Problems converting to mp4 with mencoder and ffmpeg

[Johann-1.0]

Hello guys.

This time I request some help because I'm trying to convert some avi files into mp4, but once i do it with mencoder, ubuntu cannot play the mp4 file (although i can play other mp4). It doesn't play ONLY the mp4 files a made with mencoder.
On the other hand, when I try to use ffmpeg, it says "Unsupported codec for output stream #0.1", not allowing me to convert them.

What should I do right now?

In previous releases of Ubuntu I did this kind of conversions so easily with no problems, what's wrong this time?

I'm using Ubuntu 10.04

Please, give me a solution as easy as you can, like apt-get install whatever, etc

[linuxsyst]

The command for mencoder is

mencoder (input).avi -o (output).mp4 -oac copy -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg1video -of mpeg

Then test it with

mplayer (filename).mp4

And the command for ffmpeg is

ffmpeg -i (input).avi -acodec libfaac -b:a 128k -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 1200k -flags +aic+mv4 (output).mp4

If you want to know how it works here:

-acodec libfaac

This uses the faac codec to encode the audio to aac.

-b:a 128k and -b:v 1200k

These are the audio and video (respectively) bitrates of 128kb and 1200kb

-flags +aic+mv4

mv4 - Affects: Encoding, Video
use four motion vector by macroblock (mpeg4)
aic -
Affects: Encoding, Video
h263 advanced intra coding / mpeg4 ac prediction

[Johann-1.0]

Thank you very much..but it's not working yet. I think the problem is related to some codecs restriction or anything, because I used the same commands as you do.
Thank you again for trying to help

[linuxsyst]

What application did you open it with?
Edit: Ok I probably know what the problem is... Add the Motumedia repository

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:motumedia/mplayer-daily

And install -

sudo apt-get install x264

Or you can do this...

git clone --depth 1 
git://git.videolan.org/x264.git
cd x264
./configure --enable-static
make
sudo checkinstall --pkgname=x264 --pkgversion="3:$(./version.sh | \
  awk -F'[" ]' '/POINT/{print $4"+git"$5}')" --backup=no --deldoc=yes \
  --fstrans=no --default

[Johann-1.0]

Still the same: Unsupported codec.

I can play other mp4 files, but not those I created with ffmpeg, neither on my computer nor my cellphone.

[glennric]

The x264 package is in the ubuntu universe repository. There is no need to enable a third party repository for it.

Also, installing the x264 encoder package will not help at all with the mencoder and ffmpeg commands posted above because they do not use the x264 codec.

What player are you trying to use to play the files back on your computer? Also, what operating system does your phone have on it?

[andrew.46]

On the other hand, when I try to use ffmpeg, it says "Unsupported codec for output stream #0.1", not allowing me to convert them.

[...]

I'm using Ubuntu 10.04

Perhaps if you are using Lucid Lynx 10.04 you could run the following:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-extra-52

and then run your conversion as previously but copy and paste the entire terminal output into a forum post. This will give a few hints as to what is going on...

[Johann-1.0]

Perhaps if you are using Lucid Lynx 10.04 you could run the following:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-extra-52

and then run your conversion as previously but copy and paste the entire terminal output into a forum post. This will give a few hints as to what is going on...

Thank you...I had already done that but again, no success

Here is the error message if anyone finds it useful:

Forzadeldestino1-1.avi

FFmpeg version SVN-r0.5.9-4:0.5.9-0ubuntu0.10.04.3, Copyright (c) 2000-2009 Fabrice Bellard, et al.
  configuration: --extra-version=4:0.5.9-0ubuntu0.10.04.3 --prefix=/usr --enable-avfilter --enable-avfilter-lavf --enable-vdpau --enable-bzlib --enable-libgsm --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-pthreads --enable-zlib --disable-stripping --disable-vhook --enable-runtime-cpudetect --enable-gpl --enable-postproc --enable-swscale --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-shared --disable-static
  libavutil     49.15. 0 / 49.15. 0
  libavcodec    52.20. 1 / 52.20. 1
  libavformat   52.31. 0 / 52.31. 0
  libavdevice   52. 1. 0 / 52. 1. 0
  libavfilter    0. 4. 0 /  0. 4. 0
  libswscale     0. 7. 1 /  0. 7. 1
  libpostproc   51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
  built on Jan 24 2013 19:42:59, gcc: 4.4.3

Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 30000.00 (30000/1) -> 29.97 (30000/1001)
Input #0, avi, from 'Forzadeldestino1-1.avi':
  Duration: 00:26:17.59, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 2364 kb/s
    Stream #0.0: Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 480x360 [PAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], 29.97 tbr, 29.97 tbn, 30k tbc
    Stream #0.1: Audio: mp3, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 112 kb/s
File 'Forzadeldestino1-1.mp4' already exists. Overwrite ? [y/N] y
Output #0, mp4, to 'Forzadeldestino1-1.mp4':
    Stream #0.0: Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 480x360 [PAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], q=2-31, 200 kb/s, 90k tbn, 29.97 tbc
    Stream #0.1: Audio: 0x0000, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 64 kb/s
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
  Stream #0.1 -> #0.1
Unsupported codec for output stream #0.1

[Paddy Landau]

Shot in the dark here, but have you installed the ubuntu-restricted-extras package?

[Johann-1.0]

Shot in the dark here, but have you installed the ubuntu-restricted-extras package?

Yes Paddy, I have already installed that package

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
ubuntu-restricted-extras is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.