Mencoder error: Error, Invalid timestamp=1, last=1, encoding to mpeg4

I can confirm. And it's the same with the ubuntu mencoder-/mplayer-package on 64-bit.

This actually looks to me as an issue in libavcodec. However, your commandline is pretty convoluted.

Any chance to reproduce this with avconv? Also, was this commandline generated by a frontend? If yes, which one was that?

I use divxenc as frontend. Here is what it writes into it's batchfile.

#!/bin/bash
# Automatically generated by divxenc 1.6.4 on So 3. Jun 17:45:10 CEST 2012

################### START OF COMMANDS ###################

test -d "/home/sjuk" || mkdir -p "/home/sjuk"
test -d "/home/sjuk/.divxenc/job15834" || mkdir -p "/home/sjuk/.divxenc/job15834"
test -e "/home/sjuk/TORNADO.avi" && mv -f "/home/sjuk/TORNADO.avi" "/home/sjuk/TORNADO.avi.old"

nice -n 10 /usr/bin/mencoder "dvd://12" -o "/home/sjuk/TORNADO.avi" -vc mpeg12 -dvd-device /home/sjuk/Desktop/test.iso -nosub -ffourcc DX50 -vf softskip,harddup -noodml -aid 128 -channels 6 -oac copy -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vqscale=3:vmax_b_frames=2:vme=4:mbd=2:bidir_refine=1:cmp=2:subcmp=2:dia=-1:trell:cbp:mv0:last_pred=2:preme=1:autoaspect:threads=2

sleep 2

rm -rf "/home/sjuk/.divxenc/job15834"

#################### END OF COMMANDS ####################

I upgraded ubuntu from 11.04 to 12.04 two weeks ago. On 11.04 divxenc/mencoder worked fine.

I don't know about "avconv". What does it do and how can you use it to convert divx from an iso-file?

avconv is a command line application that makes use of libavcodec, just as mencoder does. It can be used, among others, for conversion and debugging purposes.

I'm sorry but I cannot give you further advice than looking up the avconv's manual and documentation. I'd suggest to bring this issue up to the authors of divxenc .

I have done more testing using divxenc on both the 32 bit and the 64 bit versions of U12.04 and found that a very simple conversion job (taking only the defaults) fails on 64 bit and works fine on 32 bit.

The resulting mencoder command lines were identical. This clearly makes the problem fall on the 64 bit mencoder.
This clearly is a reproducible bug which needs to be fixed and not ignored. The following is a listing of the divxenc generated script. Let's get the mencoder people looking at this.

#!/bin/bash
# Automatically generated by divxenc 1.6.4 on Thu Jun 7 10:40:42 CDT 2012

################### START OF COMMANDS ###################

test -d "/home/lkt" || mkdir -p "/home/lkt"
test -d "/home/lkt/.divxenc/job2369" || mkdir -p "/home/lkt/.divxenc/job2369"
test -e "/home/lkt/test1.avi" && mv -f "/home/lkt/test1.avi" "/home/lkt/test1.avi.old"

nice -n 10 /usr/bin/mencoder "test.mpg" -o "/home/lkt/test1.avi" -ffourcc DX50 -vf softskip,harddup -oac mp3lame -lameopts abr:br=140:aq=4:vol=2.2:mode=1 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=1200:vmax_b_frames=0:vme=4:mbd=1:lumi_mask=0.05:dark_mask=0.01:naq:dia=1:last_pred=0
:vlelim=-4:vcelim=9:autoaspect:threads=2

sleep 2

rm -rf "/home/lkt/.divxenc/job2369"

#################### END OF COMMANDS ####################

I would also like to explain why I need to use mencoder instead of some other program. My wife has a hearing problem so when I compress my mpeg videos with closed captioning I lose the closed captioning, so I convert the closed captioning into subtitling on the screen using mencoder.

If anyone knows of another program besides mencoder to do this, I would like to know how (including example script).

Thanks for any help and except for this problem, Ubuntu 12.04 is great.

Thanks to thomlark, who delivered the proof that there is a problem with the 64-bit mencoder.

Is there any one who can fix it?

I can test the fixed package.

Let me know i I should test something...

On Fr, Jun 08, 2012 at 02:17:38 (CEST), Stefan Pappalardo wrote:

> Thanks to thomlark, who delivered the proof that there is a problem with
> the 64-bit mencoder.
>
> Is there any one who can fix it?

While this is surely helpful indication, it is not sufficient to
understand what actually is going on. I'm still puzzled if this problem
is specific to mencoder, or does this need to be fixed on one of the
many libraries that mencoder links to (e.g., libavcodec).

(BTW, that's why I've asked if this also applies to other transcoding
tools, such as avconv).

--
Gruesse/greetings,
Reinhard Tartler, KeyID 945348A4

I have run avconv on both systems 32 and 64 bit systems and they both work.
I might also say that LMDE 64 bit also fails on 64 bit.

-----Original Message-----
From: <email address hidden> [mailto:<email address hidden>] On Behalf Of
Reinhard Tartler
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2012 1:20 AM
To: <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Bug 1000973] Re: Mencoder error: Error, Invalid
timestamp=1,last=1, encoding to mpeg4

On Fr, Jun 08, 2012 at 02:17:38 (CEST), Stefan Pappalardo wrote:

> Thanks to thomlark, who delivered the proof that there is a problem with
> the 64-bit mencoder.
>
> Is there any one who can fix it?

While this is surely helpful indication, it is not sufficient to
understand what actually is going on. I'm still puzzled if this problem
is specific to mencoder, or does this need to be fixed on one of the
many libraries that mencoder links to (e.g., libavcodec).

(BTW, that's why I've asked if this also applies to other transcoding
tools, such as avconv).

--
Gruesse/greetings,
Reinhard Tartler, KeyID 945348A4

--
You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
report.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1000973

Title:
  Mencoder error: Error, Invalid timestamp=1, last=1, encoding to mpeg4

Status in Medibuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in "mplayer" package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  I have installed both the 32 bit and 64 bit U12.04 desktops and all is
  well except for mencoder on the 64 bit desktop I get an error :

  [mpeg4 @ 0x7f114895a300]Error, Invalid timestamp=1, last=1

  This happens on 64 bit only and works great on 32 bit.

  The resulting output file will not start playing, but if I skip past
  the first few seconds, it will play.

  I would like to keep using 64 bit but if I can't find a solution to
  this problem, I will have to go 32 bit.

  I have reproduced this error with several video files of various types
  and sources.

  Please help if you can.

  My commandline is :

  nice -n 10 /usr/bin/mencoder "$1" -o "$1".avi -ffourcc DX50 -vf
  softskip,dsize=4:3,scale=720:480,harddup -sws 10 -oac mp3lame
  -lameopts abr:br=140:aq=4:vol=2.2:mode=1 -ovc lavc -lavcopts

vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=1200:threads=2:vmax_b_frames=0:vme=4:mbd=1:lumi_mask=0
.05:dark_mask=0.01:naq:precmp=0:cmp=0:subcmp=0:\dia=1:last_pred=0:preme=0:qn
s=0:vlelim=-4:vcelim=9:autoaspect

  works on 32 bit but not 64 bit OS

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
  Package: mencoder 2:1.0~rc4.dfsg1+svn34540-1+medibuntu1 [origin:
Medibuntu]
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
  Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
  Architecture: amd64
  CrashDB: medibuntu
  Date: Thu May 17 15:19:54 2012
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64
(20120425)
  ProcEnviron:
   TERM=xterm
   PATH=(custom, user)
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: mplayer
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/medibuntu/+bug/1000973/+subscriptions

I do not know what the meaning of "LMDE" is.

But sure is that one mencoder instruction fails with 64 bit package while 32 bit package does a good job.

What can I do to get closer to the origin of the failure (mencoder/mplayer or some libs?!?).

what should I test?

LMDE is Linux Mint Debian Edition (64 bit). Fails like Ubuntu 12.04 64 bit
fails. It must be something they have in common.

-----Original Message-----
From: <email address hidden> [mailto:<email address hidden>] On Behalf Of
Stefan Pappalardo
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2012 5:02 PM
To: <email address hidden>
Subject: [Bug 1000973] Re: Mencoder error: Error, Invalid timestamp=1,
last=1,encoding to mpeg4

I do not know what the meaning of "LMDE" is.

But sure is that one mencoder instruction fails with 64 bit package
while 32 bit package does a good job.

What can I do to get closer to the origin of the failure
(mencoder/mplayer or some libs?!?).

what should I test?

It's hard to believe that this bug has not been fixed after all this time. As a retired computer software developer, I feel disapointed that someone out there in the Linux world hasn't taken it upon themselves to see that this bug is fixed. I am stuck with 32 bit Ubuntu because of this bug. I have supplied everything I can for someone to reporduce the problem. I have supplied video file and command lines.

Perhaps I should try to upgrade to 12.10 and see what happens.