Converting HEVC to H264 with FFmpeg

If you're looking to convert a HEVC-encoded video to H264, you've come to the right place. While some answers may be outdated or unclear, this article aims to provide a concise guide on using FFmpeg options `-vcodec` and `-formats`.

Understanding FFmpeg Options

When you run `ffmpeg -formats`, you'll see a plethora of acronyms for supported codecs. These acronyms often appear before the codec name/type, such as `-D V D S E A`. Don't worry if they seem cryptic; we'll break them down below.

H264 Codec and File Format

To convert your video to raw H264 format, you need to specify the correct options in FFmpeg. When checking the help information using `ffmpeg -formats`, you might see something like this:

```

File format :ĭ V D h264 H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10

Stream #0.1(eng): Audio: aac, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16

```

This indicates that H.264 is supported as both a file format and a codec.

Converting HEVC to H264

To convert your input MP4 video file (MPEG-4 video codec) to raw H264 format using FFmpeg on Linux, you can try the following command:

```bash

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 output.h264

```

This command tells FFmpeg to:

* Read input from `input.mp4` (`-i input.mp4`)

* Convert the video stream using the H.264 codec (`-c:v libx264`)

* Write the output to `output.h264`

Troubleshooting Issues

If you encounter errors, such as:

```

Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 59.94 (5994/100) -> 29.97 (30000/1001)

Unsupported codec for output stream #0.0

```

You can try adding additional options to your command:

* To resolve the frame rate issue, you can specify a specific frame rate using `-r`:

```bash

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -r 29.97 output.h264

```

* If the error persists, ensure that the codec is correctly specified and that the output file extension matches the desired format (e.g., `.h264` for raw H.264).

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully convert your HEVC-encoded video to H264 using FFmpeg on Linux.

Converting a HEVC-encoded video to H264 using FFmpeg can be a straightforward process once you understand the correct options and syntax. By breaking down the acronyms and troubleshooting common issues, you'll be well-equipped to tackle more complex conversions in the future.

Ffmpeg hevc to h264