeg decoder debug: postprocessing disabled
[00000335] ffmpeg decoder debug: using direct rendering
[00000335] ffmpeg decoder debug: ffmpeg codec (MPEG-2 Video) started
[00000335] main decoder debug: using decoder module "ffmpeg"
[00000336] main encoder debug: looking for encoder module: 4 candidates
[00000336] ffmpeg encoder debug: libavcodec already initialized
[00000336] ffmpeg encoder debug: found encoder MPEG-4 Video
[00000336] main encoder debug: using encoder module "ffmpeg"
[00000336] main encoder debug: removing module "ffmpeg"
[00000258] stream_out_duplicate private debug: - added for output 0
[00000257] main stream output warning: trying to send non-dated packet to stream output!
[00000275] ps demuxer debug: force SCR: 12270235400
[00000325] mpeg_audio packetizer debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:48000 bitrate:192
[00000257] main stream output debug: adding a new input
[00000258] stream_out_duplicate private debug: duplicated a new stream codec=mpga (es=1 group=0)
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: creating audio transcoding from fcc=`mpga' to fcc=`mp4a'
[00000350] main decoder debug: looking for decoder module: 19 candidates
[00000350] main decoder debug: using decoder module "mpeg_audio"
[00000351] main encoder debug: looking for encoder module: 4 candidates
[00000351] ffmpeg encoder debug: libavcodec already initialized
[00000351] ffmpeg encoder debug: found encoder MPEG AAC Audio
[00000351] main encoder debug: using encoder module "ffmpeg"
[00000352] main private debug: looking for audio filter2 module: 4 candidates
[00000352] mpgatofixed32 private debug: mpga->fl32, bits per sample: 0
[00000352] main private debug: using audio filter2 module "mpgatofixed32"
[00000357] main private debug: looking for audio filter2 module: 4 candidates
[00000357] audio_format private debug: fl32->s16l, bits per sample: 32
[00000357] main private debug: using audio filter2 module "audio_format"
[00000269] main private debug: adding a new input
[00000269] mux_asf private debug: adding input
[00000258] stream_out_duplicate private debug: - added for output 0
[00000350] mpeg_audio decoder debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:48000 bitrate:192
[00000275] ps demuxer debug: force SCR: 12270355400
[00000275] ps demuxer debug: force SCR: 12270475400
[00000275] ps demuxer debug: force SCR: 12270595400
[00000275] ps demuxer debug: force SCR: 12270715400
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: decoder aspect is 576000:432000
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: source pixel aspect is 1.411765:1
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: scaled pixel aspect is 1.411765:1
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: source 544x576, crop 544x576, destination 272x288, padding 272x288
[00000260] stream_out_transcode private debug: encoder aspect is 576000:432000
[00000336] main encoder debug: looking for encoder module: 4 candidates
[00000336] ffmpeg encoder debug: libavcodec already initialized
[00000336] ffmpeg encoder debug: found encoder MPEG-4 Video
[00000336] main encoder debug: using encoder module "ffmpeg"
[00000269] main private debug: adding a new input
[00000269] mux_asf private debug: adding input
[00000361] main private debug: looking for crop padd module: 1 candidate
[00000361] ffmpeg private debug: input: 272x288 -> 544x576
[00000361] ffmpeg private debug: input: 544x576 I420 -> 272x288 I420
[00000361] ffmpeg private debug: libavcodec already initialized
[00000361] main private debug: using crop padd module "ffmpeg"
[00000275] ps demuxer debug: force SCR: 12270835400

Hope you can help me!

Mike

[dimchik]

Have you solved it? I have exactly the same problem (0.8.6c + debian)

[MikeE]

Unfortunately, not...

[ner0]

Seems that this is still a problem today.
If I set pass the codec alone, without bitrate, it transcodes at what looks like 500Kbps, if I set the bitrate then it will transcode at something similar to the original quality or something like 7000Kbps.