FFmpeg Converter

zoo33 - December 5, 2008 - 01:22

This module automatically converts media files to different destination formats, and allows you to change a number of properties such as pixel size, frame rate, bitrate etc. Additionally, if the source file is a video file, three snapshot images will be generated from different instants in the film. It is designed as an extension of the FFmpeg Wrapper module.

A common use for a module like this would be to convert video files to .flv in order to be able to play them in a Flash video player. A few other Drupal modules already provide this functionality, but they were either not available for Drupal 6 or didn't suit my needs by the time I wrote it.

How does it work?

FFmpeg Converter takes files from the CCK file fields you choose and feeds them to Job queue for conversion through FFmpeg. You need a working installation of FFmpeg on your web server. Share hosts don't usually have FFmpeg installed.

FFmpeg Converter doesn't currently provide any sort of video playback functionality. Support for a Flash player such as Flowplayer or JWplayer can be added through the theme (see the ffmpeg_converter_video.tpl.php template file) and/or by use of a module designed for that task.

This module is not for beginners, since FFmpeg requires some serious server configuration.

Dependencies & integration

FFmpeg Wrapper (required)
FileField (strongly recommended)
Job queue (strongly recommended)
MimeDetect (optional)
ImageCache (optional)

Todo

~~Provide a solution for letting users select one of the three snapshot images for display.~~
Implement some features that are grayed out in the settings, such as multiple configuration presets.
~~Provide a default view with a snapshot image linked to the destination file.~~