Hardly any software works well with .3GP movie files. So, with this collection of movies accumulating in my phone sync folder I needed something to convert them into formats that are more useful (like video editing software or upload sites). So, here’s a little quick and dirty solution for batch converting these files on a Windows machine – with pretty high quality I might add. Of course there are a lot of other things you can do with ffmpeg, so be sure to explore…
Step 1. Install cygwin command line so that you can use the bash shell to loop through stuff on Windows.
Step 2. Download the *static* binaries for windows from this site http://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/
Step 3. You are lazy like me, so copy those binaries right into the /bin directory in cygwin so they are available at the command line without any salutes.
Step 4. Put the script below into the same /bin directory because you are lazy
#!/bin/bash
# jcz 25-may-12
# filename: 3gp2mp4.sh
# converts all 3GP video files in the directory
# where it is run. Logs all file contents
# and errors to a text file in the directory
# in which it is run
#
##################################
############################
# Global script variables block
############################
# Date and other variables pretty self explanatory, S is seconds
# date format is currently YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS
dater=$(date)
dayer=$(date +%a%F%H%m)
namer=$(whoami)
hoster=$(hostname)
directory=$(pwd)
filenamer=$(date +%a_%F_%H_%M_%S)_3gp_convertlog
# sets day of the week
set $(date)
logger=$filenamer.txt
############################
# END Global script variables block
############################
echo "Welcome, $namer. I'm running in $directory and I will convert all 3GP phone videos to here mp4 files. "
echo " "
echo "I see the following files to convert. I will write them down for you now "
ls \*.3gp 2> deleteme.txt
echo " "
echo "Please review the file $filenamer in this folder when I'm done. "
echo " "
echo " "
echo "************\* RUNNING ***************\* "
echo "[START] " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo "*********\* START RUN LOG HEADER *************** " >> $logger
echo "Dater: " $dater >> $logger
echo "Username: " $namer >> $logger
echo "Computer: " $hoster >> $logger
echo "Directory: " $directory >> $logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo "*********\* END RUN LOG HEADER *************** " >> $logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
# The & characters after the commands log all output (stdout and stderr) to the log file
echo "I see the following files to work on. I will write them down for you now " >> $logger
ls -lh \*.3gp >> $logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
# Rename any existing .Mp4 files so they don't get over written and stop ffmpeg from asking me if I want to over write them
echo "Moving files: " ls \*.mp4
for nowmp4s in \*.mp4
do
mv -v $nowmp4s $dayer-$nowmp4s.mp4 >> $logger
done
# Now loop through the files and convert them using -sameq inside of ffmpeg.
for phonevid in \*.3gp
do
echo "—- START $phonevid ARCHIVE INFO —- " >> $logger
stat $phonevid >> $logger
echo "—- END $phonevid ARCHIVE INFO —- " >> $logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo "~~~~~~~~~~~~~ START FILES IN ARCHIVE $phonevid ~~~~~~~~~~~ " >> $logger
echo "Converting: $phonevid "
ffmpeg -i $phonevid -sameq $phonevid.mp4 >> $logger
echo "~~~~~~~~~~~~~ END FILES IN ARCHIVE $phonevid ~~~~~~~~~~~ " >> $logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
done
echo "[END] " >>$logger
echo " " >>$logger
# make my log a little more readble in windows
unix2dos $filenamer.txt
echo " "
echo " "
echo "************\* DONE ***************\* "
Step 5. Using cygwin, change into a directory containing some .3gp files you want to convert and run it. You will send up with one .mp4 file for each .3gp file you started with in that directory.
*john.zastrow@DIVL-GY4K3R1 /cygdrive/c/Users/john.zastrow/Videos/PhoneVids*
*$ 3gp2mp4.sh*
*Welcome, john.zastrow. I'm running in /cygdrive/c/Users/john.zastrow/Videos/Phon eVids and I will convert all 3GP phone videos to here mp4 files.*
*I see the following files to convert. I will write them down for you now*
*VIDEO0001.3gp VIDEO0013.3gp VIDEO0025.3gp VIDEO0037.3gp VIDEO0049.3gp*
*VIDEO0002.3gp VIDEO0014.3gp VIDEO0026.3gp VIDEO0038.3gp VIDEO0050.3gp*
*# <snip></snip>*
*Please review the file Fri_2012-05-25_17_06_28_3gp_convertlog in this folder whe n I'm done.*
*************\* RUNNING ***************\**
*Moving files: ls VIDEO0001.3gp.mp4 VIDEO0002.3gp.mp4 VIDEO0003.3gp.mp4 VIDEO000 4.3gp.mp4 VIDEO0005.3gp.mp4 VIDEO0006.3gp.mp4 VIDEO0007.3gp.mp4 VIDEO0008.3gp.mp 4 VIDEO0009.3gp.mp4 VIDEO0010.3gp.mp4*
*# <snip></snip>*
You’ll also get a very verbose log file of what the starting files looked like (stat) and what ffmpeg saw and did. I do love my log files 🙂
[START]
********** START RUN LOG HEADER ***************
Dater: Fri, May 25, 2012 5:06:28 PM
Username: john.zastrow
Computer: DIVL-GY4K3R1
Directory: /cygdrive/c/Users/john.zastrow/Videos/PhoneVids
********** END RUN LOG HEADER ***************
I see the following .tar.gz files to expand. I will write them down for you now
-rwx------+ 1 john.zastrow Domain Users 12M Dec 2 2010 VIDEO0001.3gp
-rwx------+ 1 john.zastrow Domain Users 11M Dec 4 2010 VIDEO0002.3gp
#<snip>
VIDEO0001.3gp.mp4' -> Fri2012-05-251705.mp4'
<span style="font-size: x-small; "><span style="line-height: 19px; "># <snip>
</snip></span></span>
---- START VIDEO0001.3gp ARCHIVE INFO ----
File: `VIDEO0001.3gp'
Size: 12056791 Blocks: 11776 IO Block: 65536 regular file
Device: 92b3f5b8h/2461267384d Inode: 2533274790709757 Links: 1
Access: (0700/-rwx------) Uid: (57187/john.zastrow) Gid: (10513/Domain Users)
Access: 2011-11-22 09:24:06.582765500 -0500
Modify: 2010-12-02 19:12:12.000000000 -0500
Change: 2012-05-24 14:44:14.228090700 -0400
Birth: 2011-11-22 09:24:06.582765500 -0500
---- END VIDEO0001.3gp ARCHIVE INFO ----
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ START FILES IN ARCHIVE VIDEO0001.3gp ~~~~~~~~~~~
ffmpeg version N-40824-g31dfe20 Copyright (c) 2000-2012 the FFmpeg developers
built on May 19 2012 00:45:59 with gcc 4.6.3
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-w32threads --enable-runtime-cpudetect --enable-avisynth --enable-bzlib --enable-frei0r --enable-libass --enable-libcelt --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libfreetype --enable-libgsm --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libnut --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libutvideo --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxavs --enable-libxvid --enable-zlib
libavutil 51. 53.100 / 51. 53.100
libavcodec 54. 21.101 / 54. 21.101
libavformat 54. 5.100 / 54. 5.100
libavdevice 53. 4.100 / 53. 4.100
libavfilter 2. 74.101 / 2. 74.101
libswscale 2. 1.100 / 2. 1.100
libswresample 0. 12.100 / 0. 12.100
libpostproc 52. 0.100 / 52. 0.100
Guessed Channel Layout for Input Stream #0.1 : mono
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'VIDEO0001.3gp':
Metadata:
major_brand : 3gp4
minor_version : 768
compatible_brands: 3gp4mp413gp6
creation_time : 2010-12-03 00:11:40
copyright :
copyright-eng :
Duration: 00:00:32.44, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 2972 kb/s
Stream #0:0(eng): Video: mpeg4 (Simple Profile) (mp4v / 0x7634706D), yuv420p, 800x480 [SAR 1:1 DAR 5:3], 2958 kb/s, 10.23 fps, 60 tbr, 1k tbn, 60 tbc
Metadata:
creation_time : 2010-12-03 00:11:40
handler_name : VideoHandler
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: amr_nb (samr / 0x726D6173), 8000 Hz, mono, flt, 12 kb/s
Metadata:
creation_time : 2010-12-03 00:11:40
handler_name : SoundHandler
[buffer @ 03aa86c0] w:800 h:480 pixfmt:yuv420p tb:1/1000000 sar:1/1 sws_param:flags=2
[buffersink @ 03aa8720] No opaque field provided
[abuffer @ 03aa87c0] format:flt layout:mono rate:8000
[aformat @ 03aa8880] auto-inserting filter 'auto-inserted resampler 0' between the filter 'src' and the filter 'aformat'
[aresample @ 03aa88c0] r:8000Hz -> r:8000Hz
[libx264 @ 03aa6400] using SAR=1/1
[libx264 @ 03aa6400] using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 FastShuffle SSE4.2 AVX
[libx264 @ 03aa6400] profile High, level 3.1
[libx264 @ 03aa6400] 264 - core 120 r2164 da19765 - H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec - Copyleft 2003-2012 - http://www.videolan.org/x264.html - options: cabac=1 ref=3 deblock=1:0:0 analyse=0x3:0x113 me=hex subme=7 psy=1 psy_rd=1.00:0.00 mixed_ref=1 me_range=16 chroma_me=1 trellis=1 8x8dct=1 cqm=0 deadzone=21,11 fast_pskip=1 chroma_qp_offset=-2 threads=6 sliced_threads=0 nr=0 decimate=1 interlaced=0 bluray_compat=0 constrained_intra=0 bframes=3 b_pyramid=2 b_adapt=1 b_bias=0 direct=1 weightb=1 open_gop=0 weightp=2 keyint=250 keyint_min=25 scenecut=40 intra_refresh=0 rc_lookahead=40 rc=crf mbtree=1 crf=23.0 qcomp=0.60 qpmin=0 qpmax=69 qpstep=4 ip_ratio=1.40 aq=1:1.00
strptime() unavailable on this system, cannot convert the date string.
Output #0, mp4, to 'VIDEO0001.3gp.mp4':
Metadata:
major_brand : 3gp4
minor_version : 768
compatible_brands: 3gp4mp413gp6
creation_time : 2010-12-03 00:11:40
copyright :
copyright-eng :
encoder : Lavf54.5.100
Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (![0][0][0] / 0x0021), yuv420p, 800x480 [SAR 1:1 DAR 5:3], q=-1--1, 60 tbn, 60 tbc
Metadata:
creation_time : 2010-12-03 00:11:40
handler_name : VideoHandler
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (@[0][0][0] / 0x0040), 8000 Hz, mono, s16, 128 kb/s
Metadata:
creation_time : 2010-12-03 00:11:40
handler_name : SoundHandler
Stream mapping:
Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (mpeg4 -> libx264)
Stream #0:1 -> #0:1 (amrnb -> libvo_aacenc)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
frame= 63 fps=0.0 q=31.0 size= 33kB time=00:00:00.18 bitrate=1488.0kbits/s dup=52 drop=0 frame= 85 fps= 79 q=31.0 size= 90kB time=00:00:00.55 bitrate=1335.5kbits/s dup=70 drop=0 frame= 107 fps= 65 q=31.0 size= 130kB time=00:00:00.91 bitrate=1162.9kbits/s dup=88 drop=0 frame= 129 fps= 60 q=31.0 size= 195kB time=00:00:01.28 bitrate=1242.5kbits/s dup=106 drop=0 frame= 156 fps= 56 q=31.0 size= 262kB tim
# <snip>
</snip></snip>
And you’ll end up with files like this
