HOWTO: Install and use the latest FFmpeg and x264

[claracc]

Hello ron999,

Thankyou very much, I have followed your recommendation, and yes, I could, at last, to convert the real audio file to a wav one, and now I can listen to it with rhythmbox.

It is clear, I need to read more about ffmpeg in ordert to use it properly.

Regards

[ron999]

@claracc
ffmpeg is a great program.
But if you want to use those ram links then mplayer is much better.
Try mplayer, you'll find it's much quicker than ffmpeg for this job.
The 37 second clip takes exactly 37 seconds to download with ffmpeg.
With mplayer it downloads in a twinkle.
Just try it please.

mplayer -bandwidth 9999999 -playlist http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/btp/ram_files/winchester_audio1.ram -vc null -vo null -ao pcm:fast:waveheader:file=winchester_audio2.wav

[claracc]

Hello ron999, I have tried the coneversion with mplayer as you have adviced, and it is as fast as a ray, much more than ffmpeg.

So I will use mplayer to do the format conversion for .ram files.

I see that I have to learn more about mplayer too.

Thanks and regards

[FakeOutdoorsman]

Hmmmm..... this is not much of an improvement I guess:

$ ./version.sh | grep 'POINT' | cut -d '"' -f 2 | sed 's/ /+git/'
0.114.189+git60ef1f8

Big advantage for me is that I don't understand awk

Thanks for the alternate command. I don't understand awk very well and every time I use it I have to re-learn by fumbling around with it. I've shortened my command by combining the seds. I guess I just have to decide which one should replace the ubercommand in the pkgversion.

[andrew.46]

I've shortened my command by combining the seds.

I see you have used this:

$ ./version.sh | awk '/POINT/{print $3,$4}' | sed 's/"//g;s/ /+git/'

which certainly works, although I am more used to seeing the following:

$ ./version.sh | awk '/POINT/{print $3,$4}' | sed -e 's/"//g' -e 's/ /+git/'

I read some discussion concerning use of either the semicolon or the -e option and was none the wiser as to which was the better, or more correct option .

[undercash]

well no luck for me trying to compile ffmpeg as a shared library. But it seems I don't need ffmpeg-php anyway so I ll just use as it.

Before you had a link for the http://code.google.com/p/x264-ffmpeg-up-to-date/ script on your tutorial. Is this in a sort of standbye because ffmpeg moved to git?

[FakeOutdoorsman]

Before you had a link for the http://code.google.com/p/x264-ffmpeg-up-to-date/ script on your tutorial. Is this in a sort of standbye because ffmpeg moved to git?

I removed the link to that script because the author has failed to keep it reasonably up to date.

[undercash]

ah I see. it's a pity even though it' s not really hard to update manually

[andrew.46]

I see you have used this:

$ ./version.sh | awk '/POINT/{print $3,$4}' | sed 's/"//g;s/ /+git/'

I consulted the experts on comp.unix.shell and the following syntax might be what you are after:

$ ./version.sh | awk -F'[" ]' '/POINT/{print $4"+git"$5}'

It is nicely done and probably hints to me that I really need to drag that awk book down from the shelf

[FakeOutdoorsman]

Yes, that's perfect. Thanks Andrew. I'll add this to the guide soon.

I'll admit that I've never posted on a Usenet group before.