How do I use the Daktronics Video Converter Utility?

Topic

  • How do you use the Daktronics Video Converter Utility?
  • File conversions for Daktronics displays.
  • Previously called the FFMPEG Converter Utility

Environment

  • Product: Display ready content
  • Component: Daktronics Video Converter Version 4.0.2
  • Control System:

The Video Converter utility converts a range of original file formats to the H2.64 MP4 format or the HAP-encoded MOV format required for large display animations. Displays that are more than 2.5M pixels or wider than 3840 pixels are considered large displays. 
NOTE: HAP codec does not support HDR content.

  • Daktronics recommends that the original files are in uncompressed AVI or MOV formats.

Steps

🔽Use the arrows to open and collapse the following sections. 

Installing the video converter 

Download the file converter program and copy the file to the drive on the DMP computer that will be used to convert the files. Follow the steps below:

    1. Back up the original uncompressed AVI or uncompressed MOV files to another location before starting the conversion process.
    2. Download and install the converter program located here.
    Configure/ convert files

    Configure

    1. Open the video converter utility.

    FFMPEG general banner.png

    1. Click Configure. The Configuration window opens.

    ​​​​​​​image

    1. Select the appropriate Command Line Format from the drop-down list. Refer to photo above.
            •  To convert to H.264 MP4 format for medium displays, select the first option in the drop-down list:
             -i "{0}" -c:v libx264 -preset {2} -crf {3} -pix_fmt {4} {5} -me_method {6} -bf {7} -y -f mp4 "{1}" 
        To convert to HAP-encoded MOV format with no alpha channel for large displays, select the following setting:
             -i "{0}" -c:v hap -format hap -compressor none {5} -y -f mov "{1}"
            • To convert to HAP-encoded MOV format with an alpha channel for large displays, select the following setting:
             -i "{0}" -c:v hap -format hap_alpha -compressor none {5} -y -f mov "{1}"
      Command Line Format Options.png

    2. Clear the Strip Audio check box and keep the default option listed in the Audio Options field if audio is required.

    3. Select the Scale check box and enter an even number for the Width and Height of the source file resolution. If the display width or height is an uneven number, increase the odd number by adding 1. For example, if the uncompressed AVI file has a width of 3840 and a height of 925, enter the height number as 926.

    4. Click OK. The control panel opens again.

    Add files / Run

    1. From the Control Panel, click Add/Browse and select the content file(s) to be converted. More than one file can be selected at one time.

    2. Click Run. A prompt to delete the original files opens.

    3. Click Yes to delete the original uncompressed AVI or MOV files from the computer after the conversion only if a backup exists. If a backup file was not created before the conversion, click No in the dialog box. The files will convert to the new format.

    4. Verify that the new MP4 or MOV files are saved in the same folder as the original source files.
      Daktronics Video Converter version 4.0.0  (auto striping options) 

      Auto stripe- This feature can be used with content is greater than 8k long, but it may not be needed because most codecs should work.    This should be used for content greater than 16k long.

      FFMPEG.png

       for version 4.0.0, there is a known issue around color space conversion.  This may not work in some circumstances. 

      Related Resources

      Daktronics Video Converter Quick Guide

      What is the best practice for creating/exporting display ready content for DMP-8000?

       

      KB ID: 000001416


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