[SCRIPT] RetroPie Convert Videos

hiulit

BTW, the script is using libav-tools, should I change it for ffmpeg? What do you think?

mitu

@hiulit The new Debian Buster release doesn't have libav-tools anymore, they've switched back to ffmpeg (https://packages.debian.org/stretch/libav-tools). I think that you should transition to ffmpeg to have the script keep working in newer releases of Debian/Raspbian/Ubuntu.

hiulit

@mitu Thanks. I'll do it then.

Rion

@hiulit Any plans to release a standalone version for linux? Would be great to use this on my stationary desktop.

hiulit

@Rion What do you mean by standalone? With a GUI? I never though about it actually, and I don't think I will ever make such an app, mainly because I wouldn't know how, hehe :) But I could make a version of the script (or adapt it) to work without the RetroPie settings. If that's what you meant, I could do that ;)

mitu

Maybe @Rion meant 'standalone' as in 'no RetroPie installation required' - just a video conversions script. Something like Handbrake maybe ? It has a convenient GUI and can also be run from command line.

hiulit

@mitu @Rion Yes, that 'standalone' script I could do. It would just be a matter of removing all chechkings about RetroPie being installed. I will look into that once I've done the change from libav-tools to ffmpeg .

Rion

@hiulit said in [SCRIPT] RetroPie Convert Videos:

@mitu @Rion Yes, that 'standalone' script I could do. It would just be a matter of removing all chechkings about RetroPie being installed. I will look into that once I've done the change from libav-tools to ffmpeg .

Yes that's exactly what i meant. Sorry for being so vague :)

hiulit

@davidonabus It should be fixed in the new version. Could you try it?

hiulit

@Rion No worries! I'll have a look and see what I can do :)

toimas

@hiulit Thank for the update... 'sadly' I can't test it right now, I've trancoded my few videos 'by hand' meanwhile... and since I've also switched to Debian Buster I also had to use ffmpeg-tools anyway...

hiulit

@Rion When you think about that "standalone" script, what do you have in mind? How would it work?
I took a look at the code and it super dependant of RetroPie, hehe! :) All the video paths, the scraper paths...
I'm trying to figure out how could I make it work, that's why I'm asking for suggestions. Happy new year!

hiulit

@toimas That's ok, no worries! I'll be updating again the script. I changed libav-tools for ffmpeg.

kdeman

@hiulit I am trying out your tool but get the message "woops! the 'libav-tools' package is not installed!". Trying to install it doesn't work (the package has been obsoleted, and replaced by ffmpeg). You mention you changed from libav-tools to ffmpeg - I did a latest pull from github, still I get this message. Is there another place where I should get the ffmpeg enabled version? Many thanks in advance!

Clyde

@kdeman How did you try to install the transitional package libav-tools? It should a) install the package ffmpeg if it's not already installed, and b) create these links for backwards compatibility:

avconv  -> ffmpeg
avplay  -> ffplay
avprobe -> ffprobe

You can install libav-tools with this command:

sudo apt install libav-tools

And you can read its description with its dependency ffmpeg and the link list above with this command:

apt show libav-tools

(No sudo required for the latter one.)

edit: Are you using the normal Retropie image that's based on Debian Stretch or another Linux distribution?

kdeman

@Clyde

Using Buster (10) on a Pi 4. I installed Retropie manually, quite some time ago now, all working really well, haven't had any real issues so far, except this one.

I tried to install it exactly as you say. Message coming back in the order of "package not available, but is referred to by another package. The following packages replace it: ffmpeg"

ffmpeg in indeed installed and working fine. However, as I mentioned, when I try to run the video conversion script, it states I need to have "libav-tools" installed...

However, I don't think the backward compatibility works - as when I type avconv or avplay or avprobe it states "command not found".

kdeman

@Clyde

Solved it. I ended up installing the libav-tools by downloading them manually from the debian.org site and this fixed the problem. Thanks for the prompt reply!

Clyde

Ah, so they have removed the transitional package in Buster. Good to hear that you've solved it nonetheless.

To get rid of the message without having to manually install libav-tools, just delete line #33 of the script that says readonly DEPENDENCIES=("libav-tools" "bc"). An update of the script may restore it, though, if @hiulit doesn't change it in the repo.

hiulit

@kdeman Hey, sorry for the late reply! I have the changes on the develop branch, which I'm currently working on. I'll release a new version with ffmpeg and some other stuff pretty soon :)

Clyde

@hiulit Thanks, I have taken this for a reason to update my own script accordingly. 👍