[FFmpeg-user] AVC3 -> AVC1 conversion

[antony baxter]

Thank you all your responses. However, I for me the "-tag:v avc1"
approach didn't work. Starting with input.mp4 which is shown as

 Duration: 00:42:08.08, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 941 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(eng): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz,
stereo, fltp, 125 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : SoundHandler
    Stream #0:1(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc3 / 0x33637661),
yuv420p(tv, bt709), 704x396 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 811 kb/s, 25 fps, 25
tbr, 25k tbn, 50 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : VideoHandler
    Stream #0:2: Video: mjpeg, yuvj420p(pc, bt470bg/unknown/unknown),
192x108 [SAR 72:72 DAR 16:9], 90k tbr, 90k tbn, 90k tbc

I ran:

% ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c copy -tag:v avc1 output.mp4

and the resulting file output.mp4 was reported as:

  Duration: 00:42:08.08, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 941 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661),
yuv420p(tv, bt709), 704x396 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 811 kb/s, 25 fps, 25
tbr, 25k tbn, 50 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : VideoHandler
    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz,
stereo, fltp, 125 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : SoundHandler

However Quicktime/iTunes/Preview all couldn't play this file (e.g.
preview opens a window with a spinning wheel in the middle and goes no
further).

What *has* worked for me is:

% ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -codec copy -bsf:v h264_mp4toannexb output.ts
% ffmpeg -i input.ts -codec copy output.mp4

I hope this is useful for someone else in the future.

Thanks

Ant.