ffmpeg conversion to MP4 not working

I am sort of a newbie when it comes to FFMPEG (with php) but I have have been studying up on it for the last couple of weeks. when i use shell commands like:

echo shell_exec('ffmpeg -i input.3gp output.ogg');

echo shell_exec('ffmpeg -i input.flv output.ogv');

everything works fine, but when I use a command like:

echo shell_exec('ffmpeg -i input.flv output.mp4');

I get an output.mp4 with 0 bytes (empty container I'm guessing),

If I try:

echo shell_exec("ffmpeg -i input.3gp  -c:a copy -c:v copy output.mp4");

I get an output.mp4 with 32 bytes (another, almost empty container I'm guessing?),

If I try:

echo shell_exec('ffmpeg -i input.flv -an output.mp4');

I get video (no audio of course), and if I try:

echo shell_exec('ffmpeg -i input.flv -vn output.mp4');

I get audio (no video of course). This is quite confusing to me. It seems like It doesn't want to work unless I use -an, or -vn.

Here is the report:

ffmpeg started on 2017-07-18 at 20:18:34
Report written to "ffmpeg-20170718-201834.log"
Command line:
ffmpeg -i small.flv outputTest.mp4 -report
ffmpeg version 3.1.6 Copyright (c) 2000-2016 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 4.8.5 (GCC) 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-11)
  configuration: --prefix=/usr --bindir=/usr/bin --datadir=/usr/share/ffmpeg --incdir=/usr/include/ffmpeg --libdir=/usr/lib64 --mandir=/usr/share/man --arch=x86_64 --optflags='-O2 -g -pipe -Wall -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fexceptions -fstack-protector-strong --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -grecord-gcc-switches -m64 -mtune=generic' --enable-bzlib --disable-crystalhd --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libcdio --enable-libdc1394 --disable-indev=jack --enable-libfreetype --enable-libgsm --enable-libmp3lame --enable-openal --enable-opencl --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libv4l2 --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-x11grab --enable-avfilter --enable-avresample --enable-postproc --enable-pthreads --disable-static --enable-shared --enable-gpl --disable-debug --disable-stripping --enable-libopencv --shlibdir=/usr/lib64 --enable-runtime-cpudetect
  libavutil      55. 28.100 / 55. 28.100
  libavcodec     57. 48.101 / 57. 48.101
  libavformat    57. 41.100 / 57. 41.100
  libavdevice    57.  0.101 / 57.  0.101
  libavfilter     6. 47.100 /  6. 47.100
  libavresample   3.  0.  0 /  3.  0.  0
  libswscale      4.  1.100 /  4.  1.100
  libswresample   2.  1.100 /  2.  1.100
  libpostproc    54.  0.100 / 54.  0.100
Splitting the commandline.
Reading option '-i' ... matched as input url with argument 'small.flv'.
Reading option 'outputTest.mp4' ... matched as output url.
Reading option '-report' ... matched as option 'report' (generate a report) with argument '1'.
Finished splitting the commandline.
Parsing a group of options: global .
Applying option report (generate a report) with argument 1.
Successfully parsed a group of options.
Parsing a group of options: input url small.flv.
Successfully parsed a group of options.
Opening an input file: small.flv.
[file @ 0x16c3c00] Setting default whitelist 'file,crypto'
[flv @ 0x16c33c0] Format flv probed with size=2048 and score=100
[flv @ 0x16c33c0] Before avformat_find_stream_info() pos: 13 bytes read:32768 seeks:0 nb_streams:0
[flv @ 0x16c33c0] audio stream discovered after head already parsed
[flv @ 0x16c33c0] video stream discovered after head already parsed
[flv @ 0x16c33c0] All info found
[flv @ 0x16c33c0] Setting avg frame rate based on r frame rate
[flv @ 0x16c33c0] After avformat_find_stream_info() pos: 59830 bytes read:65536 seeks:0 frames:103
Input #0, flv, from 'small.flv':
  Metadata:
    encoder         : Lavf52.103.0
  Duration: 00:00:05.56, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 436 kb/s
    Stream #0:0, 62, 1/1000: Audio: mp3, 44100 Hz, mono, s16p, 62 kb/s
    Stream #0:1, 41, 1/1000: Video: flv1, yuv420p, 320x240, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 1k tbn
Successfully opened the file.
Parsing a group of options: output url outputTest.mp4.
Successfully parsed a group of options.
Opening an output file: outputTest.mp4.
[file @ 0x1741c80] Setting default whitelist 'file,crypto'
Successfully opened the file.
detected 4 logical cores
[graph 0 input from stream 0:1 @ 0x16e6960] Setting 'video_size' to value '320x240'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:1 @ 0x16e6960] Setting 'pix_fmt' to value '0'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:1 @ 0x16e6960] Setting 'time_base' to value '1/1000'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:1 @ 0x16e6960] Setting 'pixel_aspect' to value '0/1'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:1 @ 0x16e6960] Setting 'sws_param' to value 'flags=2'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:1 @ 0x16e6960] Setting 'frame_rate' to value '25/1'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:1 @ 0x16e6960] w:320 h:240 pixfmt:yuv420p tb:1/1000 fr:25/1 sar:0/1 sws_param:flags=2
[format @ 0x16e7760] compat: called with args=[yuv420p|yuvj420p|yuv422p|yuvj422p|yuv444p|yuvj444p|nv12|nv16|nv21]
[format @ 0x16e7760] Setting 'pix_fmts' to value 'yuv420p|yuvj420p|yuv422p|yuvj422p|yuv444p|yuvj444p|nv12|nv16|nv21'
[AVFilterGraph @ 0x16c6640] query_formats: 4 queried, 3 merged, 0 already done, 0 delayed
[graph 1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x16e7c00] Setting 'time_base' to value '1/44100'
[graph 1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x16e7c00] Setting 'sample_rate' to value '44100'
[graph 1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x16e7c00] Setting 'sample_fmt' to value 's16p'
[graph 1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x16e7c00] Setting 'channel_layout' to value '0x4'
[graph 1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x16e7c00] tb:1/44100 samplefmt:s16p samplerate:44100 chlayout:0x4
[audio format for output stream 0:1 @ 0x16e84e0] Setting 'sample_fmts' to value 'fltp'
[audio format for output stream 0:1 @ 0x16e84e0] Setting 'sample_rates' to value '96000|88200|64000|48000|44100|32000|24000|22050|16000|12000|11025|8000|7350'
[audio format for output stream 0:1 @ 0x16e84e0] auto-inserting filter 'auto-inserted resampler 0' between the filter 'Parsed_anull_0' and the filter 'audio format for output stream 0:1'
[AVFilterGraph @ 0x16e7e40] query_formats: 4 queried, 6 merged, 3 already done, 0 delayed
[auto-inserted resampler 0 @ 0x16eb700] [SWR @ 0x16ebac0] Using s16p internally between filters
[auto-inserted resampler 0 @ 0x16eb700] ch:1 chl:mono fmt:s16p r:44100Hz -> ch:1 chl:mono fmt:fltp r:44100Hz
[libx264 @ 0x16cb4a0] using mv_range_thread = 24
[libx264 @ 0x16cb4a0] using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 SSE4.2
Output #0, mp4, to 'outputTest.mp4':
  Metadata:
    encoder         : Lavf52.103.0
    Stream #0:0, 0, 0/0: Unknown: none
    Metadata:
      encoder         : Lavc57.48.101 libx264
    Stream #0:1, 0, 0/0: Unknown: none
    Metadata:
      encoder         : Lavc57.48.101 aac
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:1 -> #0:0 (flv1 (flv) -> h264 (libx264))
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:1 (mp3 (native) -> aac (native))
Error while opening encoder for output stream #0:0 - maybe incorrect parameters such as bit_rate, rate, width or height
[AVIOContext @ 0x1759280] Statistics: 0 seeks, 0 writeouts
[AVIOContext @ 0x16cbf80] Statistics: 65536 bytes read, 0 seeks

Benjamin Hall

Posted 2017-07-18T23:56:10.230

Reputation: 11

Can we get the format detection output of FFmpeg? Specifically the "Input #0" and "Output #0" sections. Edit your question to include them. It will give us a much better idea what is happening. – Cliff Armstrong – 2017-07-19T00:15:57.753

Hello Cliff. I have posted the report. – Benjamin Hall – 2017-07-19T00:30:46.040

hmm, interesting, it's automatically transcoding to appropriate formats. So that's not the problem. But I don't see it specifying a bitrate or a crf... you can try specifying a crf manually by putting -crf 18 before the output filename. This will give it a constant rate factor of 18 which should result in an output that is visually identical to the source. It's similar to a bitrate setting but gives a more consistent result. – Cliff Armstrong – 2017-07-19T00:40:42.103

when I added the -crf 18 i got: Output #0, mp4, to 'output11.mp4': Metadata: encoder : Lavf52.103.0 Stream #0:0, 0, 0/0: Unknown: none Metadata: encoder : Lavc57.48.101 libx264 Stream #0:1, 0, 0/0: Unknown: none Metadata: encoder : Lavc57.48.101 aac Stream mapping: Stream #0:1 -> #0:0 (flv1 (flv) -> h264 (libx264)) Stream #0:0 -> #0:1 (mp3 (native) -> aac (native)) Error while opening encoder for output stream #0:0 - maybe incorrect parameters such as bit_rate, rate, width or height – Benjamin Hall – 2017-07-19T01:04:12.533

Then yeah you may have to do the whole thing. This would be the full command: ffmpeg -i small.flv -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 18 -c:a aac output.mp4 -report. This tells ffmpeg to transcode the video to h264 and the audio to aac. The "-preset" setting is a libx264 feature that controls what optimizations ffmpeg uses. More optimizations = slower transcode but smaller file. – Cliff Armstrong – 2017-07-19T03:51:44.880

@CliffArmstrong's suggestion isn't bad, generally. It's always useful to specify exactly what you want. However, your command should have worked. What strikes me is Stream #0:0, 0, 0/0: Unknown: none — it doesn't actually properly create the output streams. Can you please try again with a recent version of ffmpeg? (Download a static build from https://ffmpeg.org/download.html, for example)

– slhck – 2017-07-19T09:51:14.983

ffmpeg conversion to MP4 not working

No answers