Kino does not import AVI file from Canon cameras properly

[Stephen Irons]

Binary package hint: kino

Kino 1.1.0 Ubuntu Gutsy

When importing a .AVI file from Canon still cameras (both A720IS and an IXUS), the import appears to complete, but the imported DV file is very short (about 2s instead of 30s). It appears that most of the frames have been dropped.

Kino runs ffmpeg to convert from .AVI to DV format.

Running Kino from a terminal, ffmpeg reports the following over and over:

[dvvideo @ 0xb7e81a68]Can't process DV frame #2. Insufficient audio data or severe sync problem.

This is a known problem with .AVI videos from Canon still cameras, perhaps something to do with its non-standard audio sample rate of 11024 (rather than 11025) samples per second.

Three possible solutions or workarounds:

One:
If mencoder is installed, then Kino uses mencoder to do the conversion. However, the Ubuntu kino package does not mencoder, not even a 'suggests'. Perhaps the Ubuntu package could recommend mencoder, the same as it does ffmpeg.

Two:
Fix ffmpeg so that it imports Canon .AVI properly. I can send a sample if needed. This would need work from the ffmpeg people.

Three:
Do the conversion in 2 stages: this would need work from the Kino people:

1. convert audio to pcm_s16le, 48kHz using ffmpeg
2. combine this audio file with the DV video using ffmpeg a second time

[Duncan Lithgow (duncan-lithgow)]

Hi Stephen, please start by contacting Canon about this and ask 1. why they don't adhere to the standard and 2. if they can provide you with a linux driver for the camera they sold you.

Of the workarounds you mention:
1. have you tried this with mencoder? It sounds like you think this would work but does it?
2. you can make your request via the ffmpeg bug system at http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/bugreports.html
3. Kino is in bug-fix development, so until/unless a new developer turns up there won't be much happening there.

Because this sounds like a Canon bug and not an Ubuntu/Kino/ffmpeg bug I'm rejecting this bug report, unless you have another idea.

[Stephen Irons (stephen-irons)]

1. the mencoder solution does indeed work. I guess the solution I would like for this bug report is to have mencoder as a 'suggested' or 'recommended' package. I have no idea how package maintainers go about deciding which packages are suggested or recommended, so I will leave it up to the package maintainer.

2. I am not in a position to compile and test the latest version of ffmpeg, and they do not want bug reports on old versions, so unfortunately I cannot submit a bug report to ffmpeg.

3. perhaps I will send Kino my ffmpeg equivalent of the mencoder script that does the conversion.

The mencoder solution works, but I was hoping to keep at least one of the numerous audio-video conversion suites off my PC.

Other applications manage to play the Canon AVI files (totem-xine, totem-gstreamer, mplayer). Of the application I have tried, I have found that only ffmpeg fails. It seems to me that the problem is with ffmpeg, not Canon. I have not verified what the AVI standard says, but I assume that ffmpeg is getting something wrong, and everyone else is more-or-less correct.

Thanks for the comments.

[Duncan Lithgow (duncan-lithgow)]

I think that if you make a good case to Dan Dennedy of Kino he might add mencoder as suggested. I don't think the Ubuntu people look at it, they just follow what the package says. I'm marking this incomplete to remind me to post this RFE to the Kino bug tracker.

[Duncan Lithgow (duncan-lithgow)]

Actually Stephen, I can see that Kino is on sourceforge. Do you have a Sourceforge account? If yes, then you should file the bug there and link this one to it.

[Jayson Rowe (jayson.rowe)]

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!