[FFmpeg-devel] FFMPEG fails to convert .mov - "Cannot allocate temp picture"

[Baptiste Coudurier]

fcassia wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 24, 2008 at 9:59 AM, Baptiste Coudurier 
> <baptiste.coudurier at gmail.com> wrote:
>> fcassia wrote:
>>> On Wed, Dec 24, 2008 at 8:15 AM, Baptiste Coudurier 
>>> <baptiste.coudurier at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> fcassia wrote:
>>>>> On Wed, Dec 24, 2008 at 7:50 AM, Baptiste Coudurier 
>>>>> <baptiste.coudurier at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> fcassia wrote:
>>>>>>> On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 4:53 PM, fcassia
>>>>>>> <fcassia at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> Here is the problem file (it was a .mp4 recorded with
>>>>>>>> the Neuros OSD Linux based PVR, and then opened and
>>>>>>>> edited with Quicktime Pro for Windows version 7.5.5,
>>>>>>>> then saves as .mov).
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> http://the13thfloor.org/4friends/tigani-mide2.mov
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> No matter what I try or the target format I choose, it 
>>>>>>>> always fails with the same error:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> [...]
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> [mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0x177a110]stream 0, error 
>>>>>>>> opening file //tigani-mide. mov: Invalid argument
>>>>>> Your file is a reference file pointing to external file, 
>>>>>> however an error occurs when opening external file. You
>>>>>> should check the path and access to '//tigani-mide.mov'.
>>>>> Thanks for the pointer!. I knew something was odd, just
>>>>> wasn't sure what. This is due to Qucktime PRO offering two
>>>>> choices when saving files... either a "flattened" (wtf?) file
>>>>> (an individual video) or a "pointer" (a file references a
>>>>> fragment of another).
>>>>> 
>>>>> The question is... perhaps this is an opportunity to add a 
>>>>> warning or error message to FFMPEG when it encounters such
>>>>> .MOV files?
>>>> Well, an error message is already printed if the file reference
>>>>  cannot be opened, the one I quoted.
>>> Yes, but it is mixed in the middle of a stream of errors.
>> Yes, some other problems are also present, all error messages are 
>> printed when encoutered.
>> 
>>> I think it should just stop there and inform the user in more 
>>> human-friendly terms that the file the user is attempting to
>>> convert has missing/unreadable parts.
>> Absolutely not, video track could not work while audio track could,
>> so there is no reason to stop there, and even when both tracks
>> could not be opened, .mov could contain metadata interesting for
>> the user, and furthermore, technically, the .mov file is valid and
>> can be opened.
>> 
>> About the message, I think it is quite clear: 
>> "[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0x177a110]stream 0, error opening file 
>> //tigani-mide.mov: Invalid argument"
>> 
>> I believe you should just pay more attention to what is written.
> 
> I disagree, strongly. Most users are not aware of this issue (h*ck, I
>  wasn't even) of MOV files referencing others.

You created such a file..., didn't you notice that your file was 
obviously very small ?

> So when I tell FFMPEG to convert a given .MOV file, it didn't cross
> my mind that it could reference another one. The concept of
> cross-referenced mov files is foreign to the world of Windows (and I
> suspect, Linux users).

You are absolutely wrong, this concept has been used for years in .mov
files on windows and mac, especially to store essence files outside the 
.mov, .mp4 can use this mechanism too and is standardized.

> My suggestion would be to detect and output a warning at the start of
> the conversion process:
> 
> "Warning: file blahblah.mov references file somethingelse.mov, which 
> cannot be opened".
> 
> That is much more human readable than "warning cannot open"... which,
> when I first saw it, I thought was a software bug, and made me
> switch back and forth between different FFMPEG builds... thinking I
> had hit a broken build.

Again I believe you didn't pay attention to what FFmpeg told you, 
nonetheless, if you really want to mention "reference" somewhere in the 
message, Im not against it, and patch is welcome.

-- 
Baptiste COUDURIER                              GnuPG Key Id: 0x5C1ABAAA
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