ffmpeg 0.7.7 breaks x264 presets (again!)

[GMaq]

ffmpeg is amazing...but it really gives me a headache sometimes  

AV Linux 5.0.2 comes with ffmpeg 0.6.2 which has been a particularly great version to work with and a version which I've spent a lot of time creating custom presets with for apps like WinFF and Cinelerra. If left as-is users should have no problems.

Yesterday (Nov. 8/2011) updated ffmpeg 0.7.7 and related libs packages came through the default enabled Debian Squeeze repositories and it has changed how it handles libx264 presets for the umpteenth time which basically breaks all my custom x264 presets for WinFF and Cinelerra and probably more that I haven't found yet. For those who may not be aware libx264 is the video codec used for Bluray, iPod and Youtube high quality flash among other new and emerging video formats.

The main issue is that libx264 presets in ffmpeg 0.6.2 had to be explicitly called on the command line with '-vpre' switches which has now changed in 0.7.7 with using '-profile' and '-preset' switches which vary depending on the desired  container format.  

AV Linux users can choose to:

1. Not update ffmpeg and libavformat, libavutil50, libpostproc51, libswscale, libavdevice and libavcodec52 (and their development libraries)

2. Pin the above packages to prevent them from updating in Synaptic

3. Update ffmpeg and related libraries with Synaptic and use the updated preset files for WinFF and Cinelerra here:
http://www.bandshed.net/custom/ffmpeg-0.7.7-presets.zip

Download the zip and follow the instructions in the enclosed README

[trulan]

ffmpeg is amazing...but it really gives me a headache sometimes  

They do this intentionally to frustrate guys like you.    No really but I am surprised that this update hit Squeeze?

Anyway your faithful and timely work on this stuff is greatly appreciated.

[GMaq]

Hi,

Thanks trulan, I think the reason they rammed it through was a combination of numerous bug fixes (I'm thinking not on i386) and a few possible (but exponentially unlikely) security issues within ffmpeg. The ffmpeg developers suggested very strongly that all distributions should replace their existing older versions. Luckily my first Linux gig was writing presets for the WinFF project a few years back so at least I'm not totally in the dark on this stuff.

I was personally very happy about the reliable performance of 0.6.2 but what do I know...

[edvo]

Thanks for this. At the moment I try to figure out how to use Cinelerra and dare to ask in which step of rendering I could choose these
ffmpeg presets? 

[GMaq]

Hi,

An excellent Cinelerra guide here: http://www.g-raffa.eu/Cinelerra/HOWTO/

As far as using the ffmpeg presets you can access them from the 'File-->Render' menu in Cinelerra and then click the arrow beside the 'Render Profile' dropdown box, The deal is when you use ffmpeg for rendering in Cinelerra you have to render the Video and Audio streams separately and then multiplex them together later with the ffmultiplex utility. See the attached screenshots below as an example of creating a render of an H.264 mp4 file. If I ever get some spare time I want to make some screencasts about using Cinelerra in AV Linux...but right now there is just no time.

[edvo]

Thank You very much 

[totalchaos]

ummm.... nevermind