[MEncoder-users] Recoding RM files for iPod

[Ulf Magnusson]

On Dec 26, 2007 9:01 PM, Ulf Magnusson <ulfalizer at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've been trying for a couple of days to recode RM files for viewing
> on my iPod. Afters some initial research I came up with the following:
>
> $ mencoder movie.rm -o ipod.mp4                 \
> -of lavf -lavfopts format=mp4                   \
> -ovc x264 -x264encopts qp=20:keyint=60          \
> -oac faac -faacopts mpeg=4:raw:object=2:br=160  \
> -srate 48000                                    \
> -vf scale=320:240
>
> This produces a file that plays fine in MPlayer, but gives a white
> screen with just sound in QuickTime. iTunes refuses to transfer the
> file to the iPod, saying "ipod.mp4 was not copied to the iPod <foo>
> because it cannot be played on this iPod". For the above, MEncode
> prints the following warning:
>
> ** MUXER_LAVF *****************************************************************
> REMEMBER: MEncoder's libavformat muxing is presently broken and can generate
> INCORRECT files in the presence of B frames. Moreover, due to bugs MPlayer
> will play these INCORRECT files as if nothing were wrong!
> *******************************************************************************
>
> I thought I'd instead try doing the muxing with MP4Box, using the
> following (inspired by the script from
> http://diveintomark.org/archives/2007/06/07/howto-batch-encode-video-for-ipod-under-linux-2007-edition):
>
> $ mencoder movie.rm -o ipod.avi                \
> -ovc x264 -x264encopts qp=20:keyint=60         \
> -oac faac -faacopts mpeg=4:object=2:br=160:raw \
> -srate 48000                                   \
> -vf scale=320:240
>
> $ MP4Box -aviraw video ipod.avi
>
> $ MP4Box -aviraw audio ipod.avi
>
> $ mv ipod_audio.raw ipod.aac
>
> $ mv ipod_video.h264 ipod.h264
>
> $ MP4Box -add ipod.aac:lang=en ipod.mp4
>
> $ MP4Box -add ipod.h264:fps=23.976 ipod.mp4
>
> This gives a file that won't play at all in QuickTime ("An invalid
> sample description was found in the movie."), and that iTunes still
> refuses to copy to the iPod. It still plays in MPlayer, but without
> any sound, and with the following errors:
>
> FAAD: Failed to decode frame: Invalid number of channels
> FAAD: Failed to decode frame: Maximum number of bitstream elements exceeded
> FAAD: Failed to decode frame: Unexpected channel configuration change
> FAAD: Failed to decode frame: Unexpected channel configuration change
>
> The file I'm trying to recode is
> http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/6/6.046j/f05/lecturenotes/ocw-6.046-07sep2005-220k.rm
> .
>
> I'm running out of ideas. Any help appreciated!
>
> /Ulf
>

I should mention my system specs as well:
Macbook Pro
OS X 10.4.11
The latest MPlayer/MEncode from SVN (dev-SVN-r25530-4.0.1)
Latests versions of x264 and FAAC from SVN
MP4Box - GPAC version 0.4.4

/Ulf