Mencoder is identifying some of my .dv files as MPEG-TS instead of dvvideo. I am using mencoder built from SVN-r34371-4.5.2 on December 2, 2011. I complied it using ./configure --confdir=/etc/mplayer --codecsdir=/usr/local/lib/codecs --enable-debug=3 Someone else had a similar problem back in 2006 : http://www.itdp.de/mplayer-users/2006-03/msg00467.html I can force it to treat it as dvvideo with: mencoder -v -demuxer lavf -o - not_mpeg_ts_short.dv I have uploaded a sample clip to ftp://upload.mplayerhq.hu/incoming/not_mpeg_ts_short.dv and full debug information at ftp://upload.mplayerhq.hu/incoming/not_mpeg_ts_short.txt I can provide the full 6.6G file if needed. I also have a copy of it on my site here: http://stuporglue.org/downloads/not_mpeg_ts_short.dv and here: http://stuporglue.org/downloads/not_mpeg_ts_short.txt mencoder -v -o - not_mpeg_ts_short.dv MEncoder SVN-r34371-4.5.2 (C) 2000-2011 MPlayer Team get_path('codecs.conf') -> '/home/stuporglue/.mplayer/codecs.conf' Reading optional codecs config file /home/stuporglue/.mplayer/codecs.conf: No such file or directory Reading optional codecs config file /etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: No such file or directory Using built-in default codecs.conf. init_freetype Using MMX (with tiny bit MMX2) Optimized OnScreenDisplay get_path('fonts') -> '/home/stuporglue/.mplayer/fonts' Configuration: --confdir=/etc/mplayer --codecsdir=/usr/local/lib/codecs --enable-debug=3 [file] File size is 15000000 bytes STREAM: [file] not_mpeg_ts_short.dv STREAM: Description: File STREAM: Author: Albeu STREAM: Comment: based on the code from ??? (probably Arpi) success: format: 0 data: 0x0 - 0xe4e1c0 LAVF_check: DV video format Checking for YUV4MPEG2 ASF_check: not ASF guid! Checking for REAL Checking for SMJPEG Searching demuxer type for filename not_mpeg_ts_short.dv ext: .dv Checking for Nullsoft Streaming Video Checking for MOV Checking for VIVO header block 1 size: 7 AVS: avs_check_file - attempting to open file not_mpeg_ts_short.dv AVS: File is too big, aborting... Checking for PVA Checking for MPEG-TS... TRIED UP TO POSITION 66562, FOUND 47, packet_size= 0, SEEMS A TS? 0 Checking for LMLM4 Stream Format Invalid packet in LMLM4 stream: ch=7943 size=2038004081 LMLM4 Stream Format not found system stream synced at 0xE14C29 (14765097)! ==> Found video stream: 11 {ERROR5,c=1} {ERROR5,c=193} {ERROR5,c=196} PARSE_PSM, len=28512 {ERROR5,c=192} ==> Found video stream: 8 PARSE_PSM, len=19456 PARSE_PSM, len=32667 {PTS_err:1} ==> Found audio stream: 19 PARSE_PSM, len=10003 {ERROR5,c=0} PARSE_PSM, len=2033 PARSE_PSM, len=8092 {ERROR5,c=0} PARSE_PSM, len=11264 PARSE_PSM, len=9203 {ERROR5,c=3} {ERROR5,c=17} PARSE_PSM, len=27648 {ERROR5,c=0} PARSE_PSM, len=19456 {ERROR5,c=242} PARSE_PSM, len=11264 {ERROR5,c=9} PARSE_PSM, len=3072 PARSE_PSM, len=16768 {ERROR5,c=202} PARSE_PSM, len=3065 {ERROR5,c=10} {PTS_err:2} {PTS_err:2} MPEG Stream reached EOF ds_fill_buffer: EOF reached (stream: video) MPEG-PS file format detected. {ERROR5,c=1} {ERROR5,c=193} {ERROR5,c=196} PARSE_PSM, len=28512 {ERROR5,c=192} PARSE_PSM, len=19456 PARSE_PSM, len=32667 {PTS_err:1} Searching for sequence header... ds_fill_buffer: EOF reached (stream: video) NONE :( MPEG: FATAL: EOF while searching for sequence header. Video: Cannot read properties. Exiting... Thank you, Michael Moore