HOWTO: Missing Audio on Playing Back 3gp Video Files

I’ve recently reported about creating 3gp videos for playing them back with an average mobile phone. I’ve done this by using ffmpeg. Now – since my attention came onto 3gp video files, I was wandering if My Media System (MMS, a light Media Center unlike XBMC or MythTV), precisely speaking my mplayer-vdpau wrapper script was able to handle them also. To my surprise the video does play back, but audio is missing.

Continue reading “HOWTO: Missing Audio on Playing Back 3gp Video Files”

Creating 3gp Videos with Linux

For the impatient: Read here the compendium.

Recently I’ve bought a mid-range mobile phone for my wife. It’s a Nokia 2700 Classic for about 100€. At this price level you don’t have a sophisticated video support regarding recording or playback. You don’t have avi, wmv or flv support. The only video format the mobile phone understands is 3gp. Continue reading “Creating 3gp Videos with Linux”

HOWTO: Convert and write AVCHD (.mts) to DVD with Linux

You’ve got a brand-new AVCHD camcorder from Panasonic, Sony or Canon and recorded your kids the first time in HD quality and want now to show the footage to your children’s grandmother?
Sure, no problem.
Just plug your camcorder directly into your also brand-new BluRay-writer or convert and author the footage with your Windows box first 😉 *kidding*
We’re of course on Linux and we don’t have a BluRay-writer, at least grandma doesn’t have one. What now? Well – I assume granny has a DVD-player. And we’re in the game again. I assume also you know how to compile (see other articles at this site, if not) and you also know how to install missing packages (e.g.: “apt-get install dvdauthor growisofs” ).
We just need these free Linux tools: Continue reading “HOWTO: Convert and write AVCHD (.mts) to DVD with Linux”

Poor man's workaround for Cheese zero byte problem on Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)

cheese webcam application
cheese webcam application

I’m checking cyclic if the zero byte problem with the webcam application cheese is gone meanwhile.
So happened today, and no – it’s not. Since I really needed a stream badly today, I’ve looked again for a fix or workaround. But looking on the Internet for this bug reveals that this bug used to happen more often than one time. It’s sad, because I like this little nifty application.
And found only poor man’s workaround. Well, better then nothing. Continue reading “Poor man's workaround for Cheese zero byte problem on Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)”

A simple Linux DVD HOWTO in a command line

The Problem

You’ve got two .avi video files, and tovid didn’t work for you, but you need a DVD, because the person who wants to play this back only got an DVD-player.
Note:All the commands mentioned below are in the default Ubuntu Repo. I’m using Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex right now, but it should work for every other Distro, too. If a command does not work for you, because it’s not installed, use on Debian-systems apt-get search application-name ( aka aptitude search application-name ) to install the missing application. Continue reading “A simple Linux DVD HOWTO in a command line”