Movies: Which particular MPEG does smugmug like?

colourbox

I decided to try uploading some short movie clips from my Mac. I read the relevant help pages and forum posts, downloaded ffmpegx, and began converting.

When I uploaded a test clip with the OS X Smugmug Uploader 1.0, I got an "Error 0: Wrong format."

ffmpegx has two MPEG choices:
MPEG1 [.MPG] (ffmpeg)
MPEG1 [.MPG] (mpeg2enc)

i tried them both and both gave me the error. My files end in .mpg. They play back fine in VLC Player, but not always in Windows Media Player for OS X. There are a nearly uncountable number of video, audio, and other encoding options in ffmpegx's multiple screens, so probability theory says I won't be able to guess at the right combination of buttons to push to get these MPEG files to come out the other end in just the right way. Is there some obscure video or audio format setting that needs to be turned on or off? Do any of the built-in presets do the job? (None of the presets are named MPEG-1.) Any clues, or links I missed?

gitzlaff

I have the same problem. Anyone reach resolution on this?

colourbox wrote:

I decided to try uploading some short movie clips from my Mac. I read the relevant help pages and forum posts, downloaded ffmpegx, and began converting.

When I uploaded a test clip with the OS X Smugmug Uploader 1.0, I got an "Error 0: Wrong format."

ffmpegx has two MPEG choices:
MPEG1 [.MPG] (ffmpeg)
MPEG1 [.MPG] (mpeg2enc)

i tried them both and both gave me the error. My files end in .mpg. They play back fine in VLC Player, but not always in Windows Media Player for OS X. There are a nearly uncountable number of video, audio, and other encoding options in ffmpegx's multiple screens, so probability theory says I won't be able to guess at the right combination of buttons to push to get these MPEG files to come out the other end in just the right way. Is there some obscure video or audio format setting that needs to be turned on or off? Do any of the built-in presets do the job? (None of the presets are named MPEG-1.) Any clues, or links I missed?

Andy

I'll ask Ben to comment. Thanks!

EcoJam

ffmegX - can't get a good conv MPEG1

colourbox wrote:

I decided to try uploading some short movie clips from my Mac. I read the relevant help pages and forum posts, downloaded ffmpegx, and began converting.

When I uploaded a test clip with the OS X Smugmug Uploader 1.0, I got an "Error 0: Wrong format."

ffmpegx has two MPEG choices:
MPEG1 [.MPG] (ffmpeg)
MPEG1 [.MPG] (mpeg2enc)

i tried them both and both gave me the error. My files end in .mpg. They play back fine in VLC Player, but not always in Windows Media Player for OS X. There are a nearly uncountable number of video, audio, and other encoding options in ffmpegx's multiple screens, so probability theory says I won't be able to guess at the right combination of buttons to push to get these MPEG files to come out the other end in just the right way. Is there some obscure video or audio format setting that needs to be turned on or off? Do any of the built-in presets do the job? (None of the presets are named MPEG-1.) Any clues, or links I missed?

This was part of my basic question:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=29065

The 2 times its worked I believe it was MPEG1 [.MPG] (mpeg2enc), but can't be sure. During the current failing process, it creates a few files on the desktop, then at 99% it combined them to 1 .MPG file -- my problem was QuickTime would not play the file. With the other setting, the audio ticked and then QT crapped out 1/2 thru playback -- ?? so frustrating - I've literally had a couple hundred failed tries. Even wiped the program, reinstalled - think I have the "binaries??" in the right place, maybe not.

Anyway, I hope there is an expert out there - I'l buy em a drink if advise leads to a fix.

javier.rinaldi

EcoJam wrote:

This was part of my basic question:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=29065

The 2 times its worked I believe it was MPEG1 [.MPG] (mpeg2enc), but can't be sure. During the current failing process, it creates a few files on the desktop, then at 99% it combined them to 1 .MPG file -- my problem was QuickTime would not play the file. With the other setting, the audio ticked and then QT crapped out 1/2 thru playback -- ?? so frustrating - I've literally had a couple hundred failed tries. Even wiped the program, reinstalled - think I have the "binaries??" in the right place, maybe not.

Anyway, I hope there is an expert out there - I'l buy em a drink if advise leads to a fix.

the mpg files I've uploaded successfully are all mpeg-1, they HAVE to be under 8mb, otherwise, no dice. I use TMPGENC to reencode/clip/color correct videos, it's nice and fast.
get more info here
http://www.smugmug.com/help/video-clips-online
check your file info with MediaINfo http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en to find out your specs

also check out star*explorer for uploading them, it did a good job for me, and will check that at least file size doesn't exceed limitations

gitzlaff

Thanks for the input. I will continue trying to get this to work.... At least, I keep trying a little bit more before moving on.

I see on the historic threads that this has been said many times before, but I still feel like I need to join in the evidently widespread opinion that this whole process is -- at a minimum -- inconvenient, unnecessary (other services evidently permit formats other than mpeg1 and larger files sizes than 8 MB) and not anywhere near as well thought-out as the rest of Smugmug's systems. Even if I do get this process working, it certainly looks very unlikely that it could possibly be convenient enough for me to use it more than a handful of times, i.e. in unusual circumstances only.

{JT}

I have always had problems getting FFMPEGX to work properly exporting videos too (regardless of the destination format). Instead, try using VLC to export the movie to MPEG1. I have had some success exporting files from there.

Start VLC and go to File > Streaming/Exporting Wizard

Then click the second radio choice: Transcode/Save to file

Next page keep Select a Stream selected, and choose your source movie.

Next page check both boxes for Transcode video (MPEG-1 Video) and Transcode audio (MPEG Audio). You will have to choose lower bitrates for both options to get the file size down though

Next page choose MPEG 1 as your format.

Next page choose the file name to save as and click next. It should start reencoding.

It may crash though, I have had that happen too.

DodgeV83

TMPGENC works great for me, I have probably over a hundred videos on my site. I just have to use the standard uploader.

peestandingup

DodgeV83 wrote:

TMPGENC works great for me, I have probably over a hundred videos on my site. I just have to use the standard uploader.

TMPGENC=Windows only program. All the posters here are talking about Mac applications.

JT, I tried the VLC transcode option multiple times & it wont work. Gives me an error message & spits out an empty mpeg file.



Im telling you guys, I have tried just about everything on the Mac platform for doing mpeg-1 and have only found 2 things that are worth using & gives consistently good results + ease of use. One is if you have Roxio's Toast, that app will install a plugin into Quicktime for making VCDs (mpeg-1 files), but this costs some $$ & is probably overkill.

And two is iVCD, which isnt free either ($30) but I swear to you, it works great. It sucks that both the options arent free & I know we are all looking for a free no hassel solution, but to my knowledge this is the best we got to work with.

DodgeV83

peestandingup wrote:

TMPGENC=Windows only program. All the posters here are talking about Mac applications.

JT, I tried the VLC transcode option multiple times & it wont work. Gives me an error message & spits out an empty mpeg file.



Im telling you guys, I have tried just about everything on the Mac platform for doing mpeg-1 and have only found 2 things that are worth using & gives consistently good results + ease of use. One is if you have Roxio's Toast, that app will install a plugin into Quicktime for making VCDs (mpeg-1 files), but this costs some $$ & is probably overkill.

And two is iVCD, which isnt free either ($30) but I swear to you, it works great. It sucks that both the options arent free & I know we are all looking for a free no hassel solution, but to my knowledge this is the best we got to work with.

Jeesh! I thought Mac computers had free versions for everything just like Windows I'd be really surprised if you had to pay to get MPEG-1 on a Mac. We would've heard the complaints here a long time ago...

peestandingup

DodgeV83 wrote:

Jeesh! I thought Mac computers had free versions for everything just like Windows I'd be really surprised if you had to pay to get MPEG-1 on a Mac. We would've heard the complaints here a long time ago...

You really dont HAVE to pay, there are indeed free alternatives for getting mpeg-1 on a Mac, but as you see from this thread they are VERY hit or miss & I agree 100% with that.

Can you get mpeg-1 using free software for Mac? Sure.

Does it only work about half the time (or not at all) & make you go crazy in the process? Absolutely.

So, yes. It is possible to convert mpeg-1 vids for free on a Mac, but those free options suck. I wish they didnt, but they do.

benyu

I don't know if this'll work (first post), but I'll try to attach the ffmpegx config file I use for smugmug videos. It's not perfect though, as Quicktime movies seem to still have errors sometimes (that I don't understand). For QT movies, I still use these settings, allow the error to happen, then in QT (I have PRO, dunno if you can do this without PRO), export the sound as a plain WAV, then use ffmpegx to MUX the video file (.mv2 or something like that) and the audio file (.wav) together. I'm still looking for an easier way to do QT files (which is why I Googled and came across this posting).

EDIT: Hmm, apparently you can't upload any file type. I tried changing the extension to .txt and uploaded that. Hopefully you can just download that attachment and change the extension back to .ffx for ffmpegx to open it (Command - Shift - F). Lemme know if it doesn't work and I'll find another way to provide this settings file.

peestandingup wrote:

You really dont HAVE to pay, there are indeed free alternatives for getting mpeg-1 on a Mac, but as you see from this thread they are VERY hit or miss & I agree 100% with that.

Can you get mpeg-1 using free software for Mac? Sure.

Does it only work about half the time (or not at all) & make you go crazy in the process? Absolutely.

So, yes. It is possible to convert mpeg-1 vids for free on a Mac, but those free options suck. I wish they didnt, but they do.