Handbrake Failing to Scan Files

[Haravikk]

I'm trying to re-encode some .mov files I have in my collection using Handbrake, however when I select the folder Handbrake makes an attempt to scan the usual 20 previews per file, but the number of titles just counts down to zero and it complains of no valid sources.

The files open just fine for me however in both Quicktime and VLC, and I can re-encode them using the same command via ffmpeg directly. Here's the relevant snippet from my log:

Code: Select all

[18:33:11] scan: decoding previews for title 13 (/foo/bar.mov)
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/foo/bar.mov:
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : qt  
    minor_version   : 537199360
    compatible_brands: qt  
    creation_time   : 2013-11-27 14:02:08
  Duration: 00:41:59.61, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 4410 kb/s
    Stream #0.0(eng): Video: CAVC / 0x43564143, 1272x720, 4055 kb/s, 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 1k tbn
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2013-11-27 14:02:08
    Stream #0.1(rus): Audio: CAC3 / 0x33434143, 48000 Hz, 2 channels, 191 kb/s
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2013-11-27 14:02:08
    Stream #0.2(eng): Audio: CAC3 / 0x33434143, 48000 Hz, 2 channels, 159 kb/s
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2013-11-27 14:02:08
[18:33:13] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:13] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:14] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:15] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:16] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:17] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:17] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:18] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:19] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:19] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:20] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:21] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:21] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:22] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:22] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:23] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:24] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:24] scan: could not get a decoded picture
[18:33:26] scan: could not get a decoded picture

[TedJ]

A full log would be better.

[Ritsuka]

Those fourcc (CAVC, CAC3) were used only by Perian to decode mkv that had header compression turned on in QuickTime. They aren't exactly a standard. I guess ffmpeg has got an workaround for it.

[Haravikk]

Hmm, the files did come from before I used Handbrake so I probably just re-saved the MKVs to get QuickTime to play nice, I have definitely re-encoded re-saved files but maybe it's the header compression you mentioned that's screwing with it. I'll give ffmpeg a try to see if I can just encode them using my Handbrake settings, any ideas what part of Handbrake is actually failing then? Maybe it's not worth fixing it for such an unusual case, but if it's an inconsistency then it might be worth fixing regardless.