How do i convert a transparent .mov-file to an mp4 file overlayed on a background-image using FFMPEG

alpha channelffmpegoverlay

I'm trying to convert a mov file with the following specs:

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'test.mov':
Metadata:
    major_brand     : qt  
    minor_version   : 537199360
    compatible_brands: qt  
    creation_time   : 2012-10-09 13:34:01
Duration: 00:00:51.60, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 217433 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(eng): Video: prores (ap4h / 0x68347061), yuv444p10le, 1920x1080, 215844 kb/s, SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 25 tbn, 25 tbc
    Metadata:
        creation_time   : 2012-10-09 13:34:01
        handler_name    : Apple Alias Data Handler
        timecode        : 01:00:00:00
    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: pcm_s16le (sowt / 0x74776F73), 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 1536 kb/s
    Metadata:
        creation_time   : 2012-10-09 13:34:01
        handler_name    : Apple Alias Data Handler
    Stream #0:2(eng): Data: none (tmcd / 0x64636D74)
    Metadata:
        creation_time   : 2012-10-09 13:42:30
        handler_name    : Apple Alias Data Handler
        timecode        : 01:00:00:00

I want a background-image with that video on top of it and save it as an mp4-file. In the meantime the video has to be scaled and cropped
I need a solution which can be automated and placed on a server, that is why i tried ffmpeg

This is wat have at the moment:

ffmpeg -loop 1 -f image2 -i background.png -r 25 -an -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1500k -vf "movie=test.mov[movie];[movie]scale=max(552\, 420*iw/ih):-1[OUT1]; [OUT1]crop=552:420[OUT2]; [0][OUT2] overlay=0:0 [out]" -s 552x420 -y output.mp4

The problem is, somehow, the transparency is lost, and the background is black, instead of the underlying image. When i try the same ffmpeg command with a transparent FLV as input, it works, but i would like it to work without having to convert al source files first to another format

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated !

This is my current ffmpeg configuration:

ffmpeg version 1.1.2 Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
built on Mar  4 2013 11:19:29 with Apple clang version 4.1 (tags/Apple/clang-421.11.66) (based on LLVM 3.1svn)
configuration: --prefix=/opt/local --enable-swscale --enable-avfilter --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libmodplug --enable-libvpx --enable-libspeex --enable-libfreetype --mandir=/opt/local/share/man --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --cc=/usr/bin/clang --arch=x86_64 --enable-yasm --enable-gpl --enable-postproc --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --enable-nonfree --enable-libfaac
    libavutil      52. 13.100 / 52. 13.100
    libavcodec     54. 86.100 / 54. 86.100
    libavformat    54. 59.106 / 54. 59.106
    libavdevice    54.  3.102 / 54.  3.102
    libavfilter     3. 32.100 /  3. 32.100
    libswscale      2.  1.103 /  2.  1.103
    libswresample   0. 17.102 /  0. 17.102
    libpostproc    52.  2.100 / 52.  2.100

EDIT

This is the complete console output for the command:

ffmpeg -loop 1 -f image2 -i background.jpg -r 25 -an -vframes 2500  -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1500k -vf "movie=test.mov[movie];[movie]scale=max(552\, 420*iw/ih):-1[OUT1]; [OUT1]crop=552:420[OUT2]; [0][OUT2] overlay=0:0 [out]" -s 552x420 -y output.mp4
ffmpeg version 1.1.2 Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Mar  4 2013 11:19:29 with Apple clang version 4.1 (tags/Apple/clang-421.11.66) (based on LLVM 3.1svn)
  configuration: --prefix=/opt/local --enable-swscale --enable-avfilter --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libmodplug --enable-libvpx --enable-libspeex --enable-libfreetype --mandir=/opt/local/share/man --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --cc=/usr/bin/clang --arch=x86_64 --enable-yasm --enable-gpl --enable-postproc --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --enable-nonfree --enable-libfaac
  libavutil      52. 13.100 / 52. 13.100
  libavcodec     54. 86.100 / 54. 86.100
  libavformat    54. 59.106 / 54. 59.106
  libavdevice    54.  3.102 / 54.  3.102
  libavfilter     3. 32.100 /  3. 32.100
  libswscale      2.  1.103 /  2.  1.103
  libswresample   0. 17.102 /  0. 17.102
  libpostproc    52.  2.100 / 52.  2.100
Input #0, image2, from 'background.jpg':
  Duration: 00:00:00.04, start: 0.000000, bitrate: N/A
    Stream #0:0: Video: mjpeg, yuvj444p, 1024x576, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 25 tbn, 25 tbc
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] using cpu capabilities: none!
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] profile High, level 3.0
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] 264 - core 128 - 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=-2 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=1500 ratetol=1.0 qcomp=0.60 qpmin=0 qpmax=69 qpstep=4 ip_ratio=1.40 aq=1:1.00
Output #0, mp4, to 'output.mp4':
  Metadata:
    encoder         : Lavf54.59.106
    Stream #0:0: Video: h264 ([33][0][0][0] / 0x0021), yuv420p, 552x420, q=-1--1, 1500 kb/s, 12800 tbn, 25 tbc
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (mjpeg -> libx264)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
frame= 2500 fps= 53 q=32766.0 Lsize=    9772kB time=00:01:39.92 bitrate= 801.2kbits/s    
video:9742kB audio:0kB subtitle:0 global headers:0kB muxing overhead 0.309877%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] frame I:10    Avg QP: 1.97  size: 58522
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] frame P:634   Avg QP: 4.19  size:  7889
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] frame B:1856  Avg QP: 7.63  size:  2364
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] consecutive B-frames:  1.0%  0.0%  0.1% 98.9%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] mb I  I16..4: 47.6% 16.4% 36.0%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] mb P  I16..4:  0.1%  0.1%  0.3%  P16..4:  2.9%  2.9%  2.6%  0.0%  0.0%    skip:91.1%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] mb B  I16..4:  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  B16..8:  2.3%  1.1%  1.1%  direct: 3.0%  skip:92.4%  L0:23.8% L1:24.1% BI:52.0%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] final ratefactor: -0.23
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] 8x8 transform intra:16.7% inter:26.0%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] coded y,uvDC,uvAC intra: 65.5% 84.3% 83.9% inter: 5.8% 4.8% 3.8%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] i16 v,h,dc,p: 60% 21%  8% 12%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] i8 v,h,dc,ddl,ddr,vr,hd,vl,hu: 26% 31%  9%  3%  5%  8%  6%  6%  5%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] i4 v,h,dc,ddl,ddr,vr,hd,vl,hu: 22% 27% 11%  4%  7%  9%  7%  6%  6%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] i8c dc,h,v,p: 34% 43% 17%  7%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] Weighted P-Frames: Y:0.0% UV:0.0%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] ref P L0: 61.2% 19.9% 10.0%  8.8%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] ref B L0: 91.0%  7.3%  1.7%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] ref B L1: 98.7%  1.3%
[libx264 @ 0x7fddc3813600] kb/s:798.01

Best Answer

ffmpeg does not currently support ProRes alpha channels. (This is an open enhancement request.) If you can instead use the QuickTime Animation (RLE) codec (qtrle) for the overlay movie then that should work.

Related Solutions

Problems with frame rate on video conversion using ffmpeg with libx264

The problem is that ffmpeg chooses the default for -vsync based on the output muxer. Its mp4 muxer defaults to vsync 1, but it chooses a very high framerate so that it can put a frame at the exact right time for every input frame.

(The input frame timing isn't constant. It averages 14.97 fps, according to ffmpeg. Probably from a phone camera? They do variable FPS. I think they slow down to get more light for each frame, but it might be another reason.)

So ffmpeg will duplicate frames up to the 30k fps that it's chosen, or something. h.264 is pretty efficient at storing duplicate frames, but that's ridiculous.

Anyway, the solution is to use -vsync 2 on your ffmpeg command line. Or output to mkv, and then remux to mp4, but the reason that works is that mkv defaults to -vsync 2. It's really that simple. You don't need to make your output CFR. Youtube handles arbitrary frame rates just fine, as long as they're <= 60, and so do most other players. I assume phones are fine, since they make variable FPS videos in the first place. You don't need to use -r something to force frame duplication to hit exactly 30fps or anything.

Linux – Using ffmpeg to make a movie from png files

This is the wrong syntax for passing multiple images as input to ffmpeg. Please have a look at the FFmpeg Wiki guide on creating a video slideshow and the image2 demuxer options.

You need to tell it to use three digits for the sequence numbers, and start at 84, i.e.

ffmpeg -start_number 84 -i island_sizes-CSH\(II\)-%03d.png output.mpg

Some further tips:

MPEG-1 as a video codec is less than optimal and gives you bad quality at high file sizes. Unless you want compatibility for old devices or computers (or Windows XP without any codecs), scratch that and use an MPEG-4 Part 10 encoder (H.264), such as libx264:
```
ffmpeg -i … -c:v libx264 out.mp4
```
For a tutorial on x264 options (how to change the quality etc.) check the x264 encoding guide.
PNG files use an RGB pixel format, which is not supported in normal video codecs. With MPEG-1 it does not matter, but with MPEG-4 codecs it would, since ffmpeg would automatically convert the pixel format to non-subsampled YUV. In that case you need to translate this to chroma-subsampled formats such as YUV 4:2:0, otherwise your video might not play in most applications:
```
ffmpeg -i … -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p out.mp4
```

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Problems with frame rate on video conversion using ffmpeg with libx264

Linux – Using ffmpeg to make a movie from png files

Related Question