FFmpeg converting image sequence to video results in blank video

Question

I've got a series of 361 .png files that I'm trying to convert to video, and for whatever reason the resulting video is just black. Here is the FFmpeg code I'm using:

ffmpeg -f image2 -i "FeatureTour_%05d.png" -r 30 -vcodec libx264 -b:v 9600k "FeatureTour.mp4"

The files are formatted correctly (FeatureTour_00001.png) and no errors are thrown. It just results in a 160kb mp4 files that's black.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

EDIT

Here is my output after using the above code:

ffmpeg version N-46206-g0e4d34e Copyright (c) 2000-2012 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Oct 30 2012 23:07:44 with llvm-gcc 4.2.1 (LLVM build 2336.11.00)
  configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-nonfree --enable-postproc --enable-libaacplus --enable-libass --enable-libcelt --enable-libfaac --enable-libfdk-aac --enable-libfreetype --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-openssl --enable-libopus --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --prefix=/usr/local
  libavutil      52.  1.100 / 52.  1.100
  libavcodec     54. 70.100 / 54. 70.100
  libavformat    54. 35.100 / 54. 35.100
  libavdevice    54.  3.100 / 54.  3.100
  libavfilter     3. 20.113 /  3. 20.113
  libswscale      2.  1.101 /  2.  1.101
  libswresample   0. 16.100 /  0. 16.100
  libpostproc    52.  1.100 / 52.  1.100
[image2 @ 0x7fa68381e200] max_analyze_duration 5000000 reached at 5000000
Input #0, image2, from 'FeatureTour_%05d.png':
  Duration: 00:00:14.44, start: 0.000000, bitrate: N/A
    Stream #0:0: Video: png, rgb24, 114x151 [SAR 2835:2835 DAR 114:151], 25 fps, 25 tbr, 25 tbn, 25 tbc
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] using SAR=1/1
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 FastShuffle SSE4.2 AVX
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] profile High 4:4:4 Predictive, level 3.0, 4:4:4 8-bit
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] 264 - core 125 - H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec - Copyleft 2003-2012 - http://www.videolan.org/x264.html - options: cabac=1 ref=3 deblock=1:0:0 analyse=0x3:0x113 me=hex subme=7 psy=1 psy_rd=1.00:0.00 mixed_ref=1 me_range=16 chroma_me=1 trellis=1 8x8dct=1 cqm=0 deadzone=21,11 fast_pskip=1 chroma_qp_offset=4 threads=12 lookahead_threads=2 sliced_threads=0 nr=0 decimate=1 interlaced=0 bluray_compat=0 constrained_intra=0 bframes=3 b_pyramid=2 b_adapt=1 b_bias=0 direct=1 weightb=1 open_gop=0 weightp=2 keyint=250 keyint_min=25 scenecut=40 intra_refresh=0 rc_lookahead=40 rc=abr mbtree=1 bitrate=9600 ratetol=1.0 qcomp=0.60 qpmin=0 qpmax=69 qpstep=4 ip_ratio=1.40 aq=1:1.00
Output #0, mp4, to 'FeatureTour.mp4':
  Metadata:
    encoder         : Lavf54.35.100
    Stream #0:0: Video: h264 ([33][0][0][0] / 0x0021), yuv444p, 114x151 [SAR 1:1 DAR 114:151], q=-1--1, 9600 kb/s, 15360 tbn, 30 tbc
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (png -> libx264)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
frame=  432 fps=0.0 q=-2.0 Lsize=     152kB time=00:00:14.33 bitrate=  86.9kbits/s dup=71 drop=0    
video:146kB audio:0kB subtitle:0 global headers:0kB muxing overhead 3.905020%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] frame I:3     Avg QP: 0.06  size:  8557
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] frame P:135   Avg QP: 0.10  size:   653
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] frame B:294   Avg QP: 0.43  size:   120
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] consecutive B-frames:  8.8%  0.9%  1.4% 88.9%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] mb I  I16..4: 30.0%  0.4% 69.6%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] mb P  I16..4:  2.1%  0.0%  1.9%  P16..4:  7.5%  1.2%  0.8%  0.0%  0.0%    skip:86.5%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] mb B  I16..4:  0.2%  0.0%  0.1%  B16..8:  4.4%  0.3%  0.2%  direct: 0.9%  skip:93.8%  L0:46.5% L1:48.9% BI: 4.5%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] final ratefactor: -45.15
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] 8x8 transform intra:0.7% inter:19.3%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] coded y,u,v intra: 44.4% 32.1% 31.5% inter: 2.3% 1.6% 1.4%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] i16 v,h,dc,p: 25% 75%  0%  0%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] i8 v,h,dc,ddl,ddr,vr,hd,vl,hu: 30% 40% 10%  0%  5%  0% 10%  0%  5%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] i4 v,h,dc,ddl,ddr,vr,hd,vl,hu: 16% 71%  5%  1%  1%  1%  2%  1%  2%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] Weighted P-Frames: Y:0.0% UV:0.0%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] ref P L0: 88.0%  3.9%  5.0%  3.1%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] ref B L0: 85.4% 12.4%  2.1%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] ref B L1: 98.1%  1.9%
[libx264 @ 0x7fa683826c00] kb/s:82.86

Solution

Add -vf format=yuv420p (or the alias -pix_fmt yuv420p) as an output option

ffmpeg -framerate 30 -i input_%05d.png -vf format=yuv420p output.mp4

Otherwise ffmpeg will attempt to preserve as much color information as it can, but most players can only decode YUV 4:2:0.

Comments

[Brandon Durham]

LordNeckbeard - I'd love to see if you have any ideas regarding this issue: superuser.com/questions/497215/…

[Qix - MONICA WAS MISTREATED]

This is how you solve the VideoTool threw an exception or Your media file could not be processed errors when uploading for Twitter, by the way. Solved a huge headache for me, thank you.