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Questions tagged [video-codecs]

General questions about video codecs (like x264, DivX, et cetera), their installation, or comparisons.

103 questions
106
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4 answers

What is a Codec (e.g. DivX?), and how does it differ from a File Format (e.g. MPG)?

I'm so confused... what is the difference between an audio/video codec (which apparently is a shorthand for "encoder/decoder", kind of like how "modem" is really "modulator/demodulator") and an audio/video format? (Am I even using the correct…
user541686
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26
votes
1 answer

ffmpeg and the 'unable to find suitable output' error

I'm trying to convert a large MKV to an old-school AVI file. I'm trying this: ffmpeg -i video.mkv -s -codec:v mpeg4 -bf 1 -b 2567k -mbd 2 -g 300 -flags cgop -acodec copy video.avi but I get [NULL @ 0x7fa0d901e600] Unable to find a suitable output…
iceequal
  • 747
20
votes
1 answer

What is the technical reason for modern graphics cards only supporting four monitors?

In January 2022, consumer-grade graphics cards support only four monitors each in the higher tiers. What is the technical limitation that dictates only four? DisplayPort 1.4a MST can support 32.4 Gbit/s and in MST mode this will support up to four…
Zixradoom
  • 313
17
votes
4 answers

Which codecs are most suitable for playback with Windows Media Player on Windows XP?

I need to encode a short video in a format that can be played with windows media player on windows xp without installing any additional codecs. For the recoding process I'm using ffmpeg. I've already tried the msmpeg4v2 codec but the quality is…
ThiefMaster
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16
votes
2 answers

Convert video with vp9 codec using ffmpeg

I am trying to convert input.mp4 video to output.mkv using vp9 codec. I have install development version of ffmpeg via: brew install ffmpeg --devel. ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vcodec vp9 output.mkv But I am getting error: Unknown encoder 'vp9' even the…
Pavel Binar
  • 355
11
votes
3 answers

Portable player? Yes. Portable codecs? Not so fast there, buddy

I have come across a very rare, interesting problem. I need to play video on a computer with Windows XP on which I have no system-wide privileges. I cannot install any software. However, I can run executables, naturally, as long as they stay away…
the_midget_17
  • 817
10
votes
2 answers

How can I compress video by taking advantage of its static content?

I have an HD video that is a presentation, so it consists mostly of still images. It's a 50 minute, 200MB MP4 file, downloaded from YouTube. Is there a way to take advantage of the static nature of the content to compress it further?
Mark Evans
  • 225
9
votes
1 answer

Is there any way to play Netflix (stream) in Windows Media Player 11?

Googling for a solution yields a ridiculous page on eHow that instructs to insert a DVD from Netflix. But I am not interested in the DVD option. I am only interested in streaming and unfortunately none of my browsers (IE, FF, Chrome) uses the…
Not So Sharp
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8
votes
2 answers

What video codec puts the CPU/GPU under the least possible load while decoding?

I'm interested in transcoding a video I own for use as a screensaver; size isn't an issue, but I want to stress the processor and video card as little as possible as far as video decoding goes. What is/are my best option(s)? The system in question…
oKtosiTe
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8
votes
1 answer

What is some good lossless video codec for recording gameplay?

I'm an avid gamer and I like to record my gameplay. Usually I've been using Fraps to do it, however I'm thinking of switching to Dxtory as it allows to write on multiple HDDs at once. Say I have 3 HDDs with the following write speeds: HDD1 with 50…
Grumpy ol' Bear
  • 6,667
7
votes
2 answers

MP4 corrupted, how to repair?

I recorded two videos on a digital camera. Both videos were saved using identical codecs and settings. The second video is corrupted, in some way, and I can't open with VLC or video-editing software. (The first video is ok). I tried to convert video…
Marco
  • 91
6
votes
1 answer

How to reduce latency on FFmpeg video streaming?

On a video streaming application between Linux server (FFmpeg) and Windows client (VLC player), there is a noticeable latency of about 10 seconds. FFmpeg command: ffmpeg -re -f v4l2 -i /dev/video0 http://192.168.1.101:8090/feed1.ffm VLC…
dempap
  • 429
6
votes
0 answers

Extract Mime Type codecs for MediaSource using FFprobe

I have to extract the codecs e.g. 'video/mp4; codecs="avc1.42E01E, mp4a.40.2"' for the MediaSource API. How can I do this strictly with FFprobe/FFmpeg tools? Do not suggest other tools please.
Fr3ddyDev
  • 325
5
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3 answers

Play WTV files on non-media center PC?

I have a Home Theater PC (HTPC) running Windows 7 Media Center. I'm using SiliconDust CableCard adapters to record programming like a DVR. Works great! I'd like to view some of the recorded programs (in WTV format) on my new 8" Dell Venue tablet…
Scott Bussinger
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5
votes
2 answers

ffprobe returns codec_type=video for images and text files

I have a directory with many files of different types and want to find out the codec of each video file. This works well with this command: $ ffprobe -v error -select_streams v -show_entries stream=codec_name,codec_type -of…
Alexander Bösecke
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