converting to MXF using ffmpeg

Question

I have been trying to use FFmpeg utility to convert a avi file using DNxHD to mxf format. I am using "FFmpeg" with params as following:

 ffmpeg -i ccvt_box.avi -vcodec dnxhd -video_size 1920x1080 -r 24 -b:v 115m  ex.mxf        

The error it is giving :

ffmpeg version N-43737-g76c3fff Copyright (c) 2000-2012 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Aug 20 2012 18:50:42 with llvm-gcc 4.2.1 (LLVM build 2336.11.00)
  configuration: 
  libavutil      51. 70.100 / 51. 70.100
  libavcodec     54. 53.100 / 54. 53.100
  libavformat    54. 25.104 / 54. 25.104
  libavdevice    54.  2.100 / 54.  2.100
  libavfilter     3. 11.101 /  3. 11.101
  libswscale      2.  1.101 /  2.  1.101
  libswresample   0. 15.100 /  0. 15.100
Input #0, avi, from 'ccvt_box.avi':
  Duration: 00:00:10.00, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 691 kb/s
    Stream #0:0: Video: indeo5 (IV50 / 0x30355649), yuv410p, 340x344, 10 tbr, 10 tbn, 10 tbc
    Metadata:
      title           : bob.avi
[dnxhd @ 0x7fcd60818e00] video parameters incompatible with DNxHD
Output #0, mxf, to 'ex.mxf':
    Stream #0:0: Video: dnxhd, yuv422p, 340x344, q=2-1024, 90k tbn, 24 tbc
    Metadata:
      title           : bob.avi
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (indeo5 -> dnxhd)
Error while opening encoder for output stream #0:0 - maybe incorrect parameters such as bit_rate, rate, width or height

UPDATE

➜  FFmpegTest  ffmpeg -i ccvt_box.avi -c:v dnxhd -s 1920x1080 -r 25 -b:v 115M ex.mxf
ffmpeg version N-43737-g76c3fff Copyright (c) 2000-2012 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Aug 20 2012 18:50:42 with llvm-gcc 4.2.1 (LLVM build 2336.11.00)
  configuration: 
  libavutil      51. 70.100 / 51. 70.100
  libavcodec     54. 53.100 / 54. 53.100
  libavformat    54. 25.104 / 54. 25.104
  libavdevice    54.  2.100 / 54.  2.100
  libavfilter     3. 11.101 /  3. 11.101
  libswscale      2.  1.101 /  2.  1.101
  libswresample   0. 15.100 /  0. 15.100
Input #0, avi, from 'ccvt_box.avi':
  Duration: 00:00:10.00, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 691 kb/s
    Stream #0:0: Video: indeo5 (IV50 / 0x30355649), yuv410p, 340x344, 10 tbr, 10 tbn, 10 tbc
    Metadata:
      title           : bob.avi
File 'ex.mxf' already exists. Overwrite ? [y/N] y
Output #0, mxf, to 'ex.mxf':
  Metadata:
    encoder         : Lavf54.25.104
    Stream #0:0: Video: dnxhd, yuv422p, 1920x1080, q=2-1024, 115000 kb/s, 25 tbn, 25 tbc
    Metadata:
      title           : bob.avi
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (indeo5 -> dnxhd)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
frame=  249 fps= 59 q=1.0 Lsize=  147662kB time=00:00:09.96 bitrate=121450.5kbits/s dup=149 drop=0    
video:0kB audio:0kB subtitle:0 global headers:0kB muxing overhead inf%
Output file is empty, nothing was encoded (check -ss / -t / -frames parameters if used)

➜  FFmpegTest  ls -l ex.mxf 
-rw-r--r--  1 Prakash  staff  151205933 Sep  5 15:26 ex.mxf

Solution

You need to use -s instead of -video_size (this is an option for some demuxers and the V4L2 input device), use 115M instead of 115m, and provide a valid frame rate with -r (25 [pal], 50, 30000/1001 [ntsc], 60000/1001):

ffmpeg -i ccvt_box.avi -c:v dnxhd -s 1920x1080 -r 25 -b:v 115M ex.mxf

Note that this example does not address any audio stream. Default audio encoder will be pcm_s16le.

In addition to FFmpeg there is also FFmbc which may provide additional DNxHD functionality.

Comments

[Elisa Cha Cha]

I see no error. Is this the complete ffmpeg console output? Also, option placement matters. You're applying all of your options to the input. Move it past -i input to apply your options to the output.

[itasuke]

@LordNeckbeard Thanks for the information, I updated the question after making the modifications you told.

[slhck]

I've found FFmpeg highly unreliable with DNxHD content and always use FFmbc for that. On this page there's a table with common DNxHD resolutions and bitrates (i.e. the values you put after -b:v). And yeah — FFmbc can't create MXF files either, just DVCPROHD or XDCAM.

[itasuke]

@LordNeckbeard Thanks for the help. But I have a requirement to convert to mxf format. How should I do then?

[itasuke]

+1 for the help so far. I have updated the question after what you told, there is still small problem.

[itasuke]

@LongNeckbeard When I am playing with VLC player it is saying that there is no data. This is may be because the conversion never happened