Ogg theora encoder

[Craig Seeman]

Does not work?
https://ostatic.com/blog/video-conversion-with-simple-theora-encoder

and this doesn’t help?
https://www.engagemedia.org/help/tutorial-encoding-on-a-mac

What about Xiph?
https://www.xiph.org/quicktime/

Handbreak with VLC installed can supposedly encode to Theora
https://handbrake.fr/

There’s nothing you can do to persuade them to use WebM which may be supported in Squeeze 6.5?

[Colin Froud]

Hi Craig,
thanks for the quick reply!

The Simple Theora Encoder did not seem to operate correctly.
I tried Mpeg4’s, .mov, and .flv, but all failed in some way or another.
Perhaps it only works with AVI’s?

I have installed Xiph onto my Mac and that does at least let me play back ogg files through Quicktime.
I tried encoding through quicktime under the export settings, and that does work, but I have 100 to do and need to find some way of automating multiple files as I can’t baby sit every single one!

I am looking to see if I can do a batch export through final cut, but need to reduce the file size down to 570×320 and that is proving difficult to achieve!
At the moment I can’t work out how to get Ogg out of Quicktime conversion. The Xiph Theora codec is there, but the Ogg extension isn’t given as an option…

I’ve ran out of time for tonight, but will look at exporting a .mov to the correct file size and then trying to encode.

Thanks again for your reply.

[Craig Seeman]

That tutorial I linked to is only a few months old so it must of worked for them back at that point.
Try Handbreak.

[Colin Froud]

I think I may have cracked it!
After restarting squeeze I now have Ogg options in the Quicktime export settings. I have full control over frame size and data rates, so will give that a go.
I think adding the Xiph has enabled the option.
I’ll give it a go.

[Craig Seeman]

The problem with Ogg Theora through Quicktime is that you get stuck with the .mov extension. The same thing happens in Telestream Episode. Let me know if you can get .ogg

[Colin Froud] “I think I may have cracked it!”
It takes cracking a few oggs to make an omelet . . . ogglet? Theoraetically speaking of course.

[Colin Froud]

Ha, Ha, ha.
I should’ve seen that one coming!

Squeeze is encoding the video using Xiph Theora and Ogg for the audio, and gives it an ogg. extension. Yes, the full stop is in right place!? (Strange).

I cannot play back the encoded files though… I get audio, but no picture, so I am not sure if the video is being encoded properly or not.

I think I may have to send the files to my client as squeeze has encoded them. I just may not have the right codecs to be able to play back the video. No video box is displayed, only a sound bar in Quicktime.
Tried playing them on my PC, but no good either.

[Craig Seeman]

[Colin Froud] “I cannot play back the encoded files though… I get audio, but no picture, so I am not sure if the video is being encoded properly or not.”

Have your tried playing in VLC?

[Colin Froud]

Just tried it in VLC on my PC, but it doesn’t want to know at all!

[Nathan Grout]

“Squeeze is encoding the video using Xiph Theora and Ogg for the audio, and gives it an ogg. extension. Yes, the full stop is in right place!? (Strange).

I cannot play back the encoded files though… I get audio, but no picture, so I am not sure if the video is being encoded properly or not.”

If I’m not mistaken, the OGG file extension is for audio only, while OGV is used for video. This might explain why you are only getting audio.

With the use of Theora/OGG by many browsers in the HTML5 standard for video embedding, I have a feeling that we will see lots more clients wanting Theora/OGG encoding. I’ve really been helped in my understanding of HTML5 by this article: https://diveintohtml5.org/video.html, though I haven’t tried the recommendations of this section about batch Theora/OGG encoding: https://diveintohtml5.org/video.html#ffmpeg2theora

[Craig Seeman]

In my experience you can not encode to ogg Theora (video) in professional encoding apps such as Squeeze, Episode, etc. For licensing reasons they can’t. They can access it through Quicktime components but that will not give you the correct extension for ogg video.

[Nathan Grout] “With the use of Theora/OGG by many browsers in the HTML5 standard for video embedding, I have a feeling that we will see lots more clients wanting Theora/OGG encoding.”

??? IMHO OGG is dying/dead. Theora is a very poor and inefficient codec. For those that need free open standard they will likely use WebM (VP8). Professional apps such as Episode and Squeeze can encode to WebM.

Only Mozilla browsers are holding out against H.264 HTML5 and they will be supporting WebM. Given the vast and growing number of iOS devices that support H.264 HTML5 and IE9’s coming support for it H.264 will likely dominate.

In short, there is little reason for anyone to encode to Theora once Mozilla browsers support WebM. iOS devices, IE9, Safari all support H.264 HTM5. People who desire to reach Mozilla browser will probably use H.264 in Flash.